A sneaky peak into Spring Draft Works, Live at Lunch, (Royal Opera House, 04.03.2022)

Those, who attended the Friday's Live at Lunch at Royal Opera House's Paul Hamlyn Hall, could see a wonderful preview of upcoming Spring Draft Works by the Royal Ballet.

Draft Works, regularly performed at the Royal Opera House, represents a great opportunity for all young dancers and the ballet collaborators, who are also aspiring to become choreographers, to perform and share their choreographic ideas and visions. It also gives a chance to younger dancers (mostly Artist or First Artists) to make themselves more visible as Soloists on the Royal Ballet's stage because those pieces are often choreographed on them.

Yesterday we saw two contemporary-dance pieces, created by Joshua Junker (Royal ballet's Artist). Joshua choreographed those pieces on the music of Elvis Presley, because - as he said - Presley's music had that deeper "gut" feeling, the soulfulness, the sensitive quality and, at the same time, the dynamic and excitement of Rock & Roll, which creatively inspired him. For Joshua, it always starts with the music, and then - when he really feels it - he starts to imagine movements, which would visually express it. Both pieces were performed by Liam Boswell (Royal Ballet's Artist) and Lukas B. Brændsrød (First Artist). The first piece was more dynamic, created on the Rock & Roll rhythm, whereas the second one was slower, more "bluesy", sensitive and romantic. Joshua very actively participated in the coaching, explaining and demonstrating every movement and position in the dance.

Spring Draft Works will be performed at the Royal Opera House on the 4th and 5th of April 2022, at Linbury theatre.