Kenneth MacMillan’s vision has been vital in shaping The Royal Ballet’s style and repertory, and what better way to appreciate his art than with this chance to experience three contrasting works in a single performance. Abstract, dramatic, humorous – this programme gives a wonderfully varied introduction not just to MacMillan’s work but to the beauty and dramatic power of ballet itself.
Concerto, to Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto, contrasts moments of exuberance and elegiac reflection. The Judas Tree* places a single woman among 13 men to enact a harrowing event that is recognizably contemporary but with biblical overtones. Elite Syncopations completes the programme with a sparkling evocation of a dance hall that brings ragtime rhythms to ballet, and a ragtime band to the stage.
Also available on DVD
Concerto
Dancers: Yuhui Choe, Steven McRae, Marianela Nuñez, Rupert Pennefather, Helen Crawford, Artists of The Royal Ballet
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Conductor: Dominic Grier
Music: Dmitri Shostakovich
Elite Syncopations
Dancers: Sarah Lamb, Valeri Hristov, Mara Galeazzi, Steven McRae, Laura McCulloch, Iohna Loots, Paul Kay, Liam Scarlett, Artists of The Royal Ballet
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Conductor: Robert Clark
Music: Scott Joplin and others
The Judas Tree*
Dancers: Carlos Acosta, Leanne Benjamin, Edward Watson, Bennet Gartside, Artists of The Royal Ballet
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Conductor: Barry Wordsworth
Music: Brian Elias
Plus: Introductions to each ballet piece by Deborah MacMillan
*Please be warned that The Judas Tree is unsuitable for children
Picture: 16:9 1080i
Sound: LPCM 2.0 / DTS 5.1 HD - Master Audio
Format: Blu-ray
Duration: 114 mins
Region code: All Regions
1 X BD50
Subtitles: FR/DE/ES (Extras only)