IF YOU’RE A FAN OF BALLET AND HEAVY METAL, YOU’RE IN FOR A TREAT

By Rachel Cameron-Potter | Stuff Rachel Says | Press Invite

Since the release of their eponymous debut album in 1970, Black Sabbath reigned as the royalty of rock and roll. Dubbed the founders of heavy metal, the band have it all: anti-war anthems, studio sessions in castle dungeons, Satanic imagery, trashed hotel rooms, and lots of cocaine (in fact, more than £80,000 worth).

Such themes seldom seem fitting on a ballet stage, and yet Carlos Acosta’s Black Sabbath: The Ballet works rather well. Aside from the occasional incongruity, the performance embodies rebellious creative freedom, featuring lengthy guitar riffs, eternal kisses and a surprise appearance from founding member Tony Iommi.

The first act begins with Ozzy Osbourne singing the first lines of War Pigs over the speakers of the auditorium, as a white disc displaying the band’s iconic logo – a flying devil – looms above the stage. 16 black-clad ballet dancers take to the stage, responding to the song’s anti-war message with a series of arm swinging, claw-like movements – unfortunately, not entirely in sync – choreographed by Raúl Reinoso.

Following what could be considered an underwhelming opener, the opening pitch bend of Iron Man introduces guitarist Marc Hayward as a kind of Guitar Spirit, molding the movements of the dancers with electrifying guitar riffs, and at one point is carried around the stage by the dancers while still shredding his Gibson.

After a round of riffing, an orchestral cover of Solitude plays, where two dancers – Yaoqian Shang and Javier Rojas – perform an impressive pas de deux, maintaining a kiss throughout a piece wrought with lifts, holds and delicate movements.

To round off the first act, Hayward returns to the stage playing Paranoid, turning the darker mood transpired from the previous performance to a more uplifting one before the sound of rain and thunder from Black Sabbath signals the end of Act I. While Hayward was a delight to watch, the dancers, perhaps encouraged to “rock out”, at times move quite awkwardly, the freestyle jumping juxtaposing quite harshly with the bouts of polished choreography. 

Choreographed by Cassi Abranches, Act II: The Band takes on a more intimate feel as voice overs from the band recount their journey from working class boys in Birmingham to international heavy metal rockstars. Lit by six lines of neon guitar strings, solo dancers respond to the rhythms of these voice recordings, with a notably electric performance from Ava May Llewellyn as she acts out the chaotic inner workings of Ozzy Osbourne’s mind.

Act III: Everybody Is A Fan can only be described as a triumph. Focusing on the legacy of the band, Hayward returns to the stage to reprise War Pigs and Paranoid, while dancers return to more traditional ballet moves choreographed by Pontus Lidberg, occasionally interspersed with air guitar performances on tyre-sized vinyls. Central to the performance is a lifelike metallic demon perched atop an upturned car, representing the band’s legacy as it takes on a new lease of life in ballet. And before the curtain falls, there’s one more surprise: none other than Tony Iommi takes the stage to perform alongside Hayward, bringing the audience to their feet for a well-deserved standing ovation.

Despite an arguably patchy opening, Carlos Acosta’s rock and roll ballet ended on a high, bringing classical lovers and metalheads together for a show-stopping performance. This unorthodox combination embodies Black Sabbath’s bold, risky approach to performance, cementing their legacy in an unexpected, yet totally brilliant, art form.

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Photo Credit: Johan Persson