Experimental, energetic, ecstatic — three works from master choreographer William Forsythe
English National Ballet bring their much-anticipated triple bill of works from the American choreographic master William Forsythe to Sadler’s Wells. Although equally known for his boundary-pushing contemporary works, The Forsythe Programme emphasises on the domain where Forsythe is perhaps most beloved: ballet. The three works of the evening neatly showcase the scope of his aesthetic in a short run-time of one hour (excluding the interval). It’s a brisk jaunt en pointe.
The programme begins with a premiere of sorts with Rearray (London Edition 2025). The work is not entirely new, rather it is a reworking of a reworking of a duet originally created on supreme ballerina Sylvie Guillem, more recently made into a trio for dancers at the Paris Opera Ballet. If one had to imagine a Forsythe work, for many, this is what comes to mind: the stark lighting, experimental music, artful positioning of the upper body — épaulement. Rearray shows us all of this. Principal dancer Sangeun Lee is excellent in her attack, stabbing and carving the space around her, her breath propelling her further in the frequent — and welcome — moments of silence. She’s joined by two male minions of sorts, the trio literally throw shapes on the shadowy stage, synchronising in a liberal and jazzy manner. The piece recalls Forsythe’s experimental period, inducing audible bemusement from the crowd. But it is Lee who they ultimately go wild for — a highly compelling dancer, surgical in the precision of her arms as she skims across the floor.
Before we have the chance to fully digest Rearray, we are dropped into the deep end of Forsythe’s balletic back-log with Herman Schmerman (Quintet), a snappy work created for New York City Ballet in 1992. The adrenaline-fuelled pas de cinq is executed in a New York minute; tricky solos come and go in a flash. When the group dances together individuals splinter off, syncing with their comrades as they please. Alice Bellini comes out swinging, tearing into whip-crack jumps with a goading smile. There is a welcome tongue-in-cheek delivery with Herman Schmerman with the dancers jogging about in their orange bathing suits to Thom Willems’ quirky score. It has a certain acid-induced silliness — very nineties. The male delegates come in the form of principals Aitor Arrieta and Francesco Gabriele Frola, radiant with princely charm. However, there is something about the women in this work, proudly flicking their wrists and bounding through the space, that is most exciting to watch. That air of liberation from the tutu that so distinguished Forsythe’s 20th century works.
For dessert, we’re delivered a fizzy sugar rush packed with E numbers. After architectural experimentations and classical subversion, it’s time to have some fun. Playlist (EP), last presented in 2022 to rave responses from crowds and critics alike, is a sunny affair. It’s danced to a soundtrack of House, R&B, and Disco bangers of today and yesteryear, all presented with an MTV cum Broadway flash. The sheer level of enthusiasm is evident from the dancers’ beaming smiles as they whip through break-neck turning sequences. The men of Playlist bring a sweet-talking masculinity to Peven Everett’s suave crooning before indulging in all their virtuosic tricks to beats from Jax Jones. The women are more restrained. Energetic and captivating yes, but without the same bad-assery permitted to the boys. The piece, though more jubilant than many of his past works, still demonstrates Forsythe’s choreographic intelligence. The company run on stage row by row for the big finale, syncopating and high-kicking to Natalie King Cole’s ‘This Will Be’, a whirling kaleidoscope of legs and arms. Leaving without a smile is near impossible.