RB 'Don Quixote' reviews 'Don Quixote' reviews Morera in reviews Putrov in reviews recent RB reviews more PhilipB reviews

It was real mixed bag this afternoon - sublime and ridiculous were close companions at times. But first - the cast changes, for anyone keep a morbid eye on injuries. The dreaded change slip listed the following: Leire Ortueta replaces Zenaida Yanowsky as Street Dancer Jenny Tattersall replaces Marta Barahona as Amour Victoria Hewitt replaces Sian Murphy as a Friend of Kitri Justin Meissner replaces Martin Harvey as Leading Gypsy Phew! Anyone left in class?

Already disappointed at being deprived of the opportunity to see one of the world's greatest ballet partnerships in action in a (relatively) cheap matinee and to be able to bring someone new to ballet and share this wonderful thing with them, I was now to miss Yanowsky as well. Still, if I was asked to pick two youngsters to replace C&K it would have been Morera and Putrov. Reading the reviews of their first attempt to step in to the breach gave some hope that today could be special, despite all the chaos of cast changes.

The first scene went well enough, Christopher Saunders being a reliable DonQ and nothing too challenging for anyone to mess up. Then we were introduced to our leading characters and it all started to look up. These two are both young and fresh with clean lines and good technical ability, all the better to play young lovers, Kitri and Basilio. Great as dancers like Acosta, Guillem, Rojo and others are, there's still something appropriate and fitting in seeing such new talent in these young roles, their rougher edges more acceptable when playing such rough-edged young characters.

But then things in Act 1 just got embarrassing. Dancers fell off pointe, missed landings, blatantly failed lifts, didn't stab their daggers into the floor so the poor girl had to dance over them, Cervera was at least a beat behind everyone else, the list goes on. One aspect of the corps work that has been bothering me for a while at the RB is their tendency, especially with the men, to adjust their feet after planting them, either at the end of a routine, or during the dancing when pausing. They feet may be in a relatively poor position but they only have to pause for a second or two, so unless they're about to fall over, I would keep them still - honestly, when 12 dancers triumphantly end a routine to applause, but 5 of them then start fiddling with their feet, adjusting them as many as three times, the whole effect is lost. The usual problems with spacing and synchronicity continue, as well, but that is hardly worth remarking on nowadays, as ragged corps work becomes the rule, rather than the exception. A good new mini-poll might be to ask who has the best corps in the world.

One exception to this sad rule was Vanessa Palmer. She embodies all that should be true about the Royal Ballet, and all that is currently seems to have lost. She is a fine actress and puts such effort into her characterisations - every sweep of her arm or inclination of the wrist is designed to breathe life into her role. She is a treasure - and a benchmark to the young soloists and artists to look up to, if only they can get past Stretton's mantra of athleticism over artistry.

Anyway, at the first interval I was wondering just what kind of afternoon this was going to be. Fortunately, it all got much better, most especially when the principals were on stage (not in terms of rank of course, they're all injured, I mean the principal characters of Kitri and Basilio) as they provided much-need sparkle.

Meissner made a good fist of the gypsy scene and although the Dryad scene may have lacked Yanowksy's regal presence, it was a tidy rendition and brought me back to a neutral standpoint. I wondered at the second interval if maybe the wedding scene could lift off and make it all worthwhile. It did, and how.

I have written before that I think Putrov is a rare talent. Yes, people point out flaws, in particular his partnering skills, with his size making lifts especially difficult, even with the smallest of partners, and his acting sometimes being relegated to afterthought and cliche. This is true enough and up to this point in the performance we had seen every aspect of this writ large across the stage - genuine brilliance one minute, wooden and uninspiring acting the next. His 'death' scene drew laughter and applause but earlier on one had wondered if he even fancied Kitri at all. Morera had been a sparkle of light all afternoon, totally watchable, confident and delightful. I should note that Putrov's partnering was generally excellent - every single supported pirouette was sharp, fast and vertical. One or two lifts were not perfect, but the conductor Paul Hoskins could have helped out more to disguise them. Do recent conductors realise the benefit of being elevated and facing the stage?

And then came the wedding scene - mostly a pas de deux, with Belinda Hatley (tidy but nothing more) as the Bridesmaid thrown in by the choreography for no apparent reason. Morera and Putrov's dancing was sublime, majestic, glorious, scintillating, joyous, heart-lifting, extraordinary, exciting - and right on the emotional money. This was a joyful wedding, a celebration of their union and love, and in it Putrov danced himself into the front running for a promotion, at least to First Soloist, and I imagine Morera will be wondering if this injury jinx has been good timing for her career, too, as the end of the season approaches.

At the curtain calls, Putrov received great applause and the largest cheer. It seems he is building a mutually-appreciative relationship with the Covent Garden audience who see him almost as one of their own youngsters, despite his birthplace and training. His jumps make the audience gasp and murmur, and that's part of what ballet-as-entertainment is all about.

I saw Putrov and Morera dance Don Quixote today. I shall remember it for a long time.