Hackney Empire: BALLET BLACK AT 25
Date: 21 May 2026 - 23 May 2026
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Hackney Empire
Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black celebrates its 25th Anniversary with a much-anticipated return to Hackney Empire.
For twenty-five years, Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black has brought bold new ballet to stages across the UK, creating and sharing original stories with dancers from around the world. This anniversary season celebrates a quarter of a century of innovation, mentoring and collaboration, while looking ahead to the future.
This landmark double bill features Ingoma (2019), the choreographic debut of former Company dancer, Mthuthuzeli November. Inspired by the 1946 South African miners’ strike, a precursor to the anti-apartheid movement, Ingoma captures the suffering and resilience of Black miners and their communities, bringing rarely told stories to the ballet stage. The work won both the 2020 Olivier Award and the Black British Theatre Award for Best Dance Production.
Alongside it comes a joyful new commission from Alvin Ailey royalty Hope Boykin, a two-time Bessie Award winner, making her UK choreographic debut. Boykin, who says “I make work and create environments from personal and lived experiences,” creates a celebratory piece especially for Ballet Black’s 25th year, a vibrant tribute to the company’s journey and a bold look towards its future.
Audiences can expect Ballet Black’s signature blend of powerful storytelling, striking choreography and rich global influences, in a programme that honours the past while celebrating the future. For 25 years, Ballet Black has transformed the landscape of British ballet, creating vital opportunities for dancers and artists of Black and Asian descent, while building a repertoire that resonates with audiences around the world.