The Royal Ballet has commissioned its first full length ballet in 15 years with Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland set to receive its world premiere at the Royal Opera House in February 2011.
Choreographed by world renowned Christopher Wheeldon and co-produced by the National Ballet of Canada, Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland has a scenario by playwright Nicholas Wright and designs by Bob Crowley. Based on Lewis Carroll’s surreal novel, it tells the story of a young girl, who falls down a rabbit hole and finds herself in a world full of weird and wonderful characters.
The 2010/11 Royal Ballet season also includes three other world premieres. First to take to the grand Royal Opera House stage in October 2010 will be a new piece by Kim Brandstrup. The choreographer will be following his previous successes Rushes – Fragments Of A Lost Story and the Goldberg Project, his collaboration with Tamara Rojo.
On 13 May 2011 Wayne McGregor’s follow-up to 2009’s award-winning Limen will open. The piece will be performed alongside Wheeldon’s DGV: Danse À Grande Vitesse and Balanchine’s Ballo Della Regina.
The final new work will be staged in the Linbury Studio in June 2011, with Royal Opera House Associate Artist Aletta Collins choreographing a unique production of Jean Cocteau’s 1932 play Duet For One, featuring a dancer, actor and a new score by composer and singer Scott Walker. The piece will be performed alongside Poulenc’s opera La Voix Humaine which makes its Royal Opera House debut.
Other highlights in the new season include John Cranko’s version of Pushkin’s Onegin which opens on 30 September, Frederick Ashton’s versions of Sylvia – which reprises Christopher Newton’s Laurence Olivier Award nominated version and opens on 3 November – and Cinderella which will run from 20 November and again from 4 April 2011.
Moving into 2011, Peter Wright’s Giselle will open on 11 January, followed by Anthony McDowell’s Swan Lake on 22 January and Kenneth MacMillan’s famous creation of Manon on 21 April.
As always, the Royal Ballet new season also includes a variety of mixed programmes which include works from world renowned choreographers including Ashton, Balanchine, MacMillan and Matthew Hart.
In the smaller Linbury Studio, highlights include the reprisal of the popular children’s show Faeries, and the return of Ballet Black, Cassa Pancho with a new work by contemporary choreographers which will premiere in February 2011.
CM