I first saw NYCB dance Balanchine's 'Western Symphony' in Edinburgh and was charmed by its fun and design as much as its choreography and dancing. High art meets country - it's a celebration of traditional ballet danced in the high street of a western town with stores and bars as the backdrop and loads of dancing girls and cattle hands about the place. Four couples come out and provide the central focus in ballet homage to the Wild West and it's littered with observant movement and colour. It's also darned tricky stuff to dance.

The costumes, I read from John Percival's excellent background notes, were only added to the ballet 6 months after it was premiered and it must have been a very odd sight indeed without them. One's tempted to say it was Karinska just being late again - she was legendary for JIT (Just in Time) delivery - literally moments before curtain up. I adore Karinska's work as Balanchine's NYCB costumier and she'd be well up my list of people I'd love to have shared a few whiskies with. Her costumes sparkle and glow with detail and her designs are period pieces easily on a par with Paris couture. Those for Western Symphony I think amongst her very best - but I'm wont to say that about any of her work that I've just seen.

At Birmingham's premiere last week the company gave a good account of a busy piece. The corps did the American pizzazz and effervescence with committed ease and Asta Bazeviciute, a Russian-trained soloist recently joined, was very strong and starry in the fourth movement with an energetic Robert Parker - when was it ever different with Parker? Guesting from Australia Ballet was Lucinda Dunn (precise and darting) in the first movement but Monica Zamora and Andrew Murphy were the pairing most loved as the dizzy bar-girl and the vaguely camp love-sick gun slinger. A gem of a ballet and well done to BRB from bringing it over.

Another new piece of American was Robbins' 'Fancy Free'. I've been pretty disenchanted with his '"woopy stuff" set to many songs such as 'Dances at a Gathering' and 'In the Night', but Fancy Free has more going for it with Leonard Bernstein's score and pacey choreography. The program note is one line: it's about 3 sailors on shore leave during a hot summer night in 1944 - the year the ballet was created. What you see is the sailors chasing 3 girls in a Broadway-style show brimming with zest, acrobatic dancing and hoofing - for once not over long at 30 minutes. Great period costumes too.

The evening opened with the premiere of David Bintley's 'Concert Fantasy' to a piece of Tchaikovsky by the same name. I can't find a link with the Way Out West title of the bill but it complemented the other pieces well enough so what the hell.

Bintley is going through a classics phase at the moment and this piece is a thoughtful plotless play on Russian traditions. White and silvery costumes were set off with dark blue velvet drapes and a changing projected backcloth with smudged effects like more gathered fabric. Cool and regal was the message. The dance for the corps is unusually slow and stately at times, followed by more traditional work and echoes of Balanchine. Nao Sakuma and Chi Cao were in the lead, both made Principals this summer but perhaps not yet entirely comfortable in this new piece. The choreography for their pdd was rather restrained and definitely not as showy as you'd normally expect from Bintley - and all the more pleasant for the restraint. A reserved and formal piece that sat well with the American fest to come and I look forward to seeing it and the others again soon.

The night I went, we had Lucinda Dunn and Andrew Murphy in Concert Fantasy. We haven't seen anything of Mr Murphy over the last year or two, owing to injury. Judging by the look of his performance, he has completely recovered. It is always a joy to see him up there on stage.

It would be very unfair of me to comment too much about Miss Dunn's dancing after only one viewing. She was certainly more than capable of executing this very difficult choreography. The concentration (and possibly nerves) was showing in her face, which remained quite fixed. There were a couple of minor errors, for instance she was way off centre on her final pirouettes; a quick shove from Mr Murphy soon took care of that! As a couple, they certainly look good together, both being quite tall. Over all I think she gave a good showing and there was some nice touches during the reverence. I hope to see her again before she returns to Oz.

The choreography is very full on; the principal couple getting very little rest at all. The very long solo piano piece features only the principal couple on stage. I think that this is the longest pdd that I have ever seen. They both work very hard dancing this, with Jonathan Higgins at the piano, providing his usual flawless accompaniment. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia was under the baton of Paul Murphy, who always seems to be able to coax that little extra from the players.

The BRB administration has reprinted part of the program. Previously the artists merely had their photographs featured, biographies being reserved for principals and first artists. All photographs were black and white. Now everyone has a mini biography and there are sexy new colour photographs of the principals. They are posed in black, leaning against or standing on some large white boxes. The guest principals still feature the old black and white photos sadly; perhaps they weren't available for the new photo shoot.

The costumes for Western Symphony are indeed wonderful. I had a sneak preview of them, looking into the wardrobe department window from the footpath. They looked great then and even better once upon stage with people wearing them. I don't think this is one of Mr B's better works; it is watchable but I think it lacks sparkle in some areas. The strumming hats is a very silly mime and is the driving of the girls as horses. Quite like the music though. I saw the NYCB do this in Edinburgh a couple of years ago, and I think they carried the mime off better (far more subtle). I guess the BRB will get the nuance as they perform it on tour.

Oh Robert...so, I suppose you also like "Who cares" ?

And now I see Trog's posting !
Well, I think you're 'spot on' on one of the major problems I have seeing other companies dancing Balanchine - apart from the specific training and the typical 'body-types'-: the nuances...and details.
But maybe my curiosity will win again when BRB is on tour ?!