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

Returning to London for the first time since 2013, the National Ballet of Canada brings the works of three ambitious Canadian choreographers to the Sadler’s Wells stage.

Up first was James Kudelka’s Passion, a tripartite dance set to the piano transcription of Beethoven’s violin concerto. Performed by two couples – one classic, one contemporary – and the Corps de Ballet, Passion is a love story whose structure mirrors the musical score, the couples weaving in and out of the Corps de Ballet, reflecting the complexity of relationships across time.

Unfortunately, Passion lacked, well, passion. As the classical couple convey an idyllic, almost fairytale-like partnership, twirling across the stage in a tutu and tux, while the contemporary couple sullenly glance at one another from across the stage, coming together and apart sporadically, representing a more fractious relationship. However, instead of depicting a fiery, cataclysmic love affair, the contemporary couple came across as muted and lacklustre, pacing to and fro between repetitive movements in costumes that, while capturing the contemporary, seemed out of place on the stage.

Emma Portner’s islands, however, kicked off the second act with a bang. First premiering at the Norwegian National Ballet in 2020, Portner’s debut choreography is an electrifying “sculptural duet” set to contemporary hip hop, with the two women dancers moving seamlessly together, at points appearing as one with legs and arms intertwined, shielding limbs and torsos behind one another to create the illusion of one body with four legs or arms. While at the start of the set the dancers were rooted to a singular space beneath a spotlight, the performance was anything but static, replete with enigmatic moves that gave way to flowing motions as the dance progressed. Both dancers brought personality to this unusual but entertaining piece, and delivered a performance that can only be described as mesmerising.

If you hadn’t read the programme before sitting down, it wouldn’t take long to work out that the final dance of the evening was inspired by the ethereal. Crystal Pite’s Angels’ Atlas begins with 32 figures laying on the stage in darkness, as a crystalline white light refracts and expands across the backdrop, evoking a cathedral of light. Dressed in genderless, monochrome costumes, the dancers start by moving as one to haunting choral music, before pockets of dancers break off to begin their own slow, rhythmic movements. As the group leaves the stage, a series of powerful, energetic duets take their place, before the group reappears to conclude the performance.

What was particularly striking about Pite’s composition was the level of emotion that came with this heavenly display. Through expressions of grief, rage and violence juxtaposed against the otherworldly backdrop, the dancers tell the tale of anguish as angels watch over the earth, witnessing endless suffering at the hands of humanity. While Portner’s dancers were thrilling to watch, I found myself noticeably moved by Pite’s choreography, once again showcasing her talent for moving masses – literally on the stage, and metaphorically in the audience.

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Photo Credit: Hannah Galway and Siphesihle November in Angels’ Atlas. Photo by Karolina Kuras, courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada