English National Ballet's Rhythm Riot Brings American Zing to Sadler's Wells

English National Ballet opened its latest triple bill, "Rhythm Riot," at Sadler's Wells in London, and the company brought showmanship, grit and chills with it.

The programme draws on mid-20th century New York, a moment when, as the Guardian review puts it, "there was some amazing dance going on." George Balanchine was forging a new American ballet — "all slick speed and striking angles" — while Harlem's Cotton Club and the Savoy ballroom hosted swinging dancefloors and entertainers including the legendary Nicholas Brothers, of whom Balanchine himself was a fan.

English National Ballet's programme carries a distinctly American flavour and a focus on propulsive rhythm, taking influence from Stravinsky, tap and William Blake's poetry across three works.

The evening's anchor is Balanchine's "Symphony in Three Movements," created in 1972 as a memorial to Igor Stravinsky, set to the composer's 1945 score of the same name. Balanchine and Stravinsky, in the reviewer's words, "were an absolute dream team, architects of multiple masterpieces."

The work holds the stage through contrast. The clarity of line and stripped-back design meets the depth and what the review calls the "crunchy complexity" of Stravinsky's score — a combination the critic judges a perfect balance.

Power also came from the pit. The English National Ballet Philharmonic, under the baton of conductor Maria Seletskaja, relished the music, producing what the review describes as "palpable power."

The performances across the triple bill earned praise for their force and command, with the dancers reportedly exuding showmanship throughout an evening that promises a broader survey of rhythm-driven choreography for London audiences this season.