Pomp and Circumstances at The Lowry 31st March to 1st April

Birmingham Royal Ballet shows three incredible dances in the first of two shows at The Lowry this spring.

Birmingham Royal Ballet is the UK’s leading touring classical ballet company, internationally renowned for their elegant and intelligent dance under the guidance of artistic director David Bintley. Now audiences in Manchester can experience two stunning shows from the company shown over five consecutive nights at The Lowry.

In this first show, the Birmingham Royal Ballet will perform three dances under the title Pomp and Circumstances, covering three distinct approaches to dance and storytelling. George Balanchine’s Serenade displays pure dance, evocatively set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings and performed by an almost exclusively female cast. Ashton’s Enigma Variations draws inspiration from Elgar’s revelation that each variation depicts a close friend of the composer, and as the dance progresses we are introduced to a rich array of Edwardian characters. Finally, artist director David Bintley revives his show stopping dance Still Life at the Penguin Café, which explores man’s effects on the world around him as a stream of creatures gather in the Penguin Café to shelter from a storm. With a morris-dancing flea, a ballroom-dancing ram, a sleepy rat and a wooly monkey all taking their moment in the spotlight, this infectious and joyful dance has been thrilling audiences since it was first performed by the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1988.

Find out about Birmingham Royal Ballet’s second show, Sylvia.