RB La Bayadere reviews Ballet.co RB season reviews All RB season reviews Bruce's next RB review

What came rushing back was just how gorgeous the costumes are. Gamzatti's yellow costume in Act 1 is probably the most outstanding piece I think I've ever seen on stage. So much rich detail but none of it overdone - to my eye at least. Why Solor doesn't instantly forget Nikiya, I don't know. The costumes are by Yolanda Sonnabend, who is also the designer for the RB Swan Lake and it would be nice to see more of her work. Good, but not quite so successful, are the sets by Pier Luigi Samaritani. In contrast to the costumes, they look perhaps a little cheaply realised. But overall Bayadere gets a massive tick in the design department.

Darcey Bussell was Nikiya and these days seems to be dancing with a new authority. At the recent Barbican season she was truly outstanding and full of confidence in Birthday Offering, while Sylvie Guillem looked a wee bit stressed and flummoxed (sorry Jim!). I have always quite liked Darcey, but when the chips were down I generally preferred others in many roles with the exception of Rose in Prince of the Pagodas. Well, she seems to be maturing and her guesting really seems to bringing out the best in her.

So what we have now is a Darcey who is not perhaps quite so hesitant, more easy and secure of technique and whose dramatic abilities are hence able to come to the fore. Nikiya is something of a Darcey role anyway, so the overall result was pretty amazing as she oh-so-smoothly guided us through Nikiya's lot in life.

Her Solor was Igor Zelensky, widely regarded as one of the top male dancers in the world, if not the top dancer. He certainly put on a dazzling technical show that transfixed the entire audience. What's really frightening is that you were also aware that he was dancing within himself - goodness knows what he would do if he really let rip. With all the guesting he does he can't afford to do that.

We remember, however, a younger, soloist, Zelensky dancing at the Coliseum with the Kirov in Le Corsair when he did the most amazing barrel leaps, including the odd double one, and the audience went quite mad with applause at the end. Taking his bow, he was not at all sure it was for him and looked baffled even. But, even with the showiness of youth removed, Zelensky really is well worth seeing in the traditional repertoire; that is with the choreography that he can enjoy himself with.

The thing Zelensky has not got is a real theatrical sense. He is a good partner in the technical sense, and while he tries to act, it's really not his bag. But with technique such as his, who is going to complain.

Gamzatti was played by Zenaida Yanowsky, replacing a pregnant Nicola Tranah. In many respects Yanoswky's somewhat stern looks are suited to the role, but I think she overdid the glacial side at times. But Yanowsky continues to impress us all and it would be nice to see her get more roles like this.

Jane Burn has never done much for me in the past. She always seems to be off the beat, incredibly unsure, hesitant and something would usually fall-off or otherwise go wrong. Quite why she continues to be pushed, I could not see. Well I actually saw a Burn performance I quite liked! I'm amazed and I hope it continues. Nothing went wrong but she does seem to do much of her dancing about a half a second behind everybody else.

Sara Gallie is also featuring a bit more these days. I like her, but she occasionally gets 'stuck' (frozen solid indeed) and for a few milliseconds we all share in her thoughts about what is the best way out of being 'stuck' - to correct the move to what it should be or to carry on regardless. She has to learn to do one or the other quickly - indecision just kills it and looks quite terrible.

Chloe Davies was in the Pas d'Action along with more senior dancers (like Belinda Hatley and Tracy Brown) and she did well I'm pleased to say!

At the end of the evening I was very pleased to have been there and to have seen Zelensky on top form, Darcey very pleasantly astound and to have enjoyed a good old ballet with such lovely designs. I even like the music...

The only really downer was the posh rich in the audience. They seemed to be out in particular abundance. As ever, most of them bray in groups and monopolise any space they happen to be standing in. Doubtless they consider themselves cultured and mannered, but in reality their manners only extend to their own class.

What brought all this flooding back was trying to get through the foyer and bar to the stalls. They can see us all trying to get through, but this only gets actioned into creating a bit of space if you appear to have inherited personal wealth from Edward the Conqueror. Otherwise, having casually assessed the situation they go back to braying and ignoring others totally. Even a polite excuse me seems to fall on deaf ears - perhaps the years of in-breading makes them deaf!

What joy it is to go to Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Ballet where audiences go to see ballet and people all enjoy it together. Quite how one banishes the unsocialised posh/rich I don't know. Once upon a time we all thought that they could be put up against a wall and shot, come the revolution. Unfortunately people don't believe in revolutions anymore!