After the heavy duty magnificence of the Opera's opening half the Royal Ballet's offering of 25 mini excerpts might have seemed frivolous in its variety and charm. But the programme which was deftly poised between gala glitz and serious heritage was actually a moving historical trawl through the last 50 years of the company's history - from 1946 when it moved from its cramped lodgings at Sadlers Wells into the gilded splendour of the Opera House until 1997 and closure.
The first ballet the company performed at the House was Sleeping Beauty and it was given to Darcy Bussell to brave the terrors of its Rose Adagi which she did with one flutter of nerves but otherwise radiant aplomb.
The second ballet of 1946 was Ashton's Symphonic Variations which was danced with poetic clarity last night by Miyako Yoshida and Bruce Sansom though the work's sublime classicism was nicely contrasted with Ashton's raucous music hall wit in Widow Simone's clog dance (Ashley Page in high flirtatious form) and the delicious nonsense of the Ugly Sisters.
It's always been a point of pride that the Royal has nurtured so many of its own choreographers and British ballet dominated the evening the raw skin-on-skin emotion of Kenneth MacMillan's Pas De Deux was wonderfully displayed with Viviana Durante and Angel Corella greedy and dizzy in the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet and Sylvie Guillem at her most harrowingly brilliant in Manon's death scene partnered by Jonathan Cope.
There was also work from the younger generation of David Bintley and Ashley Page, with the Company looking sleek and dangerous in the latter's Fearful Symetries.
The Royal may have committed itself to developing British ballet but it also remained faithful to the nineteenth century classics and it was in these that the Company put on its jewel. Memorable moments flashed by - Johan Kobborg dancing the flying embrace of the Bournonville leap in Napoli; Yoshida's delicacy and grandeur in La Bayadere and Carlos Acosta wantonly flamboyant in Corsaire.
The programmed may have primed with solo glamour but it also showed off the Company's ranks. All the dancers looked thrilled to be home and buoyant from the roars of applause. Let's hope the next 50 years keep their spirits flying so divinely high.
