Echoing its namesake’s celebration of innovation and creativity, ‘Cool Britannia’ offers a dynamic exploration of British dance through provocative new voices:
Chroma by Wayne McGregor: This groundbreaking ballet is “a shock to the system” merging cutting-edge choreography with a rhythmic complexity rock-inspired score by Joby Talbot and The White Stripes’ Jack White III, for a vibrant, visceral experience.
Within the Golden Hour by Christopher Wheeldon: A visually atmospheric ballet that blends elegant choreography with a luminous score, offering a captivating journey through light, color, and sensory richness.
Dust by Akram Khan: A one-act ballet offers a dramatic exploration of the human experience amidst the haunting backdrop of post-World War I. This is a North American premiere.
New score, adapted from Adolphe Adam original by composer Vincenzo Lamagna.
Set and costumes by Tim Yip.
Performed by English National Ballet Philharmonic. Music director; Gavin Sutherland.
Dramaturgy; Ruth Little. Lighting design; Mark Henderson.
“When I decided I wanted to bring Giselle, one of the most traditional pieces of the classical repertoire, into the 21st Century there was only one choreographer I believe had both the knowledge of tradition and creativity necessary for this task. I am incredibly excited that Akram accepted this challenge. I believe this will be a very important step for the whole art form and I hope it will make this beautiful classic relevant to new audiences.” Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director, English National Ballet.
Modern Masters honours the work of three of the most influential and creative choreographers of the 20th Century, and brings two new works to English National Ballet’s repertoire. PETITE MORT
Created in 1991, Ji?í Kylián’s poetic piece, features six men, six women, and six fencing foils, symbolising energy, silence and sexuality. Performed to the slow movements of two Mozart Piano Concerti, the foils slowly become dancing partners, as the brutality of everyday life is revealed. Petite Mort is a quintessential Kylián masterwork, loved by our audience and our dancers when we performed it last year. SPRING AND FALL
In the same year that Petite Mort was premiered, Hamburg Ballet’s John Neumeier, a new master of narrative and dramatic ballet, created Spring and Fall. Set to the Dvo?ák’s Serenade for Strings in E Major, it is a work for two couples and corps de ballet and takes its narrative from the tension in the music. Spring and Fall is not in the repertoire of any other UK company. IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHAT ELEVATED
With In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, William Forsythe started a completely new school of choreography, deconstructing classical ballet and liberating a new generation of classical dancers to show off their abilities. Set against a bare stage it is danced by nine individuals culminating in a fierce display of technical and physical wizardry.
