BALLET BLACK AT 25
Sadler’s Wells Theatre
★★★★★
“Ballet Black remains as vital, distinctive and necessary as ever”
Internationally acclaimed Ballet Black marks its twenty-fifth anniversary with a tremendously powerful double bill. Balancing hope, resilience and protest, ‘…all towards hope’ and ‘Ingoma’ are a poignant tribute to the company’s legacy and the lives Black History Month seeks to honour.
We open with Hope Boykin’s vibrant new work, ‘…all towards hope’, followed by Mthuthuzeli November’s devastating ‘Ingoma’.
Created for the anniversary, Boykin’s UK choreographic debut ‘…all towards hope’ is an uplifting celebration of shared humanity. Set alongside Boykin’s own searching narration, it fuses dance styles with warmth and fluidity, moving through moments of joy, pain, frustration and connection. Vignettes of everyday life accumulate into a richly human portrait, embracing both struggle and celebration. If it feels a touch fragmented in places and ends a little quietly, its sincerity and generosity remain deeply affecting.
Boykin’s uplifting text is paired with Bill Laurance’s evocative score, its recurring phrases revealing new meaning with each iteration. The seamless blend of classical and rhythmic sections feels vibrant, with a gloriously jazzy interlude emerging as a joyous highlight.
David Plater’s superb lighting shifts effortlessly from earthy warmth to playful contrast, beautifully complemented by Jessica Cabassa’s striking costumes. Individually distinctive in colour and cut, the gorgeous swirls of chiffon move with elegant fluidity.
If ‘…all towards hope’ looks optimistically forward, Mthuthuzeli November’s Olivier and Black British Theatre Award-winning ‘Ingoma’ shows why social justice remains as urgent as ever. Whether inspired by the South African 1946 Mine Workers’ strike or the 2012 Marikana massacre – the website and programme seem to disagree – its message remains painfully clear: the scars of apartheid are far from healed. Expressed through an exquisite contemporary movement language that feels both strikingly fresh yet deeply assured, ‘Ingoma’ captures grief, rage and resilience in equal measure – a stirring testament to the determination to endure.
Peter Johnson and November’s superb score blends isiXhosa text, rhythmic urgency and expansive metric freedom, creating a soundscape that feels both grounded and abstract. Constantly shifting yet never losing momentum, it captures the work’s emotional force with relentless tension.
Plater’s lighting is breathtaking, with ghostly headlamps and an exposed rear rig creating some very dramatic moments. Yann Seabra’s understated costumes prove just as eloquent, with pleated asymmetric skirts sweeping through the space and a defiantly bare chest asserting freedom against oppression.
The ten-strong ensemble is magnificent in both works, executing the demanding choreography with razor-sharp precision and total conviction. From spiky, percussive movement to soaring, fluid passages, every phrase is delivered with complete authority. Their emotional depth is equally striking, especially in ‘Ingoma’, where Ebony Thomas and Isabela Coracy deliver a masterclass in strength, control and expression. Collectively, they are spellbinding.
Twenty-five years on, Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black remains as vital, distinctive and necessary as ever. This is a thrilling celebration of its past, and an exhilarating promise of what’s still to come.
BALLET BLACK AT 25
Sadler’s Wells Theatre then UK Tour continues
Reviewed on 14th October 2026
by Hannah Bothelton
Photography by ASH
