La Fille Mal Gardée The Royal Ballet

Frederick Ashtons La Fille mal gardée The Wayward Daughter is one of the choreographers most joyous and colourful creations Inspired by his love for the Suffolk countryside the ballet is set on a farm and tells a story of love between Lise the daughter of Widow Simone and Colas a young farmer It contains some of Ashtons most stunning choreography most strikingly in the series of energetic pas de deux that express the youthful passion of the young lovers performed here by Natalia Osipova and Steven McRae The ballet is laced with exuberant good humour and elements of national folk dance from dancing chickens and a maypole dance to a Lancashire clog dance for Widow Simone performed by Philip Mosley