A bold commission from artistic director Kevin O’Hare: Hofesh Shechter is creating his first work for the Royal Ballet. It will appear alongside classics by George Balanchine and Kenneth MacMillan on 27 and 30 March and on 8, 10 and 14 April.
In line with his own company’s ensemble aesthetic, Shechter has opted not to work with principal dancers. Instead he has selected his troupe, more men than women, from the younger ranks of the corps de ballet, coryphées and soloists, making him one of only very few artists to create new work for the Royal Ballet specifically for this group of dancers.
An industrial sound system has been installed in the rehearsal studio (which has had to be dedicated to Hofesh as the sock-wearing dancers leave the floor too slippery for pointe work).
While Shechter’s notably earthbound choreography is new territory for the classically-trained dancers, his acclaimed ability to shift an ensemble in complex choreographic patterns makes him a natural match for the corps de ballet and his passion for working with younger dancers has brought excitement and experimentation to the studio.
Shechter said: “I arrived in London twelve years ago and recently, more than ever, I’m made aware of my immigrant status, so to be invited to make a work at the Royal Opera House, the epitome of culture in the UK, of course that makes me think a little. And yes, I bring that with me to the studio where anyway the clash of cultures between my own work and classical ballet is giving me a lot to work with.”
Kevin O’Hare said: “having closely followed Hofesh’s career and enjoyed his electrifying work for his own company for over a decade, it is now very exciting to be able to welcome him to The Royal Ballet. I look forward to seeing how his unique choreography will combine with the talents of our dancers in this new work.”
A trademark of Shechter’s works has been the accompanying sound scores which are known for their percussive grooves, soaring middle-eastern strings and trembling bass.
Working with regular collaborator Nell Catchpole, Shechter provides the soundtrack for this new work for the Royal Ballet. Together they have written a score to be played live by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (including twelve percussionists playing bass drums and frame drums) alongside an electronic soundscape.