We are being spoilt by Northern Ballet, this is the second incarnation of Three Short Ballets this year. The first, in May, featured works by two of the choreographers who were again represented this evening; Tiler Peck and Hans van Manen (I won’t repeat my White Van Manen joke from last time – oops!) the third was a piece I had previously seen in the 2024 Three Short Ballets, Mthuthuzeli November’s Fools, and was, once again, the big finish.
Grandes Études by Tiler Peck began proceedings, with the work, as its name suggests, being performed to the Franz Liszt piece, Grandes Études de Paganini. Not only did this feature superb dancing, but was accompanied by an equally impressive live performance from virtuoso concert pianist, Rose McLachlan.
There were eight dancers involved; four men and four women, whose outfits were colour coded, with the theme being about relationships. The first pas de deux involved a fairly seductive episode between Miguel Teixeira and Kirica Takahashi, while the other members of the cast provided initial scene-setting moves. The stage cleared and three of the support dancers in the first segment; Saeka Shirai, Bruno Serraclara and Archie Sherman, appeared from the wings, arms linked as though they were about to break into Auld Lang Syne, prancing sideways to centre stage. They then proceeded to arrange themselves one behind another to carry out moves making it appear as though it was one person with several limbs. This was very amusing and developed into a more flirty interaction. A mood enhanced when Harris Beattie, Alessandra Bramante and Sarah Chun, then mimicked the choreography entering from the other side. The piece concluded with Sarah Chun performing a solo and Harris Beattie and Saeka Shirai a second pas de deux.
Saeka Shirai, Archie Sherman and Bruno Serraclara.
All received a rapturous round of applause, and quite rightly so, including Rose McLachlan, who appeared not to be very comfortable in the limelight, although it was definitely a place she well deserved to occupy.
After the first break we were treated to Five Tangos, choreographed by Hans van Manen, which was, you guessed it, a series of five tangos. The dance, not the orange drink President Trump seems to have overdosed on.
The set had been stripped to basics with a black curtain occupying the whole of the back. Combined with the matching floor and wings, this gave a dark, erotic ambience to the stage, heightened by the black and red costumes of the dancers, designed by Jean Paul Vroom. Honestly I am not making that up – van Manen and Vroom! The cast comprised seven couples: Principle Couple Dominique Larose and Jonathan Hanks, Couple One Nina Aydinoglu (there is an accent over the g which refuses to appear on my computer – apologies to the lady concerned) and Jackson Dwyer, Couple Two Gemma Coutts and George Liang, Couple Three Heather Lehan and Andrew Tomlinson, Couple Four Kaho Masumoto and Jun Ishii, Couple Five Harriet Marden and Stefano Varalta and Cuple Six Julie Nunès and Albert González Orts.
Dominique Larose, Stephano Varalta and Andrew Tomlinson
It has always been on my bucket list to dance the tango with some raven haired beauty in a sleazy club in Buenos Aires, sadly, the nearest I got was doing the twist with a bleached blonde lass in a Castleford Working Men’s Club.
There was a combination of couples and group dances – here, not in Cas – emphasising the fiery erotic nature of the music, by Astor Piazzolla. I was surprised as to how the fusion of the two genres worked so well, with the classic ballet steps melding seamlessly with the equally strictly executed required movements of tango. Brilliant!
Time for a break and a glass of cold water, when it was back to the transformed stage, rejigged as a South African township, for Fools. As previously stated, I have seen this before and the majority of the dancers were still the same so I have taken the easy way out and done a copy and paste job with a few amendments.
After the interval came the big finish, Fools, choreographed by Mthuthuzeli November, who also wrote the music with Alex Wilson. The piece is set in South Africa and based on the novel, Hill of Fools by RL Peteni, dealing with a feud, so deeply embedded over the years, that no one really knows the reason as to why it began. I was immediately reminded of West Side Story, especially the fight scene between the Sharks and the Jets. The hatred festers between two tribes when Zuziwe, a Hlubi girl, falls for Bhuqa, a Thembu boy. Taking things a bit further than Maria and Tony, or even Juliet and Romeo, there is a secret pregnancy involved here, which not only makes the couple’s situation worse, but gives the foreboding of a tragic ending, which is fulfilled.
Harris Beattie and Sarah Chun
The contrast between the tender scenes of the lovers and the uber violence of the tribe members could not be more stark. I am sure that some of the dance steps have names, but if they do, I don’t know them, so it makes it difficult to convey the moves. Regardless, this is a magnificent tour de force.
The feature dancers were Sarah Chun as Ziziwe and Harris Beattie as Bhuqa.
Antoni Cañellas Artigues and Sarah Chung
Thembu women were danced by: Aerys Merrill, Helen Bogatch and Gemma Coutts, the Thembu men; Albert González Orts, Yu Wakizuka, Stefano Varalta and Jun Ishii.
Hubi women were: Saeka Shirai, Kaho Masumoto and Nida Aydinoglu, The Hlubi men; George Liang, Bruno Serraclara and Andrew Tomlinson. The Hlubi male lead was Antoni Cañellas Artigues.
I must also repeat my observation that this is great introduction for those who have not seen ballet before, and, judging by the people I spoke to who really know what they are talking about, an equally fulfilling programme for aficionados.
Three Short Ballets Autumn 2026, runs at Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre until 26th September after which it goes to London Linbury Theatre at the Royal Opera House from 29th September to 2nd October. For more details of this and other Northern Ballet productions please go to https://northernballet.com where you can also book.
Photographs by Colleen Mair
