Ballet Black's Autumn 2025 Tour

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Ballet Black has just announced the itinerary for its autumn tour.   It will present a double bill consisting of My Sister, The Serial Killer by Cassa Pancho, based on Oyinkan Braithwaite's novel, and Chanel DaSilva's A Shadow Work.

The company will visit

• Watford on 8 Oct 2025
• Durham on 14 Oct 2025
• Nottingham on 24 Oct 2025
• Coventry on 4 Nov 2025
• Marlowe on 18 Nov 2025
• Sadler's Wells 26 to 29 Nov 2025.

Sadly, the company will miss Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York this year, even though it has danced to packed houses in some of those cities on previous tours.  Nor does it plan to visit Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Nottingham is the nearest venue for us, and Durham for the Scots and Northumbrians.

It is important to note that Ballet Black is more than a touring company.   It has a Junior School with classes in West and East London and an associates programme.   One of the teachers is Cassa Pancho, and I am proud to say that I once attended her class at the Barbican.   I could barely keep up as I was by far the oldest member, but I learnt a lot from her.   Ballet Black also offers online classes and makes some great films. 

Through these and other activities, Ballet Black makes a valuable contribution to the cultural and social life of this country.

Like Water for Chocolate

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The Royal Ballet Lije Water for Chocolate The Royal Opera House, 8 June 2022, 19:30

I saw Like Water for Chocolate on 8 June 2022. It was my first trip back to Covent Garden since Onegin on 18 Jan 2020 (see The Royal Ballet's "Onegin" 8 March 2022).  I set out my first impressions on BalletcoForum immediately after I had seen it and in slightly more detail on Facebook a few hours later. It can be seen from those remarks that I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

The ballet was inspired by Laura Esquivel's novel Como agua para chocolate which has also been made into a film.  The title is curious to English ears probably because few of us make chocolate from scratch.  It refers to emotions that are about to boil over like a pan on the stove.  The reason why emotions run high is that Tita, a young woman, is prevented from marrying her lover, Pedro, by a custom that requires the youngest daughter to care for her mother for so long as she lives.   Her misery increases when her mother persuades Pedro to marry Tita's elder sister and Pedro agrees to do simply to be nearer Tita.   For those who have not yet seen the ballet, read the book or watched the film, the story is here,

In the YouTube video Insights: Lije Water for Chocolate - Beginnings and Origins, the choreographer Christopher Wheeldon explained how he came to create the ballet.  The film was one of the videos that he watched at his lodgings in New York shortly after he had landed before he had time to make friends.  To him, it was a lovely film.   Later he read the novel which he also enjoyed.  The notion of creating a ballet based on the novel took root in his mind at that time.

In the video, Judith Mackrell says that every chapter begins with one of Tita's recipes.  Gastronomy is important to Esquivel who recounted how she prepared meals for Wheeldon at her home.   It is through making delicious meals that Tita expresses her feelings.   That is difficult to replicate on stage which is why the ballet is inspired by the book and not a literal transposition.  In the video, Esquivel compares the art of the chef to that of the choreographer.  The chef has to select and arrange ingredients just as the choreographer has to select and arrange the elements of the ballet.  That analogy is appealing.   One way of appreciating the ballet is to treat it as an analogue to the perfect meal

One of the most important ingredients of that ballet is music.  The composer was Joby Talbot who wrote the score for The Winter's Tale, Alice'sAdventures in Wonderland and Chroma.  The conductor who interpreted Talbot's music is Alondra de la Parra.  She is Mexican and on the day that I saw the ballet she unfurled a massive Mexican flag at the reverence.  She was musical consultant to the company as well as conductor.  She discussed her contribution to the ballet in an interview with Kevin O'Hare.  Mexico is a large and diverse country which de la Parra compared to a planet.  Each region had its own musical traditions and even its own instruments some of which were demonstrated in Insights: Like Water for Chocolate - Music and Design.

Other important ingredients are the sets and costumes.   Wheeldon's designer was Bob Crowley who had worked with Wheeldon on The Winter's Tale and Alice'sAdventures in Wonderland.  The set and costume designers who assisted Crowley appear in the Music and Design video. Esquivel was closely involved in the designs.  Apparently, she is a collector of textiles and there is a charming recollection by Lynette Mauro, the costume designer, of Edquivel's delight as Mauro draped one of her favourite materials around a dancer.  I could see occasional similarities with The Winter's Tale in the designs for Like Water for Chocolate such as a tree as the central feature of one of the scenes.

There are some ballets that I forget the next morning and others that I can remember in every detail from 50 or 60 years ago.   The performance on 8 June 2022 is one of the latter.   It was memorable in every respect.   Yasmine Naghdi was Tita and Cesar Corrales was her Pedro.   Their final dance as their surroundings were consumed by fire was the high point of the ballet and I will remember it for the rest of my life.   The other great female role was Mama Elena danced by Fumi Kaneko,  Hers is perhaps the most difficult role in the work because she is Tita's oppressor but she was also oppressed.  One of the most poignant moments of the show which is rehearsed in the video is the murder of her lover.  There were splendid performances by Claire Calvert as Rosaura, Meaghan Grace Hinkis as Gertrudis and Williams Bracewell as Dr John Brown.   I could continue.   All who took part in the show excelled.  All are to be congratulated/

In the Beginnings and Origins, Wheeldon advised the audience to arrive a little bit earlier than usual to read the programme advice.   That is good advice but it is not enough.  It is not even possible for the thousands around the world who will only see it in the cinema.   The best advice I can give for those who want to appreciate the ballet fully is to watch the three Insight videos which will take three hours to run.  Also, if possible, to read the book and watch the film which I plan to do next.   In a small way, I hope this article will help.

Emotion Pictures

Birmingham Royal Ballet and Birmingham LGBT Emotion Pictures 7 July 2018 ACE Dance and Music Studio, Birmingham

Shortly before England faced Sweden in the quarter finals of the World Cup members of Birmingham LGBT staged a choreographic work called Emotion Pictures at the ACE Dance and Music Studio in the Birmingham inner city district of Digbeth.  Given the timing of the event and the location of the studio a very small audience indeed might have been expected.  Instead, a more than respectable number turned up including at least two of us from Yorkshire.  We clapped and cheered enthusiastically at the end of the performance because it had been a good show.  I was particularly impressed on learning that it was the first performance in public for many of the dancers.

The background to the performance was explained by Maria Hughes in Emotion Pictures: LGBT dance performances with Birmingham Royal Ballet (Event) 2 July 2018 LGBT website:

"Three months ago, Birmingham LGBT partnered with Birmingham Royal Ballet for the Move in Movies programme, a 12 week-long dance participation project for LGBT people. Under the direction of professional instruction from staff members of BRB, participants would be offered the chance to learn dance (across all areas – not just ballet), and contribute to a production (lightening, costume and composing), as well as gaining experience in putting on a dance-piece performance for members of the public."

The choreographers, Jenny Murphy and Fiona Potts, created a 45 minute work inspired by movies that had impressed those taking part in the project. These films included Metropolis, Death in Venice, Titanic and The Greatest Showman.  

The performance began with a slide show of the dancers followed by a short speech from the presenter and then different dances for different films starting with the automaton like movements of the inhabitants of Metropolis. Considering that many received only a few weeks of dance training I was amazed by the achievements of many individual performers.  In particular, one of the men towards the end who executed a tricky tour en l'air as well as other difficult jumps and turns.  As I had met only three of the performers before the show it would be invidious of me to single any of them out any of them by name for special praise.  They all danced well and I congratulate each and every one of them.  I also commend those who designed and made the costumes and provided the lighting.

The department of Birmingham Royal Ballet that partnered with Birmingham LGBT are called Ambassadors.  They are described on the BRB's website as a group of young people who have worked on past projects with the Company and now aim to pass on their skills and experience by supporting other young people taking part in new projects.  Several were in the studio wearing distinctive back t-shirts.

The audience were welcomed to the studios with soft drinks, fresh fruit and other refreshments and invited to stay behind for discussions after the show.  A large flat screen TV was set up for those who wanted to watch the start of the football.  After we had consumed all the food and drink I was invited with other members of the audience to join the cast party at a local bar with concessions that served all sorts of exotic street food.   There was no telly but we were kept informed of the progress of the match from ecstatic cheering from the rest of inner city Birmingham.

I saw a good show, met some interesting people in very convivial circumstances, explored a bit more of one of our nation's great cities and renewed a couple of longstanding acquaintances.  Not a bad way to spend quarter finals match day.

Screen-Stage Interface

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One of the most interesting press releases to have emanated from Northern Ballet recently was the announcement of the appointment of Kenneth Tindall as artistic director digital and choreographer in residence (see Northern Ballet appoints Kenneth Tindall to Artistic Staff 31 May 2018). Many congratulations to Kenneth!  It could not have happened to a nicer fellow. And congratulations also to Northern Ballet.  A very savvy decision.  I am sure that Kenneth will do an excellent job.

Kenneth is, of course, very well established.  Two young dancers who are beginning to rise in their careers are Thomas van Damme and Yuanyuan Zhang of the Dutch National Ballet. Thomas and Yuanyuan have their own YouTube channel called "The Ballet Couple".  I first wrote about them last September in The Ballet Couple. Since then, Yuanyuan has been promoted to grand sujet and Thomas from élève to the corps. 

Every week they offer some tips about dancing.  Last Friday, for instance they discussed the ideal age to take up and the time to retire from ballet.  On when to start ballet they said that it is possible to begin at any age unless you want to dance professionally. For adult ballet students - particularly for those of us who have taken it up or resumed it very late in life - that is very encouraging. But it is also good to know that you don't have to start too early even if you want to go on stage.

As for when to retire Thomas and Yuanyuan said that it is very much a personal matter and they discussed some of the factors that dancers consider. When I asked Yuanyuan about her long term ambitions five years ago she said that she said her immediate aim was to get into the main but company but in the future she could see herself as a ballet master.

In other clips Yuanyuan talks about pointe shoes and there is a lovely film on the opening night gala.

However, it is not all about ballet.

On Tuesday for example they suggested using a pint class as a loud speaker. It does work Thomas.  It's the same principle as a megaphone. I am a bit more dubious about hanging a second hanger from the aluminium ring pull of a drinks can. I can think up all sorts of problems like collapsing wardrobe rails and scrunched up clothes. Probably cheaper and easier to buy Probably cheaper and easier to get another wardrobe or at least a clothes rail from Ikea. I preferred the previous film about an elegant way of opening a packet of corn chips and I guess it would also work for crisps.

There are also some charming videos about celebrating a national holiday, food that dancers really eat, opening a package of Chinese goodies and a really soppy one "Yes together until we die."

The Ballet Couple

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There is a great overlap between film and dance. It started long before The Red Shoes.  Pavlova experimented with the camera as you can see from her clip of The Dying Swan In Leeds of All Places - Ashton Pavlova and Magic  18 Sept 2013.  So, too, did Nijinsky as you can see from Hommage au Faun 9 July 2013.

When I interviewed Kenny Tindall in "A Many Sided Genius" - Tindall on Casanova 4 March 2017 we talked about the cinema which he refers to as "church". Tindal compared the work of a choreographer to that of the director of a film:

"The roles were similar and maybe even converging as techniques and technology that had been developed for the cinema were increasingly used in ballet. I recalled the filming of The Architect to which project I had contributed (see Tindall's Architect - How to Get a Piece of the Action - Literally! 7 June 2014). I asked whether another film might result from Casanova. Tindall’s eyes sparkled. No concrete plans as yet, he said, but would it not be splendid to film Act I in Venice and Act II in Paris."

I was reminded of my conversation with Tindall when I saw New Moves on 24 June 2017.   As I said in my review:

"The most dramatic work of the evening was Thomas van Damme's Convergence which he created for Skyler Martin and Clara Superfine to music by Gorecki. Superfine is yet another dancer whose career I follow closely (see Thank You Ernst 17 March 2016). Through superb use of lighting reminiscent of cinema, he seemed to force the dancers together. They seemed to approach each other but not as lovers, more like predator and prey. It seemed like a gripping narrative though the programme notes suggest something gentler:

"1. Independent development of similar characters often associate with similarity of habits or environment.
2. Moving toward union or uniformity."

As he has mastered the technique of building suspense, I look forward to seeing whether van Damme will use that technique in his future work."

I have not had to wait very long. He used the same technique in Girls Night with Riho Sakamoto and Yuanyuan Zhang,  This is one of a number of short films that Thomas van Damme has made with Youanyuan Zhang as The Ballet Couple.  They have their own YouTube Channel, Facebook page and Twitter stream.  They describe themselves as:

"Professional ballet dancers in love enjoying life and youtube. 

Follow us in our life with our special jobs and crazy adventures! 

Tell us about your adventures and experiences with dance or other. 

Love, 

Yuanyuan & Thomas"

You have already seen enough of them to appreciate their talents.  Just imagine their potential.

The Red Shoes

Publicity Photo for the Red Shoes

 Author Ballerinailina

Source Wikipedia

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If you are already a balletomane or film buff you will know all about The Red Shoes choreographed by Sir Robert Helpmann and featuring Moira Shearer, Ludmilla Tchérina and Léonide Massine. If you are not a balletomane you will perhaps begin to understand the condition if you watch the film. You have the chance now and for the next 6 days to watch it on BBC iPlayer. You can also download a short talk on the film by Deborah Bull.

Although the film carries a notice that it is a work of fiction and that any resemblance with individuals living or dead is purely coincidental the parallels between the film character Boris Lermontov and the impresario Sergei Daghilev are overwhelming. Diaghilev introduced the British public as well as much of the rest of the world to the Russian imperial ballet. However, he did much more than that. He surrounded himself with brilliant young artists and composers as  well as dancers from around the world and employed them to create the most dazzling productions. Ballet is not just choreography and dancing. It is the synthesis of many arts - drama, music, painting et cetera - the product of something that is so much greater than its component parts. That is what attracted me to ballet nearly 60 years ago and it is also why I just can't see enough of the stuff.

In her talk Deborah Bull lists so many reasons why one should dislike the film such as the outrageous attitude to women and its outlandish clichés and yet she loves the film as I do. One of the reasons she gives is its authenticity and she mentions a missed step by Moira Shearer which only a dancer would recognize. Certainly that point eluded me until Deborah Bull mentioned it but then I am not a dancer in the way that she is. But I also recognize authenticity in the film from the perspective of the humble theatre goer. Ballet is life for us just as it is for the dancers.

Red Shoes was made 6 months before I was born which makes it a very old film. It contains shots of the old fruit market and the stone staircase up to the amphitheatre and the upper and lower slips that I remember well. The accents are clipped.  Yet this film remains fresh. It is one of the most beautiful that I have ever seen. My favourite by a country mile.

Post Script

Deborah Bull talked about authenticity from a dancer's perspective and I alluded far more vaguely to authenticity from the audience's perspective without giving an example. I have just thought of one. Shortly after Pavlova died the theatre in which she was due to perform presented the ballet as scheduled but instead of her a spotlight traced her steps around the stage. For those who were there it must have been one of the most poignant moments of their lives. The gesture was repeated in The Red Shoes after the heroine still in costume and wearing the red shoes threw herself in front of a train.

Tindall's Architect - How to Get a Piece of the Action - Literally!

Last month our beloved Northern Ballet danced at the Linbury Studio Theatre to packed houses and favourable reviews. It was by no means their first season in London but it was their first at Covent Garden and their success filled all of us woad-painted, ferret-tending, coal-in-the-bath-storing Borealians with pride. There were regrettably attempts to puncture that pride by one who should have known better who dismissed  one of our wonderful choreographers as one of "dozens of others who have done a few pieces, successful or otherwise". But, never mind. A week or two later my pride was more than restored when Christopher Marney listed Martha Leebolt and other Northern Ballet dancers among his favourites.

One of the most popular works at the Linbury was Kenneth Tindall's Luminous Junc•ture.  That is an impressive work that I saw and reviewed last June (see Angelic - Northern Ballet's Mixed Bill 9 June 2013).  In less than a fortnight Northern Ballet are bringing the programme that they danced so successfully in London back to Leeds but, instead of Luminous Junc•ture, Tindall has created a new ballet called The Architect.

According to Northern Ballet's website this ballet was inspired by Genesis. The score is  Zinc by Zoe Keating Remix, ...Og Lengra by Olafur Arnalds, Aria by Balanescu Quartet, Til Enda by Olafur Arnalds and Architect of the mind by Kerry Muzzey. The sets and costumes are by Christopher Giles. If you visit that page you will see a gorgeous drawing of two of the costumes by Giles and a dramatic photo by Darren Goldsmith of Benjamin Mitchell and Giuliano Contadini in a scene from that ballet.

I am, of course, looking forward to seeing this work very much indeed but ballets being transitory it will be over all too quickly. However, there is a chance of preserving this work on film for I have just seen a post on by Hannah Bateman on Kickstarter appealing for funding for the filming of the work by Stephen Lally. Most of the money for the project has been raised but Lally and his team still need to raise another £3,000 by private subscription in the next 12 days and they are already well on their way there. If you want to contribute you can offer anything from £1 upwards and there are incentives like signed posters and advanced viewing of the picture if you do.

Tindall isn't just one of "dozens of others who have done a few pieces, successful or otherwise". He is good. I have seen Bitter Earth as well as Luminous Junc•ture and I look forward to more.