We’ve covered the Royal Ballet’s midsummer special series celebrating Ashton’s legacy in previous blog posts:
- Les Rendezvous, the Dream and Rhapsody | Phenomenal Ballet Program
- Marianela Nunez in Les Rendezvous | a dance of sweet grace and precision
To complement those reflections, here’s a perspective from The New York Times. (Six months ago) Roslyn Sulcas captured the essence of Ashton’s genius in a post:
At the Royal Ballet, Taking the Measure of Ashton’s Genius
Many remarkable performances fueled the Royal’s mini-festival of ballets by Frederick Ashton, the company’s founding choreographer.
By Roslyn Sulcas, Reporting from London, June 21, 2024. Link to the story.
It introduces Ashton’s pivotal role in defining the Royal Ballet and English ballet tradition—his nuanced approach to choreography, from iconic works like The Dream to lesser-known gems. Comparing to his contemporary George Balanchine, who was famously abstract, Ashton’s choreography exudes a deep, intuitive connection to music. Not only did he curate from the best—Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Tchaikovsky of course—Ashton’s choreographic style respects musicality, as if the steps are dancing for the music rather than treating it as a metronome.
The closing quote from Monica Mason, a former Royal Ballet director, is especially thought-provoking:
“You couldn’t ask somebody today to dance like they did in 1940,” Mason said. “And why would you? The actual choreography is what matters, the values that are imparted to today’s dancers. The past is important; the past serves the future.”