Review: Ballet Nights, Glasgow

The critically acclaimed Ballet Nights smash hit live dance show makes its long-awaited Scottish debut in July at Glasgow Theatre Royal, finds Lisa Simonis.

The ballet world descended upon Glasgow recently with the Scottish debut of Ballet Nights.

Walking to the venue in the drizzle, I could spot the queue in front of Glasgow’s Theatre Royal as I rounded the corner.

I was aware of some nights’ highlights, like Royal Ballet’s Principal Steven McRae, whom I’ve followed for years and is an advocate for dancers recovering from injury. 

The night opened the way every new city hosting Ballet Night does, with Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 in G Minor performed by Ballet Nights’ resident house concert pianist, Viktor Erik Emanuel. 

Emanuel stepped onto the stage to applause as the audience settled for an evening embodying history. Little could have prepared me for the night ahead.

Conservatoire grads in ‘Divided’ Ballet Nights Glasgow. photo by Rimbaud Patron

Glasgow’s Theatre Royal was sold out as the city became the latest addition to an expanding list of locations hosting Ballet Nights worldwide, alongside Brisbane, Bucharest, Kuala Lumpur, and its home city of London. 

Just before the show, I got to chatting with a gentleman who is an avid fan of Scottish Ballet.

Having travelled wide and far to view ballet productions, I have no doubt he could have told me every production that each of the dancers involved that evening had participated in. 

Although he didn’t recognise other Scottish Ballet fans, the crowd was a mix of locals and ballet enthusiasts from London and beyond attending Ballet Nights’ Scottish debut. 

The show caters to both seasoned and new audiences. Whether you’ve followed these artists for years or just recently discovered them, Jamiel Devernay-Laurence’s vibrant and charismatic hosting will keep the audience informed and engaged throughout the evening. 

Devernay-Laurence is the founder and Artistic Director of Ballet Nights and a former Scottish Ballet soloist. He has a talent for emphasising the significance of each piece in the curated programme both on a personal level and within the context of the ballet world. 

Constance Devernay-Laurence ‘Elite Syncopations’ Ballet Nights Glasgow photo by Rimbaud Patron

If you weren’t a fan of ballet before, this might be the show to convert you. 

The night included performances by London’s Ballet Nights sensation BlacBrik, Principals of Scottish Ballet: Constance Devernay-Laurence, Eve Mutso,  and Sophie Martin, along with her dance partner Joan Ivars Ribes.

Ballet Nights resident house concert pianist Viktor Erik Emanuel was accompanied by mezzo-soprano Dana Mays and Gillian Risi, a violinist from the Scottish Ballet Orchestra.

Other performances included Caspar Lench, Kevin Poeung, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s former Principal Tyrone Singleton and Royal Ballet’s Principal Steven McRae, as well as Glasgow-born ballet star Andrew Cummings and straight from Glastonbury, Ekleido. 

It is hard to convey the calibre of international talent that Ballet Nights brings together. But it wasn’t for this innovative concept that these artists, usually seen in different productions, that you’d have to travel to witness. 

The graduating year of the BA Modern Ballet Programme at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, who graduated a day earlier, performed “Divided” choreographed by Diana Loosemore. 

Among seasoned dancers, their performance offered a rare glimpse into the future ballet stars of the night, a night filled with heartfelt tributes.

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