Dance: Hope and pain

Ballet Black at 25
artistic director Cassa Pancho
performers Acaoã de Castro, Megan Chiu, Isabela Coracy, Taraja Hudson, Mikayla Isaacs, Love Kotiya, Bhungane Mehlomakulu, Helga Paris-Morales, Elijah Peterkin, Ebony Thomas
music Bill Laurance, Peter Johnson, Mthuthuzeli November
costumes Jessica Cabassa, Yann Seabra
lighting David Plater
Sadler's Wells, London • 14-17.Oct.26 ★★★★

Marking its 25th anniversary, Ballet Black brings a thrilling double bill to Sadler's Wells, featuring a new commission and an award-winning ballet that was commissioned 2019. These are distinctive pieces, performed by an ensemble of 10 skilled dancers to evoke strong emotions. Because the first piece is so celebratory, it might have been a better note to end on. But it's impossible to deny the power of the night's final scenes.

Choreographer Hope Boykin opens the show with ...All Towards Hope and a flood of spoken words, written and voiced by Boykin herself, that sounds like a motivational speech. Basically, it's a challenge to stand together against whatever is causing pain so that we can move closer to hope. The movement is expansive and engaging, a modern spin on classical ballet with dancers clad in loose, draping costumes in red, orange and brown. Finally, the words stop and music begins, allowing us to more properly lock into the emotional resonance of the piece as the musical style and lighting change in a variety of scenes separated by black-outs.

All of this is visually mesmerising, with eye-catching shapes and a mix of solos, duets and group elements that play on the performers' personal charisma, allowing them to interact with the audience in moments that are either soulful or light-hearted. The piece is strongest when the movement flows and shifts to a variety of musical cues, creating a weightless feeling as the dancers run, stretch and spin, echoing each other with jubilance. It's a terrific display of how individual talent and personality emerge from a larger group dynamic. And it's utterly joyful, even in its quieter or more rhythmic sections.

The second half is Mthuthuzeli November's Ingoma, which was inspired by Gerard Sekoto's 1947 painting Song of the Pick, depicting South African mine workers. It has a darker, more narrative structure as the dancers are playing miners and their wives, reflecting hard work, family life and faith, as well as oppression and violence. The choreography is earthy and beautifully grounded, with a tactile precision as the dancers convey deep emotions through their astonishing physicality.

It's a strikingly involving piece, dazzling to the eyes even as it touches on some very dark feelings. The choreography involves considerable strength and control. Men dance with intense energy that features muscly gestures, big lifts and a tight sense of camaraderie. And the women also have a vivid bond, displaying both a sense of yearning and driving intentionality. The men and women mix in fascinating ways, sometimes in a call and response. So scenes involving protests are sparky, while the solos are astonishingly expressive from lead couple Ebony Thomas and Isabela Coracy, as well as soloists Megan Chiu and Mikayla Isaacs. The humane ending leaves us moved and thoughtful.

For details, SADLER'S WELLS >

photos by ASH • 14.Oct.26