English National Ballet’s acclaimed production Strictly Gershwin has returned to the Royal Albert Hall until 19 June 2011.
The show first premiered in 2008 at the Royal Albert Hall and continues English National Ballet’s hugely popular and successful series of in-the-round ballet presentations.
Strictly Gershwin is a dazzling homage to George Gershwin, the big band era and the glamour of musical motion pictures. Gershwin’s timeless classics are combined with Derek Deane’s choreography and Roberta Guidi di Bagno’s designs to conjure up the Hollywood genius and glamour of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The full Company of 67 dancers tap, twirl, jeté and glide their way through a series of Gershwin classics performed by a live jazz orchestra designed to get the toes tapping.
Strictly Gershwin is a dance journey through ballet, tap, and ballroom. Act I ends with a re-creation of the Hollywood classic An American in Paris and Act II opens with Rhapsody in Blue, a spectacular ballet with the full Company of dancers dressed in glittering, Swarovski encrusted midnight blue costumes.
The show features a host of Gershwin favourites including Summertime, Fascinatin’ Rhythm, The Man I Love, Lady be Good,’ S Wonderful, and Strike up the Band, all performed by English National Ballet’s star dancers including the much-celebrated Daria Klimentová and Vadim Muntagirov, Elena Glurdjidze, Arionel Vargas, Dmitri Gruzdyev, Erina Takahashi, Fernanda Oliveira and
Begoña Cao.
The music is arranged for a 50-piece jazz orchestra by musical director, Gareth Valentine. Gareth’s previous work includes West End shows such as Porgy and Bess, Sinatra and Wicked.
“…a song and dance spectacular…” The Mail on Sunday
