Giannandrea Poesio

MacMillan magic

Royal Ballet Triple Bill<br /> Royal Opera House, in rep until 15 April

issue 03 April 2010

Royal Ballet Triple Bill
Royal Opera House, in rep until 15 April

The Royal Ballet’s new triple bill is a rare example of artistically enlightened programming. It is devoted to Kenneth MacMillan’s creative genius, and highlights his most distinctive and seminal choreographic aesthetic through a masterly game of contrasts.

Concerto, created in 1966, provides a unique insight into how MacMillan dealt with the notion of plotless or ‘abstract’ ballet set to non-dance-specific music. Shostakovich’s sometimes infectious, sometimes emotionally intense score is translated into what could be referred to as softly toned, spirited choreography. The vibrant, eye-catching intricacies of the first and third movements never give in to flashy ideas or exploit technical bravura. But it is in the second movement, dominated by one of the best examples of 20th-century dance composition, that the genius of MacMillan can be savoured in full.

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