This is London Magazine July Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 30
ACOSTA DANZA CUBAN BAROQUE
AT SADLER’S WELLS
This autumn, Sadler’s Wells
International Associate Company Acosta
Danza returns with Cuban Baroque, a
bold new double bill under the artistic
direction of dance legend Carlos Acosta,
running 7-10 October.
Cuban Baroque blends the artistry of
the Baroque period with the energy,
creativity and vibrancy of Cuban dance.
Emerging from the 17th and 18th
Centuries, the artistic movement was
characterised by rich colour, elaborate
detail, and intricate decoration.
30
SAN FRANCISCO BALLET RETURNS
TO SADLER’S WELLS
San Francisco Ballet returns to
London for the first time since 2019 with
Mere Mortals at Sadler’s Wells Theatre
from Wednesday 9 - Saturday
12 September, featuring an original
score for symphony orchestra and
electronics written by acclaimed British
electronic music producer and DJ
Floating Points, who will also be
performing live. The new ballet features
choreography by Aszure Barton and
marks the company's first visit to
England since Tamara Rojo took up post
as Artistic Director, previously Artistic
Director of English National Ballet.
With the original premiere in San
Francisco – a city known as the
epicentre of technology – at a time when
the AI conversation was accelerating
from niche industry topic to global
phenomenon, its 2026 return lands with
even greater relevance.
Barton’s choreography builds distinct
movement languages for each character,
fashioned in broad-shouldered coats and
sleek unitards designed by Michelle Jank.
Hamill Industries, frequent collaborators
of Floating Points, integrates three mobile
LED screen panels to enhance the visual
storytelling throughout the production,
employing AI as an artistic tool in the
creation of some of the onstage visuals.
Photos: Chris Hardy
Inspired by classicist-authorbroadcaster Natalie Haynes, Mere
Mortals reimagines the ancient Greek
myth of Pandora and Prometheus, using
a modern perspective on the rapid
acceleration of technology and scientific
progress, exploring misogyny in myth
and recontextualising Pandora as a
complex, empowered figure.
In the original myth, Pandora is the
first mortal woman, fashioned by the
gods and gifted a sealed box by Zeus
with a single instruction: do not open it.
Curiosity wins, and she releases all the
evils of the world into existence. When
the box is sealed again, one thing
remains inside: Hope.
Photo: Johan Persson.
San Francisco Ballet, Mere Mortals.
The show opens with a premiere of a
new work Pearls by Andonis Foniadakis,
which explores the classic chaconne
looping structure, cycling through
phases of acceleration, fracture, and
rebound. Set to Esteban Sallas’ Salve
Regina, the score shifts from Baroque
lyricism to Cuban drive, showcasing the
fusion between memory and
contemporary.
Closing the programme is Goyo
Montero’s powerful Chacona, originally
created for the Staatstheater Nürnberg
Ballett during Montero’s 17-year tenure
as director. Chacona is the final
movement of Bach’s Partita No. 2 in
D Minor for violin, accompanied here by
guitar and piano. Classical in sound and
contemporary in movement, the
16-dancer ensemble moves in complete
cohesion in this physically and
musically demanding piece.
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