Afternoon:
10°c
Sarah Frater's rating
Just a lot of rolling around
By
Sarah Frater
4 Jun 2007
This dance event at Sadler's Wells proved a paradox.
Javier de Frutos is Phoenix's newish director, and although he's invigorated the dancers, and revived Jane Dudley's excellent Harmonic Breakdown, he's proved himself the self-indulger we always feared.
His take on Les Noces turns the wedding into a funeral, which it already was, although his showing violence as a sexual turn-on reveals an unflinching honesty.
However, the rest of the supposedly radical, risk-taking, blood-splattered piece is all shallow effect. As polite people used to say, it's just a lot of rolling around.
• Royal Ballet triple bill to 8 June (020 7304 4000. www.roh.org.uk).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
