Insights: What's the difference between Ashton and MacMillan?
Dame Monica Mason and Christopher Carr examine the similarities and differences of the two choreographers
This week, The Royal Ballet stage a double bill from two of the choreographic heavyweights of 20th-century ballet, Sir Frederick Ashton and Sir Kenneth Macmillan. The Dream and Song of the Earth were created just two years apart in the middle of the 1960s, and yet they speak to the audience in strikingly different ways.
Last week, Royal Opera House Insights invited Director of The Royal Ballet, Dame Monica Mason, and Guest Ballet Master, Christopher Carr to explore these works in front of a live audience.
Dame Monica and Christopher tackled a number of questions during the evening. What were Fred and Kenneth like to work with? Where did they draw their inspiration from? Was there a creative tension between them? And, are there elements in their ballets that make them inherently British?
Listen to an extract from the discussion. We will be uploading a longer version later in the week.
You can buy tickets to The Dream and Song of the Earth on the Royal Opera House website.
From what I just heard Monica and Christopher on this audio,Ashton and MacMillan are opposites when it comes to choreographing their ballets