Coming soon in dance: Le Corsaire, Romeo and Juliet and Rambert

With every Cabinet reshuffle it’s a while before new incumbents make their mark. And so it is in the world of dance. Big changes at the top – the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, and Scottish Ballet all gained new directors last year – are only now beginning to register, as long-laid production plans come to fruition.

At ENB, Tamara Rojo has just unveiled Le Corsaire, the Pirates of the Caribbean of bravura classical dance. Rojo’s coup is to rope in Hollywood film designer Bob Ringwood, so a spectacular shipwreck scene is guaranteed. The tour takes in Southampton’s Mayflower this week (22-26 Oct), then New Theatre, Oxford and Bristol Hippodrome before reaching the London Coliseum in early Jan 2014. Rojo’s other coup is to snap up her old Royal Ballet mucker Alina Cojocaru as a principal dancer, upping the company’s star-rating by several thousand megawatts.

At the Royal, all eyes will be on the coming revival of Romeo and Juliet, as diminutive Bolshoi guest Evgenia Obraztsova, partnered by RB favourite Steven McRae, dances Juliet this Tues and again on 14 Nov, and new company asset Natalia Osipova meets Carlos Acosta on 21 Nov and 7 Dec. Never mind that the entire season is sold out: the determined will find a way.

Meanwhile Rambert – that UK flagship for contemporary dance – is finally moving into its spanking new home on London’s South Bank, and flinging the doors open to visitors. From 2-14 Dec the public can tour the building, watch rehearsals and take part in classes, all for free. Go to rambert.org.uk to book. Or catch up with Rambert’s autumn triple bill, currently on tour at Sadler’s Wells, London, Tue to Sat.

Other spots to watch at this premier dancehouse are Hofesh Shechter’s new work Sun, (30 Oct-3 Nov) and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s take on Argentine tango, Milonga (6-10 Nov). Both rarely disappoint.