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Reviews: Le Jeune Homme et la Mort and La Sylphide at the London Coliseum
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Le Jeune Homme et la Mort
“Tremendous” (Financial Times), Tamara Rojo and Guest Artist Ivan Vasiliev wowed critics and the opening night audience in Roland Petit’s 1946 classic.
“The antihero is a famous role for virtuoso dancers with charisma, and the Russian star Ivan Vasiliev certainly qualifies”, wrote The Sunday Times.
“With his pantherine leaps and blazing-eyed, silent-movie acting style, Vasiliev is terrific as the young man” said The Observer. The Daily Telegraph found that his “still-explosive aerial pizzazz, in-yer-face masculinity and boggle-eyed misery gripped the attention from the start and didn’t let go”.
Meanwhile, Tamara Rojo, “devastasting and wholly splendid” (Financial Times), “flipped from fiery passion to cool disdain” (The Stage): “together, she and Vasiliev create a lurid, sadomasochistic chemistry” (The Independent).
For The Daily Express, they were “an explosive match made in Heaven”.
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La Sylphide
With a new cast, critics found even more to enjoy in this jewel by August Bournonville.
“Alison McWhinney was utterly beguiling as the Sylphide (prettiest poses; sweetest feelings) and Aitor Arrieta was a James to rank among the very best: beautiful dancing, cleanly buoyant; emotion shown with touching sincerity; a character played with unfailing elegance of means. A fine, communicative artist.” (Financial Times)
The Daily Express concurred: “Aitor Arrieta was spectacular… his feet flickered like the sharpest Scottish blade and his vertical jumps and constant back and forth Tour Jetes were a wonder to behold. With intelligent interpretation and unabashed emotion he is a thrilling new addition to the leading ENB ranks.”
“Stina Quagebeur came very close to stealing the show as a lip-smackingly wicked (and hilarious) Madge” (The Daily Telegraph), while “Francesca Velicu was a “bright and expressive” Effy (The Stage) and Henry Dowden “was a notably credible Gurn in a difficult role” (Financial Times).