Dance Review: Last Chance To See Russian Ballet Superstar In Action

Amore, London Coliseum ★★★★★

By Tiffany Pritchard Last edited 76 months ago

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Dance Review: Last Chance To See Russian Ballet Superstar In Action Amore, London Coliseum 5
AMORE 'Strokes Through The Tail' photo by Batyr Annadurdyev.

Bolshoi Theatre’s ballet mega-star Svetlana Zakharova brings the UK premiere of her triple bill Amore to the London Coliseum for a few select nights until 25 November. Accompanied by some of Bolshoi’s biggest names, it’s a show that’s unique in its tremendous contribution of fervour and energy, a trait that's characteristic of the almighty Moscow-based theatre.  

Like most three-part performances, there is a taste of everything — from a torrid love affair set to Tchaikovsky’s lush symphonic sounds, to a sensuous love triangle played out via hints of Bach and an eclectic soundscape, and finally to a light-hearted romp that involves male dancers twirling around in ballerina garb.

Zakharova uses a mix of choreographers to explore the theme of love, most notably with Yuri Possokhov’s rendition of Francesca da Rimini that has the lead dancer and her Bolshoi cohorts Denis Rodkin and Mikhail Lobukhim intertwined in fiery passion through sumptuous groping and frolicking and dramatic leaps that soar off stage.

Patrick de Bana, former dancer with Compania Nacional de Danza in Madrid, offers up  an atmospheric tango of sorts with Rain Before It Falls, while Irish choreographer Marguerite Donlon utilises Mozart and a multi-layering of silly, sharp movements to evoke fits of laughter from the audience in Strokes Through The Tail.

It’s not often you can see the Russian artists on UK stages (unless you count The Bolshoi’s The Nutcracker that screens in select UK cinemas on 3 December), so it’s most certainly well worth a trip into town to see the ballet greats.

Amore, London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4ES until 25 November 2017

Last Updated 25 November 2017