How musicians and ballet dancers collaborate on and off stage

Principal of The Royal Ballet Marianela Nuñez and pianist Kate Shipway share their experience of rehearsing and performing an Ashton classic. Subscribe to our channel and find out more at http://www.roh.org.uk

Delving into the relationship between music and dance, they explore the nuances of Chopin's emotive score when paired with Ashton's intimate choreography.

Ballet and music form an intrinsic partnership. This becomes even more poignant in ballets where the pianist takes a soloist role, emphasising the intimacy between the dancers, conductor and the orchestra.

Frederick Ashton's elegant retelling of Turgenev's play A Month in the Country distils the essence of the drama into a one-act ballet, where all the action unfolds in the family's living room. Characters come in and out, their feelings for one another displayed through solos and pas de deux, highlighting Ashton's talent for playing out complex drama through detailed and intricate choreography.

Dancers: Marianela Nuñez, Matthew Ball, Gary Avis, Francesca Hayward, Christopher Saunders, Romany Pajdak and James Hay
Staging: Grant Coyle, Anthony Dowell
Principal Coaching: Marguerite Porter