★★★★

The annual one-night-only showcase of international ballet stars returns to the London Coliseum. Although a better mix of contemporary dance this year, the standout was easily a jaw-dropping rendition of Le Corsaire.

★★★★

Erina Takahashi brings emotional growth to the role of Giselle, while Precious Adams shines as a commanding Myrtha, in an ethereal performance which was slow to get going.

★★★★

English National Ballet’s new Nutcracker is fizzing with magic, but Arielle Smith and Aaron S. Watkin’s updated choreography struggles to deliver.

★★★★

Matthew Bourne’s iconic reimagining of Swan Lake still has gravitas, 30 years on from its historic premiere.

Discover what dance is happening in London this January. Including the return of an iconic classical ballet, Georgian folk dance and a cutting-edge contemporary festival.

★★★★

Carlos Acosta’s new, sunnier Nutcracker is pure joy and features a Cuban reinterpretation of Tchaikovsky’s score. It’s just a shame the world building didn’t meet expectations.

★★★

The Australian Ballet has unveiled the world’s first ballet set around an LGBTQ+ relationship. Oscar, by Christopher Wheeldon, is a biography of the writer Oscar Wilde. At times moving and tender, it is overcomplicated with additional characters making the story hard to follow.

★★ to ★★★★

The National Ballet of Canada return to London after over a decade with a mixed programme of varying results. While James Kudelka and Emma Portner’s pieces struggled at times, Crystal Pite’s Angels’ Atlas was an impressive finale.

★★★★

Another bucket list ballet. This time our author finally gets to see Akram Khan’s version of Giselle performed by English National Ballet. Was ‘Giselle with sticks’ worth the wait?

★★★

After a 28-year hiatus, London City Ballet have reformed. Their inaugural London performance at Sadler’s Wells was a promising start, with short works by Kenneth MacMillan, Ashley Page, Christopher Marney and Arielle Smith.

★★★

The State Ballet of Georgia perform in London for the first time in the company’s 175-year history. Their performance of Swan Lake (starring Nino Samadashvili as Odette/Odile and Oleg Linhai as Siegfried) was a tad hit and miss but featured the greatest Spanish Dance I’ve ever seen #RubberForSpines!

★★★★★

Our author travels to Rome to watch Royal Ballet stars Vadim Muntagirov and Fumi Kaneko perform Swan Lake with Opera Roma. It’s a highly emotive production by Benjamin Pech containing fantastic storytelling at its heart. A new favourite Swanny has been crowned.

★★★★

After waiting at least five years, our author ticks off a bucket-list Swan Lake with English National Ballet’s 360 version by Derek Deane performed at the Royal Albert Hall. It starred Ivana Bueno and Franceso Gabriele Frola.