Carlos Acosta: Myths and Modern Masters review – superstar returns with style, the Stones and his daughter
Royal Opera House, LondonMixing contemporary, Cuban and classical works, Acosta has charisma to burn and is accompanied by an impressive cohortIt’s a bit of a stretch to call this undoubtedly...
By Sanjoy Roy · The Guardian Culture
Royal Opera House, London Mixing contemporary, Cuban and classical works, Acosta has charisma to burn and is accompanied by an impressive cohort It’s a bit of a stretch to call this undoubtedly enjoyable programme Myths and Modern Masters but granted, it sounds better than Miscellany. Carlos Acosta – superstar dancer, now director of Birmingham Royal Ballet and Cuban company Acosta Danza – has picked and mixed dancers from both companies to offer a very eclectic spread of dance, and added himself into the mix. At 53, Acosta may not have the physical prowess of his youth, but he brings great presence and depth – and some great dancing, too. That serves very well in José Limón’s landmark 1949 work The Moor’s Pavane, a distillation of Shakespeare’s Othello which boils down the story to four characters – Othello (Acosta), Desdemona (Beatrice Parma), Iago (Max Maslen) and Emilia (Miki Mizutani) – and contains their drama of deception, jealousy and revenge within a stately composition of measured steps and stylised gestures, set to courtly music by Purcell. Continue reading...