London – Marking its 75th season with undeniable flair, English National Ballet’s return to Sadler’s Wells with The Forsythe Programme is a potent reminder of ballet’s boundless ability to surprise, provoke, and electrify. Curated around the works of pioneering choreographer William Forsythe, this triple bill delivers a thrilling evening of muscular elegance, precision chaos, and joyful rebellion.
Opening the night is Playlist (EP), Forsythe’s infectiously jubilant fusion of ballet classicism and pop culture bravado. Set to the irresistible beats of Barry White, Natalie Cole, and Khalid, the piece pulses with energy from its first beat. It’s a bold, gleeful celebration of bodies in motion—where pirouettes glide into hip isolations and grand jetés burst like fireworks to the rhythm of soul and R&B. Originally crafted for ENB in 2018 and last performed in 2022, the extended edit continues to radiate freshness. The dancers’ athleticism is matched only by their sheer delight, and the audience feeds off their joy like a standing ovation in waiting.
If Playlist is the party, Herman Schmerman (Quintet) is the philosophical comedown. Not seen in the UK in nearly three decades, it remains a masterclass in Forsythe’s distinctive language: kinetic intelligence wrapped in irony. The Thom Willems score—a percussive, almost abrasive electronic landscape—creates an edgy terrain where movement doesn’t so much follow the music as argue with it. Forsythe’s choreography fractures the classical form, but never formlessly. The five dancers—measured, precise, fiercely engaged—inhabit their roles with both control and wit. Every flick of the foot or unexpected pause feels like punctuation in a highly articulate argument.
Then comes Rearray (London Edition 2025)—and with it, the allure of the unknown. A new evolution of Forsythe’s 2011 work originally crafted for Sylvie Guillem, this iteration is reimagined for a trio of ENB dancers. It is, at heart, a meditation on time, space, and the malleability of structure. Forsythe continues to push his own boundaries, and the result here is cerebral and quietly magnetic. The trio moves with the stealth and sensitivity of conspirators—at times intersecting, at times orbiting one another. The emotional temperature is cooler, the tempo less insistent, yet the tension is palpable. It’s a piece that demands—and rewards—close attention.
Aaron S. Watkin’s first full season as Artistic Director is off to a formidable start. This programme feels like a statement: forward-thinking, unafraid, and unapologetically contemporary. While honouring Forsythe’s legacy, ENB asserts its own identity—versatile, daring, and joyously in motion.
Whether you come for the infectious groove of Playlist, the razor-sharp intellect of Herman Schmerman, or the mysterious geometry of Rearray, this evening is more than a tribute. It is a living dialogue between tradition and revolution—and one well worth eavesdropping on.
★★★★★
The Forsythe Programme runs at Sadler’s Wells until 19 April 2025.