British choreographer Frederick Ashton was a founder of the company in the 1930s but his true destiny was creating dance.
He developed the “English” style of ballet, sadly absorbed today in the global virtuosity that is so hugely admired – and enjoyed – around the world but, lo and behold, it is back at the Royal Opera House with a revival of Ashton’s 1952 hit, Sylvia.
And what an utterly delightful, bucolic romp it is.
Beautiful women, handsome men and Leo Delibes’s melodic music (which could have been written for just this ballet) reflect Ashton’s thirst for dance.
Ironically former Bolshoi Ballet star, now a member of the company, Natalia Osipova danced the title role last Thursday and I think Ashton would give her 10 out of 10 for trying.
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Today Ashton’s steps are no longer technical challenges and Osipova dived head first into the title role, always a refreshing attitude in any dancer.
She was the leader of the pack of nymphs and tolerated no messing about; even though it was Federico Bonelli, as shepherd Aminta, chasing her through the woods.
This was a duo of opposites both on and off the stage: he calm and confident with a simply stunning classical technique, she full of attack as a warrior.
But what a pair they became.
Eros (Benjamin Ella) and Ryoichi Hirano’s Evil Hunter (actually a nice guy at heart) danced their characters with a suitable glee but it was the ensemble that caught my imagination.
The stage is often full of fairies and villagers packed into Christopher and Robin Ironside’s rural framework – and boy do they dance.
Ashton’s corps de ballet are more than just part of the scenery.
They dance non-stop.
Rather than just make background patterns for the soloists they fill the stage with dancing and move the story along no end.
Part of the charm we enjoy today in Ashton’s early works is to see what we now consider to be the limited technical range at his disposal.
Many sequences of steps look like classroom exercises but the dancers make them work.
Indeed it is the infectious enthusiasm – and love – of the whole company, including Frederick Ashton, that for me wins a top mark.