Rock the Ballet at the Peacock Theatre

Rock the Ballet is not aimed at those who appreciate fine culture in fine salons: this is for those who are supposed to be phased into the world of ballet through this easily accessible show, with bright lights and three-minute radio-friendly songs. Yet the psychedelic background and rotating lights feel so very inaccessible. It’s a bit too easy: a bit too much lightshow and too little depth.

The first act of Rock the Ballet is a love story between a young couple with obstacles and tears, but also laughs and days in the sunshine. The dance team feels a bit out of tune at the opening of the show, but after some time they sync and engage the audience. The dancers are all very skilled: they move exquisitely and make the viewers break out in applause and cheers several times. The show is centred around the two stars of the show, Rasta Thomas and Adrienne Canterna, but all the dancers have great energy and variety in their ways of expressing themselves.

With a soundtrack ranging from Aerosmith and The Verve to LMFAO and The Chemical Brothers, the music feels very incongruent and rather puts your mind to a secondary school show. Rock the Ballet tries to be too diverse and satisfy too many tastes in its quest to initiate the audience to the world of ballet. Since the music is such a big part of the show this unfortunately takes away from some of the charm of the performance.

Upon leaving, praise could be heard from some of the audience – maybe they are now fans of the tip-toe dance. But when it comes to this form of art, one is not convinced.

       

Johanna Eliasson

Rock the Ballet is at the Peacock Theatre until 28^th June 2014. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for Rock the Ballet here: