In March 2017 English National Ballet will present Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring at Sadler’s Wells as part of a programme which includes William Forsythe’s In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated and Adagio Hammerklavier by Hans van Manen.
ENB's Artistic Director, Tamara Rojo, said, “Pina Bausch was an incredible artist, and remains one of the most influential people in modern culture today. Her work transcends description; it affects you on a deep emotional level, speaking to your spirit and defying logical analysis.
"Pina’s Rite of Spring is of great significance, and it gives me so much joy that English National Ballet becomes only the second ballet Company in the world, and the only UK Company, to be entrusted to perform the work. I’m proud to present it alongside masterpieces from William Forsythe and Hans van Manen, and I am truly honoured and humbled to be able to perform these works to audiences at Sadler’s Wells in 2017.”
ENB also will present two versions of Giselle in the same season. Rojo explained: “ballet, and art, has the potential of interpretation and reinterpretation, and this is vital to drive our art form forward. And so I am thrilled that this season we will present the world première of Akram Khan’s reimagining of the iconic story of Giselle, as well as performing Mary Skeaping’s classical production.”
The première of Khan's Giselle takes place at the Palace Theatre, Manchester (27 September to 1 October) before touring to Bristol (18 to 22 October), Southampton (26 to 29 October) and Sadler’s Wells (15 to 19 November).
Wayne Eagling’s Nutcracker will tour to Milton Keynes (23 to 26 November) and Liverpool (29 November to 3 December) before returning to the Coliseum (14 December to 7 January), continuing the Company’s tradition of presenting a Nutcracker production each year since inception.