'Trio ConcertDance' at the Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House

The Linbury Theatre has re-opened in the Royal Opera House, newly refurbished in glowing wood in the basement of the building, a far more intimate space for smaller dance and music pieces. The opening show was 'Trio ConcertDance' with the wonderful Alessandra Ferri dancing so I had to get tickets. One of the really good things about the Linbury is that you can sit right in front of the stage, mere feet away from the dancers, and can see the focus and emotion on their faces as they dance. The programme was devised by Alessandra and Herman Cornejo (our dancers) and by Bruce Levingston (solo pianist for most of the performance).

It's made up of four joint dances and one solo dance but both dancers, contrasting movement and stillness, silence and music, minimal costumes and no scenery or background expect for that created by the very subtle lighting. We were in the fifth row from the stage and had a perfect view of the stage. The sound is perfect in the Linbury, purpose-built for that. Other than the endless stairs going down, down, down to the stalls, it's a great venue for music and dance.  

From those opening moments I knew we were in for a treat. Alessandra is a delight to see dance, all grace and precision  and perfectly accompanied by Herman, who I haven't seen dance before. A selection of choreographers and music pieces working together with the solo piano and the dancers moving around the stage, using every inch. It was really quite astonishing, just two dancers and a piano creating do much on an otherwise empty stage.

Oddly enough, Bruce Levingston was on stage and playing far more than the dancers danced. Some of the breaks were simply him playing different pieces with an otherwise empty stage and that break from movement really helped to emphasise one of the themes of the work, that sometimes you need stillness.

The performance ended to huge applause for the three leads but where were the flowers for Alessandra? I've grown used to the lead ballerinas getting flowers at the end of the performance that it was very odd to see Alessandra leaving without flowers. I would've brought some if I'd known.