Dance review: English National Ballet

ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET ****THEATRE ROYAL, GLASGOW

SIX years after its last visit to Scotland, English National Ballet (ENB) returns to prove just how diverse it – and indeed ballet in general – can be. In Men Y Men, choreographed by artistic director Wayne Eagling, we saw the fresh and exciting side of contemporary ballet. Nine bare-chested men bathed in atmospheric lighting showcased the strength and agility of the male dancer, yet there was no suggestion of puffed-up machismo.

Instead, the men partnered each other with a firm grace – lifting and lowering one another as they would ballerinas. Eagling's astute choice of Rachmaninoff for the score added a gentleness to the testosterone-charged piece, and left us in no doubt that this company knows how to live in the 21st century.

From there, we travelled back in time to the mid-19th century and a Giselle as traditional as they come. The set – with wooden houses, trailing vines and towering trees – is the stuff ballet dreams are made of. As is the second act, which takes us into "big white" territory, with a corps de ballet gliding across the stage as one, not a toe out of place.

It's easy to serve up a work like Giselle as a pretty spectacle, focussing purely on technique. ENB, happily, imbue it with touches of humour, psychological insight and heart-rendering poignancy. Always a breeding ground for new talent, in 19-year-olds Lauretta Summerscales and Vadim Muntagirov, ENB has two bright stars of the future – catch them while you can.