We hope that you're not too burned out after March's excesses of dance shows - and hope that you managed to see plenty of them while they were on. April is more modest in its offerings, and the relatively few dance shows can be a good thing - for example, so that you can see several of these shows more than once!
Sadler's Wells
Pet Shop Boys & Javier De Frutos - The Most Incredible Thing: to 7 April
Tickets & details: www.sadlerswells.com/show/Pet-Shop-Boys-and-Javier-De-Frutos-The-Most-Incredible-Thing
This is the return of last year's successful production, which managed to pack out Sadler's Wells on a nightly basis with bemused Pet Shop Boys fans. It's more of a dazzling spectacle than a dazzling dance show, although we're very excited to hear that Aaron Sillis, Clemmie Sveaas. Ivan Putrov and Yuyu Rau are returning, while Diarmaid O'Meara (dancedialogue.wordpress.com) (recently seen in Ballet Ireland, and in two of our past festivals) and Edd Mitton will be joining the cast for the first time.
Javier De Frutos's choreography is very tame and family-friendly (in an interview, he explained that he'd been instructed to make "family-friendly" choreography. His response was: "what family?"); the middle section is by far the best, although Clemmie Sveaas dancing to an old Pet Shop Boys song will stay with you for a long time!
Royal Ballet Flanders - Artifact: 19 - 21 April
Tickets & details: www.sadlerswells.com/show/Royal-Ballet-of-Flanders-Artifact
Trailer: youtu.be/W-3V6okqbNg
To quote the write-up for this show, "A ballet in four parts, Artifact features music by J.S. Bach and scenography, lighting, costumes and choreography all by William Forsythe. It is famous for the way it subverts the traditional physical principles of ballet and plays with audiences ideas about what ballet can be."
Scottish Ballet - A Streetcar Named Desire: 26 - 28 April
Tickets & details: www.sadlerswells.com/show/Scottish-Ballet-A-Streetcar-Named-Desire
Scottish Ballet return to London with their latest work,international choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's take on Tennessee Williams's classic novel. The production also features a jazz-inspired score by award-winning composer Peter Salem and a collaboration with American film and theatre director Nancy Meckler, so it looks like we'll definitely be in for a treat.
The Place
A Celebration of Bob Lockyer: 13 April
Tickets & details: www.theplace.org.uk/12878/whats-on/a-celebration-of-bob-lockyer.html
Bob Lockyer has been described as “one of the great heroes of British dance”, and on the occasion of his 70th birthday, five of the country’s outstanding dance artists – Richard Alston, Mark Baldwin, Siobhan Davies, Wayne McGregor and Monica Mason – will be co-presenting an evening of original choreography as a tribute to Bob Lockyer’s life and career.
The evening will feature new works by Richard Alston and Mark Baldwin among other emerging choreographers.
Robert Clark + Darren Ellis Dance: 17 April
Tickets & details: www.theplace.org.uk/12707/whats-on/robert-clark-darren-ellis-dance.html
Darren Ellis's work is visually striking and often theatrical, and Long Walk Home delves into the hopes and dreams of four outstanding female dancers to create a series of individual portraits of four very different women, each at a different stage of their life.
Robert Clark's work is about an unconventional love story, set in "a world reminiscent of 1950s America".
Goddard Nixon + Jose Agudo: 24 April
Tickets & details: www.theplace.org.uk/12716/whats-on/goddard-nixon-jose-agudo.html
Originally performed at Rambert's evening of New Choreography last autumn, Jonathan Goddard and Gemma Nixon return with Fitcher's Bird, an unusual yet extremely impressive duet - which includes rather a lot of feathers.
Royal Opera House
Royal Ballet - Sweet Violets / Carbon Life / Polyphonia: 5 - 23 April
Tickets & details: www.roh.org.uk/whatson/production.aspx?pid=18146
Trailer: youtu.be/R3vHgPUGN1Y
Wayne McGregor's star at the Royal Ballet is rapidly being eclipsed by the exciting talent of Liam Scarlett, whose first ever narrative ballet is being premiered on this night. Sweet Violets explores the life of Walter Sickert at the time of Jack the Ripper, with warnings of "content of an adult nature". I can't stress enough how amazing Scarlett's work is; you can view rehearsal footage filmed during the Royal Opera House's "Royal Ballet Live" day via the link above.
Also on the programme is the premiere of Wayne McGregor's latest work, Carbon Life, based on Carl Jung's theories of anima/animus and the collective unconscious, with music written by Mark Ronson and live performances by musicians including Boy George. The third piece on the programme is a revival of Christopher Wheeldon's much-loved Polyphonia.
London Coliseum
Eifman Ballet: Anna Karenina & Onegin: 3 - 7 April
London Coliseum
Tickets & details for Anna Karenina: www.eno.org/see-whats-on/productions/production-page.php?&itemid=1887
Tickets & details for Onegin: www.eno.org/see-whats-on/productions/production-page.php?&itemid=1888
Trailer: youtu.be/6LRHBAbiUa4
Boris Eifman, one of Russia’s greatest living choreographers, presents two of Russia's greatest classics, having thoroughly modernised both, complete with new scores. His works have strongly divided critics (see Ismene Brown's feature on him here), but both the storytelling and choreography look rich and very unmissable.
There is a 2-for-1 offer on tickets for Anna Karenina on 3 April and Onegin on 6 April for £35 & £45 tickets; quote METRO when buying.