Sadlerâs Wells; Royal Opera House, London
Cue rapturous applause â and backbends â as the stars of ENB and the Royal Ballet storm back to live performance in two bold, future-facing programmes
âAccelerating mayhemâ: members of English National Ballet perform Arielle Smithâs Jolly Folly. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
âAccelerating mayhemâ: members of English National Ballet perform Arielle Smithâs Jolly Folly. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
Sun 23 May 2021 04.00 EDT
Ballet is back, and itâs the little things Iâve missed. The slap of a sole on the floor, the skitter of a pointe shoe. That sudden intake of breath before a leap. The swoosh of a turn. Those tiny sounds of effort and release are signifiers of the bigger thing that makes live dance unique: its ability to embody a wide range of emotion in a tangible form.