company focus

Twenty Years of Birmingham Royal Ballet
by David Mead -- Published April 2010
years ago and headed for the English Midlands there were more than a few people who though it was headed for oblivion. The then Artistic Director told me that one un-named individual said, “Why on earth would you want to go to Birmingham?” and proceeded to outline everything that was negative about the city. And as for the thought of living there…
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'Petrushka', 'Le Baiser de la fée', 'Card Game'
by David Mead -- July 3, 2008, Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham, UK
Over the past few years, June at Birmingham Royal Ballet has come to mean one thing -- Stravinsky. For the final programme of ballets to this most influential of composer’s music, artistic director David Bintley gave three works spanning a century of dance: Michel Fokine’s “Petrushka”, now almost one hundred years old; John Cranko’s “Card Game” from the 1960s; and bringing us right up to date, a new production of “Le Baiser de la fée” from Michael Corder.
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Putting the 'English' into Ballet
by David Mead -- Published April 2010
Birmingham Royal Ballet is often cited as being the most English of ballet companies. In 2005, David Mead talked to David Bintley about the nature of 'English' ballet and Madam's influence.
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David Bintley, Artistic Director, Birmingham Royal Ballet: Unapologetic About Ballet
by Ana Abad-Carles -- January 25, 2005, Birmingham
I think it's fantastic to know that all around the world there are really very clever and articulate people fighting for their art form. It's not a chance to moan. It's good ideas going backwards and forwards.
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A Stravinsky Celebration: 'Dumbarton Oaks', 'Duo Concertant', 'Scènes de Ballet', 'The Rite of Spring'
by Cassandra -- June 11, 2005, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham

'Serenade,' 'Enigma Variations,' and 'Still Life at the Penguin Café'
By Stuart Sweeney -- April 14, 2009, London Coliseum
It was good to see this Birmingham Royal Ballet mixed bill at the Coliseum. But it's usually good to see dance at the Coli, as the sight-lines are excellent and it vies with Sadler's Wells as the best venue for dance in London. If only the Royal Ballet could perform there, as The Royal Opera House is entirely the wrong shape for ballet – the designers intended it as a place to be seen rather than to see.
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'Solitaire', 'Checkmate', 'The Lady and the Fool'
by Kate Snedeker -- November 8, 2005, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

'Mozartiana' and 'The Two Pigeons'
by David Mead -- June 17, 2009, Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham, UK
If there is one company in England that really understands Balanchine ballets and how they should be danced, it is David Bintley’s Birmingham Royal Ballet. Yet, Balanchine’s “Mozartiana” failed to hit the heights. It was not the company’s fault though. It is one of those works that had deep meaning for its maker and original lead, Suzanne Farrell.
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'Galanteries,' 'The Dance House' and 'The Dream'
by David Mead -- June 24, 2009, Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham, UK
George Balanchine said 12 was the best number for a ballet, because it could be divided so many ways. In “Galanteries”, a plotless ballet from 1986, Bintley certainly does that, presenting his cast of 12 in a series of delightful trios, duets and solos. The elegant, soft, almost silver-grey tunics of the men and similarly coloured flowing skirts of the women add to the grace and style of the work. The whole company was exemplary, but it was Delia Matthews and Tom Rogers who really stood out in the gloriously lyrical central duet.
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'Pomp and Circumstances'
By Cerise Andrews - April 9, 2009, Birmingham Hippodrome
Recession and classical dance are two concepts that should never meet. And let’s hope they never have to. Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Pomp and Circumstances programme offered a sumptuous diversion from reality, a velvet-curtained history-sated world view that it is more important than ever to return to, lest all sense of human dignity be lost amongst the sense of pending deprivation.
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'Beauty and the Beast'
by David Mead -- October 1, 2008, Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham, UK
Although originally made and programmed as an alternative to “The Nutcracker”, David Bintley’s “Beauty and the Beast” is far from the jolly Christmas fare that well-worked ballet usually serves up. Now appearing in the autumn schedule, it may be a fairy tale, but like all the best fairy tales it’s more than a children’s story.
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'Hobson's Choice'
by Ana Abad-Carles -- October 27, 2005, Sadler's Wells, London

'Apollo', 'Pulcinella', 'Firebird'
by Ana Abad-Carles -- October 24, 2006, Sadler's Wells, London
As part of their annual visit to London, Birmingham Royal Ballet brought its Stravinsky Triple Bill comprising three ballets that the Russian composer created for the Diaghilev company: “Apollo”, “Pulcinella” and “Firebird”. The programme opened with George Balanchine’s “Apollo”.
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'Giselle'
by David Mead -- June 27, 2008, Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham, UK

'The Two Pigeons'
by Jerry Hochman -- July 9, 2004, Metropolitan Opera House, New York City
It's all too rare to get excited about ballet performances these days. The Birmingham Royal Ballet's performance of Frederick Ashton's "The Two Pigeons" was miraculous.
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'Coppelia'
by David Mead -- June 6, 2007, Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham, UK
In some ways “Coppélia” is the perfect ballet. After all, there’s a touch of pantomime, some rather more subtle humour, folk dance, classical ballet, an easy to follow story, and for the kids among us, some great dancing toys and dolls. But perhaps what makes it complete is that it’s about real people...
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'Dynamic Dance' -- A Program of Eight New Works
by David Mead -- June 2, 2007, Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham, UK

'The Four Seasons', 'Nine Sinatra Songs', 'Pineapple Poll'
by David Mead -- June 13, 2007, Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham, UK
I’ll admit to never having been completely comfortable with Oliver Hindle’s “The Four Seasons”. “Summer”, a section made much earlier than the rest, still looks fabulous. Jenna Roberts, Victoria Marr and Elisha Willis were especially alluring as they postured and posed at the poolside in their blue swimsuits.
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Stravinsky Celebration
by David Mead -- February 14, 2007, Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham, UK
Although Balanchine made ballets to many composers’ music, it was to Stravinsky he returned again and again. So, as part of Birmingham’s continuing “Igorfest”, what could be more appropriate than for Birmingham Royal Ballet to stage a programme of three ballets from this remarkable partnership.
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'Cyrano'
by David Mead -- February 7, 2007, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham, UK

'La Fille mal Gardée'
by David Mead -- May 10, 2006, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham, England

Love in Death: David Mead reflects on why Kenneth MacMillan’s 'Romeo and Juliet' continues to be an audience favourite
It seems that creative artists have always been re-imagining “Romeo and Juliet.” Shakespeare penned his play in 1593 yet it was almost certainly a re-working of Arthur Brooke’s three-thousand line poem “The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet”, written in 1562 and reprinted in 1587. Even this was probably inspired by a number of earlier versions by other authors.
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'Les Petits Riens', 'Brouillards', 'Elite Syncopations'
by David Mead -- June 17, 2005, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham
After the previous week’s rather more serious Stravinsky programme, this was bite-sized ballet with all three works featuring a series of short dances. It also had something for everyone, a tutu ballet, something more modern and a jazzy finale.
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Interview with Lee Fisher
By Ana Abad-Carles -- June 2005, Lyric Hammersmith, London
I think that the arts in education offer fantastic learning opportunities for the young people and artists involved. There is so much and so many ways in which children can learn in and through the arts.
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Tiit Helimets: From Albrecht to Krishna
by Stuart Sweeney -- October 2003
"[David Bintley] sets you challenges and will test you in many different ways for a year or two – comedy, drama, a life story. He will try you out to see what sort of a dancer you are."
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An Interview with Robert Parker
by Kevin Ng -- March 11, 2000

Birmingham Royal Ballet - 'Nutcracker'
by David Mead -- November 29, 2009, Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham
You might be able to buy your own nutcracker doll in Birmingham’s huge German-style Christmas market, but to see one come to life you have to head off to the Hippodrome. With Birmingham Royal Ballet about to start celebrating the 20th anniversary of their relocation, it’s good to see that Sir Peter Wright’s moving-in gift to the city and the company, his quite superb “Nutcracker”, is still as magical as it was all those Christmases ago.
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Birmingham Royal Ballet - 'The Nutcracker'
by David Mead -- December 4, 2008, Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham, UK