Ballet: Birmingham Ballet Troupe

After frantically texting-around on Friday evening, I managed to secure a friend, and two tickets to see the famous Birmingham Ballet Troupe dance at the York Theatre Royal… such are the joys of being a Culture editor! I was part of a mixed-age group of theatre-lovers for the Saturday matinée and sat in anticipation as I looked onto what promised to be an eye opening revelation.

Split into three sections with two intervals, it was no surprise that with such a fragmented setup, the only connecting aspects were perhaps the fascinatingly entangling figures the dancers got themselves into. The whole experience challenged a few preconceptions I had about ballet: one being that ballet is often only good if the accompanying music is extra-special; that it is usually about the frail (and sometimes far too skinny) portrayal of the female; and finally, and perhaps understandably, that ballet should only ever exist on the level of innuendo and never be explicitly and sexually daring!

The first two sections were accompanied by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia who excelled themselves and really did justice to the Rossini and Beethoven that they played. In the first third, the ballet was accordingly traditional, the shapes fluid and the costumes angelic. A troupe of eight dancers performed a twenty minute dance of what seemed to be a mixture of the pure romance of Romeo and Juliet and a celebration of femininity. In all, it made for quite charming British ballet.

The second third was potentially the most daring, as the theme shifted from pure love to raunchy lust. At times I found the content a little too brave and sensational especially seeing as some of the audience hadn’t hit double-digits. A barrier had most definitely been crossed. There’s always tension in an innuendo filled dance, and it’s completely lost when the barrier between innuendo and explicit is broken. I was left wondering where the mystery of the dance was, there was no need for the audience to interpret; it was just handed to them on a plate. In all, a rather disappointing rendition of dance, that I could have found in BPM for less than a fiver.

However, one interval later and it had soon redeemed itself. The final was accompanied by what could have been a dance anthem (complete with strobe lighting). It was ballet with a sharp and quirky edge, almost androgynous in its dancing style. It captured the athleticism and muscular endurance that ballet requires. It was by far the most captivating style of dance. Although many met its break away from the conventional with disappointment, I personally thought it was fresh and charismatic.

It proves the ballet still holds its charm and elegance whilst expanding into the 21st Century. Now at only £5, it is no longer a million miles away from our student budgets – just be prepared to redefine your preconceptions!