International Draft Works ***
The Forsythe Programme ****
International Draft Works is the Royal Ballet’s annual choreographic platform celebrating new works from several companies. It gives choreographers the opportunity to test ideas and have their creations performed in front of a live audience in the intimate surroundings of the Linbury Theatre at the Royal Opera House.
Last week saw eight new works presented in the programme. It was certainly a mixed bag, with some more successful than others. Dutch National Ballet’s Burden, by Lars De Vos, opened the evening with its clever fusion of hip-hop and ballet. Danced by two men, the powerful pas de deux often assumed a slow-motion, Matrix-like quality.
Northern Ballet’s Sky Above, Voices Within, by George Liang was another pas de deux. An intense, fluid piece, it was danced by Kevin Poeung and Ruben Reuter. Reuter, who is also an actor and journalist, has Down’s Syndrome. He can add dancing to his list of talents – an extraordinary performance.
The Stuttgart Ballet’s Heartquake “three’s a crowd” pas de trois, by Emanuele Babici, was sickly sweet, but contained some interesting lifts. Joburg Ballet’s Mpho (meaning “gift”) by Tumelo Lekana opened the second half of the evening. Celebrating the power of women, it combined African dance traditions with pointe work – an intriguing combination.
The evening closed with Marcelino Sambe’s Almost Human, an interpretation of the Lilith/Adam/Eve story. The glorious Viola Pantuso excelled in the sinuous, erotic choreography.
Over at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, English National Ballet presented three short works by William Forsythe. Rearray (London Edition 2025) was a clever, thoughtful piece, danced at points in silence, with sudden blackouts. Herman Schmerman (Quintet) was the perfect vehicle for displaying the dancers’ power – all angular port de bras and high extensions, but the highlight of the evening was undoubtedly Playlist (EP). The dancers fizz with joy and the audience cannot help but be swept away by the amazing energy on the stage. Dancing to Natalie Cole’s This Will Be (An Everlasting Love), the entire company brings the performance to an exhilarating conclusion.
