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Sarah Frater's rating
Reader rating
Dir: Christopher Wheeldon.
Cast: Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company
Description: The dance troupe celebrate Les Ballets Russes centenary with works by Tim Harbour and Alexei Ratmansky, as well as Christopher Wheeldon's Commedia.
Trains: Tube: Angel 
Phone: 0844412 4300
Website: www.sadlerswells.com
After the success of its first two visits to Sadler’s Wells, Christopher Wheeldon’s new-ish company looked less assured third time around.
This has nothing to do with the dancers, on loan from New York City Ballet among others, who are extremely able. Nor is it the orchestra, nor conductor Paul Murphy, who evidently knows what he’s doing.
The Royal Ballet-trained New York-based Wheeldon is as poised as ever, introducing the evening with a few words, and starting the show with his charming Commedia, to Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite.
However, the rest of the choreography is less exciting than previous visits. Compared to last year’s gold dust by Frederick Ashton and Jerome Robbins, we have Softly As I leave You by Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon. It’s a duet for two angsty types, with a woman (Drew Jacoby) flexing her feet and contracting her abdomen while a man (Rubinald Pronk) looks numb. You can hardly blame him.
Also on the programme is Bolero by one-time Bolshoi director Alexei Ratmansky, who’s now Artist in Residence at American Ballet Theatre. It’s set to Ravel’s famous score, and Ratmansky gently spoofs its heroic ascent by depicting his dancers as Olympians. It’s a good joke, but isn’t sustained throughout.
Making his UK debut was Australian Tim Harbour. Leaving Songs is for nine dancers set to the little-known Australian composer Ross Edwards. It successfully evokes ideas of death and rebirth, with the duets potent reminders of Marvell’s winged chariot. However, as with Bolero, the ideas are not consistently deployed.
Having said all that, it was good to see Wendy Whelan and Leanne Benjamin at Sadler’s Wells. Neither is young, but both give the youngsters a run.
Prog 1, tonight only. Prog 2, 23 and 24 Oct (0844 412 4300, www.sadlerwells.com).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
