In 1974, Kenneth MacMillan set out to create ‘something short and light and funny’, as he told the New Yorker magazine at the time. The resulting 35-minute ballet is regarded as one of the most uplifting pieces in the Royal Ballet repertory. With music by African-American composer Scott Joplin (the 'King of Ragtime') and the ballet's staging and choreography demonstrating the influence of Black Social Dance styles, there is much to celebrate here about the diverse cultural influences that make ballet what it is today.

The joyous nature of the work is fitting for this recording, taken from the celebrated The Royal Ballet: Back on Stage performance which took place in October 2020 as it marked the first time that the Company had performed on stage together in seven months.