Main Stage

MGV (Musique à grande vitesse) by Michael Nyman was commissioned by the Festival de Lille to commemorate the inauguration of the TGV high-speed train line in France in 1993. Christopher Wheeldon describes the music as ‘open and full of air’, and in DGV: Danse à grande vitesse he matches its hurtling momentum with equally exhilarating choreography: ‘I wanted to capture that feeling you get when you are travelling – of being suspended in time and space’.

The ballet conveys the timeless romance of travel, alongside the wonder of modern technology – a theme reflected in Jean-Marc Puissant’s abstract and dramatic designs. Against sheets of steel that curve upwards at the edges of the stage, the corps de ballet evokes the dynamic rhythms of technology, as well as more organic shapes. Four exquisite pas de deux track the music’s journey through shifting physical and sound landscapes. DGV was created for The Royal Ballet in 2006 and was nominated for an Olivier Award.