Hammer Theatre - The Golden Bay Times

In the Grand Kyiv Ballet’s Snow White, you’re swept into a fairy tale world where a young princess, adored for her kindness and innocence, is cast aside by a jealous stepmother who demands that her mirror always swear the stepmother is the fairest. Snow White flees into a magical forest, where she finds refuge with seven kindly dwarfs, but danger still follows in the shadows. As the ballet progresses, we witness elegant dance, vibrant sets, and the blossoming of a gentle romance, always edged with tension. The choreography and music by Bogdan Pavlovsky strike a balance between whimsy and drama, carrying you along on Snow White’s journey without revealing the final outcome. It’s a visual storybook in motion that invites you to hope, root for goodness, and marvel at how dance can give a well-worn tale fresh life.

Imagine walking into a theatre where every step on the stage is fresh, unmade, and pulsing with possibility. That’s the world of New Ballet’s Fast Forward, a high-energy evening of contemporary ballet where emerging choreographers take center stage to invent work on the spot, tailor it to the dancers before them, and invite the audience into a brand-new creative journey. Rather than retelling beloved classics, Fast Forward embraces risk, curiosity, and innovation as dancers become collaborators, music ranges from cello to Latin jazz, and the result is unpredictable, alive, and thrilling. Each dance is a first, a leap into the unknown, and the sense of discovery crackles in the air. Fast Forward isn’t just a show; it’s a creative experiment come to life, where audience and artist ride the edge of what ballet can become.

In a sunlit Rhineland village at harvest time, Giselle is a gentle peasant girl whose great love is dancing, despite her frail heart. She meets Loys, a mysterious newcomer who seems humble and courtly all at once, and she falls under his spell while the village huntsman Hilarion watches with mounting jealousy. But innocence is fragile; whispers erupt that Loys bears secrets, and those revelations shatter Giselle’s trust in a storm of grief and confusion. As night falls, the world shifts. Giselle’s fate leads her beyond the grave, into a moonlit realm stirred by vengeful spirits known as the Wilis, restless souls of betrayed brides, and her deepest devotion is tested in a realm where love must transcend mortality.