Best Ballet Bits

Following on from my post Memorable Musical Moments, I wanted to expand this idea further and share some more top moments that I have experienced in watching theatrical and artistic performances across the years. In a shift of focus, I have turned to the beautiful art form of ballet – the very first type of performance that I learned and loved as a child. This childhood love of ballet has not faded, and the five moments outlined below are some of – in my opinion – ballet’s best bits.

 

Lilac Fairy Variation – The Sleeping Beauty (Marius Petipa)

There are many variations in the world of ballet, but this particular one from The Sleeping Beauty has always stood out for me. It seems to encompass all aspects of ballet – strength, flexibility, beauty – into one short piece, and this performance by Marianela Nuñez is simply stunning.

Dance of the Cygnets – Swan Lake (Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov)

It may be an obvious choice, but I have chosen this dance from Swan Lake for reasons other than its time-honoured reputation. This dance is extremely deceptive – it looks quite simple, but I can speak from experience when I say it is in fact an incredibly difficult piece to master. The timing of all four dancers must be impeccable, and even the slightest error in synchronicity will ruin this renowned number.

Ice Dance – Edward Scissorhands (Matthew Bourne)

Whilst it cannot be described as classical ballet (indeed, the term “dansical” has been batted around instead), I had to include some work by Matthew Bourne in my top five. This piece from Edward Scissorhands is a favourite for me for its combination of unique interpretive style and balletic simplicity. I particularly love the effect of ice skating that is created in the choreography, and Bourne’s amazing ability to turn something as bizarre as Edward Scissorhands  into a beautiful narrative dance definitely deserves much admiration.

Coda/Fouettés – Don Quixote (Marius Petipa)

Fouettés en tournant (thirty two of them of course). The coda of the grand pas de deux is usually an impressive conclusion of both the male and female dancer’s skill, but the fouettés often dominate this part of the duet as the ultimate accomplishment of any prima ballerina. Arguably the most famous of these is in Swan Lake, but my favourite is from Petipa’s jubilant ballet Don Quixote, and performed to perfection here by Natalia Osipova.

Final Pas de Deux – Manon (Kenneth MacMillan)

MacMillan’s Manon is a ballet in a league of its own, and the emotional closing pas de deux is undoubtedly a masterpiece. Described by The Royal Ballet as an “adult ballet”, it breaks all preconceptions of ballet whilst remaining an absolute classic. In this duet, Manon’s exhaustion is evident following a deportation to Louisiana as a prostitute, but this merely adds to the sensation of the dance. And whilst dying mid-lift may sound a bit over-dramatic or even farcical, in the midst of the pas de deux it is one of the most harrowing finales of any tragic ballet. When applause is accompanied by tears, you know you’ve found something exceptional.