Ballet Black in Shadows: a memorable debut at Sadler's Wells

Taraja Hudson and Ballet Black in Chanel DaSilva's A Shadow Work

Elijah Peterkin, Bhungane Mehlomakulu and Ebony Thomas in Chanel DaSilva’s A Shadow Work

Taraja Hudson in Chanel DaSilva’s A Shadow Work

Ballet Black in Cassa Pancho's My Sister, The Serial Killer

Isabela Coracy as Korede in Cassa Pancho's My Sister, The Serial Killer

Ballet Black in Cassa Pancho’s My Sister, The Serial Killer

By Graham Watts, 28 November 2025

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“elevated in many ways, through ingenuous prop use, effective lighting and eye-catching costumes”

Reviewed at Sadler's Wells Theatre, London on 26 November 2025

My Sister, The Serial Killer (Cassa Pancho)

A Shadow Work (Chanel DaSilva)

Ballet Black

Ballet Black combines mystery and dark comedy with glorious dancing

Kathy Elgin, 21st May

Ballet Black deliver a compelling and cleverly chosen double bill of new works with excellent lighting, ghoulish spectres and intoxicating dancing.

****1

Ballet Black combines mystery and dark comedy with glorious dancing

Kathy Elgin, 21st May

Ballet Black deliver a compelling and cleverly chosen double bill of new works with excellent lighting, ghoulish spectres and intoxicating dancing.

****1

Acosta's Don Quixote for BRB: polished but not quite enough panache

Jonathan Gray, 23rd April

Carlos Acosta's Don Quixote for Birmingham Royal Ballet returned to Sadler's Wells with polished but low-key interpretations across the board.

***11

The Center Will Not Hold: Dorrance Dance thrills at Sadler’s Wells

Daniel Pratt, 17th April

Dorrance Dance offer a compelling mix of genres in The Center Will Not Hold – high energy, full of surprises, top quality performances.

****1

Pina Bausch’s Kontakthof – Echoes of ‘78: poignant reality

Graham Watts, 7th April

A reimagining of Pina Bausch's 1978 Kontakthof by Meryl Tankard brings together eight of the original cast members in a unique and poignant revival.

*****

Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company in Solera: sensational and sensual

Graham Watts, 2nd April

Solera is a mix of experience and youth blended to create excellent vintage flamenco at London's Sadler's Wells.

****1

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Graham Watts

Graham Watts is a freelance dance writer and critic writing regularly for Dancing Times, Dance Europe, Danza Europa, and many more publications. He regularly writes features for Sadler’s Wells, London Coliseum and La Scala. Chairman of the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle in the United Kingdom and of the UK National Dance Awards he has interviewed many of the greatest names in dance including Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Boris Eifman, Alexei Ratmansky, Andris Liepa, Sir Peter Wright, David Bintley and Dame Gillian Lynne. When not involved in dance Graham is a keen fencer, and has captained the British Sabre team.