REVIEW: Birmingham Royal Ballet Into the Music - moving minds with dance and melody

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Autumn Triple Bill opens at Birmingham Hippodrome travelling through time from the Napoleonic Wars to a thrilling 21st century hotel dance drama  
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It was a mind popping evening as Birmingham Royal Ballet opened their autumn season with three exciting works - fantastically distinct - but interlinked in with the skillful delivery of the company dancers and sinfonia.

Carlos Acosta, BRB’s Cuban born director, welcomed the performance saying: “I’m so excited to present Into the Music, an extraordinary triple bill celebrating the marriage of music and movement.”

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And what a beautiful union it was - but as well as music there was also film, with the second number on the triple bill providing an array of highlights as it took the audience on a journey through one of the most dramatic hotels of modern times.

Grand Budapest Hotel and BBC thriller Crossfire have shown how hotels can provide a perfect setting for intrigue. And Morgann Runacelre-Temple in collaboration with Jess and Morgs Films have masterfully built upon this inspiration to bring a hotel thriller to a life stage with some unique dance moves alongside camera technology.

Mathias Dingman and Miki Mizutani Birmingham Royal Ballet Forgotten Land for Into the Music triple billMathias Dingman and Miki Mizutani Birmingham Royal Ballet Forgotten Land for Into the Music triple bill
Mathias Dingman and Miki Mizutani Birmingham Royal Ballet Forgotten Land for Into the Music triple bill

A ripple of laughter erupted around the theatre in the closing scenes as some unidentified beings took over the stage. The ballet was performed to a new score by world-renowned composer Mikael Karlosson and leans on jazz, gospel and classical traditions - with lots of rhythm and playfulness.

The night began with the utterly beautiful Forgotten Land, with music from Benjamin Britten. The dancers glided across the stage creating magical moments through accomplished movement with melodies melting through the theatre.

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The final ballet took us back to the Napoleonic Wars through Beethoven’s Symphony No 7 in 1811/12. The German composer believed Napoleon’s defeat against Russia was imminent as he fluctuated between awareness of his incurable deafness and the intense affection that drove him to write his love letter ‘To the Eternal Beloved’.

The ballet was a true festival of dance brilliantly affirming the most marvellous marriage of movement and music and a terrific finale to an magnificent evening.

Matilde Rodrigues Birmingham Royal Ballet Hotel for the Into the Music triple billMatilde Rodrigues Birmingham Royal Ballet Hotel for the Into the Music triple bill
Matilde Rodrigues Birmingham Royal Ballet Hotel for the Into the Music triple bill

Into the Music runs at Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday, October 22 it then moves to Sadler’s Wells from Wednesday, November 2 to Saturday, November 5. BRB are performing Copelia at Birmingham Hippodrome from Wednesday, October 26 to Saturday, October 29.

The company’s renowned festival favourite The Nutcracker runs at Birmingham Hippodrome from Saturday, November 19 to Saturday December 10. It will be performed at the Royal Albert Hall from Wednesday December 28 to Saturday December 31.

Birmingham Royal Ballet The Seventh Symphony Choreography and Design at Birmingham Hippodrome for Into the Music triple billBirmingham Royal Ballet The Seventh Symphony Choreography and Design at Birmingham Hippodrome for Into the Music triple bill
Birmingham Royal Ballet The Seventh Symphony Choreography and Design at Birmingham Hippodrome for Into the Music triple bill

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