As with any stage production I have the privilege to watch, I entered this Evening of Music and Dance with great anticipation and excitement, even more so for my lack of experience with ballet. Symphony Hall with its grandiose design, red covered chairs, and looming organ was home to a frontier of preparing musicians. The usual hum of an audience echoed throughout the crowd; excited chatter joined by the odd noise of an instrument warming up. And as the lights began to dim, Paul Murphy, the conductor of the evening, entered. The audience now quiet, Murphy raised his arms and commanded the beginning of the evening with a boisterous and astounding rendition of The Barber of Seville: Overture. 

The evening would continue to be a mix of romance, charm, and danger, stunning dances, and equally impressive orchestral pieces the home to these themes. And following the grand welcoming by the orchestra, the audience were greeted with the compère for the evening, Marverine Cole, offering gracious welcomes to dancers and synopses for performances. Every musical piece was punctuated with a dance number performed by the spellbinding principals and dancers from Birmingham Royal Ballet, each with their own charm and uniqueness. The ability and talents of the dancers and musicians alike cannot go unmentioned, my immediate reaction to the show being one filled with awe. And throughout the show each actor maintained these talents to a great standard, my list of praise unable to fit inside this article.

Arguably my favourite, the Interlinked: pas de deux, opened the evening as the first dance number. The youngest of the ballets present, Interlinked, which only premiered in 2022 in Birmingham with the arrival of the Commonwealth Games, offered a majestic charm in its breaking down of ballets conventions. Excluding gendered norms of clothing and dance dynamics allowed for a both mournful and hopeful piece performed by the gorgeous Tzu-Chao Chou and Brandon Lawrence. The two male dancers captured the ballets message of tolerance and openness masterfully, their bodies entwined, consistently wanting to be touching in hopes of never being parted. An emotive opening to the beginning of the show, this dance set a high standard for the remainder of the evening, and none failed to meet them.

A sensual and dramatic rendition of Carmen, Act III: Interlude (enr’acte) was the fifth dance of the evening, one of the closing dances. From the well-known opera Carmen, this dance forewent the usual sparkling dresses and ornate headdresses, the dancers clad in a simple black lace dress and a shirt, braces, and high waist trousers. Portraying a story of seduction and lust, the choreography was host to a multitude of creative and imaginative lifts, the likes of them not seen with the more traditional performances of the evening. Choreographer Carlos Acosta allowed for Sofia Liñares and Lachlan Monoghan, the dancers for this piece, to expertly portray the love and sexuality of the characters, accompanied by an equally hypnotising musical score.

The Le Corsaire: Pas de deux choreographed by Ricardo Drigo was the closing number for the evening. Soloist dancer Riku Ito was one of the performers met with the greatest cheers, his incredible jumps and character unforgettable, his solo moments during the dance met with an enthralled audience. Each of Ito’s movements were punctuated by powerful finishes opening the stage for his partner, Yaoqian Shang. A principal dancer with the company, Shang only added to the presence of the duo on stage, each of their separated moments meeting beautifully when they would move into hold. Ito and Shang offered a powerful and spellbinding finisher to the night with one of the older ballet pieces.

And each of these gorgeous dances were enhanced by the beautiful performance of the Royal Ballet Symphonia. Paul Murphy conducted with passion, capturing the essence of each composers’ pieces, never allowing for a dull moment. His orchestra shared Murphy’s determination equally, creating a quality night of music.

I cannot fully capture each thought of every performance; the characterisation of the Black Swan, the joyous playfulness of the Roman goddess, the Elmhurst school’s promising talent were each aspects of the night I could not leave unmentioned. It was, as with many shows of such high standard and hard work, a night to remember. I send my deepest congratulations and gratitude to the company and orchestra for a stunning evening, and with this being the first show following the pandemic, it was a fantastic comeback.

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