The Silver Bell

“The role of Conrad’s femme fatale, in turn his muse then alluring dancer, Circe/Fiametta, is performed here by French/Japanese dancer and choreographer Namiko Gahier-Ogawa who acted with superb authority, astoundingly so given this is a totally non-singing, non-speaking role. She danced with sensuality and with feeling, and it is also further testament to Paul Higgins directorial skills that he managed to incorporate a non-singing artist into an important ‘duet’ with Flaum, in addition to proving remarkably adept at connecting with all the other singing artists, making a major and tangible contribution to the story.”

“In the entirely danced roles of Circé and Fiametta and precisely matching the varied moods of Saint-Saëns’s score, Namiko Gahier-Ogawa treads the steps of her own choreography perfectly.”

“Much of the atmosphere of this NSO production is helped by Mollie Cheek’s sombre and effective designs, James Harvey’s ambient lighting and Namiko Gahier-Ogawa’s alluring choreography as Fiametta.”