Choreographer: William Forsythe
Perhaps most people are at Sadler’s Wells to see Playlist (EP), a ballet to pop music which still manages to stay on the right side of popular without ever venturing into the tricky area of popularism. Despite its modern(ish) soundtrack, Playlist (EP) is a technical ballet with flashes of Latin and echoes of West Side Story. But this is the final dance; the other two provide a chance to see William Forsythe’s earlier work.
It’s fortunate that Rearray (London Edition 2025) comes first as it’s a chilly abstract dance that is initially performed with no music and then finally danced to the plinky-plonky piano music scored by David Murrow. In the role that was first created for Sylvie Guillem, South Korea’s Sangeun Lee is truly elegant and effortlessly lithe. Originally choreographed for two dancers, Forsythe has added a second man and so now it appears as if Henry Dowden and Rentaro Nakaaki are vying for Lee’s attention. While they bicker and bluster, scissoring their arms and occasionally interlocking them with their rival’s, Lee remains aloof, seldom deigning to pair off with one of them. It may be fluently danced with some excellent pointe work at the end, but it’s a cold distancing piece.
But Herman Schmerman ( Quintet) from 1992 is a delight, summery and funny. Five dancers in rust-orange costumes perform in front of a simple but stunning blue backdrop. There is so much to see here, with the performers often dancing individual steps but then performing leaps as an ensemble that take the breath away. There is no story here, but instead a vehicle for glorious and complex technique where the dancers are just happy to dance – and it shows. The spiky electronic score by long-time collaborator helps to give the performers perfect rhythmic ease.
When Playlist (EP) finally arrives, it’s over too soon. One could watch the dancers – and by the end, the whole stage is full of them, all dressed in shiny blues and pinks – for hours. The music played (including Barry White, Natalie Cole, and Khalid) ) is not so familiar to seem as if Forsythe is after extra ticket sales. There’s so much joy in seeing a swathe of colourful grand pas de chat flash across the stage that the whoops in the audience are immediately the right response. It’s so exhilarating that one has to wonder why we ever invented contemporary dance if ballet can do so much.
Runs until 19 April 2025
The Reviews Hub Score
Exhilarating
