Ballet and Dance

• Sleeping Beauty | DVD | (05/04/2000) from £29.68   |  Saving you £-4.69 (-18.80%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty is here transformed by the masterful contemporary choreographer Mats Ek into an allegory of repression, love and emotional maturity set in a bleak, stylised postmodern limbo which is both chilling and, just occasionally, bleakly humorous. Traditionalists may be flinching already, but this is a ballet which has always lent itself to this kind of treatment. Indeed, what many will think of as the "traditional" interpretation is in fact Diaghilev's forward-looking production of 1921, which had sets and costumes by Bakst and re-instrumentation by Stravinsky. Ek's Princess inhabits a world seemingly out of Fritz Lang, where Carabosse is a drug-dealing low-life and the Fairies are a gaggle of sneering girlies. Ek removes his work from the classical tradition to a large degree, but what goes in its place is a highly disciplined yet tactile and gut-wrenchingly emotive approach, conveying both the external and internal narratives of the work with unfailing conviction. --Roger Thomas

• Three By Rambert | DVD | (27/11/2006) from £23.39   |  Saving you £1.60 (6.84%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Intimate PagesLonely Town, Lonely StreetSergeant Early's Dream

• Moon Water | DVD | (24/10/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Moon Water' as performed by the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan; choreographed by Lin Hwaimin. The dancers perform with water and the sound of water accompanies selected Bach compositions.

• Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake | DVD | (20/02/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake - a ballet in 4 acts.

• Balanchine - New York City Ballet - Tzigane / Andante | DVD | (01/08/2004) from £24.28   |  Saving you £-6.29 (-35.00%)   |  RRP £17.99

  George Balanchine is regarded as one of ballet's greatest choregraphers and one of the great artists of the 20th Century. He had a huge impact on the cultural history of New York City. This DVD is the first half of a two disc set featuring Balanchine's best known works performed by New York City Ballet and released as part of this year's George Balanchine Cenetenary Celebrations. Features: Tzigane / The Four Temperaments / Emerald And Diamonds / Jewels / Stravinsky Violin Concerto

• The Carmen Suite | DVD | (18/12/2006) from £6.35   |  Saving you £-0.36 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The combination of admiration and fear keeps us in awe of the big cats and fuels our fascination for them. This exceptional DVD gives little known facts on the big cats through outstanding footage and lucid commentary and shows the role they play in maintaining the delicate balance of nature.

• Black And White Ballet | DVD | (18/07/2000) from £33.73   |  Saving you £-8.74 (-35.00%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Black and White Ballet is a treat for all fans of contemporary dance. The Nederlands Dans Theater's reputation is formidable in any event, but there's also a tradition in the Netherlands of producing modern dance for television and video media with enormous expertise, as owners of the superb Springdance VHS collections will testify. The advent of DVD has of course upped the ante considerably in terms of detail and overall production values, with this disc being a fine example of what can be achieved. The stark, monochromatic staging of this sequence of dance pieces is overlaid by a choice of music which encompasses Mozart, Bach and Webern, but it's the opening item, set to the first part of Steve Reich's Drumming, which is the most compelling, displaying as it does the power of dance to extrapolate from music rather than just accompany it. In terms of features, the disc is pretty spartan, with a stereo-only soundtrack and no extra features worthy of the name, but the overall result is nevertheless highly recommended.--Roger Thomas

• Classical Ballet 1 - From Dream To Reality - The Basics | DVD | (06/10/2008) from £10.78   |  Saving you £-2.79 (-34.90%)   |  RRP £7.99

  Do you dream of becoming a ballerina a star dancer or just beginning classical ballet? Make your dream come true! With the help of superb archive pictures and Chloe a nine year old girl you will discover that ballet has precise terms and that to practice it you must learn the basics. This programme is divided into four main parts: The Principal Positions of the different parts of the body The Essential Movements Alignments The four Arabesques You will then find a ret

• Dance Theatre Of Harlem | DVD | (28/02/2001) from £34.97   |  Saving you £-9.98 (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The Dance Theatre of Harlem has long since entered the history books as the world's foremost black classical ballet company, founded in 1969 by School of American Ballet graduate Arthur Mitchell. In 1989, RM Arts and Danmarks Radio produced a studio repertoire of four of the company's most popular works, encapsulating the extraordinary mixture of grace and physicality that have captivated audiences globally. Quite possibly, too, they have attracted and inspired a different audience for whom the traditional trappings of classical ballet--tutus and tights--hold little appeal. Take "Troy Game", a short piece for six male dancers who tumble, fight, swagger, jostle and play in a joyful, gladiatorial celebration of male muscularity. It's ironic, sometimes challenging, and very funny. Or take "John Henry", an interpretation of the life of the legendary factory worker who resisted the increased automation of the steel industry but wore himself out in the process. These are ballets that draw heavily on folklore to create tension which is almost tangible. "Fall River Legend" is a reworking of the Lizzie Borden story (choreography by Agnes de Mille) and "The Beloved" is based on the story of an over-zealous minister who throttles his wife over a bible. It seems invidious to pick out individual artists but Virginia Johnson as Lizzie and Eddie J Shellman as John Henry embody the dramatic, character-driven dancing which is the foundation of the Dance Theatre of Harlem's reputation: exhilarating and compelling. On the DVD: PCM stereo-sound quality is adequate for the music, much of it derived from American folk tunes. The 4:3 picture format favours some fine camera work which moves in among the dancers. This is especially effective for the fast-moving "Troy Game" and the stylised settings of "Fall River Legend", where the choreography generates an electric air of personal meltdown around axe murderess Lizzie Borden. An important feature is an introduction to the Dance Theatre of Harlem by its founder, the genial Arthur Mitchell. The accompanying booklet provides a potted history. --Piers Ford

• Mozart: The Great Mass | DVD | (31/10/2005) from £14.69   |  Saving you £10.30 (70.12%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A performance of the Uwe Scholz ballet by the Leipzig Ballet company.

• TDK DVD Opera And Ballet Sampler - 2004 And 2005 Catalogue Highlights | DVD | (31/05/2004) from £7.98   |  Saving you £-2.99 (-59.90%)   |  RRP £4.99

  1. Beatrice di Tenda: Ah! Se un'urna e a me concessa (Vincenzo Bellini)2. Kiss Me Kate: So in love with you (Cole Porter)3. Manon: En fermant les yeux (Jules Massenet)4. Rusalka: Mesicku na nebi hlubokem (Song to the Moon) (Antonin Dvorak)5. Excelsior: Obscurantism (Romualdo Marenco)6. Cosi fan tutte: Non siate ritrosi...E voi ridete? (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)7. War and Peace: Kakoye pravo oni imyeyet (Sergei Prokofiev)8. Don Pasquale: Tornami a di che m'ami (Gaetano Donzetti)9. Lulu: Wenn sich die Menschen (Lulu's Song) (Alban Berg)10. Coppelia; Mazurka (Leo Delibes)11. Platee: Formons les plus brillants concerts (Jean-Philippe Rameau)12. Carmen: Les voice! Voici la quadrille! (Georges Bizet)13. Otello: Oh! Mostruosa colpa! (Giuseppe Verdi)14. Siegfried: Was strahlt mir dort entgegen? (Richard Wagner)15. Lucie de Lammermoor: Qu'une letter en ma misere (Gaetano Donizetti)16. Giselle: Pas de deux - Scene (Adolphe Adam)17. Turandot: Non piangere Liu (Giacomo Puccini)18. Paquita: Pas de deux (E. Deldevez and L. Minkus)19. Adriana Lecouvreur: Io son l'umile ancella (Francesco Cilea)20. Don Quichotte: Duel Don Quichottte & Gamache (Ludwig Minkus)21. Gotterdammerung: Ungeheure Macht wird dir (Richard Wagner)22. Le Coq d'Or: Otwets mne sorko swetilo (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov)23. Le nozze di Figaro: Gente gente all'armi all'armi! (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

• Carmen | DVD | (02/04/2001) from £12.60   |  Saving you £12.39 (49.60%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Danced here in the adaptation by the Russian composer Rodion Schtschhedrin, Georges Bizet's opera Carmen lasts some 50 minutes, only about one third of the original's playing time. The Swedish Cullberg Ballet Company, choreographed by Mats Ek, is a first-rate ensemble, the girls here dressed in colourful Latin style dresses, the men in fashionable dark grey. The set is penny plain with one chief ornament, a large ball that becomes the focus of some acrobatic dancing. Carmen, danced by a lady of greater age than her José, smokes a cigar: he carries the flowers. Escamillo (Yvan Auzely), dressed in traditional toreador's garb, caps them both in terms of dress, style and movement. Whether the choreographer was wise in creating one role in which the same dancer portrays three characters-José's mother, his girl back home Micaela and Muerte--is a moot point, particularly since the emphasis in his conception is on Don José having to make a decision between his dear old mother, his childhood sweetheart and the world outside. One would have trouble working out who's who without resort to the booklet. Ek's choreography, forged from a number of influences of whom the flying figures at one point suggest Bob Fosse, brings home José's inner conflict, by having him at one point going into spasm in a series of jerky movements. Other gyratory movements within the ensemble are characteristic of his style. The orchestra consists of strings and percussion, the latter over-amplified on the soundtrack to a point that would become wearisome on repeated showings. The lack of colour in the production will not suit all tastes but for those who enjoy a contemporary slant on an old story--such as Matthew Bourne offered in his modern-dress dance version The Car Man--Ek's production offers a valid alternative view. --Adrian Edwards

• Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream | HD DVD | (01/10/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  A Midsummer Night's Dream- Ballet in Two Acts and Six Scenes.

• Dances Of Ecstasy | DVD | (01/08/2004) from £24.65   |  Saving you £0.34 (1.38%)   |  RRP £24.99

• Adam - Giselle (American Ballet Theatre) | DVD | (20/11/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Adolphe Adam's ballet 'Giselle' performed by the American Ballet Theatre and the Berlin Orchestra and Choir. Conducted by John Lanchbery. Directed by Hugo Niebeling and David Blair. Dancers include Carla Fracci and Erik Bruhn.

• Black Cake And Concertante | DVD | (03/04/2006) from £17.11   |  Saving you £2.88 (16.83%)   |  RRP £19.99

  One of the most exciting choreographers on the modern dance scene today Hans van Manen's work is characterised by a supreme musicality and striking versatility. The scene for Hans van Manen's BLACK CAKE is a society party. Elegantly-dressed couples dance with each other and his choreography reveals a whole range of undercurrents in the relationships between the men and the women. Both humour and aggression are found in CONCERTANTE which generates an explosive tension in a succession of encounters between four male and four female dancers.

• Firebird / Pulcinella | DVD | (22/11/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  This release offers two short ballets by Stravinsky, The Firebird from 1909-10 and Pulcinella written a decade later, the former based on three Russian fairytales. This 1982 production by the Royal Danish Ballet was choreographed by Glen Tetley, for whom "The Firebird is a symbol of our innermost dreams and longing for freedom and true love". His interpretation has a dreamlike atmosphere, the designs echoing Jean Cocteau's La Belle et La Bete, the languorous, sensual dance evoking an understated fairytale eroticism in parallel with the shimmering score. Pulcinella comes from Stravinsky's neo-classical period and is inspired by the Italian commedia dell'arte of the 17th and 18th centuries. The story, an almost slapstick series of romantic confusions and complications amid the streets of Naples, is brought to life in this 1988 Scapino Ballet production with an enchanting mixture of dance and mime. The design is boldly colourful and Nils Christe's choreography filled with character and playful good humour. The music comes from an enthusiastic LSO under Claudio Abbado, with vocal soloists of the calibre of John Shirley-Quirk. The two works make an attractive programme. On the DVD: Other than a trailer for other Arthaus DVDs there are no special features. Reflecting the age of the material, the sound is unremarkable PCM stereo and the picture conventional 4:3. There is some audio distortion on Pulcinella, particularly on the vocal parts. The image has rich, vibrant colours and is reasonably detailed, but is also grainy and shows compression artefacts. Firebird has a smoother image, largely due to the focus being soft. The booklet contains useful notes and a full scene breakdown. The disc is encoded for regions 2 and 5. --Gary S. Dalkin

• Houston Ballet -- Image / Journey / Ghost Dances | DVD | (03/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Three pieces of ballet: 'Image' with music by Gustav Mahler 'Ghost Dances' with music of South American Folk Tunes and 'Journey' with music by Palle Mikkelborg.

• American Ballet Theatre - In San Francisco | DVD | (30/05/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  This mixed bill of ballets danced by one of the world's greatest ballet companies was recorded live from the War Memorial Opera House San Francisco in 1985 and includes complete short ballets in addition to extracts from full length works. Airs choreographed by Paul Taylor was his first work for American Ballet Theatre and features music by Handel. It was featured in Mikhail Baryshnikov's highly successful first season as Artistic Director. This is followed by Jardin aux Lilas with music by Chausson choreographed by Anthony Taylor. The Grand pas de deux from Act III Swan Lake choreography by Marius Petipa is danced by American Ballet Theatre stars Cynthia Gregory and Fernando Bujones. Then follows the Balcony Pas de deux from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan featuring the great Natalia Makarova and Kevin McKenzie. The last work is Great Galloping Gottschalk which was created by Lynn Taylor-Corbett for American Ballet Theatre in 1982.

• The Royal Ballet | DVD | (15/03/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  This 1960 Film features a variety of dances from different ballets including Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Stravinsky's The Firebird and Neze's Ondine. It is an excellent showpiece for the talents of the Royal Ballet.