Birmingham Royal Ballet; Beijing Dance Theatre " review
Sadler's Wells, LondonCheckmate, the chess ballet choreographed in 1937 by Ninette de Valois, founder of the Royal Ballet, is a revered heritage piece. So revered, in fact, that its turgid pace and heavy-handed choreography tend to be overlooked. The dancers of Birmingham Royal Ballet seem to sense these shortcomings and they look uncomfortable in the work, which is the opener in the company's current Autumn Glory pr…