THE RITE OF SPRING / MIRROR

Sadler’s Wells East

★★★★

“a thrilling fusion of disciplines”

The world premiere of Alexander Whitley’s ‘The Rite of Spring / Mirror’ is fierce, confronting and visually arresting. Using real-time generative AI and motion capture technology, this double bill stunningly interrogates AI’s accelerating influence and our ability to keep up.

We open with ‘Mirror’, inspired by Shannon Vallor’s book “The AI Mirror”, illuminating the distortions AI throws back at us. Charting the shifting relationship between two humans and an increasingly intelligent machine, it’s a vivid study of how AI stands to reshape the world around us.

Whitley’s collaboration with creative technologist, Luca Biada, seamlessly fuses dance and technology, creating a series of sharp, unsettling observations. Whitley’s choreography is exhilarating, opening with the full force and beauty of unenhanced humanity. But AI suddenly intrudes – without warning, the dancers are tracked in real time before ghostly avatars emerge from the darkness. With dramaturgy by Sasha Milavic Davies and technical direction from Dom Martin, the interplay between dance and technology expertly reveals the power shift from human to machine, and before long a far darker, more distorted world emerges.

Dancers Gabriel Ciulli and Daisy Dancer deliver the sequences with thrilling precision, holding the audience rapt with their control, power and impossibly clean lines. They also draw out the emotional undercurrent with real clarity, shifting effortlessly between trepidation, playfulness and fear. Set to a gripping abstract score by Galya Bisengalieva – sometimes expansive, sometimes frenetic – the work melds music and movement into an utterly cohesive whole.

Mirella Weingarten’s set design is relatively simple, with a ring of seven poles hosting the all-seeing infrared cameras, providing a striking frame for Biada’s generative AI spectacle. Weingarten’s inverted monochrome unitards, speckled with motion capture dots, cut cleanly against the AI visual riot. Joshie Harriette’s lighting design, with associate Sarah Danielle Martin, extends the visual tension, shifting from stark geometric patterns to swirling galactic chaos. The sound design packs a punch, increasing the tension with some aggressively loud sections.

And then comes ‘The Rite of Spring’, an expansive, cinematic reimagining of Stravinsky’s avant garde ballet. Whitley’s interpretation trades ancient pagan gods for all powerful AI, re-examining human sacrifice through a contemporary lens and pressing us to question how much has really changed.

Whitley and Biada once again fuse technology and dance, using motion capture to turn five performers into a mesmeric, shape shifting multitude. Circles dominate the choreography and AI imagery, generating a hypnotic wormhole of endless cycles. The climactic scene erupts in an epic, incendiary self-sacrifice, though visual spectacle perhaps eclipses choreographic craft in places. This time, technology reads more as translation than interrogation, making me wonder if the two works might land more impactfully in the opposite order.

Ciulli and Dancer are joined by Nafisah Baba, Natnael Dawit and Elaini Lalousis, who channel a fierce, primal energy, moving as though seized by the very force driving the piece. Stravinsky’s iconic score blazes in all its discordant glory. Oppressive, driving, and primal, it keeps the whole piece on edge.

Weingarten’s ring of cameras sprouts ropes, sprawling like a giant neurone before ensnaring their next victim. The earthier costumes contain ominous hints, such as bloodstains tracing the dancers’ spines. Harriette and Martin’s lighting becomes increasingly infernal, further charged with searching red spots lights.

‘The Rite of Spring / Mirror’ is a thrilling fusion of disciplines, raising urgent existential questions for a society on the brink of AI revolution. Though ‘Mirror’ feels more resonant, both works are stunning blends of dance and AI that will quite literally never be the same twice. Catch them while you can!

THE RITE OF SPRING / MIRROR

Sadler’s Wells East

Reviewed on 18th March 2026

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Oskein

THE RITE OF SPRING

★★★½

“cheeky, charming and delightfully frothy”

Two hundred years after the first tutu floated onto the stage, Chicos Mambo’s ‘TUTU’ gleefully tears up the rulebook. This irreverent send up of ballet’s most sacred traditions invites you to revel in the mischief, even if it drifts a little off course.

This gender fluid dance revue playfully dismantles dance traditions. With an almost entirely male cast, expect cheeky twists on everything from pointe work and partnering, to fouettés and famous sequences. Even ballroom and rhythmic gymnastics can’t escape a playful ribbing – though none so affectionately as the legendary tutu.

With choreography from Artistic Director Philippe Lafeuille and Assistant Choreographer Flavie Hennion, the show feels like a tale of two halves. The first lands with confidence and flair, featuring an instantly recognisable music box opener, cheeky tutu trousered legs revealing bare chested bravado, and a magically lit floating tutu. Early numbers have plenty to say, turning everything from Cygnets to Strictly, Rose Adagio to Rite of Spring into a cutting joke with a clear point of view. There’s substance too, with a sinuous aerial rope sequence showcasing male grace, and impressively executed pointe solos proving the form isn’t gender bound.

The second half loses momentum, however, with early sharp technical work fading into less witty sections; the rhythmic gymnastics and hairography routines feel a little stretched, and some gags become overused. The dance references thin out and the tutu motif stops evolving. The ending also pulls its punches, closing with a slower, slightly puzzling pom pom sequence that cuts to an abrupt blackout – though the shower of colourful pom poms is a fun touch. Overall, it feels like the opening spark gets a little lost.

The dancers – Marc Behra, David Guasgua, Julien Mercier, Kamil Pawel Jasinski, Vincent Simon, Vincenzo Veneruso and Adele Borde – excel in balancing strength, grace and cheeky charm. They demonstrate strong technique in all styles, especially the effortless pointe work. The comic sections sparkle overall, driven by crisp timing and unflagging energy. Their vocalisations – rare in classical ballet – give the piece a subversive lift.

The soundtrack and sound design by Antisten blend modern and classical tracks, including iconic ballet moments like the Rose Adagio from ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and the Dance of the Cygnets from ‘Swan Lake’. Upbeat choices, such as a cha-cha ‘Blue Danube’ and ‘Dirty Dancing’ nod, add a bright contemporary edge. There’s a gorgeous shift in mood during the quieter aerial rope sequence, and whimsical touches such as crowd sounds add extra texture. Overall, it feels thoughtfully curated and well-constructed.

Corinne Petitpierre’s costume design, assisted by Anne Tesson, centres on playful send ups of the classic tutu, with witty variations ranging from tutu trousers, ducks, nappies and the tiniest tutus imaginable. The bold, funny concepts open strongly, though seem to thin out as the piece progresses, leaving the overall message less clearly defined.

Dominique Mabileau’s lighting design, assisted by Guillaume Tesson, is beautifully realised, using selective illumination to striking effect. The puppet like sequences – especially the tutu chase and assisted pas de deux – are standout moments, sharpened by clever, precise lighting.

The bare stage effectively places the focus squarely on the dancers, and the black backdrop allows a black clad crew to create moments of pure stage magic.

Chicos Mambo’s ‘TUTU’ delivers a fun, easy-going night, even if it wanders off course. It’s well worth a trip if you’re in the mood for something cheeky, charming and delightfully frothy.

Tag Archives: Sadler’s Wells East

THE RITE OF SPRING / MIRROR

★★★★

Sadler’s Wells East

THE RITE OF SPRING / MIRROR

Sadler’s Wells East

★★★★

“a thrilling fusion of disciplines”