Everything needs light and shade, including ballet !
Dark characters add depth to a show, here are my favourites.
Royal Ballet Corps de Ballet
Willis - Giselle. They come up from the graves and make men dance to their deaths.
Natalia Osipova and Gary Avis
Odile - Swan Lake. The bad girl of ballet. I think we would be buddies.
Gary Avis
Koschei - The Firebird. Not quite looking the picture of health!
Itziar Mendizabal
The Queen of hearts - Alice Adventures in Wonderland. Physcotic, neurotic, with a habit to cut ones head off. Not your girl next door type.
Natalia Osipova and Thiago Soares
Anastasia and Rasputin - Anastasia. The last act is set in a mental asylum, it’s haunting and leaves you feeling cold.
Steven Mcrae
The Creature - Frankenstein. He likes to kill not quite knowing it’s not the done thing to do.
Edward Watson
Rudolph - Mayerling. I think one of the best roles for a male dancer to perform. A gritty and complex character based on real life events. A role to get your teeth into. I would love to do this role !
Genesia Rosato
Carabosse - The Sleeping Beauty. The wicked fairy who ruins Auroras sweet 16 birthday party !
Gary Avis in 3 different productions
Von Rothbart - Swan Lake. Manipulative cunning and down right nasty.
Marianela Nunez and Vadim Muntagirov
Albrecht - Giselle. He’s not a nice guy ! He lied to Giselle he had another woman, didn’t tell her he was a prince, I know he gets pretty upset in act 2 because HE broke her heart, but I don’t buy it.
Nicol Edmonds
King Rat - The Nutcracker. As nasty as it gets from this ballet, personally though I think he’s misunderstood, he was self protecting, no ?!
Sarah Lamb
Raven Girl - Raven Girl. Half Raven half girl, it’s a creepy story and super gothic.
Thank you to Amanda, my favourite goth, for the inspiration for this blog !!! 🖤