Birmingham Royal Ballet to take part in Spring Dance at the London Coliseum

Birmingham Royal Ballet is to take part in Spring Dance at the London Coliseum, 2009. From April 14 – 18, the Company will present David Bintley's reworked production of Sylvia and Pomp and Circumstances, a mixed programme consisting of Serenade, Enigma Variations and 'Still Life' at the Penguin Café.

Spring Dance at the Coliseum is programmed by Sadler Wells, in partnership with the international arts management agency Askonas Holt and promoter Raymond Gubbay and brings to London many of the world’s great dance companies.

Christopher Barron, Birmingham Royal Ballet's Chief Executive said, 'Spring Dance at the London Coliseum fulfills a long-held desire of the Company's, for a second week of performances in the capital each year. Spring Dance provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase more of the Company's diverse repertoire in an exciting location.'

In Sylvia, David Bintley has revisited his original 1993 production for the Company, offering a humorous trip through time to learn valuable lessons in love. When the marital strife between Count Guccioli and his wife threatens to disrupt their anniversary celebration, the Count's infidelities endanger the burgeoning love between Amynta and Sylvia, their servants. It is left to the God of Love, Eros (in disguise as a gardener) to reconcile their differences as he takes them, and us, back to the age of mythical Rome in order to teach them all a lesson about Love.

Delibes delightful score and Sue Blane’s creative designs bring the colourful cast of Gods and Goddesses, slave girls and pirates to life.

Pomp and Circumstances features three very different ballets; pure dance, an Edwardian period piece and a perennially popular showstopper. Balanchine's Serenade is beautiful abstract dance which originated as an exercise to show the difference between classroom work and performance. It heralded the beginning of a remarkable new cultural development and is now an internationally known classic. Set to Tchaikovsky's 'Serenade for Strings', Serenade is a pure dance work for an almost entirely female cast.

In Ashton's Enigma Variations, Edward Elgar's friends are brought to life in dance. Each variation is an affectionate portrayal of one of his circle of close acquaintances. The piece is Elgar’s best-known large-scale composition and secured his reputation as a composer of national, even international standing.

David Bintley's 'Still Life' at the Penguin Café has enchanted and thrilled audiences in London, Australia, Japan and the USA. First performed by the Royal Ballet in 1988, 'Still Life' is an ecological extravaganza with its morris dancing flea, dapper penguins and foot-tapping score by Simon Jeffes and designs by Hayden Griffin.

Pomp and Circumstances 14 April at 7.30pm and 15 April at 2.30pm and 7.30pm Sylvia 16 & 17 April at 7.30pm, 18 April at 2.30pm and 7.30pm

ENDS

For further press information please contact:
Angela Hughes on 0121 245 3549; E-mail: AngelaHughes@brb.org.uk
Simon Harper on 0121 245 3562; Email: SimonHarper@brb.org.uk

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