A Dazzling Delight: Jewels at The Royal Ballet

I’ve always found Jewels pretty boring. I could appreciate the elegant lines and graceful etiquette of each move, but I never quite understood the choreography. In particular, I’ve always dreaded Emeralds. The only plus being that it’s the first piece in the bill and therefore is over quickly. It was too slow, I’ve thought in the past, boring and plain. More pebble than jewel. Well, the first show of the current run of Jewels was on Saturday and man did my views change. It didn’t take long at all for my eye-rolling to turn quickly into a wide eyed gaze, where sunglasses would have been preferable to shield me from each glittering dancer on stage. I've previously seen dancers tackle this piece with great dedication but it never did anything for me. Even Faure’s music would bore me and send me to sleep. On Saturday though, the music was more like a lullaby, beautifully ethereal as it spurred on each dancer. I think that my change in perceptions is wholly down to the cast.

How nice to see the budding partnership of Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball once more as the lead couple in Emeralds. They look at each other with such care, Ball delicate with how he places her around the stage. What I've noticed is how much respect they seem to have for each other on stage. There is no place for out doing each other or attitude; instead, they encourage and support each other. Their performance in this surely kept me awake. And how far Ball is coming along too, his technique rapidly improving to match those in the higher ranks. It was also lovely to see Luca Acri partnered with Meaghan Grace Hinkis and Isabella Gasparini, all three of whom balanced well against each other. At first I felt Meaghan too bright, which seems strange in this context, as Emeralds calls for a more languid style but she adopted this well as she went on. What a treat to see Gasparini in a more meaty role. Her smile alone shines brighter than any jewel and what a strong dancer she is turning out to be.

Rubies has always been my favourite out of the three. It's fabulously representative of Balanchine’s style and requires so much pizazz that it probably outdoes a Broadway musical. There is much to like in this piece and I love the way each costume rattles and twinkles as the dancers jump and turn. Again, how different it is to see it with a new cast. I've always liked the piece, but after seeing it on Saturday I was ready to put on my fake jewels, my fur coat and hit the town like Liza Minnelli - an occurence which happens more than I would probably like to admit. Akane Takada was exquisite as a Ruby. She was strong but still light and her arms are so beautiful they seemed to take on a life of their own. Partnered by Alexander Campbell, the two showed how they can tackle Balanchine’s choreography with great aplomb and also sift through some wild virtuoso dancing. Not a foot went wrong in this difficult piece and they seemed to be telling the audience exactly why they were promoted last year. I think Campbell was a bit tentative in the very first moments he was on stage but he soon got over this, dancing around with fierce energy and a brightness I hadn't seen before in this role. I've grown up watching Steven McRae do it and he's not someone you can fault in this; however, Campbell did his own take on it which I loved. The part where he is followed around the stage by the group of male dancers, who were also all fabulous, was interesting as Campbell looks back at them with a giant grin, and they seemed like a big group of lads, happy and enjoying life. McRae looks back with a more sarcastic expression as if to say to them “hey you guys can't do what I can do.” Both fit but kudos to Campbell for doing his own thing. The star of Rubies though, without a doubt, is young Tierney Heap. She is fast becoming a favourite of mine and boy did she shine bright here. I am still in absolute shock at the technique she revealed. Triple pirouettes, long balances on pointe, legs up to her ears and deep plié holds. Not only was the technique sublime, but her brightness and energy literally shone out of her body. She was perfectly cast here, tall and strong with a fierce but happy demeanour. Bravo to Kevin O’Hare for giving her this opportunity.

The performance closed with Diamonds, an homage to Russian classicism. Music by Tchaikovsky, short tulle tutus reminiscent of swans and the type of partnering that brings joy to an audience. What I had forgotten about Diamonds is that there's more to it than its famous pas de deux which was danced so beautifully and with such elegance by Vadim Muntagirov and Lauren Cuthbertson (what a shame I missed her Aurora this year as here is a glimpse of her beauty in a tutu role). I had forgotten the "fast" bits to it, the vivacious choreography which sandwiches in the quieter moments between Lauren and Vadim. It's quite hard to fault Diamonds. Just when you think it's going to end, it keeps going, all dancers on stage, glistening in their sparkly costumes, building up and up to a magnificent finish. It's impressive and regal and when the curtain falls you can do nothing except release the breath you were holding from sheer excitement.

I'd like to thank Saturday’s cast for showing me this piece in a new sparkling light. A light where jewels are really dancing in front of me and grace and elegance hasn't faded. I’m still at an age and point in my career where I can’t yet afford to buy any jewels, but watching them on the Royal Opera House stage is a perfect temporary fix.