Los Angeles–based choreographer Micaela Taylor premieres Bow Out, a new work for English National Ballet, as part of the mixed-bill program Rhythm Riot at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, running September 24 through October 3. The program also includes George Balanchine's Symphony in Three Movements and Auguries of Innocence by South Korean choreographer Jae Man Joo.

Taylor built Bow Out on an iconic 1943 tap routine: the Nicholas Brothers' "Jumpin' Jive" from the film Stormy Weather. ENB's artistic director, Aaron S. Watkin, reached out to Taylor after seeing clips of her work — an American dance peer had first put her on his radar — and the two found common ground in a shared theme of rhythm. "Aaron wanted to create an evening around the theme of rhythm, and this idea felt like common ground," Taylor told Pointe.

Taylor comes to the commission from the contemporary-dance world, with recent commissions from Paris Opéra Ballet as well as ENB. She is a Dance Magazine "25 to Watch" alum and a 2025 Dance Magazine Harkness Promise Award winner.

The Nicholas Brothers connection runs deeper than a single routine. Taylor trained at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, where the Nicholas Brothers' granddaughters were students and teachers. "I took some tap, though I never pursued it seriously, but having those women in the space inspired all of us," she said. "When I was looking at 'Jumpin' Jive' as inspiration, I thought, What a way to marry my background with this ballet world, which is full of poise and sophistication."

The finished piece is a contemporary ballet, not a tap work. "You'll see lines and shapes and partnering and weight-shifting, along with some 'jazzy' isolations," Taylor explained. "We're not tap dancing, but we're inspired by the charismatic performance and atmosphere of 'Jumpin' Jive.'" The score, by composer Tru, incorporates a practical link to the source: Taylor and Tru invited tap dance artist Scott Kelley Thomas to record his tapping, and that sound became part of the music.

Taylor describes what drew her to the brothers' performance in precise terms. "Their energy is explosive, but they also have such sophistication," she said. "It's not just how they're dressed, but also how they hold their posture and how they interact with each other."

Working with ballet dancers has reshaped her studio practice, she said. "It's a pleasure and an honor. Ballet dancers challenge me creatively: I come into the room with my strengths and with ideas of phrase-work, and then I'm inspired by their partnering, the articulation in their feet, their explosive flexibility." Because her style is unfamiliar to many classically trained dancers, she has learned to be exacting: "What is this arm doing? How are you holding your hand and head? I'll physicalize it and be very detailed [in my descriptions] so they can latch onto the material more quickly."

Her movement signature, in her own words, rests on three elements. "I love to see storytelling within the face. You're dancing from the top of your head all the way down to your feet. I love unison movement. Finally, there is always an element of speed to my work. When the dancers first hear the music, they might not think they can move that fast — but they can!"

Her rehearsal process follows a deliberate arc. Day one begins with pliés and loosening the sternum to connect with the core, "because the core is really the initiator for my work." She teaches a phrase of choreography, then layers in intention: "So first, we unify ourselves physically, and then I add the layer of 'Why are we moving? What is the meaning of this section?' The work blossoms as they connect narratively and make it their own."

Looking ahead, Taylor wants more than premieres. "As I get older, though, I would love to restage existing works," she said. "I'd like to dive deeper, make adjustments, and see what it's like to have a work be able to have many different lives." With Bow Out, the lineage of the Nicholas Brothers — via a Los Angeles dance academy and a London ballet stage — gains one of those new lives.