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BrumHour saw Luna at the invite of Birmingham Royal Ballet.
By Dave Massey x.com/BrumHour
Review: Birmingham Royal Ballet: Luna at Birmingham Hippodrome
⭐⭐⭐⭐Stunning performances
Choreography by Iratxe Ansa, Wubkje Kuindersma, Seeta Patel, Arielle Smith, Thais Suarez
Taking inspiration from a book called Once Upon a Time in Birmingham: Women Who Dared to Dream by Louise Palfreyman. Luna is six scenes by five female choreographers which explore ideas and concepts connected to the word Luna.
Some of the scenes have more of an obvious narrative than others, whilst some lean into movement style and feeling the music.
There are several unexpected moments, including a charming youth choir (Children’s Chorus Training: Ex Cathedra) singing in a round, and then at several other points plus stunning vocals from Marianna Hovhanisyan and Themba Mvula. Royal Ballet Sinfonia’s music is cinematic and haunting at many points, whilst it plays with themes of time, space and the elements.
I really enjoyed Learning to Dream Big choreograhed by Seeta Patel, the most straightforward of these scenes presenting a group of young women considering what careers they could possibly have.
The final scene culminates with moments from the other parts of the performance returning. It pulls the work into focus as one rather than the five sections we have previously watched.
It won’t be for everyone but I really enjoyed it, and the performers of Birmingham Royal Ballet were stunning as ever. The time, effort and skill they have show their dedication to being among the very best that the world of ballet can offer.
Featuring stunning performances, Luna is at Birmingham Hippodrome with Birmingham Royal Ballet until 5th October before visiting Saddler’s Wells in London on 24th and 25th October 2024. Discover more here: brb.org.uk/shows/luna.
