Slaves to convention Spartacus Bolshoi Ballet Hippodrome, Birmingham Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo Peacock Theatre, London From: Mail on Sunday | Date: April 2, 2006| Author: | Copyright 2006 Mail on Sunday. Provided by ProQuest LLC.Copyright information

The last time I saw the Bolshoi Ballet's production of Spartacus was in 1969, when I was still in short trousers. The show was new to London and it caused a sensation; I can still remember how impressed I was by its raw energy and high velocity.

But like a lot of revisited childhood experiences, Spartacus doesn't live up to memory's rosy glow. Yes, it remains a strong and clearly narrated dance drama, and Khachaturian's brash, explosive score provides a perfect match for Yuri Grigorovich's virtuoso choreography, with its spectacular one-handed lifts, splits and jumps.

But since glasnost and ...