Fifty-three years ago, Frederick Ashton made Homage to the Queen to celebrate the Coronation. This week a new Homage to the Queen was unveiled at the Royal Opera House to mark two historic birthdays — the Queen’s 80th, and the Royal Ballet’s 75th.

Like the original, the new ballet is a sumptuous showcase for a big company and an unabashed celebration of royalty (it will be performed for the Queen tomorrow night), but unlike the original it’s the work of a quartet of choreographers.

Ashton created his 1953 ballet in four sections (framed by an opening procession and a closing apotheosis), each based on one of the elements and each led by a ballerina surrounded by her court. Only his Air has survived (although Christopher Newton does a fine job of bringing Ashton’s introduction and closing back to life); three other choreographers, all with long ties to the Royal Ballet, have rechoreographed the missing elements. Yet Air remains the most satisfying, its classical language imbued with a grand romance and a regal prepossession. Malcolm Arnold’s score may be sentimental in the extreme but Darcey Bussell’s Queen of the Air gives Ashton’s small ballet the sheen of pure beauty. David Bintley’s Earth is a vivacious pastiche helped enormously by Leanne Benjamin’s top-notch performance in the ballerina role. Michael Corder’s Water is the best of the new, stylish, classy, well built and with a classical sparkle that happily serves the sense of occasion. Alina Cojocaru as the Queen of the Waters is the radiance at the centre of his eddy of loveliness. Christopher Wheeldon’s Fire is filled with furious allegro and nervy shifts of emphasis, driven by Steven McRae’s bursting performance as the Spirit of Fire. Sarah Lamb’s Queen falls just short of sultry. Peter Farmer redesigns the whole so that it looks suitably monarchist (republicans beware) and disarmingly old fashioned. John B. Read’s hard lighting does the ballet no favours. Barry Wordsworth conducts Arnold’s score with enthusiasm, although it’s as close to kitsch as ballet music gets.

Opening the 75th birthday mixed bill is Ninette de Valois’s The Rake’s Progress, her seminal 1935 ballet inspired by Hogarth’s famous series of paintings. Johan Kobborg as the Rake moves dramatically from bawdy comedy to melodramatic despair; Laura Morera offers tenderness as the Betrayed Girl; Gavin Gordon’s score is terrific.

In the middle is a series of divertissements representing each decade in the Royal’s history. An odd choice of repertoire, and one that doesn’t flatter Ashton’s enormous contribution. But who can argue with the sight of so many favourite dancers having a go.

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