Gem Of A Performance

As ballerina, Cira Robinson walked on stage in her crystal clad Swarovski tutu - 2,000 to be precise - it was quickly apparent that her glitzy garb would only ever be a momentary distraction from the true talents of this small company.

Ballet Black is new to me, even though it was formed as far back as 2001 by Artistic Director Cassa Pancho, and has already achieved some considerable acclaim.

But don't be fooled, this small company of eight dancers packs quite a punch, and you should expect the unexpected from a posse of talent that hails from across the globe and, with the help of world class choreographers, has clearly put its own unique spin on the French art form!

Their piece de resistance, of course, is BB's award winning Storyville, created by Scottish Ballet's Artistic Director, Christopher Hampson in 2012, and re-staged last night in a slightly expanded format from its original conception.

For me this story narrative, brilliantly performed, was about the loss of innocence. Set in a suburb of New Orleans in the early 1900's - Storyville was originally the red light district at the turn of the last century - it tells the tender, bittersweet story of a rags-to-riches journey. Nola arrives in New Orleans as a young, teddy carrying innocent. She departs it as a leggy hooker soaked in booze, broken by life and the people around her.

Maybe it was the American theme, or the New Orleans touch but, throughout, I kept seeing flashes of Gene Kelly and this felt like a real hybrid performance, on the one hand seeking to be true to classical ballet but, somehow, fighting to be released from the constraints of a dance form so rooted in tradition.

But I loved it and found Cristaux equally mesmerising for completely different reasons. Some may find the repetitive music by Steve Reich numbing but, for me, it was almost hypnotic and symbolic of those twinkling crystals on Cira Robinson's tutu! She and Mthuthuzeli November gave an inspired, dynamic and athletic performance.

It was a triple bill which also included Christopher Marney's To Begin, Begin featuring the wonderful Japanese ballet dancer Sayaka Ichikawa.

Sometimes you are not always clear what something is about, unless you are a competent pseud (!), but something high quality stirs you, create thought and inspires. As the evening passed I saw Petrushka, the ballet puppet, I saw Gene Kelly and Hollywood, and I felt emotional stirrings within.

An inspiring evening.

Tonight only 7.30pm

Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre
Northern Ballet
Quarry Hill
Leeds
LS2 7PA