Carmen, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, St James Theatre, June 5th, reviewed by Deirdre Tarrant

TRULY a ballet of many influences this production of Carmen (Northern Ballet Theatre production) is essentially a story told in dance –with French music by Bizet, Spanish inspiration, a Dutch born  choreographer in Didi Veldman, set design by Lez Brotherston (UK), lighting by Mark Henderson (UK) and Brazilian choreologist Tatiana Novaes Coelho to set the moves on the company here.  
This Carmen has a Brazilian setting danced by a virtual united nations of performers. This is a story that has instant recognition yet still pulls at a personal moral response as the attraction of living dangerously, vicariously and totally selfishly holds a dark appeal. Abigail Boyle looks stunning and has the moves and the manner as Carmen. Her Jose, danced by newly arrived British dancer Christopher Hinton-Lewis is excellent.
He displays the weakness that will ultimately lead to Carmen’s death right from the start. The bedroom scene is perfectly judged and searingly beautiful.
They are a stunning couple and they make the most of every hip thrust and pelvic swing in an almost prescriptive choreography that seems dated now and certainly lacks adventurousness in its vocabulary. Repetition rules and the cast dance well but there are just too many retires and releve high kicks and not enough substance to really set the stage on fire.
Katie-Hurst-Saxon as jilted girlfriend Michaela nearly steals the show and her dancing and acting almost made this Carmen her story! This was particularly true in both her sequences with Hinton- Lewis where we were willing him to make the choice and change the path of fate!
Tight unison work by the Factory packers was strongly led by Lucy Balfour as ‘friend’ Mercedes but the role of Escamillo as a rather camp rock star did not connect in any way with Carmen and there seemed no love or even lust possible in this relationship. Somehow a toreador has considerably more sex appeal than a leather –legged pack idol! The Vector orchestra conducted by Tom Woods revelled in the bravado of Bizet and all in all the evening certainly succeeds as an entertainment.
Costuming seemed to be all denim,(a new fashion as The Marriage of Figaro recently gave us this look also?) but a few swirling skirts and bright hits of colour might have lifted the visual energy and the reality of these characters in today’s world and maybe helped us find a stronger and more desperate and convincing passion.
As the tour settles I may just have to go again to see if these dancers can get beyond the steps and really ignite emotionally.
I felt that I watched a great story but the tragedy that ultimately is Carmen failed to engage for me.