MICK MCSHANE is roused by a band whose socialism laces every line of every song with commitment and raw passion
Concerto/Enigma Variations/Raymonda Act III, Royal Opera House
Triple bill to treasure from Royal Ballet

IN WHAT’S something of a history lesson, this mixed bill perfectly showcases the Royal Ballet’s matchless skill and rich heritage.
Works by the company’s founding choreographer Frederick Ashton and his successor Kenneth MacMillan are completed by Rudolf Nureyev’s version of Marius Petipa’s final act of the Imperial Russian classic Raymonda.
MacMillan’s Concerto, set to Shostakovich’s piano concerto No. 2, is awash with vibrancy and colour as dancers in orange and lemon costumes leap in jetes across the stage with a synchronised grace.
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