REVIEW:

The Little Mermaid, Ballet Theatre UK, The Lights, Andover.

Seeing such a familiar childhood story told through the immensely graceful art of ballet brought joy to my inner child. Saying that, I myself was never one of those ballet obsessed girls who got to wear pretty costumes and little pointe shoe. I was far too uncoordinated and more interested in trying to befriend various insects.

Though as I’ve grown older, I can now appreciate the highly demanding yet simultaneously delicate feat that is ballet, without being upset that I could never stand on my toes for that long and spin around without falling over.

The notion that does however instead resonate deeply with my now older self is how love can do agonisingly damaging things to a person, or a mermaid in the case of this ballet retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen classic.

Unlike the popularised Disney version of the tale, this unrequited love story does not go out with a happy ending.

Ballet Theatre UK brought the tragedy to life through their upbeat and captivating telling, with costumes and scenery as dazzling accompaniments to the dancing

Although the cast were good throughout, it was Anna Yliaho who played the Mermaid and Natalie Payne who played the Princess that stole the show. Yilaho showed incredible strength as she was lifted and manoeuvred across the stage as if swimming with a tail. Illustrating incredible aplomb, she was restlessly captivating throughout. Payne dances with an effortless grace, moving like a feather floating to the ground.

Ballet Theatre UK may technically not be on the same level as a company such as the Royal Ballet, but that doesn't make them mediocre. They have mastered the art of storytelling, yet more impressively they have been able to bring ballet to the masses, performing in regional theatres up and down the country. Seeing the gleeful expressions of the ballet-mad girls in the audience is what this performance was really all about. Perhaps if I had seen such a production as a child, I would have been more inspired to ditch the bugs in favour of the pirouette.

By Rebecca Rayner