North-East tour notes

Related stories
North-East tour notes
An introduction to Concerto barocco
Take Five introductory notes
Take Five costume rehearsals
Take Five press quotes

What's on

North-East tour spring 2008

King's Lynn Corn Exchange
29 - 30 April 2008

Durham Gala
6 - 7 May 2008

York Theatre Royal
9 - 10 May 2008

Click here for a full diary of performances and links for how to book.

Full performance diary

Click here for performance listings.

North-East tour notes

Introductory notes to all three ballets being performed on Birmingham Royal Ballet's 2008 North-East tour.

Concerto barocco:

Choreographer George Balanchine is known for stripped-down ballets, with minimal sets and simple costumes. This means that nothing distracts you from the sound of the orchestra and the movement on stage.

The music features solos for two violins. Look out for points where the dancers movements reflect what the violins are doing.

The composer of the score, Bach, was an influence on Dave Brubeck, who wrote the music for Take Five.

Credits
Music Johann Sebastian Bach
Choreography George Balanchine
Lighting Peter Teigen

Twilight:

This ballet features just two dancers, one man and one woman, with woman in stilettos.

The man initially tries to seduce the woman, but she dominates the movement with a fiery temperament. A battle of the sexes ensues, but he eventually begins to impress her with his equally foreful manner. With the woman throwing off her high-heels, the two dance alongside each other.

The music features a piano, which has been altered by putting nails and pieces of rubber inside to change the noise it makes. Listen out for its tribal, pounding sound.

Credits
Music John Cage
Choreography Hans van Manen
Designs Jean-Paul Vroom
Lighting Jan Hofstra

Take Five:

Take Five features music by jazz icon Dave Brubeck. His music is used heavily in films, television programmes and adverts. See how many of the pieces you recognise.

You can see the Dave Brubeck Quartet performing the title track on YouTube by clicking here.

In the ballet the dancers move around the stage taking it in turns to perform to different pieces of music. Keep an eye on their feet - while the bodies and arms are often relaxed and willowy, the footwork is at times furiously complicated and demanding.

Credits
Music Dave Brubeck
Choreography David Bintley
Designs Jean-Marc Puissant
Lighting Peter Mumford

See the related stories to the right of the page for more information.