Matthew Paluch

Tulsa Ballet made its Linbury Theatre debut last night, and the dancers of the company made a strong impression. Seeing a company for the first time one never truly knows what to expect, but these dancers could hold their own on any global opera house stage.

Rosas return to Sadler's Wells for the UK premiere of Il Cimento dell’Armonia e dell’Inventione, a choreographic collaboration between De Keersmaeker and Radouan Mriziga of collective A7LA5.

A Good Man is Hard to Find could be the title of a very inoffensive romcom, but in fact it's the latest work from the avant-garde duo BULLYACHE.Coined as a “brutal breakdown of power and the elite” the work is a journey in itself…from crawling slug men to snuff movie style sacrifice. With so much on offer it could feel lost, yet overall the work is definitely a success. And an original one.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, otherwise known as the Trocks, are back at Sadler’s Wells as part of their National tour of a mixed bill until 6 May. Post-show I think I might be losing my sense of humour…but thankfully most of the Sadler’s Wells audience seemed happy!

There was something in the air on Friday night…and it wasn't just pollen! One could describe it as the school show of all school shows - but that might be doing it a disservice. Enter the room AUGMENTED: Dance powered by MAM + AISOMA, a collaboration between Juilliard, Rambert School and Studio Wayne McGregor.

Sir Wayne McGregor was appointed Resident Choreographer of the Royal Ballet in 2006, the first from a contemporary dance background, and here we are 20 years later acknowledging that fact with a triple bill of his work for the company called Alchemies.

The Linbury Theatre at the Royal Ballet and Opera felt transformed last night for the opening of International Draft Works 2026 - but not always by the choreography.

Mayerling is an experience - let no one tell you otherwise. Kenneth MacMillan’s 1978 ballet delves into the true story of the 19th century Austro-Hungarian court, and specifically the experience of the heir apparent; Crown Prince Rudolf.

What makes work interesting? What it is? How it makes you feel? That's the million dollar question I suppose…and one that Alexander Whitley's work continues to ask. Whitley has just opened a double bill of new work at Sadler’s Wells East called The Rite of Spring / Mirror, with both pieces looking at the human relationship with AI - or so we're told in the programme.

Sci-fi, like most things, is an acquired taste, and not something you often find related to dance. Enter The Coronet Theatre for once again pushing the boundaries of avant-garde programming. Last And First Men (2024) by Neon Dance is a multimedia work that definitely gets the brain working in pre-performance research and post-show afterthought. The live experience itself is a slightly confusing one in relation to content, intention and cohesion.

Giselle is a difficult ballet to get right. The balance between the “reality” of Act 1 and the Gothic otherworldlyness of Act 2 can be extremely hard to find, and the responsibility falls on all those involved.

Marcelino Sambé currently stars in the revival of Glen Tetley’s Pierrot Lunaire at the Royal Ballet and Opera's Linbury Theatre and is supported by a very strong cast of Mayara Magri and Matthew Ball. And an even stronger presence in the soprano Alexandra Lowe.

Sir Wayne McGregor is a titan of the dance world - and a divisive one. For some he's the next Messiah, for others, the Emperor's new clothes. Normally I'm veering towards the latter, but his 2015 triptych Woolf Works is perhaps his most successful work to date.

Considering Ballet Black has been around for 24 years, it seems unbelievable that the current double bill Shadows is also a Sadler's Wells debut. Unfortunately it isn't their strongest work to date, choreographically speaking.

When a night is all about the music, and the music isn't for you, things aren't going to go smoothly. A case in point is Marking Time at Sadler’s Wells. The triple bill uses and celebrates the work of composer Nico Muhly, and features choreography by Jules Cunningham, Maud Le Pladec and Michael Keegan-Dolan.

The Royal Ballet season continues with Perspectives: Balanchine, Marston, Peck. A triple bill that will supposedly “ignite the imagination” - stir, perhaps; ignite, not quite.

Sharon Eyal and her S-E-D Dance Company return to Sadler's Wells with a UK premiere of INTO THE HAIRY, but if honest, I've definitely seen the material before. The programme info is clear; “parts of the creation were originally created in the frame of THIS IS NOT A LOVE SHOW (January 2022)”, the world premiere was at Montpellier Danse in June 2023, and I undoubtedly saw swathes of the material in R.O.S.E at Sadler’s Wells East in July this year.

What did our critic think of JOBURG BALLET - COMMUNION OF LIGHT at Royal Ballet And Opera: Linbury Theatre?

Normally all we see are signs confirming no photography or filming at the theatre, but Elena Antoniou wants you to do the exact opposite during her work LANDSCAPE. The piece was part of the Dance Umbrella festival and was performed for two nights in the Assembly Hall at Shoreditch Town Hall. 

Dance Umbrella - the contemporary dance festival - started in 1978 and continues its mission today. One can always expect the unexpected…however, Sunday Shorts - “a screening of short films that draw on global perspectives and have movement at their heart” was far from what I'd hoped it would be.