Black & White, English National Ballet, London Coliseum

A work created when choreographers really knew how to speak ballet

by Ismene BrownThursday, 17 March 2011

'Suite en blanc': Astronomically stylish as only French classical ballet can be© Patrick Baldwin/ENB

At the 11th hour (as we all know from the current telly series), English National Ballet has pulled a gorgeous plum out of its back catalogue that throws open vistas of what a ballet company should be: Serge Lifar’s sumptuous Suite en Blanc. Why this beauty, laced with the hot Spanish deliciousness of Eduard Lalo’s 1881 music, hasn’t been done for 35 years can presumably be put down to its sheer difficulty, because this is a ballet that bathes the eyes in lipsmackingly tricky, astronomically stylish choreography - stylish as only French classical ballet can be.

This is very clever and audience-delighting, of a sophistication from back in time when choreographers really did know how to speak ballet

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