Ballet Black brings killer moves and dangerously good dance

Now in its 24th year, Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black makes its Sadler’s Wells debut with an exciting new double bill, including Pancho’s darkly comic adaptation of Oyinkan Braithwaite’s international bestselling novel, My Sister, The Serial Killer.

When Korede gets a distress call from her sister Ayoola, she knows what she needs: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel, and a strong stomach. It’s the third boyfriend Ayoola has killed in “self-defense,” and the third mess Korede has to clean up. She should probably go to the police, but family comes first. Things take a turn when Ayoola begins dating the doctor Korede secretly loves, forcing Korede to choose between saving him and betraying her sister…

The double bill is completed by Brooklyn-born, award-winning choreographer Chanel DaSilva, making her British choreographic debut with A Shadow Work. In her debut for Ballet Black, DaSilva delves into the profound practice of shadow work, a technique she encountered when going through therapy. Her work is celebrated for its deep exploration of humanity and its potential to inspire transformation both within the dance world and beyond.

Renowned for using the arts to inspire meaningful change, DaSilva has been commissioned by prestigious companies such as The Washington Ballet, Parsons Dance Company, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and made history as the first Black woman to choreograph for The Joffrey Ballet.

Ballet Black has transformed the landscape of British ballet, creating a prominent platform for dancers and artists of Black and Asian descent, as well as establishing a new canon of ballet repertoire that resonates with audiences around the world.

Header image description: Two main performers against a black background. One wears a yellow dress and is sitting on the floor, back to the camera, but looking over their shoulder. The other is wearing blue and is mid-air as if they are falling. Beneath them are many people dressed in black, arms outstretched to help lift the performer in blue.

Header image © ASH