Three leading choreographers showcase the contemporary face of The Royal Ballet in this Blu-ray collection of three ballets.
Francesca Hayward and Vadim Muntagirov shine in rich sunset colours in Christopher Wheeldon's Within the Golden Hour. It's based on the complex relationships between seven couples, danced to the music of Vivaldi and Ezio Bosso.
Inspired by the Greek myth, Medusa is a new work made for The Royal Ballet by the acclaimed choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaouj. The leading Natalia Osipova was the inspiration for the central role.
The Olivier Award-winning Flight Pattern combines Crystal Pite and Gorecki's haunting Symphony of Sorrowful Songs with a large dance ensemble, creating a powerful perspective on migration.
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Within the Golden Hour
Dancers: Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Francesca Hayward, Sarah Lamb, Vadim Muntagirov, Valentino Zucchetti, Alexander Campbell
Medusa
Medusa: Natalia Osipova
Athena: Olivia Cowley
Perseus: Matthew Ball
Poseidon: Ryoichi Hirano
Flight Pattern
Dancers: Kristen McNally, Marcelino Sambé, artists of The Royal Ballet
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Conductors: Jonathan Lo (Within the Golden Hour, Flight Pattern)
Andrew Griffiths (Medusa)
Choreographers: Christopher Wheeldon (Within the Golden Hour)
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (Medusa)
Crystal Pite (Flight Pattern)
Composers: Ezio Bosso & Antonio Vivaldi (Within the Golden Hour)
Henry Purcell & Olga Wojciechowska (Medusa)
Henryk Górecki (Flight Pattern)
Costumes: Jasper Conran (Within the Golden Hour)
Olivia Pomp (Medusa)
Nancy Bryant (Flight Pattern)
Sopranos: Ailish Tynan (Medusa)
Francesca Chiejina (Flight Pattern)
Counter-Tenor: Tim Mead (Medusa)
Extra Features: Interview with Christopher Wheeldon and Jasper Conran; Interview with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui; Interview with Crystal Pite; Cast Gallery
Sound: LPCM 2.0 + Surround 5.1 DTS Master Audio
Format: Blu-ray
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Duration: 121 mins
Within the Golden Hour
"Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour is a cascade of loveliness, musical bodies shimmering across a richly coloured stage that glows like something precious." The Guardian
"...a serene and fluent display piece." The Independent
"Sarah Lamb, partnered by Alexander Campbell, is among the immortals. She is soft and sure, silk and marble." The Spectator
Medusa
"As a gorgon, Osipova moves with stark, scary power, commanding the stage." The Independent
"Osipova is mesmerising... Her subtle, supple shifts from brittleness to sinuous ease make her body both serpent and statue." The Spectator
Flight Pattern
"Pite is a genius choreographer. She has no need for drawn-out and tortured emoting; she can put a lump in your throat with a single well-chosen gesture... She reinvents the corps de ballet, a body morphing en masse, reshaping the architecture of the stage. Most importantly, she makes deeply human work... genuinely moving and quietly brutal." The Guardian
"... [a] heartrending response to the refugee crisis, beautifully led by Marcelino Sambé and Kristen McNally." Evening Standard
"Crystal Pite’s monumental Flight Pattern. Responding to the refugee crisis, Pite’s massed movements are full of both elemental power and aching humanity." The Independent
Awards
Olivier Awards 2018: Flight Pattern - Winner, Best New Dance Production