Review: London City Ballet at Birmingham Rep

★★★★

London City Ballet, former resident company of Sadler's Wells, is making its début at The Rep, Birmingham with 'Momentum'; a brand-new repertoire. After thirty years, London City Ballet re-emerged roughly a year ago, and began a re-launch that aims to ensure the longevity of the company. In the lead up to their run at Birmingham Rep, they have been enjoyed by audiences of over 20,000 people, across three continents, and now, it’s Birmingham’s time to witness its revitalisation.

Showcasing a company of world-class dancers from across the globe, the programme feature four key dances. Haieff Divertimento, choreographed by George Balanchine is a revived piece, first created for Ballet Society in 1947, which was considered ‘lost’ following its final performance in 1952, until its revival by State Ballet of Missouri in 1985. Set to an Alexei Haieff composition, this pas de deux has a ‘black and white’ feeling with simple and subtle costuming which allows the sole focus to be on the dancing. London City Ballet brings George Balanchine’s Haieff Divertimento to the UK for the first time in 2025.

Photography by ASH - Pictures at An Exhibition

Consolation and Liebestraum, choreographed by Liam Scarlett was first created for The Royal Ballet in 2009 and is danced to two sets of piano pieces composed by Franz Liszt of the same names. Although the work was reportedly not designed to tell a narrative, a story of relationships is very much woven in to the movement and lifts, as it plays out in three different stages. From early connections to the grief and the complex emotions of a broken relationship, this piece captures human emotion.

Unlike the first two pieces which revive past works, Soft Shore, choreographed by Florent Melac is a new piece created for London City Ballet this year. Set to the music of composer, Beethoven, Soft Shore is poetic and intense. Lit in soft blue hue evoking moonlight, the dance ebbs like tides on rising and falling crescendos of reflection and bare emotion. While it is increasingly more common place in this century, it is also hard not to note the heart behind the powerful moment of two men together in the pas de deux in Florent Melac’s Soft Shore.

Finally, the show’s closing piece is perhaps their most memorable. Bringing together the beautiful artform of ballet with physical art, Alexei Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition breathes life into Wassily Kandinsky’s best-known masterpieces which are the backdrop to this dance set to Modest Mussorgsky’s score. First created for New York City Ballet in 2014, the piece displays joy, curiosity, drama and even bursts of humour. As the changing watercolours shift, so to do the ten dancers showcasing the peaks and valleys of emotion. Pictures at an Exhibition is bright not only in its colours, which are splashed across the backdrop and flowing costumes, but also in its talent and movement.

Exclusive to Birmingham Rep performances only, guest artist and celebrated ballerina, Alina Cojocaru will be performing with The London City Ballet in all performances in Birmingham but will not be performing in any EU venues on the tour.

London City Ballet’s Momentum is a beautiful feat of movement, lifts, art and stories. Combining revivals with new pieces, it explores the depths of emotion and experiences in its wide-spanning variety of dance.

London City Ballet: Momentum plays for a limited run at Birmigham Rep until Wednesday 30th July. Tickets are still available to book.

This review was written following a press invite to the production.