Jewels: the unique experience of plotless ballet

Three acts, three distinct styles, three different composers.

In Don Quixote, Kitri embodies the duality of explosive energy in act one and dreamlike lyrical grace in act two. However, her versatility is limited by the overarching classical style. In an abstract full-length ballet like Jewels, there’s no need for continuity across the acts, allowing greater freedom and expression. Here’s what to expect:

In Emeralds, dancers in long, flowing romantic tutus skim the stage, as hypnotic and breathtaking as Faure’s score. The ballerina, carefully guided by her partner, spans the entire stage on contracted feet. Enjoy swooping, pendulum-like movements, a joyous pas de trois and an exciting coda that ends with all emeralds executing quick soutenus together. The stage is still, before the heart-wrenching ‘death finale’.

The flirtatious Rubies: see the dancers pushed to the extreme in off-balance extensions and ballistic battements. The Stravinsky score, jazzy, complex and modern, propels them across the stage in intricate grids and wheels. Repetiteur Sandra Jennings tells the women to “be like a cat scratching a post” as they pose, pelvises jutting forwards and elbows undulating.

Diamonds, set to Tchaikovsky, oozes elegance. A lilting waltz begins. The iconic pas de deux favours simplicity, leaving you mesmerised from the first steps. It’s not all understated though. Dazzling fouettés, expansive allegro and a breathtaking manege will leave you in awe.

Without a plot, there’s no need to pour over the synopsis at interval drinks. You’re free to relax and immerse yourself in the splendour.

The costumes gleam. Headdresses sparkle. The backdrop drips with jewels – but there’s no scenery or props needed to tell the story. Instead, the dancers decorate the stage geometrically. This makes for minimalist viewing, ballet pared back to its purest form, dancing without distraction.

Whatever you take away from the evening is your own unique experience. The beauty of abstract work is that you can interpret it however you want. You may find a hidden narrative between the principal Rubies couple or be moved by the emotional Emeralds. You might appreciate it purely for the aesthetics and find no meaning in it at all. Jewels celebrates versatility and style and will make you rethink what ballet can be.