Tonight on BBC4 7.30 pm, Manon with Carlos Acosta and Tamara Rojo.
I don't know much about ballet, but I do know those names! If I could be said to be a fan of any dancer it would be Carlos Acosta. And I was impressed by Tamara Rojo when I saw here in that one, wassname, got a lot of swans in it.
Kenneth MacMillan’s three-act ballet Manon is not just one of the great showpieces of The Royal Ballet, for whom it was created, but also now of the classical ballet repertory worldwide. The famous story follows the young girl Manon, torn between her impetuous love for the student Des Grieux and her desire for wealth and comfort as a kept woman of a rich man.
These two central roles are showcases for the skill and dramatic power of any dancers, and this time round there will be the extra thrill of catching several debuts from up-and-coming young stars of The Royal Ballet. The stage picture brings to life the 18th century – from the bustling courtyard of an inn where the couple first meet to the louche atmosphere of a Parisian house of ‘entertainment’ and its courtesans. Expressive music drawn from Massenet has been skilfully woven into a ballet score that alternates the sensuous and the dramatic to match the adult themes of a world-class ballet.
