The cover of the programme for the evening of piano and dance put on by Janet Lewis at St John's Smith Square in London had the title "Virtuoso" and showed the pianist Alvin Molsey surrounded by the dancers. This was appropriate as the evening's ballets were performed to and around his exquisite piano playing; his beautifully sensitive rendition of Rimsky Korsakov's Scheherazade left the audience spellbound.....

The evening's highlight, however, was the revival of Peter Darrell's Jeux. Darrell, who was the founding Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet, created a wonderful evocation of the 1920's through a melodramatic and jealous menage-a-trois played out following an upper-class game of tennis. With Roddie Patrizio as the aesthetic fought over male, Emma Lister as the plotting younger woman and Julianne Rice-Oxley as the more experienced woman of the world, the ballet was well cast, and the dancer brought out the characterisations inherent in Darrell's choreography......

The evening provided a welcome diversion for the dancers who more usually perform the leading roles and help train the young dancers in Lewis's spectacularly successful English Youth Ballet. It is typical of Lewis's commitment to ballet and her dancers that she should create this initiative to allow them a chance to perform a more varied repertoire. And for bringing us Moisey's virtuoso playing and the revival of Darrell's Jeux, the dance public is indeed indebted.

Donnachadh McCarthy