Created for The Royal Ballet and premiered at the Expo Festival in Vancouver, 1986, Galanteries was the subject of a an early film and documentary. Despite its gossamer, Mozartian lightness, (it was described as ‘…a sweetheart of a ballet’ in its first review), Galanteries has proved remarkably robust over the years.

The ballet is in the repertoire of Birmingham Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Japan and has been by danced by Royal Ballet School students as part of their graduation performance. With overtones of the paintings of Watteau and Fragonard, particularly The Swing, and in the spirit of the Fête Galante, I believed I had invented the title Galanteries, only to discover years later that Sir Fred had used it for an early, forgotten piece!

'Bintley articulates an unselfconscious poetry... a very good work'
THE GUARDIAN

‘Galanteries is vintage Bintley at his best’
THE TIMES

‘A cool, classy work’
THE FINANCIAL TIMES

‘Jan Blake's grey, flowing costumes add to the united tone of the dancers’ movements, the graphite backdrop somehow brings both an edge and a harsh note to the piece’
BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE