International Draft Works Review 3*

National and international choreographic talent featured in the 2025 edition of International Draft Works at the RBO Linbury

It’s not meant as a collection of definitive finished works. Rather, International Draft Works, a Royal Ballet initiative that brings together budding choreographers from within its own ranks, as well as from other national and international companies, is a meeting point for dialogue and exchange, where ideas can be tested in the intimacy of the Linbury Theatre.

Each of the eight works shown in this choreographic platform’s 2025 edition pointed to specific directions in its country of origin, be it the UK, represented by four pieces, or The Netherlands, Germany, Norway and South Africa with one each.

However, one work stood head and shoulders above everything else: Capriccio, choreographed by Kit Holder of Birmingham Royal Ballet for two dancers from Acosta Danza Yunior.

Directly inspired by René Magritte’s surrealist series of paintings, The Lovers, which depicts two figures with their heads wrapped in one white cloth, Holder’s Capriccio builds on the extraordinary talent and explosive presence of the young Cuban dancers Alexander Arias and Paul Brando.

A scratchy recording of an erotic poem by the Belgian surrealist E.L.T. Mesens sets the scene; then, to an intense ‘Capriccio for Violoncello Solo’ by Joseph-Marie-Clement Dall’Abaco, they divest themselves of the cloth and come apart, each dancing his own version of what went before.

Holder’s contemporary choreography is vigorous and mostly airborne, the final coalescing of perspectives leading to a harmonious, becalmed duet. I loved this piece. Immediately I wanted to watch it again.

Also interesting in its attempt to meld ballet with martial arts was Lars de Vos’s Burden, for two black-clad men of Dutch National Ballet – Herrold Anakotta and Soshi Suzuki – which opened the programme.

Norwegian National Ballet’s Pages, choreographed by Cina Espejord, an attempt to chart the evolution of relationship through the language of classical ballet was a good idea that failed to come to fruition.

Pretty, but inconsequential, was Heartquake set to music by Rachmaninov by Emanuele Babici of Stuttgart Ballet, a classical meditation on the highs and lows of a three-ways friendship.

South Africa isn’t often present at these events, so it was interesting to see Mpho (meaning ‘gift’), by Tumelo Lekana of Joburg Ballet, a lengthy riot of sound and colour, with the multi-instrumentalist Peter Mpho Mothiba providing the pounding music for three dancers: Daria D’Orazio, Savannah Jacobson and Latoya Mokoena.

The extraordinary actor, dancer and TV reporter Ruben Reuter, who has Down’s Syndrome, joined Northern Ballet dancer Kevin Poeung in George Liang’s Sky Above, Voices Within, a short, passionate, fluid piece that showed impressive coordination between the two dancers.

The Royal Ballet’s Ashley Dean’s In Absence closed the first half of the programme. Its choreography, bringing a contemporary touch to the language of classical ballet, was accomplished and beautifully danced by herself and five Royal Ballet colleagues; but there seemed to be no obvious link between the initial duet and the collective section that followed. A work in progress, I felt.

Royal Ballet principal Marcelino Sambé tried his hand at choreography with Almost Human, his take on Genesis 2 tale of Adam and Eve.

Visually appealing and gloriously danced by Lukas B. Brændsrød, Viola Pantuso and Rebecca Myles Stewart, this piece, obviously influenced by MacMillan’s visceral choreography, was brimming with ideas, but needs thinning down. It did, however, show talent and promise.

International Draft Works is a the Linbury Theatre 10 – 18 April 2025. Full info and tickets here

International Draft Works Review 3*

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