REVIEW: BALLET ICONS GALA @ LONDON COLISEUM

🎭 Ballet Icons Gala - 20th Anniversary

📍 London Coliseum, St. Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES

🗓 Sunday 15th February 2026

⭐️ 5 Stars

TWENTIETH TIME'S A CHARM

If you weren't at the London Coliseum last night, you missed the kind of birthday party that makes all other celebrations look like a disaster. The BALLET ICONS GALA turned 20 last night, and she has never looked better!

There is something truly magical about seeing a show of this calibre in such an iconic venue. The Coliseum, with its grand stage and that sense of "people's palace" history, provided the perfect opulent backdrop for a night that was all about the "wow" factor.

There was an undeniable electricity in the air as the auditorium filled with an audience, eager to share in a love and appreciation for this beautiful art form.

What I love most about these galas is that they aren’t just a "greatest hits" compilation; they are a curated journey through the very soul of dance. The programme was a dizzying, beautiful tightrope walk between the imperial traditions of the past and the pioneering spirit of the future

One minute you're swept away by the white tutu romanticism that defines the art form, and the next, you're being jolted awake by cutting-edge choreography that pushes the human body to its absolute limits. It's a rare treat to see the world's most elite dancers - stars from the Royal Ballet, Paris Opera, and beyond - stepping out of their usual full-length productions to deliver these high-concentrated bursts of brilliance.

It was an undeniable dizzying mix of nostalgia and innovation that kept me on the edge of my velvet seat from the first baton drop to the final, thunderous curtain call.

While the programme was a masterclass in variety, two contemporary heavy-hitters absolutely stole my heart. The UK Premiere of ASYLUM was a punch to the gut in the best way possible. Choreographed by Antonia Franceschi its a haunting piece tackling the environmental crisis. The legendary Edward Watson MBE performed it with that raw intensity that only he can bring to the stage - ritualistic, transformative, and utterly gripping.

Then there was the World Premiere of POSTSCRIPT from the sensational duo James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight - two dancers who featured in my Review of the Year 2025 with their piece IMAGO. Talk about special, this was created specifically for the 20th anniversary, and was a total sensory experience. It featured the sublime mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Lynch and the incredible Can Arisoy on piano. The way the movement sat alongside the live vocal and keys was pure, unadulterated art.

Of course, you can't have a gala without the fireworks, and the classics delivered in spades. RAYMONDA was a total masterclass in elegance. Young Gyu Choi from the Dutch National Ballet was a standout here, bringing a charisma and technical brilliance that left me, and everyone else, completely breathless.

The evening closed with DON QUIXOTE, perhaps the ultimate gala staple. The honour of performing this piece fell to Maruanela Núñez and Patricio Revé, who quite frankly, defied the laws of physics. The flips, the turns, the sheer joy - it was the perfect high-octane finale to a landmark evening.

The evening was held together by the magnificent English National Ballet Philharmonic Orchestra, led with absolute precision and fire by Maria Seletskaja. To have that level of live music accompanying the world's best dancers felt like absolute luxury, especially with Seletskaja ensuring that evey note landed with as much impact as the dancers' jetés.

Twenty years on the BALLET ICONS GALA proves that it still knows how to throw a party, and what an honour it was to be in the room and experience a night as special as this.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Ballet Icons Gala was gifted by Chloe Nelkin Consulting who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

DANCE ARTISTS:

Iana Salenko; Daniil Simkin; Edward Watson MBE; Anna Rose O'Sullivan; Reece Clarke; Lucia Lacarra; Matthew Golding; Madeline Woo; Francesco Gabriele Frola; Sarah Chun; Eleonora Abbagnato; Paul Marque; Fumi Kaneko; Vadim Muntagirov; Margarita Fernandes; António Casalinho; James Pett; Travis Clausen-Knight; Maia Makhateli; Young Gyu Choi; Nicoletta Manni; Timofej Andrijashenko; Sae Maeda; Marcelino Sambé; Marianela Núñez; Patricio Revé

RUNNING TIME (approx):

3 hours, including interval

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