Birmingham Royal Ballet gala performance to mark founder Sir Peter Wright’s centenary
Birmingham Royal Ballet is set to mark 100 years of founding director laureate Sir Peter Wright with a special gala performance.
The internationally renowned touring ballet company was first established in Birmingham by Sir Peter Wright in 1990, transferring the Company to the city after formerly being known as Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet.
Firmly establishing BRB’s global reputation, Sir Peter is responsible for some of the most beloved productions in the Company’s repertoire including The Nutcracker, Giselle, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Coppélia.
The special gala performance, happening on at the Birmingham Hippodrome on Thursday 18 June, will begin with a défilé by members of Elmhurst Ballet School.
The Birmingham Royal Ballet Company will then present highlights from some of Sir Peter’s most cherished productions including excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty including the Act III Polonaise and Grand Pas de Deux, Coppélia’s Pas de Deux and Franz solo from Act III, Giselle’s Act II Pas de Deux and grand highlights from Swan Lake including the Black Swan Pas de Deux.
At Sir Peter’s special request, the evening will conclude with one of his favourite pieces, Kurt Jooss’s 1932 ballet, The Green Table.
Last staged for Birmingham Royal Ballet by Sir Peter in the early 1990s, the themes of the futility of war and the failure of political diplomacy continue their pertinence in the current political climate.
For the gala performance, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s director, Carlos Acosta will dance the role of Death in The Green Table for the very first time in his career.
Carlos Acosta said: “There are no words to explain the scale of Sir Peter’s contribution to the heritage, history and legacy of not only Birmingham Royal Ballet, but the art form as a whole.
“We couldn’t let his 100th year pass us by without celebration, and this very special evening will feature a sample of some of his most cherished productions that have been enjoyed by audiences across the globe since BRB’s beginnings back in 1990.
“At Sir Peter’s request, we will also be staging one of his favourite works - The Green Table - to mark the occasion.
“For the first time in nearly 35 years, it is an honour for BRB to be staging this extraordinarily relevant work. For one night only at the gala performance, I look forward to dancing the role of Death in this brave work.”
On Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June, Birmingham Royal Ballet will present 20th-Century Masterpieces - a triple-bill of some of ballet’s most important works of the last century.
