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One of these reasons is ‘Chroma’. The abstracta of minumum, essence and colour form the core of McGregor’s new piece. Inspired by the designs of architect John Pawson, McGregor chose to differ from his well known approach to choreography for the creation of this new ballet. Instead of adding movement to the (at times almost academic) study of physical expression that is the leading thread throughout his work, in this piece he simply takes away. ‘Chroma’ is the ancient Greek word for colour; at first this seems a peculiar choice for a ballet that is all about sheer white and sheer physique, sheer skin. The idea that shapes ‘Chroma’ is as inventive as it is simple: the colour of the title is created, evoked and expressed specifically through the movement of the dancers. The score, wonderfully adapted from rock band The White Stripes, is like paint that challenges their brush. There is never a dull, or indeed colourless moment. Of course this is not entirely new for McGregor. His directorial debut of ‘Dido & Aeneas’ at La Scala in Milan was created with a similar minimum approach to staging and design. And yet, there is something very new about ‘Chroma’. By taking away much of his ‘trademark’ movements in the choreography, McGregor has added a razor-sharp freshness to this piece. And the effect is striking. The emphasis on the extreme or even the distortion of natural physique has been replaced by a freedom of space to explore the movements of the physique without the hinder of any extremity. Likewise, the sometimes aggressive style of McGregor’s choreography has been replaced by a remarkably fresh approach to essential expression. But this could not have been reached without the superb performances of the Royal Ballet dancers. Embracing ‘Chroma’ with enthusiasm and energetic dedication, their dancing seems to extract colour from the white void around them as if their lives depended on it – and yet ever without a single hint of force or even extremity. The pas de trois with Steven McRae, Jonathan Watkins and Ludovic Ondiviela is a climactic centre piece, but without doubt the highlight of the ballet is the pas de deux performed by Sarah Lamb and Federico Bonelli. It combines the best qualities of the entire ballet to breath-taking effect; achingly beautiful, technically razor-sharp, and truly at one with the tantalizing music.

In comparison, George Balanchine’s ‘The Four Temperaments’ almost seems a quiet interval. But when judged by itself, the idea of the ballet remains powerful. Its successive structure, moving from temperament to temperament, from solo to pas de deux until the final climax, still provides a sharp insight into the essence of what can be achieved by choreography when it is stripped to its very core. The Royal Ballet seems more at ease with the characteristic Balanchine technique than in the ‘Stravinsky Violin Concerto’, performed earlier in the season. Both casts are technically strong, but the intensity of of the actual temperaments does not come across in each of the movements. In the first cast, Darcey Bussell and Carlos Acosta stand out in the Sanguinic variation, and Edward Watson and Marianela Nunez perform excellent Phlegmatic and Choleric variations. In the second cast, Ricardo Cervera’s Phlegmatic variation is remarkably effective, but it is Federico Bonelli’s hauntingly lyrical Melancholic variation that leaves the most lasting impression. ‘The Four Temperaments’ has always been one of Balanchine’s most intriguing pieces, and the dancers of the Royal Ballet do it justice in this bill.

The programme’s last piece, Christopher Wheeldon’s ‘DGV, Danse ŕ grande vitesse’, is a grand finale in every way. Michael Nyman’s fascinating score evokes a dimension of travel, a suspension of time while places are exchanged – but it is Wheeldon’s masterful choreography that moves this evocation towards actual existence. Without ever becoming narrative, ‘DGV’ tells the story of a journey that is as specific as it is universal in nature. The ongoing rhythm of technology is contrasted by flowing organic lines; relentless speed is mirrored by moments of motionless reflection. The choreography is grand in scale, but always subtle in detail. There is continuity and striking symmetry throughout, while at the same time each dancer represents an individual, with unique movements that are mirrored, but never synchronized. This creates a succession of fleeting moments, revealing all about these travelling individuals, yet at the same time conceiling everything. The combination of classical technique with sheer innovative freedom that marks Wheeldon’s choreography fits Nyman’s music and Jean-Marc Puissant’s artistic designs like a glove. Everything comes together in exactly the right way, but it all moves on again when we would wish it to stay – the travelling never stops. This sense is strongly emphasized throughout the piece by the corps; whether providing mirror images or reminding us of the ongoing flow of the journey, they carry the ballet much like a rail that carries a train. The four central pairs each have a story to tell, and they do so all the more strongly by never actually telling it. Zenaida Yanowsky and Eric Underwood dance a tantalizing pas de deux of restraint attraction, which is contrasted by the sheer energy and physicality of Edward Watson and Leanne Benjamin. Darcey Bussell and Gary Avis perform a pas de deux of such aching elegance, it seems to be suspended within its lingering moments as if a delay of fleeting continuity, while Federico Bonelli and Marianela Nunez dance an expression of unconceiled seductive charm that is strikingly fragile where it is most fresh. The final movement is breath-taking and climactic, and yet still the travelling never stops. Even when the hypnotizing rhythm of the drums suddenly comes to a halt, there is still movement, and the journey still goes on. ‘DGV’ is a masterpiece that deserves a perminent place in the Royal Ballet’s repetoire.

This triple bill is all about the essence of dance. Taking one’s lead from this, it would suffice to describe its experience in the equally essential way of a single word: exhilarating.