'Double Concerto' reviews ENB 'Apollo' reviews 'Apollo' reviews ENB 'Who Cares?' reviews 'Who Cares?' reviews Klimentova in reviews Bubnov in reviews recent ENB reviews

Like many of the ENB regulars I had wondered whether Christopher Hampson had retired too young from ballet in his mid twenties- when he had so many performing years left in him. Did the career change gamble pay off- well the 1900 who provided the deafening applause after seeing the premier of his first big ballet, 'Double Concerto' certainly thought so.

Your senses simply can't register all this delirious and beautifully frantic movement Double Concerto is set to a Poulenc concerto for 2 pianos and orchestra, the constant variation in rhythms and themes provides the opportunity for 37 dancers to really let rip and show what can be done with the classical vocabulary. The sheer high energy of the constant outburst of dancers in irredescent tu-tus from the wings makes you wake up and take notice.But even then your senses simply can't register all this delirious and beautifully frantic movement.Mercifully the frenetic activity is punctuated by the most tranquil and almost still sections..

'Daria Klimentova was exquisite and Vladislav Bubnov was a pleasure to watch

The exquisite Daria Klimentova resplendent in white tu-tu simply sparkled in choreography that fitted her like a glove. She has the most superb line in arabesque and flashed like quicksilver in her manege. Her partner was the very accomplished Jan Eric Wikstrom, a worthy new addition to the company very much in the danseur noble, Tom Edur mould. However it was Vladislav Bubnov in the matinee who really impressed with his elegance. He was certainly not outclassed by the 2 soloists (the seriously talented Cameron McMillan and Jesus Pastor) in the flashy diagonals and provided a demonstration of the sheer joy of dancing at its best.His pas de deux with an unusually tense Monica Perego had a dream like quality. An absolute pleasure to watch.

'You will want to see it again and again…its like Etudes with attitude.

Double Concerto is like ''Etudes' with attitude'. The same monotone pallet of white to black is used for the costumes but the tu-tus are now a high tec tabletop shape and the colour comes from the lighting. It is packed with quality and you want to see it again and again just to see what you missed.

Balanchine went down well with the children

Double Concerto was sandwiched between Balanchine's Apollo and 'Who Cares'. Apollo surprisingly was better received by the matinee school children who gasped at the 6 o'clock arabesques and remained saucer eyed throughout - than the adults in the evening who were shuffling in their seats. Alexis Oliveira was a convincing young God who has grown into the role.

'Who Cares' provided the novel experience of seeing Tom Edur as a womanising gigolo and not a Prince .He is a natural showman who captured the american glitz and did his usual fluent pas de deux with Agnes Oaks.

Triple bills tend not to ignite the public interest but they are a wonderful introduction to ballet for children. I could not help but notice boys copying the Oliveira's god like poses and some little princesses grand jete-ing down the aisles in the interval.Hopefully ballet will become 'Cool' and audiences will be grown for the future.