Raymonda

A new version by Tamara Rojo, after Marius Petipa. Love and courage in a time of war. England, 1853. Raymonda runs away from her comfortable life to become a nurse in the Crimean War. There, she becomes engaged to a soldier, John, but soon develops feelings for his friend Abdur, a leader of the Ottoman army. As turmoil grows around and inside her, who will she give her heart to? Taking inspiration from the ground-breaking spirit of Florence Nightingale and the women who supported the war effort in Crimea, Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of English National Ballet, creates a new version of the classic story ballet, Raymonda. This adaptation keeps the best of the 19th-century original – its glorious and sensuous score by Alexander Glazunov and the classical choreography of ballet genius Marius Petipa – and updates it with a dramatic new story, introducing a heroine in command of her own destiny. The original Raymonda is very rarely performed in the UK, where no dance company performs it in its entirety. This new version marks Tamara Rojo’s first foray into directing and choreographing, building on her illustrious career as dancer and artistic director.