Company Repertoire
2023
nina: by whatever means – mthuthuzeli november
Choreography & direction: Mthuthuzeli November
Lighting design: David Plater
Costume design: Jessica Cabassa
Set design & scenery: Mthuthuzeli November
Additional set design & construction: Richard Bolton & Alistage Ltd.
Composers: Mandisi Dyantyis, Mthuthuzeli November & Nina Simone (1954-2002)
Featuring the voices of the Zolani Youth Choir & The Ballet Black Company
Mood Indigo (1958) from the album: Little Girl Blue
Composer: Albany Bigard & Duke Ellington
Performed by Nina Simone
Sinnerman (Live in New York, 1965) from the album: The Best of Nina Simone
Composed & performed by: Nina Simone
Nina Simone’s songs and speeches are licensed from the Nina Simone Charitable Trust and Rich & Famous Records, Ltd. courtesy of Steven Ames Brown.
Nina: By Whatever Means is a co-commission by the Barbican (2023).
Then Or Now – Will tuckett
Choreography: William Tuckett (2021)
Lighting Design: David Plater
Costume Design: Yukiko Tsukamoto
Music: Passacaglia for solo violin (1676). Music originally composed by Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704)
Arranged & recorded by Daniel Pioro
Poetry: Adrienne Rich (1929-2012)
Director of Poetry: Fiona L Bennett
Poetry recordings: Hafsah Bashir, Natasha Gordon & Michael Shaeffer
Then Or Now was co-commissioned by the Barbican
2022
Say It Loud – Cassa Pancho & Company
Concept & Direction: Cassa Pancho
Choreography: Cassa Pancho and Company Dancers: José Alves, Charlotte Broom, Isabela Coracy, Alexander Fadayiro, Sayaka Ichikawa, Rosanna Lindsey, Marie-Astrid Mence, Mthuthuzeli November, Cira Robinson & Ebony Thomas
Lighting Design: David Plater
Costume Design: Jessica Cabassa
Sound track compilation: Cassa Pancho
Soundtrack creation & additional composition: Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante
Sound design: Jim Carey
Voiceover artists: Jim Carey Connell, Natasha Gordon, Baker Mukasa & The Ballet Black Company
The voiceover in this piece is compiled from audience feedback, social media comments, reviews, emails, discussions, letters and interviews received or given by Ballet Black between 2001 and 2021. Additional text by Cassa Pancho
Music for Pieces of Wood (1973), composed by Steve Reich. Recorded by Pierre- Laurent Aimard, taken from the album, Various Composers: African Rhythms © Warner Classics, Warner Music UK
Welcome To London (A Capella) (2019) composed & recorded by Flowdan © Full Thought Publishing & Copyright Control with additional composition by Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante
If You’re Brown (1964) composed & recorded by Lord Kitchener (1922-2000), taken from the album, Music From the Caribbean – Trinidad © 2012 Acewonder Ltd.
WHATCHUTALKINBOUT (2021) composed & recorded by Jon Batiste, taken from the album, WE ARE and What a Wonderful World (2018) composed by George David Weiss & George Douglas & recorded by Jon Batiste, taken from the album, Hollywood Africans © 2018 both Naht Jona LLC, under exclusive license to Verve Label Group, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
At Last (1960) composed by Harry Warren & Mack Gordon & recorded by Etta James (1938-2012), taken from the album, The Best Of Etta James © Spectrum Music
This Little Light of Mine / M’Lilo Vutha Mathanjeni / If You Ever Need the Lord (Live) recorded by the Soweto Gospel Choir, taken from the album, Live at the Nelson Mandela Theatre © 2008 Shanachie with additional composition by Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante
Black Sun – Gregory Maqoma
Choreography & direction: Gregory Maqoma
Music: Black Sun (2022) Composer: Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante
Lighting Design: David Plater
Costume Design: Natalie Pryce
Additional music: Abangoma composed and recorded by Madala Kunene taken from the album, Kon’ko Man © Melt 2000
Black Sun was co-commissioned by the Barbican
2021
The Waiting Game – Mthuthuzeli November
Choreography: Mthuthuzeli November
Lighting Design: David Plater
Costume Design: Peter Todd
Door design: Richard Bolton & Phil Cristodolou
Dramaturg: Natalie Vijver
Music:
1st movement
The Waiting Game (2019) Composed & recorded by Mthuthuzeli November Vocals: The Ballet Black Company
2nd movement
Less (2008) Composed & recorded by Ljova and the Kontraband Taken from the album, Mnemosyne
3rd movement
Something’s Got A Hold Of Me (1962), Written by Etta James (1938-2012), Leroy Kirkland (1904-1988) & Pearl Woods (b.1933). Recording by Etta James
This ballet was created with support from The Linbury Trust
Then Or Now – Will Tuckett
Choreography: William Tuckett
Lighting Design: David Plater
Costume Design: Yukiko Tsukamoto
Poetry: Adrienne Rich (1929-2012)
Director of Poetry: Fiona L Bennett
Poetry recordings: Hafsah Bashir, Natasha Gordon & Michael Shaeffer
Selected poems from Dark Fields of the Republic 1991-1995 by Adrienne Rich and used by permission of The Frances Goldin Literary Agency. Passacaglia for solo violin (1676)
Music originally composed by Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704) Arranged & recorded by Daniel Pioro
Then Or Now was co-commissioned by the Barbican
2019
Ingoma – Mthuthuzeli November
Choreographer: Mthuthuzeli November
Lighting Design: David Plater
Designs: Yann Seabra
Poet & dramaturg: Asisipho Ndlovu Malunga
Composer: Peter Johnson (b. 1986)
Music: Ingoma (2019)
Prayer & additional music: Mthuthuzeli November
Singers: The Ballet Black Company
Ingoma was inspired by the poem Blue Head (2018) by Asisipho Ndlovu Malunga
Ingoma was co-commissioned by the Barbican
Read an in-depth article by Zoë Anderson on the creation of INGOMA by Mthuthuzeli November
Click! – Sophie Laplane
Choreography: Sophie Laplane
Lighting Design: David Plater
Designs: Yann Seabra
Music arranged by Kenny Inglis (b. 1975)
Snapping Fingers (2017) composed & recorded by Ken Beebe (b.1955)
Static Click, Two of a Kind & The Click (2019) composed & recorded by Kenny Inglis
Away (2010) composed & recorded by To Rococo Rot
Just The Snap of Your Fingers (1962) recording by The Mudlarks, written by Larry Mercey (b. 1939), Ray Mercey (b. 1940) & Lynn Russwurn (1930-2016)
WASHA: The Burn From The Inside – Mthuthuzeli November
Choreography: Mthuthuzeli November
Lighting Design: David Plater
Designs: Mthuthuzeli November
Music: Score by Peter Johnson
Washa was co-commissioned by Dance at The Grange and Studio Wayne McGregor
“For this work I am deeply inspired by the origin of music or where we think music and dance comes from. It started by asking – exactly why do we dance to music? What is it about music that makes us feel the way we do when we listen to it?”
“The desire to move comes from the inside, it is imbedded into our DNA. In this work we will be exploring how music moves us individually, how we express the feelings that come with it through complex rhythms and sounds. It is a small journey to our sacred chant. Everything, all sounds, every step we take and every word we speak has a rhythm.” MN.
2018
The Suit – Cathy Marston
Director/Choreographer: Cathy Marston
Lighting Design: David Plater
Designer: Jane Heather
Dramaturg: Edward Kemp
Additional music composed by: Philip Feeney (b. 1954)
Music:
White Man Sleeps, movement 1 (1982), White Man Sleeps, movement 5 (1986) composed by Kevin Volans (b. 1949)
Canção verdes anos (2000) composed by Carlos Paredes (b. 1967) arr. Osvaldo Goliyov (b.1960)
Mini Skirt (1968) composed by Juan García Esquivel (b. 1918) arr. by Osvaldo Goliyov (b.1960)
Plasmaht (2003) composed by Ariel Guzik (b. 1960) arr. by Kronos Quartet
Scherzo: Holding Your Own! (1903) composed by Charles Ives (1874-1954)
Pano Da Costa (cloth from the coast) (1986) composed by Jon Hassell (b. 1937)
Morango… Almost a Tango (1983) composed by Thomas Oboe Lee (1945)
Tabú (1934) composed by Margarita Lecuona (1910-1981) arr. by Osvaldo Goliyov (b.1960)
Recordings by Kronos Quartet
A Dream Within A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2014) – Arthur Pita
Director/Choreographer: Arthur Pita
Lighting Designs: David Plater
Designs by Jean-Marc Puissant
Sound design: Andrew Holdsworth & Frank Moon
Music:
Sarabande keyboard suite in D minor (1733) composed by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Malambo Part 1 sung by Yma Sumac (1922-2008) composed by Moises Vivanco
Gopher sung by Yma Sumac (1922-2008) composed by Gozzo/May
Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love) sung by Eartha Kitt (1927-2008) composed by Cole Porter
Lilac Wine sung by Jeff Buckley (1966-1977) written by James Shelton
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered sung by Barbara Streisand (b. 1942) composed by Lorenz Hart & Richard Rodgers
Twilight by Antony & the Johnsons (2000) produced by Secretly Canadian
This ballet was originally commissioned in 2014 with support from The Royal Opera House
2017
Red Riding Hood – Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Choreography: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Lighting Design: David Plater
Costume & Prop Design: Yann Seabra
With special thanks to Patricia Doyle for research and additional dramatic work on this ballet.
Music:
Hugues Le Bars (1950-2014) Tirez la pianist (2008),
Trou noir (1979), Comme une reine (2002), L’enfant (1991) & Loi du college (1995)
Armand Amar (b. 1953) Le Petit Loup (2008)
Armando Trovaioli (1917-2013) Sessomatto: Delitto Sessuale (1976)
Ernest Irving (1878-1953) & the Philharmonia Orchestra Touchez Pas Au Grisbi: Le Grisbi [The Touch] (1954)
Jean Marc Zelwer (b. 1960) The fiancée dream (1990)
René Aubry (b. 1956) Monday (2016)
Jo Yeong-wook (b. 1962) Under a Streetlight [from the motion picture Thirst] (2009)
Maria Kalaniemi (b. 1964) Sade Rain (2005)
Red Riding Hood was co-commissioned by the Barbican
Captured (2012) – Martin Lawrance
Choreography: Martin Lawrance
Costume: Rebecca Hayes
Lighting: David Plater
Music: String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 122 (1966)
Introduction: Andantino
Scherzo: Allegretto
Recitative: Adagio
Etude: Allegro
Humoresque: Allegro
Elegy: Adagio
Finale: Moderato
Recording: Brodsky Quartet (1999)
House of Dreams – Michael Corder
Choreography: Michael Corder
Lighting Design: David Plater
Costume Design: Yukiko Tsukamoto
Composer: Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Music:
1. Prélude, 1st movement of the Suite Bergamasque for Piano (1905)
2. Des pas sur la Neige, Preludes for piano Book One: No. 6 (1910)
3. La Fille aux chevaux de Lin, Preludes for Piano Book 1: No. 8 (1910)
4. Passepied, 4th movement of the Suite Bergamasque for Piano (1905)
Recording by Pascal Rogé (b. 1951)
Dopamine (you make my levels go silly) – Ludovic Ondiviela (2013)
Choreography: Ludovic Ondiviela
Lighting Designs: David Plater
Costume Designs: Rebecca Hayes
Music: Perpetuum composed by Fabio D’andrea, recorded by the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Dian Tchobanov
2001 – 2016
2016
Cristaux – Arthur Pita
Storyville (2012) – Christopher Hampson
To Begin, Begin – Christopher Marney
Dogs Don’t Do Ballet (2014) – Christopher Marney
Interrupted – Mthuthuzeli November
2015
Second Coming – Mark Bruce
To Fetch A Pail Of Water – Kit Holder
Depouillement (2009) – Will Tuckett
Rhapsody In Blue – Christopher Marney
Dogs Don’t Do Ballet – Christopher Marney
2014
Limbo – Martin Lawrance
Two of a Kind – Christopher Marney
A Dream Within a Midsummer Night’s Dream – Arthur Pita
Dogs Don’t Do Ballet – Christopher Marney
2013
EGAL – Robert Binet
Dopamine (you make my levels go silly) – Ludovic Ondiviela
The One Played Twice – Javier de Frutos
War Letters – Christopher Marney
2012
Together Alone – Jonathan Watkins
Running Silent – Jonathan Goddard
Captured – Martin Lawrance
Storyville – Christopher Hampson
Jubilee – Hubert Essakow
2011
Orpheus – Will Tuckett
Synergy – Nandita Shankhardass
2010
Da Gamba – Henri Oguike
And Thereafter… – Raymond Chai
Human Revolution – Robert Hylton
Sextet – Christopher Hampson
2009
Kinderszenen – Antonia Franceschi
Pendulum – Martin Lawrance
Depouillement – Will Tuckett
Lament – Christopher Marney
2008
Breach – Shobana Jeyasingh
Indigo Children – Liam Scarlett
Walk Through a Storm – Richard Alston
2007
Hinterland – Liam Scarlett
Umdlalo kaSisi – Bawren Tavaziva
Taniec – Raymond Chai
2005
Shift, Trip… Catch – Antonia Franceschi
Duel Fuel – Irek Mukhamedov
2003
Elegie – Stephen Sheriff
Pas de Trois – Patrick Lewis
2001
A New Beginning – Denzil Bailey
The Boogaloo Rooms – Cassa Pancho