Review: BALLET BLACK AT 25 at Sadler’s Wells

Set up by Cassa Pancho OBE in 2001, the company has had huge success as Europe’s first Black professional neoclassical ballet company. Their mission for diversity not only concerns dancers and audiences, but is clear in their choice of two contrasting pieces: …all towards hope (2026) and Ingoma (2019).

A new commission from Alvin Ailey dancer and choreographer Hope Boykin, …all towards hope is joyful and inspiring. Beautifully encapsulating a moment in time as the company looks back with pride and ahead with confidence, this celebratory work cleverly explores togetherness and individuality. Boykin’s voice is interwoven with the music, imbuing the performance with a stirring personal touch. Costume designer Jessica Cabassa mimics the dance’s story wonderfully, designing outfits in a spectrum of similar shades which not only move beautifully but reframe moments of unity and distinctness. Music by Bill Laurance is upbeat and has a jazzy feel, powerfully punctuated by the poetic commentary of Boykin; it’s an exciting blend of classical technique with a more modern style.

Depicting the 2012 mine workers’ strike in Marikana, Ingoma explores suffering and community, playing with silence and the voices of the dancers themselves in a poignant way. The award-winning work brilliantly displays the company’s talent, and the lighting and costume (Yann Seabra) contribute to a style of storytelling that draws from reality and lived experience. The female dancers beautifully depict womenfolk’s position in the tragedy, and the company comes alive in the bigger group sections where the relationships between men and women are explored. The heartbreaking choreography reflects the community’s torturous struggle, peppering moments of resilience and power amongst the darkness.

The company is packed with talent. Bhungane Mehlomakulu, Megan Chiu, and Mikayla Isaacs particularly stand out but the entire company emerges cohesive and masterful. The show offers audiences an un-affected story told through dance and succeeds in being energising and thought-provoking in equal measure.