Luna is the newest ballet from the esteemed company “Birmingham Royal Ballet.” Five female choreographers from across the globe have created six original scenes, inspired by historic, pioneering women from Birmingham. As the final act in Carlos Acosta’s Birmingham Trilogy, following the critically acclaimed Black Sabbath ballet, expectations were high for Luna. However, Luna slightly falls short of previous “Birmingham Royal Ballet” productions, as these scenes cumulatively struggle to elicit emotional investment from the audience.

The six different scenes are signposted by title screens projected onto the backdrop, including the name of the choreographer and a quote reflecting upon the themes of the piece. Without these title screens, however, it is occasionally difficult to distinguish one scene from the next. Multiple scenes feature similarly coloured costumes, such as red dresses in two separate scenes, and white dresses worn in both acts, along with white suits in a separate scene.

Additionally, multiple scenes make the artistic choice to feature female dancers without pointe shoes, donning either flat shoes or performing barefoot instead. This is initially subversive and fascinating for the audience, but after a lack of pointe shoes for multiple consecutive scenes, the choreography starts to feel a little homogeneous. Again, the way the dancers slide across the stage in the first two scenes is refreshing, but this feels a little repetitive by the second act.

Aside from this unnecessary repetition, the main flaw of Luna is its lack of distinctive narrative.

Of course, the show is advertised as a celebration of iconic Birmingham women while “tackling universal themes”. However, the choreography feels too universal to have any kind of narrative focus or progression, let alone the presentation of any specific historical Birmingham women. There is no sense of setting due to the minimal props or backdrops used throughout. While the emotions of some principal dancers shine through, for most characters there is not a lot of personality or emotional backstory presented to the audience. This vastly reduces audience engagement and investment in the scenes.

Ensemble choreography in Luna often feels like “art for art’s sake” – it is technically flawless and artistically beautiful, but there is no real purpose or connection, unlike other full-scale productions from “Birmingham Royal Ballet.” While this certainly creates a transcendent tone, keeping with the motifs of the moon and the sea, it makes the production a lot less memorable for the audience.

Out of all six scenes, the third scene of Act One, “Unwavering”, is undoubtedly the standout.

Choreographed by Thais Suarez, and described as a “statement of resilience,” principal dancers Beatrice Parma and Javier Rojas have electric chemistry onstage. The turns come at an excitingly fast pace, illuminated by alluring backdrops like a glowing flame-orange sunset. Additionally, the soprano, Marianna Hovhanisyan, and the baritone, Themba Mvula, provide a delightful contrast to the dancers, and further the celestial feel of the performance with their ethereal voices.

Overall, Luna, like all “Birmingham Royal Ballet” pieces, showcases exceptional talent from all the dancers and backstage team, so of course it is well worth a watch. However, a lack of narrative progression or emotional heart prevents it from having a significant impact on its audience.