Yasmine Naghdi and Ryoichi Hirano rehearse Concerto  

Principal Dancers of The Royal Ballet Yasmine Naghdi and Ryoichi Hirano and Royal Ballet School students Maddison Pritchard and Denilson Almeida rehearse the second movement pas de deux with coaches Alfreda Thorogood and Gary Avis, accompanied by pianist Kate Shipway. This rehearsal of Kenneth MacMillan's ballet Concerto was part of #WorldBalletDay 2019. This production will be broadcast live to cinemas on 5 November 2019 - find a showing near you www.roh.org.uk/....
Concerto marked the start of a new phase in Kenneth MacMillan’s career. He had recently become director of Berlin’s Deutsche Oper Ballet, and was keen to redefine the company and showcase its full range. He selected a score of youthful vivacity - Dmitry Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto no.2 in F, which was created to mark the 19th birthday of the composer’s son. Concerto was greeted with a standing ovation on its premiere in 1966 and MacMillan received immediate performance requests from ballet companies worldwide.
MacMillan’s choreography complements the precision and invention of Shostakovich’s score perfectly. In the energetic first movement, the corps de ballet marches en pointe in unison, in response to a military flourish in the music. A slow, sensuous Andante follows, featuring a pas de deux that was inspired by seeing Lynn Seymour, MacMillan’s friend and muse, warming up at the barre. The final movement brings the work to a spirited close, with a large corps de ballet dancing with quick, joyous steps. Jürgen Rose’s bright designs confirm the ballet’s warmth and energy.
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