A stunning contemporary programme from The Royal Ballet presents four contrasting choreographic personalities. American William Forsythe is widely acknowledged as one of the most distinctive and imaginative of modern dance-makers. Making a long-awaited return to the repertory, his ensemble work The Vertiginous thrill of Exactitude is a dazzlingly virtuoso study in classical precision, set to the exuberant finale of Schubert’s Ninth Symphony. Following is the first revival of Strapless – Christopher Wheeldon’s elegantly persuasive telling in dance of the story of John Singer Sargent’s suggestive Portrait of Madame X, a painting that shocked the 19th – century Parisian art world. In contrast, George Balanchine’s pas de deux Tarantella is a wonderfully cheeky showpiece that provides a further opportunity to highlight the Company’s world-class dancers. Closing the evening is a world premiere from Artist in Residence Liam Scarlett – an event always eagerly awaited.
