Birmingham Royal Ballet delivers dancing treats with live online broadcasts of performers
Dancers are being given a treat as the Birmingham Royal Ballet launches a series of online broadcasts featuring its star performers in lockdown.
Viewers were today being invited to join a live streamed master class led by the company's ballet master Dominic Antonucci. Dancers from the company were due to join in from their homes across the the world.
The Home from Home event gives an exclusive insight into the company’s daily routine and specially choreographed performances as the dancers stay fit and creative while remaining in isolation in their own homes all over the world including Australia, France, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.
On Wednesday(8) there will be a performance of The Swan via bbc.co.uk/arts and brb.org.uk at 3pm performed by principal dancer Celine Gittens, accompanied by principal pianist Jonathan Higgins and cellist Antonio Novais.
Both projects have been created in partnership with BBC Culture in Quarantine.
BBC head of arts Jonty Claypole, says: “The mission of Culture in Quarantine is to support the arts and ensure the greatest possible access to culture in people’s homes. We’re thrilled to be working with one of the greatest dance companies in the world, Birmingham Royal Ballet, on this unique project.
"In Ballet Class Live anyone at home can join Birmingham Royal Ballet in warm-ups and basic steps. And in a special performance Celine Gittens will dance the iconic ‘The Swan’ solo, which has an added poignancy at this time of isolation and national lockdown.”
Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Carlos Acosta says: “Welcome everybody in this moment of stillness. We are going to try an experiment. I frankly don’t know how it’s going to turn out.
"We are going to perform for you one of my favourite pieces The Swan. I have purposely changed the end so this is a dance
about life, about hope.
Poignancy
"This is a dance of promises. It represents the end of something and the beginning of something else, and in these crazy times that we are living we all need a new beginning.
"This is a gift from Birmingham Royal Ballet to you. Enjoy.”
The poignant piece is set to Camille Saint-Saëns's The Swan from The Carnival of the Animals which was originally choreographed by Mikhail Fokine for the legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova and is more popularly known as The Dying Swan.
Watch via www.bbc.co.uk/arts and www.brb.org.uk.
