The Forsythe Programme is a smorgasbord of works by the acclaimed choreographer William Forsythe and is brought to vivid life by the dancers of the English National Ballet. And while these are not new works, they have been reimagined and reinvigorated for this celebratory season at Sadler’s Wells.
William (Bill) Forsythe has been an influential figure in the dance world for over 50 years. Now 75, he is often hailed as the most important dancer and choreographer since George Balanchine, who changed the rules of dance forever.
The Forsythe Programme opens with Rearray (London Edition 2025). This is an impressive work for three dancers, including the magnificently tall and fluid Sangeun Lee. Accompanied by unpredictable atonal music, composed by David Morrow, which begins out of nowhere and then stops just as suddenly, Rearray was this reviewer’s favourite piece in the performance.
A work for five dancers all in red, Herman Schermann (Quintet), has the feeling of a very sophisticated gym class. It’s all hyper-athletic movement intertwined with lots of dancer-ly puns and a humorous finish. Based on the original Herman Schermann from 1992, this has a vibrant electronic score by Thom Willems, a long-time Forsythe collaborator.
The pace ratchets up yet again after the interval with Playlist (EP) a series of six pieces danced to an anthology (a ‘playlist’) of pop music, from Peven Everett’s ‘Surely Shorty’ to Barry White’s soul anthem ‘Sha La La Means I Love You’ and Natalie Cole’s classic track ‘This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)’.
The middle piece Impossible sees the bare main stage filled with dancers in pink and turquoise; the next piece Location gives Sangeun Lee an opportunity to dazzle again, this time dancing with Gareth Haw.
Each work is accompanied by music and lighting for effect, but the dancers wear only the simplest of costumes and there is no set or staging, so there is nothing to distract our focus from the movement. Sometimes the dancers look straight at the audience, holding us with their gaze; at other times their focus is fully inwards, dancing as if we don’t exist. It’s a powerful technique and a great example of their stagecraft. Even so, there is little interiority to these works, and that makes it a less satisfying performance overall.
Each individual piece celebrates Forsythe’s phenomenal compositional skills and sharp eye for form and motion. If dance is all about the body, then this is an excellent example of sophisticated choreography and vibrant physical architecture. Perhaps inevitably, a few pieces do feel rather dated now, but approaching this as a survey of Forsythe’s remarkable choreographic language or a retrospective show puts that into perspective. The Forsythe Programme ends on an impressive high with the stunning Precious Adams and Junor Souza in exhilarating form in ‘This Will Be…’
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The Forsythe Programme
English National Ballet with Choreography by William Forsythe
Rearray (London Edition 2025)
Choreography and Stage Design: William Forsythe
Assistant to the Choreographer: Ayman Morrow
Music: David Morrow
Sound Design: Niels Lanz
Lighting Design: Tanja Rühl
Costume Design: Dorothee Merg
Herman Schmerman (Quintet)
Choreography, Stage Design, Costume Design: William Forsythe
Music: Thom Willems
Sound Design: Niels Lanz
Lighting Design: Tanja Rühl:
Stagers: Stefanie Arndt, Noah Gelber
Playlist (EP)
Choreography, Stage Design, Costume Design: William Forsythe
Lighting Design: Tanja Rühl
Sound Design: Niels Lanz
Stagers: Noah Gelber, Renato Paroni de Castro, Erina Takahashi
The Forsythe Programme will be performed until 19 April 2025.
