The Forsythe Programme, English National Ballet
English National Ballet dancers performing William Forsythe’s Playlist (EP) © Photography by ASH
Music is intrinsic to a dance’s success.
Does it match the style? Is it accessible, a joy to listen to or jarring and distracting? Does it heighten emotions, tell the narrative?
It’s a theorem that I’ve been developing over my first year on the review circuit, and one that has been proven in the new mixed programme by English National Ballet.
A continuation of their collaboration with celebrated choreographer William Forsythe, their latest triple bill saw the return of crowd-pleaser Playlist (EP), alongside owner of the best title Herman Schmerman (so called because it means nothing, like the non-narrative choreography it titles), and premiere of Rearray, a reworking of a 2011 work created on celebrated ballerina Sylvie Guillem.
An admirer of George Balanchine, the influential American choreographer with top-notch musicality and inflective limbs, Forsythe takes this balletic style further, skilfully emphasising every note of a score through a pause, foot tap or hand tilt, adding in humorous quirks and runs to keep us on our toes, and splaying arms out wide. It is his knack for bringing a score alive that makes his work such a joy to watch, and why music is such an important element of his creations.
So, it’s a shame that the first two scores missed the mark.
Sangeun Lee, Rentaro Nakaaki and Henry Dowden performing William Forsythe’s Rearray (London Edition 2025) © Photography by ASH
Rearray (London Edition 2025) (to give it its full title), was a dance for three: two men and one woman. Accented by blackouts, the piece was danced in silence with the odd burst of eerie piano notes or screeching strings. It made for uncomfortable watching and I struggled to connect. To pull off Forsythe’s style you need to be able to ease into a move and then switch into feisty bursts of staccato energy with high precision: none accomplished this better than Sangeun Lee. There were some interesting choreographic phrases in this – the men’s duets featured arms that interlocked and wove – but it wasn’t enough to hold my attention, hardly developing in style or nature or pace to keep me intrigued to see where it headed.
English National Ballet dancers performing William Forsythe’s Herman Schmerman © Photography by ASH
Herman Schmerman was a relief in that we had a full score, but I found Thom Willems’ jazzy creation jarring. The musician in me (by which I mean I did piano to grade 5 for a decade, and incredibly poorly at that), cringed at the unexpected tempo changes and bizarre bursts of noise. The dancing on stage reflected the busyness of the score, with most of the steps performed asynchronously, which made the whole work a tad overwhelming. Once the score settled a little, I could fully appreciate the dance in front of me (Francesco Gabriele Frola put on an exceptionally powerful performance as usual), but alas it was a little too late in the day to win me over.
Precious Adams performing William Forsythe’s Playlist (EP) © Photography by ASH
Playlist (EP), I’m pleased to report, is still a revelation. Last seen at Sadler’s Wells in 2022, its genius is in its simplicity: athletic, crowd-pleasing ballet, set to a party-starting score of Jax Jones, Khalid and Natalie Cole. The vibe of the auditorium completely changed. Whoops were heard throughout, people (me) were dancing in their seats. It was a world away from the uncomfortable coughing earlier in the evening. Synchronous group numbers saw bouncy knees and toe tapping, while sparky soloists showed off their talent with spins, leaps and deft musicality. For it is musicality that makes this work great. Anyone can put on beloved tracks and create good dance. But dance that reacts this closely to the score? Finds space in a beat and then flicks off a trill in the undercarriage of the bass? My notebook was down, my face gazed in awe, and I simply absorbed the joy.
★★★★
Rearray (London Edition 2025), Herman Schmerman and Playlist (EP) by William Forsythe
Performed by English National Ballet at Sadler’s Wells, London / 10 April 2025
Press ticket
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