Details

One of the UK's leading Ballet Companies. English National Ballet celebrates the legacy of the Ballets Russes with performances inspired by some of the troupe's great works. Ballets Russes productions were collaborations with major choreographers, composers, artists and dancers of the time including Pavlova, Picasso, Debussy, Chanel, Matisse, Nijinsky and Stravinsky. The Chanel legacy lives on with Balanchine's Apollo where "The Muses' Lagerfeld tutus are beautiful, and a happy link with the fact that Gabrielle Chanel designed costumes for the Muses in 1928" (The Financial Times). This ballet by George Balanchine - himself a Ballets Russes dancer - is a neo-classical masterpiece which marked the young Balanchine's first collaboration with Stravinsky. Following hit performances by English National Ballet in 2001, Suite en Blanc returns to the London Coliseum. It is a glittering heritage ballet which was choreographed by one of Diaghilev's star dancers Serge Lifar - "as flamboyant and proud, and life-enhancing a confection as any made before or since" (The Independent on Sunday). Toer van Schayk creates a new work especially for this season in the spirit of the Ballets Russes. English National Ballet - Beyond Ballets Russes - Programme 2: World Premiere of new Toer van Schayk work/Apollo/Suite en Blanc website.