Ballets Russes Centenary

From its first Paris season in 1909, Diaghilev’s company became a trailblazer in 20th-century dance, music and art. The Royal Ballet revives Les Sylphides and The Firebird, on a bill with a premiere by the in-house choreographer Alastair Marriott (ROH, WC2, May 4-30). English National Ballet, in two special programmes, also offers Les Sylphides, as well as Scheherazade and Le Spectre de la Rose (with designs after Bakst’s exotic originals), Apollo and the Rite of Spring, plus the premiere of Faune — a reimagining of Nijinsky’s creation — by David Dawson (Sadler’s Wells, EC1, June 16-20).

Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet

No repertory surprises on this visit by the great St Petersburg company: three of the classics — Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet — and a triple bill celebrating the choreography of Balanchine, with Serenade, Rubies and Symphony in C (ROH, WC2, Aug 3-15).

Carlos Acosta and Guest Artists

The charismatic superstar Acosta presents a new version of his popular showcase programme, with an assembly of dancers from British and international companies (Coliseum, WC2, July 22-25).

Adam Cooper’s Shall We Dance

The versatile Cooper choreographs and stars in his own new production, the story of one man’s world tour in search of true love, told in a blend of tap, jazz and classical dance, with a musical feast of Richard Rodgers’s all-time great melodies (Sadler’s Wells, EC1, July 23-Aug 30).

Birmingham Royal Ballet

After a winning run with Ambra Vallo, two more top-value programmes from BRB: a double bill of Ashton’s The Two Pigeons and Balanchine’s Mozartiana, and a triple with David Bintley’s Galanteries and The Dance House, and Ashton’s The Dream (Hippodrome, Birmingham, June 17-27; The Lowry, Salford, July 1-4).

Latin Fever

Strictly Come Dancing stars Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova present a new show celebrating Latin-American dance, music and song (Peacock, WC2, May 27-June 28).

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