The Dance Genre in London Theatres
There is so much dance to choose from in London Theatres from ballet to street-dance beats, Irish dancing, Japanese and American choreography, rock n' roll and Bollywood dancing. Currently the vast majority of shows put on are ballet or opera. There are different types of ballet to choose from to see of course.
Choosing to Watch Ballet
There are plain dances and dances with a more structured story behind them. There are solely ballet performances and ballet mixed to great effect with contemporary and jazz dance like at the Ballet Central performed at Lindbury Studio at the Royal Opera House. Choose to watch ultra-professionals like the Royal New Zealand Ballet show From Here to There at the Barbican Theatre, the Mariinsky Ballet Homage to Fokine at the Royal Opera House or choose to see the Royal Ballet Summer School Ballet Performances at Lindbury Studio in the Royal Opera House. For a great story see Anna Karenina by the Mariinksy Ballet at the Royal Opera House, its British premiere. This show is choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky to the musical score of Rodion Shchedrin, which is powerful. The great two ballerinas Uliana Lopatkina and Diana Vishneva will make for mesmerising viewing.
If you would like a mix of stories then look at the Balanchine/Robbins: Scotch Symphony/In the Night/Ballet Imperial - Mariinsky Ballet. Here Balanchine and Robbins put on a choreographically spectacular show, one on a Scotch symphony set to Mendelssohn's music - a 19th century romantic ballet, and the other by Robbins on In the Night about three pairs of lovers set to Chopin's music. Les Ballets C de la B is a piece of dancing inspired by the closing of a transvestite cabaret in Barcelona showing at Sadler's Wells. It is a collaboration between the transvestite actress Vanessa Van Durme, composer Steven Prengels and directors Alain Patel and Frank Van Laecke. The human need for voyeurism is one theme of the show and it is suitable for those aged 18 or over only.
Watching a show other than Ballet
Start thinking about BBE: Touch, Barbican Artistic Associate Blue Boy Entertainment which changes the Barbican Pit into a cabaret-style stage and bar. Previous work from them includes Pied Piper and Street Dance The Movie 3D. Or see Flawless street-dance Company bring Chase the Dream to the Peacock Theatre. Flawless won Britain's Got Talent and appeared at the Sadler's Wells hip hop festival Breakin' Convention twice. The crew of 10 have also won the World Dance Champion Title and have worked with big names in the music industry like Madonna, Leona Lewis and Beyoncé.
The well-known Lord of the Dance Irish dance Spectacular comes to New Wimbledon Theatre with amazing footwork and music. The Sol Pico Dance Company take Catalan rock n' rolls to new levels at Sadler's Wells Theatre. Comedy, physical and hip-hop theatre is on show at the Peacock Theatre as Zoonation's Some Like it Hip-Hop comes to town. Finally, The Merchants of Bollywood show another year-run of the successful show from last year at the Peacock.