Ashton Collection Volume 1 DVD (The Royal Ballet)

This special 3-disc collection from The Royal Ballet includes nine of Frederick Ashton’s most loved short ballets, which showcase the range of his style. The pure classical perfection of Symphonic Variations is contrasted with the light-hearted exuberance of Voices of Spring. Both are complemented by the passion and drama of Marguerite and Armand and the romance and comedy of The Two Pigeons and The Dream. The collection is completed by Rhapsody, La Valse, Monotones I and II and Méditation from Thaïs, four of the most iconic abstract works created by The Royal Ballet’s founding choreographer.

See our full collection of ballet DVDs and Blu-rays

Volume 2 is also available, featuring Sylvia, La fille mal gardée and The Tales of Beatrix Potter 

Rhapsody
Dancers: Natalia Osipova, Steven McRae
Artists of The Royal Ballet

The Two Pigeons
The Young Girl: Lauren Cuthbertson
The Young Man: Vadim Muntagirov
Artists of The Royal Ballet

The Dream
Titania: Akane Takada
Oberon: Steven McRae
Artists of The Royal Ballet

Symphonic Variations
Dancers: Marianela Nuñez, Vadim Muntagirov, Yasmine Naghdi, James Hay, Yuhui Choe, Tristan Dyer

Marguerite and Armand
Marguerite: Zenaida Yanowsky
Armand: Roberto Bolle
Artists of The Royal Ballet

La Valse
Dancers: Hikaru Kobayashi, Ryoichi Hirano, Samantha Raine, Bennet Gartside, Helen Crawford, Brian Maloney
Artists of the Royal Ballet.

'Méditation' from Thaïs
Dancers: Leanne Benjamin, Valeri Hristov

Voices of Spring
Dancers: Yuhui Choe, Alexander Campbell

Monotones I and II
Music: Erik Satie
Dancers: Emma Maguire, Akane Takada, Dawid Trzensimiech, Nehemiah Kish, Edward Watson, Marianela Núñez 

Marguerite and Armand
Marguerite: Tamara Rojo
Armand: Sergei Polunin
Artists of the Royal Ballet.

Orchestra of The Royal Opera House
Conductors: Emmanuel Plasson; Barry Wordsworth

Extras: Introduction to Frederick Ashton; The Ashton Foundation; Introductions to the ballets; Exploring the choreography of The Two Pigeons; Bottom on pointe (The Dream); Interview with Zenaida Yanowsky (Marguerite and Armand)

Picture: 16:9
Sound: LPCM 2.0 & DTS Digital Surround 5.1
Format: NTSC
Region code: All regions
Running Time: 355 mins