Okay, let’s talk about the buzz. If you’ve been anywhere near dance circles lately, you’ve seen the headlines. English National Ballet’s *R:Evolution* at Sadler’s Wells isn’t just another program—it’s a statement.
Critics are using words like “tenacity,” “legacy,” and even pulling out Freud. That’s not your typical ballet review vocabulary. So what’s really going on here?
From where I’m sitting, this feels bigger than just a triple bill. It feels like ENB is having a raw, honest conversation with its own history and future. “Tenacity and talent” from Bachtrack? That hints at a company not just performing, but fighting—for relevance, for innovation, for its very soul.
And The Times dropping Freud into the mix? That’s the real tell. It suggests this isn’t just about pretty lines and technical prowess. This is about psychology. It’s about digging into the subconscious of the art form itself. What drives a dancer? What haunts a choreographer? What memories are trapped in the muscle and bone of a century-old company?
This is the kind of programming that separates a living, breathing institution from a museum. It’s not enough to just preserve the classics anymore. The great companies are the ones brave enough to dissect them, to question them, and to build something new from the pieces.
The title *R:Evolution* says it all. It’s not a typo; it’s a thesis. It’s the slow, deliberate “R” of reflection and re-evolution, meeting the explosive force of a revolution. It’s about honoring the roots while stretching toward the sun.
So, if you’re wondering whether to see it, here’s my take: Go. Not just to be entertained, but to witness a company in the act of defining itself. Go to see the tension between past and future play out in bodies and movement. This is where ballet is alive. This is the conversation. And you’ll want to be there to hear it.
