THE grace and charm of the Birmingham Royal Ballet will wow audiences in Dorset next month.

The Birmingham Royal Ballet will perform at Lighthouse, Poole's Centre for the Arts, on Friday May 13 and Saturday May 14 at 7.30pm with an extra matinee at 2.30pm on May 14.

The company will perform an illuminating mix of works showcasing the splendour of dance itself.

The programme opens with Kenneth MacMillan’s Solitaire, a game for a girl and her dancers, set to composer Malcolm Arnold’s English Dances.

Then come David Bintley’s witty Four Scottish Dances and Frederick Ashton’s mesmerising Monotones II, an extended pas de trois set to the music of Erik Satie.

Finally, there’s Hans van Manen’s Five Tangos, which translates Astor Piazzolla’s fiery, genre-defining Argentinian music into passionate tango movement.

This thrilling programme of four ballets highlights the versatility and virtuosity of the company’s world-class dancers and features live accompaniment from the acclaimed Royal Ballet Sinfonia.

There’s a pre-performance talk at 6.30pm on Saturday that is free to ticket holders.

Laura Purkiss, who has been a soloist since 2012, is from Southampton; and Feargus Campbell from Beaulieu has been a First Artist since 2011.

Birmingham Royal ballet will host a Class On Stage on Saturday May 14 at 11.45am, providing a rare chance to see an open company class. Entry is £10 or free to BRB Friends.

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