Ballet Black A Shadow Work Festival Theatre Edinburgh 21st May 2025 Review
Ballet Black performed a double bill of works tonight at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh. First on stage was “A Shadow Work” (2025) which sees the British choreographic debut of award winning choreographer Chanel DaSilva.
“A Shadow Work” is many different things, many different thoughts and concepts swirling around on stage, but above all it is a journey of exploration to the inner-self world of shadows that inhabit all of us. These shadows are like shifting sands and different to every person but, like them or not, whether we are afraid of them, perhaps even a little ashamed of them, they are a part of what makes each of us a complete person. Unless these inner shadows, which are often compartmentalised by our inner selves into locked boxes, are opened and their voices and stories confronted, acceptance of what they represent or even perhaps finding inner peace is not possible.
Although there is a performing cast of “shadows”, this work is focusing on two dancers, Taraja Hudson and Acaoa de Castro, and from the moment that Taraja takes to the stage dressed in white, it was obvious that a very special dancer was about to give a very special performance. In this work, choreographer Chanel DaSilva is effortlessly blending the techniques and movements of classical ballet and contemporary dance together and watching Taraja Hudson at key moments backing away en pointe from confronting what is in her box of shadows that must be opened was a strangely calming experience. Taraja Hudson was a fine interpreter of Chanel DaSilva’s choreography here, as she moved between graceful and emotional moments to far more linear and edgy exploration and confrontation of her inner psyche.
Dressed in opposing black (as are all the shadows, but their faces are hidden), Acaoa de Castro was the perfect counterbalance in this work as this at times dark exploration of inner-self unfolded. Like it or not, by Taraja, these shadows had to be confronted and Acaoa’s skill at expressing emotion through the movement of dance was impressive. Together Taraja and Acaoa brought this world of shadows, of light and dark, of a person’s outer and inner self, to monochromatic reality on stage.
A big part of the world of light and shadow, that exploration and confrontation of the difficult truths that are often buried deep within a person’s psyche were created by an original music score by Cristina Spinei, costume design by Natalie Pryce, and often innovative lighting design by David Plater.
For the people that stayed in their seats at the interval, there was an interesting choice of themed recorded music being played over the house sound-system. Amongst them were the very appropriate “Killer Queen” and “Murder on the Dance Floor”. The latter could not have been a more apt choice for what was to follow in the second half of tonight’s double bill – “My Sister, The Serial Killer”.
This work, by Cassa Pancho (direction, choreography and adaption for stage) is a re-working/imagination of Oyinkan Braithwaite's dark comedy novel, “My Sister, The Serial Killer”. Here the traditional lines of contemporary dance and stage drama are blurred in what is really a story in movement, and the end result is a very unique work.
I have to admit that I have not read the original novel, and in the programme notes, Cassa Pancho makes clear some of the many compromises in the story line and characters that had to be made to fit this work into the time allowed for it, and the format of the performance. As I result, I only have this work to judge on its own merits in this review and something tells me that this offbeat story about how one sister, who constantly cleans up the crime scene that her other sister leaves behind after she has murdered her current boyfriend, deals with what happens when she has a conflict of interest to somehow clean up too.
This charming, dark comedy world was full of fine performances and character roles, all supplemented by good costume design (Jessica Cabassa), set design (Richard Bolton) and lighting design (David Plater). An original music score by Tom Harrold was supplemented by some classic music which included “54-46 Was My Number” by Toots & The Maytals – perfect party music for the soon to be coming along murders.
Two very different works in very contrasting styles of choreography, but as always from Ballet Black, something different and interesting.
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
“A Shadow Work” is many different things, many different thoughts and concepts swirling around on stage, but above all it is a journey of exploration to the inner-self world of shadows that inhabit all of us. These shadows are like shifting sands and different to every person but, like them or not, whether we are afraid of them, perhaps even a little ashamed of them, they are a part of what makes each of us a complete person. Unless these inner shadows, which are often compartmentalised by our inner selves into locked boxes, are opened and their voices and stories confronted, acceptance of what they represent or even perhaps finding inner peace is not possible.
Although there is a performing cast of “shadows”, this work is focusing on two dancers, Taraja Hudson and Acaoa de Castro, and from the moment that Taraja takes to the stage dressed in white, it was obvious that a very special dancer was about to give a very special performance. In this work, choreographer Chanel DaSilva is effortlessly blending the techniques and movements of classical ballet and contemporary dance together and watching Taraja Hudson at key moments backing away en pointe from confronting what is in her box of shadows that must be opened was a strangely calming experience. Taraja Hudson was a fine interpreter of Chanel DaSilva’s choreography here, as she moved between graceful and emotional moments to far more linear and edgy exploration and confrontation of her inner psyche.
Dressed in opposing black (as are all the shadows, but their faces are hidden), Acaoa de Castro was the perfect counterbalance in this work as this at times dark exploration of inner-self unfolded. Like it or not, by Taraja, these shadows had to be confronted and Acaoa’s skill at expressing emotion through the movement of dance was impressive. Together Taraja and Acaoa brought this world of shadows, of light and dark, of a person’s outer and inner self, to monochromatic reality on stage.
A big part of the world of light and shadow, that exploration and confrontation of the difficult truths that are often buried deep within a person’s psyche were created by an original music score by Cristina Spinei, costume design by Natalie Pryce, and often innovative lighting design by David Plater.
For the people that stayed in their seats at the interval, there was an interesting choice of themed recorded music being played over the house sound-system. Amongst them were the very appropriate “Killer Queen” and “Murder on the Dance Floor”. The latter could not have been a more apt choice for what was to follow in the second half of tonight’s double bill – “My Sister, The Serial Killer”.
This work, by Cassa Pancho (direction, choreography and adaption for stage) is a re-working/imagination of Oyinkan Braithwaite's dark comedy novel, “My Sister, The Serial Killer”. Here the traditional lines of contemporary dance and stage drama are blurred in what is really a story in movement, and the end result is a very unique work.
I have to admit that I have not read the original novel, and in the programme notes, Cassa Pancho makes clear some of the many compromises in the story line and characters that had to be made to fit this work into the time allowed for it, and the format of the performance. As I result, I only have this work to judge on its own merits in this review and something tells me that this offbeat story about how one sister, who constantly cleans up the crime scene that her other sister leaves behind after she has murdered her current boyfriend, deals with what happens when she has a conflict of interest to somehow clean up too.
This charming, dark comedy world was full of fine performances and character roles, all supplemented by good costume design (Jessica Cabassa), set design (Richard Bolton) and lighting design (David Plater). An original music score by Tom Harrold was supplemented by some classic music which included “54-46 Was My Number” by Toots & The Maytals – perfect party music for the soon to be coming along murders.
Two very different works in very contrasting styles of choreography, but as always from Ballet Black, something different and interesting.
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com