There's only one way to describe Rock the Ballet, and that's cheesy. An absolute full-fat cheese-fest.
To a soundtrack of songs straight from a provincial student night (Coldplay, Robin Thicke, Maroon 5), the self-styled Bad Boys of Dance mix together ballet, jazz, hip hop and fake grins as if the X Factor backing dancers had got their own show.
The genre mash-up leads to some unexpected conjunctions, like a string of fouettés that segue into a hands-free cartwheel (you don’t get that in Swan Lake). But you mainly end up with poppy routines straitjacketed by ballet’s straight-backed poise.
The numbers are big on gymnastic displays of strength and flexibility. It’s technically impressive but one-dimensional and only lead dancer James Boyd has the combustive energy to really bring things alive. Generally the emotions on show here are about as genuine as the McDonald’s cashier telling you to have a nice day.
Dancer Adrienne Canterna fulfils the role of Barbie-bendy blonde and all-purpose love interest, and rather than just being the token girl it turns out that she’s actually the brains behind the choreography, along with company founder Rasta Thomas, a former member of the Mariinsky Ballet, who gave up highfalutin classicism to bring ballet to a new audience.
And why not. This is not a show to be snotty about. The time whizzes by and the second half picks up when the disco beats kick in and they start to look like they’re really enjoying themselves. By the time their tops come off and it all goes a bit Chippendales there is much whooping from the (mostly female) audience. This is a suspend-all-judgment and drink-a-bottle-of-Lambrini-before-you-go show.
Until Jun 28 (0844 413 4200, sadlerswells.com)
