Twice-Born: Scottish Ballet punches well above its weight

Scottish Ballet in Cayetano Soto's Schachmatt

Rishan Benjamin in Cayetano Soto's Schachmatt

Scottish Ballet in Dickson Mbi's Twice-Born

Jerome Anthony Barnes and Marge Hendrick in Dickson Mbi's Twice-Born

Rishan Benjamin and Scottish Ballet in Dickson Mbi's Twice-Born

By Graham Watts, 08 March 2025

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“Mbi seems to have nailed the dual skill of choreographer/composer with significant aplomb”

Reviewed at Sadler's Wells Theatre, London on 6 March 2025

Twice-born (Dickson Mbi)

Schachmatt (Cayetano Soto)

Dive (Sophie Laplane, James Bonas)

Scottish Ballet

Rishan Benjamin, Dancer

Marge Hendrick, Dancer

Scottish Ballet excels in a diverse, quirky quadruple bill

Kathy Elgin, 16th October

By the time a rain of multicoloured paper hands floated down from above, a bizarre figure in orange strolled onstage, ignored by everybody, the audience was in love with the whole thing.

****1

Twice-Born: Scottish Ballet opens the season in bold, balanced style

Kathy Elgin, 21st September

Clearly on a mission to prove that today’s dance world comprises many styles that feed into and refresh each other, Scottish Ballet starts as it means to go on.

****1

From Ballet in Black to Pointed Parody

Sarah Batschelet, 11th February

Made up of aspiring professional dancers from eight different nations, the Junior Ballett Zürich performs a programme of internationally renowned choreographers every two years.

***11

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet: a Gem

Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, 26th April

Catch this company wherever and whenever you can.

****1

Ballet BC's signature physicality

Pia Lo, 5th November

A highly visceral experience: Ballet BC opens its new season with three works by Cayetano Soto, Stijn Celis and Crystal Pite.

****1

Klasse zeigen: Gauthier Dances Classy Classics

Katja Vaghi, 15th January

Bei ihrem dritten Gastspiel in Berlin zeigt die Stuttgarter Gauthier Dance ihre Klassiker im Haus der Berliner Festspiele.

****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.