English National Ballet celebrate William Forsythe with a delightful double bill which will be extremely popular.
Blake Works 1 is choreographed to music by James Blake, taking seven songs from his album, The Colour in Anything.
Playlist (EP), formerly Playlist (Track 1, 2) was created for male dancers and is now recreated to include females. Traditional steps are set to contemporary music by Peven Everett, Lion Babe, Khalid, Barry White and Natalie Cole
Forsythe takes the vocabulary of classical dance and rethinks its connection and shapes. ‘I want,’ he says, ‘to make ballet more popular because the dancers are fantastic. I want people to love them more and appreciate what they do.’
The double bill is both laidback and energetic. The dancers have the freedom to play off each other. It feels improvised; yet it’s highly structured.
Tamara Rojo, ENB’s artistic director, says the company loved every minute of working with Forsythe. That love is very visible. Everybody is having fun. It’s just like a party
The solos, duets, the ensemble, the constantly changing formations, the complex footwork, the abrupt entrances and exits, the percussive beats, the bounce, the sheer expertise…. The Forsythe Evening, exuberant and fast moving, is easy to watch and very easy to like.
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