Ballet goes pop with Mark Ronson and Gareth Pugh

What do you get if you mix music maestro über poser Mark Ronson, fashion cool kid Gareth Pugh and the Royal Ballet? ‘Carbon Life’ at the Royal Opera House (until April 23). But what do you actually get? This new work by renowned choreographer Wayne McGregor is part 80′s pop video, part wannabe fashion show and part gig. Mark Ronson towers over the stage, strutting about with supreme shoulder pads alongside cameos by Boy George, rapper Black Cobain and The Kills’ Alison Mosshart. The dancing itself is beautifully contorted but it almost gets lost with all the posturing happening behind it and I found the blunt lyrics sat uncomfortably as an accompaniment. Gareth’s monocrome sets and costumes are super stylish but I wanted to see reinvention of the ballet shoe, dammit, so was a tad disappointed to only see two male dancers attempting to wear the clunky new footwear. If you want a fun spectacle though, ‘Carbon Life’ certainly is that and even Mark’s posing (see the programme below) can’t take that away! Plus, the other two works on the bill are a complete complementary contrast and will leave your dance cravings more than satisfied. Sonya Barber

For info, see Royal Ballet listing.

Tags: alison mosshart, ballet, black cobain, boy george, carbon life, covent garden, dance, fashion, gareth pugh, mark ronson, music, royal opera house, the kills