Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet ****
Mariinsky Ballet, Royal Opera House, 15th August 2014
It was clever programming to bookend the Mariinsky’s three-week London Summer Season with two Prokofiev full-length ballets – starting with its classic, but dated, Romeo and Juliet, and ending with the contemporary chic of Alexei Ratmansky’s Cinderella. Commissioned for the Mariinsky in 2002, Ratmansky’s Cinderella wasn’t seen in this country until the 2012 Edinburgh International Festival. This performance was its London première. Charles Perrault’s story is shifted to 1930s elegance to create an urban fairy tale. Its slinky choreography won’t be everyone’s samovar of tea – this is no ‘tiara and tutus’ formal ballet – but offers a refreshing alternative.
Diana Vishneva (Cinderella)
© N. Razina / Mariinsky Theatre
Read the full review on Bachtrack.