Them/Us
©Annabelle Moeller
Them/Us
“Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s ‘Us’ began as a pas de deux, first performed by the BalletBoyz at Sadler’s Wells in October 2017. The pas de deux is now situated within an expanded piece, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre in February 2019. The faction of men stand facing forward, quickly shifting their weight side to side, their coattails shuddering with the same frenetic energy. You can sense their hyperawareness of each other as they tic in synchrony or movements rip through the cast in canon, occasionally falling in unexpected directions. When they lift each other, split into small duets or even dance individually in a larger formation, like a machine – a sense of unity blankets the piece.
Although the piece has been expanded to offer backstory into the intimate partner dance, the pas de deux remains the highlight of Us and the entre evening. It’s a rare treat to see two men dancing together in a piece that’s not simply a choreographed fight scene or a dance-off contest of one-upmanship. In contrast, the intimate pas de deux between male ballet dancers, Bradley Waller and Harry Price, remains soft. They maintain contact throughout much of the piece, interlocking arms, pulling into counterbalances and reaching out to touch their partner’s face. At one point, they even seem to grapple with an invisible ‘them’, before re-attuning with each other.” from dancedispatches.com by Alison Roberts-Tse
Creative Team
Choreographer
Christopher Wheeldon
Composer
Keaton Henson
Lighting Design
Andrew Ellis
Costume Design
Katherine Watt
World Premiere: March 5, 2019 - Ballet Boyz, Sadler’s Wells, London, United Kingdom