Triple Bill: Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House, London

THE Royal Ballet is investing vast resources, financially, artistically and dancers, in its short works programmes.

Royal Ballet s Sarah Lamb and Edward Watson Royal Ballet's Sarah Lamb and Edward Watson

The latest new arrival at Covent Garden is RB dancer, 24-year-old Liam Scarlett and his Asphodel Meadows set to

Poulenc’s Concerto for two pianos.

The Gershwin-esque music sounds a dream to dance  to and Scarlett has his finger on its pulse, shifting his ensemble of 14 dancers with deft efficiency and a lively interaction with Poulenc’s unmitigated joy.

In the first of the three movements, Sarah Lamb and Johannes Stepanek found the tenderness, she fluid beyond nature, he unrecognisably improved since joining the company nine years ago.

José Martin partnered young Leanne Cope with his characteristic intense authority and Yuhui Choe and Steven McRae hurtled through the finale. An impressive debut, lacking only the confidence developed through experience; well worth director Monica Mason’s faith.

Christopher Wheeldon’s Electric Counterpoint is an elaborate conceit using dialogue, video and bodies elegantly to explore, or rather delicately touch on, the reality of a dancer’s raison d’etre.

First of all video images back four soloists and what soloists, Ricardo Cervera, Laura Morera, Marianela Nunez and Sergei Polunin. The practice mirror is the only thing to rely on says a plaintive voice, begging the question of the sad fact in every dancer’s cruelly short career, what do they do when the applause stops and he or she is no longer the focus of attention?

The best bits of Mats Ek’s Carmen are when a barefoot Tamara Rojo, one of the best female classical dancers in the world, is splattered about the stage, screaming abuse at a boyfriend, puffing (really) on Churchillian cigars and pulling out from her men their hearts and other below-the-belt feelings.

Set to Shchedrin’s irreverent interpretation of Bizet’s ubiquitous score, Ek delights in every crazy plink and plonk while for Rojo’s Carmen her power over men is something of a mystery, she loves it but knows there is something there she cannot really handle; both the mistress and the victim.

Thomas Whitehead’s José is the loser, Bennet Gartside blazes as escamillo but Rojo walks away with it.

VERDICT 4/5

Royal Ballet: Royal Opera House, London WC2

(Tickets: 0207 304 4000; £4-£55)

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