Too much tidiness and not enough exuberance in our new crop of youngsters
Ismene Brown reviews the ballet school graduate shows


The leading ballet schools are the nurseries of our national ballet companies, and one goes to them in fear and trembling. An 18-year-old graduate can't be compared to an established principal, and yet you can hope to see flashes of the kind of exceptional talent that made Darcey Bussell, Alessandra Ferri, Tamara Rojo, Carlos Acosta, Sarah Wildor, Beryl Grey and Margot Fonteyn recognisable star material in their teens.

I saw no stars this summer, nor did I emerge from the four shows with huge optimism about the next British generation, because there are so pitifully few native dancers-in-waiting in the first place.

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<small>[ 18 February 2004, 08:13 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Royal Ballet School ROH Matinée
By David Dougill for The Sunday Times

There was a good deal of fresh young talent on view at the Royal Ballet School’s annual matinée at Covent Garden last weekend, with a particularly strong showing from the boys. Davit Galstyan made a glamorously dashing sailor in the traditional Hornpipe, and Zachary Faruque and Ludovic Ondiviela (both heading for the Royal Ballet) were excitingly matched in a modern classical piece, Mendelssohn Concerto, by Mark Annear.

The leading girls in this work, Momoko Hirata and Jenna Roberts, gave beautifully refined performances: they go now to Birmingham Royal Ballet. It was rather too long a programme for easy digestion, but it employed great numbers of all ages to advantage, and the closing Grand Défilé of the eager massed forces, from tots to seniors, was, as always, the happiest of sights.

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Royal Ballet School
By Jann Parry in The Observer

Here in Britain, Royal Ballet School students are, on the whole, a more sheltered species.

Their big chance comes with the school's annual matinée at the Royal Opera House. Very few will dance on this particular stage again as company members: most will disperse elsewhere, so it's touching to see the grand défilé in which all 200 or so appear together in a choreographed finale. They look so proud and pleased to be there, as do their families in the audience.

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