“Momentum delivers a stunning showcase of technical precision, storytelling and musicality.“
Full disclosure: this was my first time seeing professional live ballet. I took dance lessons as a child, so I’ve sat through my fair share of showcases featuring nervous tweens stumbling their way across the stage, but it feels almost insulting to even consider comparing those wobbly pirouettes to the calibre of performance by London City Ballet at the Birmingham Rep.
Their latest touring programme, Momentum, delivers four distinct pieces, each choreographically and emotionally rich. It’s a quadruple bill that showcases both the breadth and depth of ballet as a true artform – and by and large, it works beautifully.
We open with Haieff Divertimento, a classical piece choreographed by Balanchine. Light and romantic, it sets the bar high. The dancers move with clarity and grace – it’s a soft entry point for anyone new to ballet, like me, but with enough discipline and precision to still draw in the more seasoned viewer.
Next up is Consolations and Liebestraum by Liam Scarlett, where the evening’s performance really begins to develop emotionally. The piece charts the arc of a relationship from hopeful beginning to aching heartbreak, and the choreography is visual poetry.
For me, the highlight of the evening was the next piece, Soft Shore by Florent Melac. A moody, tender piece that’s choreographed in such a way that the dancers move almost like liquid, the movements were emotive and evocative.
After the interval comes Pictures at an Exhibition, choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky. A show-stopping finale, this piece bursts with colour and character as the dancers reimagine Kandinsky’s paintings through bold movement to Mussorgsky’s score. It’s a patchwork piece made up of solos, duets and group performances, weaving between moments that are brash, then haunting, then whimsical – but always joyful. The addition of the Ukrainian flag at the end – by Ratmansky, who grew up in Kiev – is a tribute which quickly transitions the piece from a place of wonder into a stark reality, and creates a truly impactful ending to the show.
Of course, the presence of Alina Cojocaru is a draw in itself, and she delivers a true masterclass in technique and poise. But despite the star-power of the performance, this is by no means a one-woman show – the entire company is phenomenal.
My one criticism is in the cohesion of the overall programme. The first half builds a tender, emotionally resonant atmosphere through each of the three pieces, and the second half feels very juxtaposed, flinging us into something much more vibrant and theatrical. Each piece is beautiful in its own right, but as a collective Momentum occasionally felt like it was lacking a throughline. Still, there’s something exciting about that diversity – the pieces form a true showcase of what ballet can be. Perhaps that’s the throughline: the way in which ballet truly is art, in every sense of the word.As someone new to the world of ballet, I left feeling genuinely moved – not just by the technique (although that alone is jaw-dropping), but by the incredible storytelling and musicality of the performance. Ballet is one of the most technical and precise art forms, and yet despite its long history Momentum felt somehow contemporary, modern and fresh – all whilst still in keeping with the timelessness and tradition of classical ballet.
The London City Ballet continue their tour across the UK and mainland Europe this year. Tickets are available here.