We interrupt this silence to rave about all the good shows which are on in London over the next week. I'd stopped writing these roundups as it seemed a bit silly for only one or two shows every now and then, but over the next week, we are truly spoiled. Which is a really really good thing if you've seen, or if you're about to see Midnight Express.

13 April: Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre
Sadler's Wells
Tickets & details: www.sadlerswells.com/show/Fabulous-Beast-Dance-Theatre (nearly sold out)

As the start of Sadler's Wells's celebration of the centenary of Rite of Spring, the celebrated Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre presents Michael Keegan-Dolan's own Rite, followed by a new interpretation of the classic Petrushka - although little of the original tale of a puppet remains in this version, and the storytelling is minimal.

But it's Rite which will stay with you, long after the show - a very imaginative and unsettling vision, made all the more disturbing by the "everyman" nature of the dancers. Both pieces are beautifully accompanied by two live pianists, giving a very different feel to the music.


17 - 21 April: National Ballet of Canada
Sadler's Wells
Tickets & details: www.sadlerswells.com/show/The-National-Ballet-of-Canada
Trailer: bcove.me/waztytn0

There are two reasons to see this: it's National Ballet's first visit to London in 26 years years, and they're performing a Romeo & Juliet created by Alexei Ratmansky, possibly the most exciting and sought-after ballet choreographer alive today - and his works performed in London are very few and far between. If you have any interest in ballet at all, then you won't want to miss this.


18 - 21 April: English National Ballet "Ecstasy & Death"
London Coliseum
Tickets & details: www.eno.org/see-whats-on/productions/production-page.php?&itemid=2283
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFqRb1y7Vy8

The first programme for ENB by new Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, this is a triple bill to savour, and see as many times as you can. It features the too-rarely-seen 'Le Jeune Homme et la Mort' by Roland Petit, Jiri Kylian's 'Petit Mort' and Harald Lander's 'Etudes'.

'Le Jeune Homme' has been performed by ballet greats such as Nureyev, Baryshnikov and Ivan Vasiliev (see above trailer), and is based on a short story by Jean Cocteau of a faithless woman tormenting her young lover, driving him to despair. If you've watched the film 'White Night's, you'll have seen excerpts of it, starring Baryshnikov. Nicolas Le Riche and Ivan Putrov will alternate in the lead role for these performances.

Petit Mort is one of Kylian's best-loved works, performed to two Mozart piano concertos and described as "a landmark of contemporary choreography". As with Roland Petit, we see too little of Kylian's work in this country, so every available opportunity should be seized!


19 & 20 April: Tom Dale Dance Company
Laban Theatre, Deptford
Tickets & details: www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/whats-on/events/dance-events.2535.tom-dale-company-refugees-of-the-septic-heart.aspx
Trailer: vimeo.com/61552979

I was lucky enough to catch the opening night of 'Refugees of the Septic Heart' in Birmingham last month, having travelled from Liverpool just to see it, and I raved about it at length in my review: www.cloud-dance-festival.org.uk/reviews/tom-dale-company.html

Tom Dale's movement language is very original, lithe and graceful, and it's a beauty to watch, especially in a full-length work such as this one. But it doesn't end there: Dale's work involves working with multimedia and composers, and it's rare to see digital work used this effectively in a dance work. It's a feast for the senses, and entirely worth the journey to Deptford [try to take a train to Greenwich instead of Deptford, if you can].


19 April - 15 June: Royal Ballet "Mayerling"
Royal Opera House
Tickets & details: www.roh.org.uk/productions/mayerling-by-kenneth-macmillan

One of Macmillan's best-loved ballets, Mayerling is often cited as one of the best introductory ballets for ballet newbies to watch.

The Royal Opera House's website describes it as "Rudolf, the emotionally unstable Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, is forced to marry Princess Stephanie of Belgium against his will. He is drawn into a downward spiral of political intrigue, violence and, ultimately, suicide." - but the beauty is in Macmillan's choreography, characterisation and storytelling, as well as the performances from outstanding dancers.

Mayerling is cited as one of Edward Watson's finest roles, and his performances will be the final opportunities to watch Mara Galeazzi before she retires at the end of this season.


And last but not least...

17 - 27 April: The Place Prize
The Place
Tickets & details: www.theplace.org.uk/15077/whats-on/the-place-prize-for-dance-sponsored-by-bloomberg.html
Feature by Inside Dance TV: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqoojIYf_Eo

It's finally that time of year again - The Place Prize is back, and this time for an extended run, so there's no excuse to miss it - unless you genuinely don't want to see it.

More Turner Prize than the future of dance, The Place Prize particularly celebrates more experimental works and works which lie in that fuzzy grey area where "performance" overtakes "dance". But mostly importantly, which is what makes this such a significant competition, is that it's one of the few bodies investing in new work, commissioning 16 new works for each edition, and awarding £35,000 in prize money to the winner/s.

Many may disagree with the judges' choices, but one of the things the Place Prize excels at is getting people talking about it - and it's not afraid to be criticised.