ADVERTISEMENT
Monday, May 19, 2025
SUBSCRIBE
The Ballet Herald®
  • BALLET MAGAZINE
    • Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern Dance Performance Reviews
    • Interviews with Ballet Professionals
    • The Latest Ballet News
    • Feature Ballet Stories
    • Ballet Schools & Training
    • On This Day in Ballet History
    • Opinions
    • Ballet Meets the Mainstream
  • BALLET COMPANIES
    • Ballet Companies in Asia
      • Hong Kong Ballet
      • National Ballet of China
      • National Ballet of Japan
      • Singapore Ballet
    • Ballet Companies in Europe
      • Bavarian State Ballet
      • Birmingham Royal Ballet
      • Compañía Nacional de Danza
      • Dutch National Ballet
      • English National Ballet
      • Finnish National Ballet
      • Hamburg Ballet
      • Hungarian National Ballet
      • La Scala Theatre Ballet
      • Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
      • London City Ballet
      • Mariinsky Ballet
      • Mikhailovsky Ballet
      • National Ballet of Ukraine
      • Northern Ballet
      • Norwegian National Ballet
      • Paris Opera Ballet
      • Polish National Ballet
      • Royal Ballet of Flanders
      • Royal Danish Ballet
      • Royal Swedish Ballet
      • Scottish Ballet
      • State Ballet of Georgia
      • The Royal Ballet
      • The Stuttgart Ballet
      • Varna International Ballet
      • Vienna State Ballet
    • Ballet Companies in North America
      • Alabama Ballet
      • Alberta Ballet
      • American Ballet Theatre
      • American Contemporary Ballet
      • American Repertory Ballet
      • Atlanta Ballet
      • Avant Chamber Ballet
      • BalletX
      • Ballet Arizona
      • Ballet Arkansas
      • Ballet Austin
      • Ballet Idaho
      • Ballet Memphis
      • Ballet North Texas
      • Ballet Tucson
      • Ballet West
      • BalletMet
      • Boston Ballet
      • Carolina Ballet
      • Charlotte Ballet
      • Cincinnati Ballet
      • City Ballet of San Diego
      • Cleveland Ballet
      • Colorado Ballet
      • Complexions Contemporary Ballet
      • Dance Theatre of Harlem
      • Eugene Ballet
      • Grand Rapids Ballet
      • Hollywood Ballet
      • Houston Ballet
      • Indianapolis Ballet
      • Joffrey Ballet
      • Kansas City Ballet
      • Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
      • Les Grands Ballets
      • Los Angeles Ballet
      • Madison Ballet
      • Miami City Ballet
      • Milwaukee Ballet
      • Nashville Ballet
      • New Jersey Ballet
      • New York City Ballet
      • Oklahoma City Ballet
      • Oregon Ballet Theatre
      • Orlando Ballet
      • Pacific Northwest Ballet
      • Philadelphia Ballet
      • Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
      • Richmond Ballet
      • Royal Winnipeg Ballet
      • Sacramento Ballet
      • Saint Louis Ballet
      • San Francisco Ballet
      • Sarasota Ballet
      • Smuin Contemporary Ballet
      • Texas Ballet Theater
      • The National Ballet of Canada
      • The Washington Ballet
      • Tulsa Ballet
    • Ballet Companies in Oceania
      • Queensland Ballet
      • Royal New Zealand Ballet
      • The Australian Ballet
  • BALLET PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
  • BALLET SHOWS IN…
    • Ballet Shows in Australia
    • Ballet Shows in Chicago
    • Ballet Shows in London
    • Ballet Shows in Los Angeles
    • Ballet Shows in New York City
    • Ballet Shows in Paris
    • Ballet Shows in Toronto
    • Ballet Shows in Washington, D.C.
  • FAMOUS BALLETS
    • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    • Cinderella
    • Coppélia
    • Don Quixote
    • Giselle
    • La Bayadère
    • La Sylphide
    • Romeo and Juliet
    • Swan Lake
    • The Nutcracker
    • The Sleeping Beauty
  • MORE
    • Dance Jobs
    • 2025 Ballet Summer Intensive Programs
  • BALLET MAGAZINE
    • Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern Dance Performance Reviews
    • Interviews with Ballet Professionals
    • The Latest Ballet News
    • Feature Ballet Stories
    • Ballet Schools & Training
    • On This Day in Ballet History
    • Opinions
    • Ballet Meets the Mainstream
  • BALLET COMPANIES
    • Ballet Companies in Asia
      • Hong Kong Ballet
      • National Ballet of China
      • National Ballet of Japan
      • Singapore Ballet
    • Ballet Companies in Europe
      • Bavarian State Ballet
      • Birmingham Royal Ballet
      • Compañía Nacional de Danza
      • Dutch National Ballet
      • English National Ballet
      • Finnish National Ballet
      • Hamburg Ballet
      • Hungarian National Ballet
      • La Scala Theatre Ballet
      • Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
      • London City Ballet
      • Mariinsky Ballet
      • Mikhailovsky Ballet
      • National Ballet of Ukraine
      • Northern Ballet
      • Norwegian National Ballet
      • Paris Opera Ballet
      • Polish National Ballet
      • Royal Ballet of Flanders
      • Royal Danish Ballet
      • Royal Swedish Ballet
      • Scottish Ballet
      • State Ballet of Georgia
      • The Royal Ballet
      • The Stuttgart Ballet
      • Varna International Ballet
      • Vienna State Ballet
    • Ballet Companies in North America
      • Alabama Ballet
      • Alberta Ballet
      • American Ballet Theatre
      • American Contemporary Ballet
      • American Repertory Ballet
      • Atlanta Ballet
      • Avant Chamber Ballet
      • BalletX
      • Ballet Arizona
      • Ballet Arkansas
      • Ballet Austin
      • Ballet Idaho
      • Ballet Memphis
      • Ballet North Texas
      • Ballet Tucson
      • Ballet West
      • BalletMet
      • Boston Ballet
      • Carolina Ballet
      • Charlotte Ballet
      • Cincinnati Ballet
      • City Ballet of San Diego
      • Cleveland Ballet
      • Colorado Ballet
      • Complexions Contemporary Ballet
      • Dance Theatre of Harlem
      • Eugene Ballet
      • Grand Rapids Ballet
      • Hollywood Ballet
      • Houston Ballet
      • Indianapolis Ballet
      • Joffrey Ballet
      • Kansas City Ballet
      • Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
      • Les Grands Ballets
      • Los Angeles Ballet
      • Madison Ballet
      • Miami City Ballet
      • Milwaukee Ballet
      • Nashville Ballet
      • New Jersey Ballet
      • New York City Ballet
      • Oklahoma City Ballet
      • Oregon Ballet Theatre
      • Orlando Ballet
      • Pacific Northwest Ballet
      • Philadelphia Ballet
      • Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
      • Richmond Ballet
      • Royal Winnipeg Ballet
      • Sacramento Ballet
      • Saint Louis Ballet
      • San Francisco Ballet
      • Sarasota Ballet
      • Smuin Contemporary Ballet
      • Texas Ballet Theater
      • The National Ballet of Canada
      • The Washington Ballet
      • Tulsa Ballet
    • Ballet Companies in Oceania
      • Queensland Ballet
      • Royal New Zealand Ballet
      • The Australian Ballet
  • BALLET PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
  • BALLET SHOWS IN…
    • Ballet Shows in Australia
    • Ballet Shows in Chicago
    • Ballet Shows in London
    • Ballet Shows in Los Angeles
    • Ballet Shows in New York City
    • Ballet Shows in Paris
    • Ballet Shows in Toronto
    • Ballet Shows in Washington, D.C.
  • FAMOUS BALLETS
    • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    • Cinderella
    • Coppélia
    • Don Quixote
    • Giselle
    • La Bayadère
    • La Sylphide
    • Romeo and Juliet
    • Swan Lake
    • The Nutcracker
    • The Sleeping Beauty
  • MORE
    • Dance Jobs
    • 2025 Ballet Summer Intensive Programs
No Result
View All Result
The Ballet Herald®
Home Ballet Magazine Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern Dance Performance Reviews

The Royal Ballet Mixed Repertory Review: An Evening of Ambitious Abstractions

Jillian VerzwyveltbyJillian Verzwyvelt
June 12, 2023 - Updated on May 23, 2024
in Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern Dance Performance Reviews
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
The Royal Ballet - Mixed Repertory Review - 2023

The Royal Ballet Mixed Repertory Review: An Evening of Ambitious Abstractions

The Royal Ballet Mixed Repertory Review 
June 9, 2023 | The Royal Opera House – London, England, UK

Staging a new ballet is always a gamble, but Wayne McGregor is a safe bet.

Last night, Royal Ballet resident choreographer McGregor debuted his latest work – Untitled, 2023 – at the Royal Opera House in London, kicking off the company’s final triple bill of the season. Untitled is the 20th ballet McGregor has set on the company.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Royal Ballet Mixed Repertory Review

Leading up to the show, curiously little was known about McGregor’s new one-act ballet, except that it was inspired by the untitled artworks of the late Cuban-American artist Carmen Herrera whose work has been defined by geometric abstraction and minimalism.

Specifically, Untitled engages with Herrera’s most prominent “Blanco y Verde” series that she created between 1959 and 1971.

The work opens in an unconventional (and thereby McGregor-esque) fashion with the dancing coming before the music. The curtain rises to reveal a spare stage with a lone dancer moving amidst the shadows. Eventually, however, the orchestra joins in with an equally eccentric score by Anna Thorvaldsdottir that, albeit headily chaotic, evolves into an arresting arrangement of eclectic textures and rhythms that sustains a sense of suspense all the way through. The unique structure is perhaps a tribute to Herrera’s relatively belated recognition.

Known for a vocabulary of abstract geometrism, McGregor is perhaps the best choice to translate Herrera’s work to the stage.

ADVERTISEMENT

With first soloist Joseph Sissens leading the charge, Untitled unfolds into an orbiting series of intertwining voluptuous curves, fractured angles, and dramatic extensions that showcases the company at its best.

The cast is comprised of 19 dancers who, from my seat in the slips, were for the most part difficult to discern. The ones that did stand out for their archetypal performances (and my growing familiarity with the company), however, were Leo Dixon, Fumi Kaneko, Harris Bell, and Melissa Hamilton.

Individually, each dancer was fantastic. Together, they were brilliant. The expressionless dancers appeared impulse-driven, endowing the rare yet exhilarating ensemble moments with a pride-like quality.

Even more rare were moments of synchrony which made them all the more poignant and powerful. Just when you think you can anticipate what comes next, the choreography defies all expectations and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The Royal Ballet - Untitled - Leon DIxon and Joseph Sissens
Leo Dixon and Joseph Sissens in Untitled 2023, The Royal Ballet ©2023 Alice Pennefather

Apart from the sleek and minimalist costumes designed by Burberry’s Chief Creative Officer Daniel Lee, one of the more striking structural elements of McGregor’s latest work was the expert use of light (designed by Lucy Carter).

When the dancers come together, the cast shadows morph into something in and of themselves. In a way, they create an illusion that there is another figure on the stage. Although, as a product of several interlacing limbs and torsos, perhaps “creature” is a more apt description.

On the whole, the work was very well-received by its inaugural audience. Attending to the much-deserved thunderous applause, the cast took so many final bows that I lost count.

ADVERTISEMENT

I may have been concerned for whatever would follow Untitled, except that it was a tried and tested work by resident choreographer Christopher Wheeldon.

Up next in the program was Wheeldon’s Corybantic Games which has been the subject of much critical acclaim since it premiered in 2018. The work, set to Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade after Plato: Symposium, is divided into five distinct yet coherent movements that cleverly ride the score’s shifting energies.

The costumes, designed by Erdem Moralioglu, are redolent of ancient Greek drapery but with a striking avant-garde edge.

The title of Wheeldon’s work alludes to the frenzied and opulent dances of the ancient Cybelic cult and, as the title implies, it is on the whole upbeat - a welcome reprieve following McGregor’s more moody Untitled.

Artists of The Royal Ballet Mayara Magri in Corybantic Games, The Royal Ballet ©2023 Alice Pennefather.jpg

Wheeldon’s choreography is arguably less distant from the classicized canon than McGregor’s, but it is still inventive. Acutely attentive to Bernstein’s virtuous score, the choreography seamlessly modulates between languid and contemplative and kinetic and bombastic.

Peppered throughout are allusions to Greek friezes and decorative motifs, such as the meander. At times, there are also perceptible echoes of Balanchine’s Serenade or Apollo.

Although the entire cast was dancing at the top of their games last night, principal dancer Mayara Magri gave a particularly stunning performance in the fifth movement with all the polish and prowess of an Amazonian goddess. As much was made clear by the audience’s rapturous reception at curtain call.

ADVERTISEMENT

 

The program concluded with Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Anastasia Act III. The ballet in full is inspired by the true story of a woman, Anna Anderson, who believed she was the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov.

Although titled Act III, this excerpt was originally set by MacMillan as a one-act ballet and thereby stands well enough alone… in theory anyway. Even with a vague understanding of the plot (thank you, Disney), I found the storyline a bit ambiguous. What was clear, however, was the impeccable casting.

The titular character, “the woman who believes she is Anastasia,” is danced by principal dancer Laura Morera who dazzles the audience with a gut-wrenching, emotionally uninhibited portrayal of mental anguish.

Principal dancer Ryoichi Hirano took on the role of the villainous Rasputin with a terrifyingly unanimated vigor.

The rest of the cast delivered equally fine-tuned performances.

Ryoichi Hirano and Laura Morera in Anastasia Act III, The Royal Ballet ©2023 Alice Pennefather.jpg

When Anastasia Act III was first staged in 1971, it received raving reviews. Today, or at least as part of this mixed program, I found it underwhelming. The use of projections was uninventive, and the composition of costuming, choreography, and score felt a bit disjointed.

I will say, however, that I don’t believe this comes at the fault of the dancers, orchestra, or artistic team who took on the charge to re-stage this work. It is rather more so the fact that MacMillan’s once innovative choices are less revolutionary in the contemporary dance environment.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Royal Ballet 2023-2024 Season Performances ⤞

Featured Photo for this The Royal Ballet Mixed Repertory review of Artists of The Royal Ballet in Untitled 2023, The Royal Ballet ©2023 Alice Pennefather.

Tags: Christopher WheeldonSir Kenneth MacMillanThe Royal Ballet
Jillian Verzwyvelt

Jillian Verzwyvelt

Jillian Verzwyvelt is a freelance writer who focuses on arts, culture, and travel. Originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, she trained at Lafayette Ballet Theatre before moving to Fort Worth, Texas to pursue bachelor’s degrees in economics and communication studies from Texas Christian University. Here, she discovered how to translate her passion for the stage to the page. Jillian is now working toward a dual master’s degree in global media and communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Southern California.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Receive a roundup of ballet news & performances direct to your inbox.

The most interesting ballet news and stories of the week.

You may also be interested in...

The Stuttgart Ballet Returns to Kennedy Center

The Stuttgart Ballet Returns to Kennedy Center After More Than 30 Years

May 19, 2025
Gibney Company Joyce Review 2025

Gibney Company at the Joyce Review: A Few Choreographic Explorations

May 13, 2025
The Grey Swan: Where Retired Dancers Take the Stage Again

The Grey Swan: Where Retired Dancers Take the Stage Again

May 9, 2025
Guillaume Côté Bids Adieu to the National Ballet of Canada

Guillaume Côté Bids a Fond Adieu to the National Ballet of Canada

May 7, 2025
Ten Times Better - Dancer George Lee

Ten Times Better: (Re)Turning the Spotlight on Dancer George Lee

May 6, 2025 - Updated on May 13, 2025
The Ballet Herald®

SECTIONS

  • Dance Performance Reviews
  • Interviews with Ballet Professionals
  • Feature Ballet Stories
  • The Latest Ballet News
  • Ballet Schools & Training
  • Opinions

FAMOUS BALLETS

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • Cinderella
  • Coppélia
  • Don Quixote
  • Giselle
  • La Bayadère
  • La Sylphide
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Swan Lake
  • The Nutcracker
  • The Sleeping Beauty

MORE

  • Ballet Performances
  • Ballet Companies
  • Ballet Summer Intensives
  • Dance Jobs

COMPANY

  • About
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Advertisement & Paid Content Opportunities

© 2025 The Ballet Herald™ by BalletNomad, LLC®

Receive a roundup of ballet news & performances direct to your inbox.

The most interesting ballet news and stories of the week.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home Page
  • Ballet Performance Calendar
  • Ballet Magazine
    • Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern Dance Performance Reviews
    • Interviews with Ballet Professionals
    • The Latest Ballet News
    • Feature Ballet Stories
    • Ballet Schools & Training
    • On This Day in Ballet History
    • Opinions
    • Ballet Meets the Mainstream
  • Ballet Shows In…
    • Ballet Shows in Australia
    • Ballet Shows in Chicago
    • Ballet Shows in London
    • Ballet Shows in Los Angeles
    • Ballet Shows in New York City
    • Ballet Shows in Paris
    • Ballet Shows in Toronto
    • Ballet Shows in Washington, D.C.
  • Famous Ballets
    • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    • Cinderella
    • Coppélia
    • Don Quixote
    • Giselle
    • La Bayadère
    • La Sylphide
    • Romeo and Juliet
    • The Nutcracker
    • Swan Lake
    • The Sleeping Beauty
  • List of Ballet Companies
  • 2025 Ballet Summer Intensives
  • Dance Jobs
  • ⊙ About
  • ⊙ Contact
  • ⊙ Advertisement & Paid Content Opportunities
  • ⊙ Privacy Policy
  • ☕ Buy us a coffee!

© 2025 The Ballet Herald™ by BalletNomad, LLC®

Receive a roundup of ballet news & performances direct to your inbox.

The most interesting ballet news and stories of the week.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home Page
  • Ballet Performance Calendar
  • Ballet Magazine
    • Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern Dance Performance Reviews
    • Interviews with Ballet Professionals
    • The Latest Ballet News
    • Feature Ballet Stories
    • Ballet Schools & Training
    • On This Day in Ballet History
    • Opinions
    • Ballet Meets the Mainstream
  • Ballet Shows In…
    • Ballet Shows in Australia
    • Ballet Shows in Chicago
    • Ballet Shows in London
    • Ballet Shows in Los Angeles
    • Ballet Shows in New York City
    • Ballet Shows in Paris
    • Ballet Shows in Toronto
    • Ballet Shows in Washington, D.C.
  • Famous Ballets
    • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    • Cinderella
    • Coppélia
    • Don Quixote
    • Giselle
    • La Bayadère
    • La Sylphide
    • Romeo and Juliet
    • The Nutcracker
    • Swan Lake
    • The Sleeping Beauty
  • List of Ballet Companies
  • 2025 Ballet Summer Intensives
  • Dance Jobs
  • ⊙ About
  • ⊙ Contact
  • ⊙ Advertisement & Paid Content Opportunities
  • ⊙ Privacy Policy
  • ☕ Buy us a coffee!

© 2025 The Ballet Herald™ by BalletNomad, LLC®