Royal Ballet 2013/14 season

The Royal Ballet's 2013/14 season is their first one where there is a chance of the hand of new director Kevin O'Hare really has a chance to be felt. In what seems to be a sign of changes of emphasis, Christopher Wheeldon is doing a new full length production, and there is a new production of Don Quixote from Carlos Acosta. There are also new one-act ballets from David Dawson, Wayne McGregor and Alistair Marriott. Nothing unusual from the Ashton/Macmillan repertoire is being revived. In fact of Macmillan's full length ballets, Romeo and Juliet is the only one which makes an appearance and none of Ashton's full length ballets appear.

Don Quixote is returning in a new production by Carlos Acosta, after Petipa with Minkus's score arranged by Martin Yates. Acosta will also be dancing in some performances. The other full length new production in the big house is Christopher Wheeldon's Winters Tale with music by the ubiquitous Joby Talbot.

Returning classics include Kenneth Macmillan's Romeo and Juliet, Peter Wright's Nutcracker, Balanchine's Jewels, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty. In the Linbury, Liam Scarlett's full length, Hansel and Gretel gets its first revival.

There are new ballets in triple bills in interesting combinations. Macmillan's Rite of Spring and Wayne McGregor's Chroma return with a new David Dawson ballet with electronic music by Greg Haines

Ashton's Rhapsody and Macmillan's Gloria return with a new Wayne McGregor to J.S. Bach's Art of Fugue. A new Alistair Marriott is teamed with Ashton's The Dream and Jerome Robbins The Concert. Other triple bills include Balanchine's Serenade, Liam Scarlett's Sweet Violets and Christopher Wheeldon's DVG - A Grand Vitesse.

Five ballets are being done in the Cinema: Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and The Winters Tale. Visiting companies include Ballet Black, Phoenix Dance Theatre and Wendy Whelan of New York City Ballet. And the Royal Ballet are touring to the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

Elsewhere on this blog:

• Madrigali dell'Estate - Stephen McNeff - CD review
• Old and New - Tallis Scholars 40th birthday concert
• Haflidi Hallgrimsson choral works - CD review
• Louise Alder recital at Lied in London
• Written on Skin - CD review
• Cosi fan tutte - ETO at Hackney Empire
• Al Combate - CD review
• Le Nozze di Figaro at Guildhall Schoool
• Jamie Walton in Dvorak and Schumann - CD review
• Khojaly 613 - Never Forgotten - concert review
• An encounter with George Benjamin
• Britten boxed set - the Sixteen - CD review
• Home