The Dante Project at the Royal Opera House (The Royal Ballet): London Solo Travel
Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
I visited London, England, from November 14-22, 2023.
While planning my itinerary in London, I knew I wanted to see something — anything — of The Royal Ballet. Apart from witnessing their dancers firsthand, I also wanted to explore the Royal Opera House (ROH), the company’s resident performance venue.
I eventually decided on The Dante Project, a contemporary ballet work choreographed by Wayne McGregor.
*All Photos by Lonely Girl, Lonely World unless otherwise stated.
Inside the Royal Opera House
I was delightfully stunned by the ROH.
With seating on 5 floors, the historic building houses a gigantic atrium, several top-notch restaurants, multiple bars, a gift shop, and a viewing platform on the 5th floor with a view of London nightlife.
I bought my ticket last-minute, so my seat was on the 5th floor near the end of the row. Not the best for watching dance but perfect for getting an aerial view of the house.
What surprised me about the ROH is how narrow the aisles are. You can tell there’s no space to waste because everything is built upwards — rows upon rows of close-knit seats raked on top of each other. I’m a petite person, and my knees were practically touching the back of the seat in front of me. If a latecomer wanted to slide in there, the whole row had no choice but to stand up and let them pass — no squeezing or contortion possible (unless you want to fall over into the depths of the audience below).
Seat comfort aside, the inside of the ROH is absolutely beautiful. The circular ceiling perfectly complements the round of seats. This writer here goes into more detail about the ROH from a behind-the-scenes tour.
There are glass display cases dotted throughout the building with heirloom artifacts from previous shows — tutus, tiaras, the sort.
You can also take a peek into their wardrobe and sewing studio from the viewing gallery on the 5th floor, where I had my intermission drink.
The restaurants probably cost a good amount to eat at. Leave at least an hour and a half for dining before a show.
Of course, I thoroughly checked out the gift shop too. They feature a lot of branding on the usual water bottles and keychains as well as kimonos, pop-up greeting cards, etc.
The restaurants and gift shop are open to the public even without a show.
Unfortunately, I missed my ticketed ROH tour because I got caught up exploring Portobello Road Market, but I highly recommend attending one.
The Dante Project — A Review
Choreographer: Wayne McGregor
Lighting Designer: Lucy Carter & Simon Bennison
Composer: Thomas Adès
Design: Tacita Dean
Dramaturg: Uzma Hameed
Date Seen: November 18, 2023.
“Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor, composer Thomas Adès, artist Tacita Dean, lighting designer Lucy Carter and dramaturg Uzma Hameed present a monumental reinvention of Dante's vision, by turns terrifying, lyrical and dazzling, in this compelling award-winning ballet for the full Company.”
“‘This man is one who, from the deepest void in all the universe, has seen thus far’.
Trailblazing forces of the contemporary dance, music and art scene combined in 2021 to breathe new life into Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. Imaginative, poetic and introspective, The Dante Project follows the poet’s journey as he traverses through the shifting spheres of the afterlife.”
Source: The Dante Project (roh.org.uk)
The Dante Project is based on Italian writer Dante Alighieri’s narrative poem The Divine Comedy, written between 1308 - 1321. The poem is divided into 3 main parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso (Divine Comedy - Wikipedia). In other words, it’s about the afterlife.
I’ll admit that, even as a dancer, I didn’t quite understand The Dante Project (insert sweatdrop here). Whether it’s due to contemporary ballet’s natural abstractedness, or the fact I haven’t read Dante’s works before, I don’t know. What amused me (and relieved me) is that there were probably quite a few in the audience like me.
After all was done and danced, the man next to me turned to his partner and asked, “Did you understand that?”
I’ll also admit I was more looking forward to the lighting design than the ballet itself, and I was not disappointed. What Wayne McGregor is to the ballet world, Lucy Carter is to lighting design. She’s been a long-time collaborator of McGregor, and I got to see their joint work on Chroma back in 2020 at the National Ballet of Canada.
The unique structure of the theatre house also gave an interesting perspective to the lighting design. I was able to somewhat see into the wings from my angle, and any situation like that presents another layer for a lighting designer to overcome — how to create lighting that not only looks good onstage but perhaps also offstage.
In terms of the dancers, what can I say? They’re beautiful. I got to see The Royal Ballet’s particular athleticism influenced by the pulsing city of London.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for something to do in London as a solo traveller, The Royal Ballet is never a bad idea. I wouldn’t splurge on an expensive ticket unless it’s a piece you really want to see, but take advantage of the chance to explore the opera house itself and its many offerings.
Tip: The ROH offers discounts for youth and additional deals. Visit their website for more information.