Category contemporary

REVIEW: Ballet Black: HEROES

Reading Time: 2 minutesA gorgeous double bill of new work ushered in the 30th anniversary of the Festival Theatre this week. Ballet Black graced the stage with two exceptional and vastly different pieces If At First and The Waiting Game in its new show, HEROES. This small but mighty company of nine showcased the best of dance for the modern age without skimping on technical prowess.

REVIEW: Yerbagüena (Bright Dark)

Reading Time: 2 minutesConceived and choreographed by renowned flamenco dancer Eva Yerbabuena, with musical direction and guitar by Paco Jarana, dancer Christian Lozano, percussionist Daniel Suarez, and a singing ensemble (Segundo Falcon, Antonio "El Turry," Miguel Ortega, and Manuel de Gines), Yerbagüena (Bright Dark) is a flamenco piece that is simultaneously traditional and experimental, skillful and powerful, sensual and mind-blowing.

REVIEW: YAMATO: The Drummers of Japan/Hinori – The Wings of Phoenix

Reading Time: 2 minutesIt’s a feast for drummers, rhythm lovers, and all those seeking to rejuvenate their spirits after a long, tiring day. Directed by Masa Ogawa, Hinori: The Wings of Phoenix showcases the pinnacle of Japanese Taiko performance, offering a pure, ultimate display of showmanship that audiences will both enjoy and respect. Toured in 2019 before the pandemic, the show’s name symbolically reflects London’s welcome to Yamato’s nirvana, or conversely, Yamato’s celebration of London’s survival.

REVIEW: May B

Reading Time: 3 minutesImagine yourself sitting inside Sadler's Wells, enveloped in absolute darkness and serenity. A baritone voice begins to hum Shubert’s art songs filled with suspense and sorrow. Suddenly, your hearing becomes extraordinarily sharp, almost as keen as a beast's. You hear someone coughing, someone sighing, and another zipping up their jacket. You feel a bit annoyed: is the audience always this loud and noisy? This sensation creates awareness and alienation: you belong to a group sharing the same state—the audience—yet it is you who feels that such state is disturbing, preventing you from enjoying the show. You are alone.

REVIEW: Scottish Ballet – A Streetcar Named Desire

Reading Time: 3 minutesIntense, sensual, poignant. Dangerously intriguing, A Streetcar Named Desire has continuously lured its audience for more than half a century. Years ago, Scottish Ballet transformed this Tennessee Williams classic into a ballet piece blending traditional ballet techniques with contemporary choreography and a modern jazz orchestra (scored by Peter Salem and performed by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra). Several years later, it revisits Sadler's Wells under the direction of Nancy Meckler and choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.