BB'A New Beginning' reviews BB 'Elegie' reviews BB 'Pas de Trois' reviews BB 'Boogaloo Rooms' reviews Pancho in reviews Grannum in reviews recent Ballet Black reviews more PhilipB reviews

The show consisted of four pieces, described as “original and inspired neoclassical works”, each lasting around 15 minutes each. The opening piece, appropriately enough, was called A New Beginning, choreographed by ballet master Denzil Bailey and danced by all six dancers, including Pancho and Bailey, along with youngsters Celia Grannum, Jake Nwogu, Silvestre Sanchez Strattner and Florence Kollie. The music was provided by a four piece band led by Celloman playing along with a backing tape. This piece was pleasant enough but suffered terribly from the small stage area, some of it taken up, unavoidably, by the musicians. Six dancers on a stage barely one jete wide was too much and the whole thing felt very cramped and constrained. The intimacy of the space and the audience, no doubt containing friends and family, may also have had a restraining effect. In addition, the choreography was perhaps a bit too ambitious technically, both for the space available and the dancers themselves. It was the only piece danced by Cassa Pancho during the evening; however, she caught the eye with innate musicality, natural balance and a beautiful inner rhythm - it was a real shame not to see more of her later. Another eye catcher, who was to go on in the same vein, was New York-trained Grannum. More confident in her technique than the others, as could be expected from someone from that side of the Atlantic, she was clearly determined to have a good time, was capable of doing this, and the audience felt welcome in going along with her for the ride.

The second piece, Elégie, was choreographed by ex-White Lodge and Royal Ballet dancer Stephen Sheriff and was much more suitable, both for the company and the stage. Excellent danceable music, Elégie for Horn and Piano by Poulenc, was provided by French horn player Paul Robinson and Gwilym Simcock on piano. The remaining five dancers, perhaps with some nerves now settled, relaxed into the more languid music and danced expressively and emotionally. This was an intelligent choice of programming.

After the interval we started again with an often-fun piece called Pas de Trois, for two dancers – Bailey and Kollie. No, that’s not a mistake, it is a piece to music by Ponchielli by ENB old boy Patrick Lewis which features a girl, a boy… and a chair. Starting with the girl tapping out the rhythm with her finger, then her feet, and then performing various movements with the chair in question, getting into all sorts of positions with it - many played for laughs as she looked directly at us and grinned – yet not really looking at the object, only working with it, the mind elsewhere on more important issues. Soon she is joined by a boy who initially sits down while the girl, oblivious, also sits back but of course on his lap. Politely not immediately acknowledging the situation they do then check each other out before starting an elaborate sequence of questioning dance with the chair always coming between them. Finally they acquiesce and reach a thawing understanding and complicity – sitting together on the chair. There is some lack of actual ballet in this, and the physical comedy could be sharper but the audience were wildly enthusiastic, obviously caught up in the story between the two, or three, protagonists.

After a short pause to allow the dancers to both change outfits and catch their breath they finished with The Boogaloo Rooms, by Pancho, to Count Basie jazz played superbly by The Ballet Black Jazz Quartet. The music played live throughout the evening was always impressive and although this last layout took up fully 20% of the scarce stage, one cannot begrudge them the space. Costumes for the two couples (Bailey sitting this one out), by Yukiko Tsukamoto, were in the raffish jazz mode, the girls in black satin cocktail dresses, the boys in black trousers and deep burgundy shirts, with flashes of brilliant pink, blue, red and green provided by petticoats and ties. This was probably the most ideal piece of the evening, the right number of dancers for the space, the choreography striking the right balance between classical ballet and simply dynamic exciting dance. Together with the upbeat and infectious music they managed to really get on top of the evening and finish the show with a powerful punch, Grannum again providing much of energy, and with Nwogu unfurling some dazzling feet and genuine entrechat.

Overall, the key test for me in these circumstance is: did I enjoy it? To this one question the answer is a resounding yes. Would it have been better performed in the Linbury Studio Theatre which, tedious finances aside, is undoubtedly precisely what it is there for? Yes. Have I seen a new company in its birthing years, akin to the early days of the now-Royal Ballet and thus an historic occasion? Not certain. How will they grow? Do they actually want to become an 80-artist company with all the trappings of a top company? There are many questions, but for now it is enough to simply enjoy the results of their commitment, talent, sacrifice and style, and to see them come together on stage and produce a sparkling performance they can be unreservedly proud of.