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The Big Ballet

Published Wednesday 28 February 2007 at 12:35 by Kevin Berry

What fun this show is. What an absolute tonic.

The extremely large women dancers of the Big Ballet company are on their first UK tour and on the evidence of their rousing opening night, they are certain to be asked back.

The Big Ballet company hails from Perm, a town in the Urals. It was brought into being by the esteemed choreographer Evgenii Panfilov. The minimum weight requirement for the dancers is a hefty 110 kilos. Big they certainly, are but there is nothing cumbersome about them. They have balance and grace and a wicked sense of humour. They glory in their shape and weight and in their ability.

An anarchic tale told in classic ballet style takes up the first half of the programme. Katya Yurkova stars as Madam Hen, displaying sublime comedy and outraged facial expressions and having great fun lifting her hooped tutu. The corps dancers make exquisite lines and fun.

For the second half, the women are joined by slim young men from the Fighting Club dance company to display a mix of popular styles. Opening contributions from the young men are rather pallid but when they join the women for an Amazon number, audiences will go wild. What the women do with the raunchy Tom Jones number Sex Bomb really has to be seen. It is way beyond this reviewer’s descriptive powers.

Dancing in voluminous skirts is usually a difficult business, but not for these dancers. Their gypsy number is a swirling kaleidoscope of colour. Their show should not be missed.

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Production information

Management:
Evgenii Panfilov Russian State Ballet
Director:
Natalia Lenskikh
Website:
www.thebigballet.co.uk

Production information can change over the run of the show.

Run sheet

Fairfield Concert Hall Croydon
March 25 2008
Forum Billingham
April 1 2008
Forum Malvern
April 2 2008
Harlequin Redhill
April 6 2008
Theatre Royal Wakefield
April 8 2008
Congress Eastbourne
April 9 2008
Camberley Theatre Camberley
April 10 2008
Victoria Hall Halifax
April 11 2008
Prince of Wales Cannock
April 13, 13 2008
Memorial Frome
April 18 2008
Belgrade Coventry
April 22 2008
Grand Wolverhampton
April 23 2008
City Hall Salisbury
April 24 2008
Hazlitt Maidstone
April 25-26 2008
Landmark Ilfracombe
April 26 2008
Orchard Dartford
April 28 2008
Gordon Craig Stevenage
September 30 2008
Royal Spa Centre Leamington Spa
October 2 2008
Oakengates, The Place Telford
October 3 2008
Playhouse Epsom
October 7 2008
Embassy Skegness
October 10 2008
Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
October 15 2008
Woodville Halls Gravesend
October 17 2008
Capitol Horsham
October 18 2008
Bacon Cheltenham
October 21 2008
Garrick Lichfield
October 23 2008
Playhouse Norwich
October 25 2008
Pavilion Rhyl
October 29 2008
Broadway London
November 2 2008
Beck Hayes
November 4, 4 2008
Playhouse Weston Super Mare
November 5 2008
Grove Dunstable
November 7 2008
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