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The beauty of form
Symphonic Variations marked Ashton’s foray into abstraction. During the Second World War, he had frequently listened to Cesar Franck’s quietly dramatic piano and orchestral work of the same name, and had initially written a scenario for the ballet. However, he eventually dropped the idea and instead ‘began thinking in terms of pure dance’. Stripping away narrative or ornamentation, Ashton emerged with a work of wondrous sparseness, featuring six dancers who never leave the stage and who end the ballet in the same position as they began it – a masterful lesson in the art of simplicity. Its opening performance on 24 April 1946 featured a cast that included Margot Fonteyn, Moira Shearer, Pamela May, Michael Somes, Brian Shaw and Henry Danton.
To find out more about the Frederick Ashton: read our Creative Spotlight: Frederick Ashton
Accessibility and resources
There is lift access and there are step-free routes to over 100 seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony and Amphitheatre. Some seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony, Amphitheatre and the Donald Gordon Grand Tier are accessed by 9 steps or fewer. There are 10 steps or more to access seats in the Orchestra Stalls.
You can use the assistive listening systems in our auditoriums. Surtitles, captions and translations in English are displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.
Join our Access Scheme for priority access to tickets and to inform us of your access requirements.
See our Accessibility page for more information or view a visitors guide (PDF, 12.0 MB).
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