R:Evolution - Balanchine, Graham, Forsythe, Dawson

English National Ballet - Sadler's Wells

Take a trip down memory lane. The 'English National Ballet' are the vessel of four big names in dance, showing their groundbreaking choreography and style. It'll move and shake you.

Want to learn a thing or two about dance? This show provides you with more information than you'll need to know. This show is only 2 hours and 15 minutes, including two intervals, a break between shows, and it takes you on a trip through dance history. Of course, it's also the English National Ballet, so you have the best of the best dancers giving you incredible quality dance skills. What's not to love? Dance is all about feeling and interpretation; no one person's experience will be the same as that of the person next to them. That's the true beauty.

So, there are 4 different dances, and that's 4 for the price of one. The first dance has a more classical tone, that is 'Themes and Variations' by George Balanchine, and if you think you recognise the style of music, it's written by ballet's marvel of a writer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who composed the iconic 'Nutcracker' score. We see you, English National Ballet, reminding us about your next show of 'The Nutcracker' at the London Coliseum this winter! Then, the show zooms over to 'Errand into the Maze', a piece of animated, freeing choreography by the great Martha Graham, who created contemporary dance, a gorgeous dance style born out of the restrictions of ballet. Of course, it's performed in true Graham style, BARE FOOT. Straight after is an electric ballet choreography by William Forsythe, 'Herman Schmerman (quintet)', and this piece was created in 1992, and you can actually tell by the style of costume and dance. It almost feels like you're watching an '80s music video. Lastly, a bold and stripped back to a classical meets modern style, we have 'Four Last Songs' choreographed by David Dawson and the music is beautifully sung along to by the soprano Madeleine Pierard, and this whole dance has this epic operatic tone to it. Each dance is so different from the next, yet fused together by its ballet umbrella. You almost want a moment between dances of a change to the next, and a fusion of the two to see the similarities or differences in style. Like a passing of the torch, to help get the audience ready for the next, and this would fuse each dance.

You will be blown away by the energy of these incredible dancers. They don't have the prestigious name for nothing. One of the most theatrical dances was Errand Into the Maze, something about Graham's style exaggerates the performative skills to clearly show the audience the story and feelings of the characters. The woman is danced by Emily Suzuki and 'The creature of fear' by Rentaro Nakaaki. The two portray a clear power struggle and complement each other's skills in harmony. Suzuki embodies female power and shows her journey to beat her fear very well. Her energy does not flicker, and her strength knows no bounds. Whilst Nakaaki performs the whole piece holding a trunk above his head, it's remarkable how he has this trunk fixed to his body and can still dance perfectly with no sign of it being a barrier to his performance. This is just one example of the insane hard work and craft these dancers within the whole show have put in. They all show the dedication they have channelled into their dance, and it's phenomenal. They are living the dream, but they have clearly worked tirelessly to get there. Each dancer is an inspiration.

If you're curious about dance and want to see something high standard, this is what you need to see. Each piece of choreography shows you a different side of ballet and is a whistle-stop tour through each area. They all represent people who have made a change, inspired audiences, and loved ballet. This is what dance is all about, and if you don't leave inspired in some way, then let me know. It's fun to think that one or maybe more of the dancers in the piece may be the next choreographer or dancer to make their mark. It's a ballet Revolution indeed.