Russes revolution: English National Ballet

Elena Glurdjidze wears a tutu designed by Karl Lagerfeld for English National Ballet's revival of The Dying Swan in the Ballets Russes tribute Photograph: Eamonn McCormack/WireImage.com

When Glurdjidze performed a brief scene from The Dying Swan, wearing Lagerfeld's tutu, the designer declared it 'beyond sublime' Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Glurdjidze gets straight to the pointe during the English National Ballet's rehearsals for the show Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

The programme features Apollo, with music by Stravinsky and choreography by Balanchine Photograph: Tristram Kenton/Tristram Kenton

For Judith Mackrell, who gave the programme four stars, Apollo's '1920s neoclassicism never dates' Photograph: Tristram Kenton/Tristram Kenton

The programme includes the Arabian Nights ballet Schéhérazade Photograph: Luke MacGregor/Reuters

The company performs a quintessential Ballets Russes piece, Les Sylphides Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

Agnes Oaks dances in Les Sylphides Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

This year marks the centenary of the Ballets Russes, which brought together leading artists including Nijinsky, Pavlova, Picasso and Stravinsky and became a 'hotbed of modernist invention' Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

The male duet Faun(e) is David Dawson's reworking of L'Après-Midi d'un Faune Photograph: Luke MacGregor/Reuters

English National Ballet's past productions include such diverse fare as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Angelina Ballerina and a football ballet, The Beautiful Game Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Agnes Oaks, Erina Takahashi, Daria Klimentova and Thomas Edur in Apollo. English National Ballet's tribute to Ballets Russes is at Sadler's Wells until 20 June Photograph: Tristram Kenton/Tristram Kenton