Ballet Black: SHADOWS
★★★★☆ Haunting
Festival Theatre: Wed 21 May 2025
Review by Suzanne O’Brien
Ballet Black’s SHADOWS, a double bill of new work seen at the Festival Theatre and then going on tour through the coming autumn, is a darkly compelling exploration of the psychological and the surreal.
Though contrasting in tone and style, A Shadow Work and My Sister, The Serial Killer both grapple with what lies beneath the surface – whether repressed within the self or hidden behind a sister’s dazzling smile. Together, they explore darkness and what it means when darkness comes into the light.
Acaoã de Castro and Taraja Hudson in A Shadow Work, choreographed by Chanel DaSilva. Pic: ASH.
Chanel DaSilva’s A Shadow Work is 40 minutes of torment, strain, and discovery. It draws on the process known as “shadow work”: exploring and integrating the hidden, often unconscious aspects of ourselves, to become whole. DaSilva crafts a haunting psychological landscape that is both introspective and atmospheric.
At the centre is a young woman on a path towards self-acceptance, beautifully performed with vulnerability by Taraja Hudson. The sole piece of set – a box – contains her buried feelings which she struggles to open. Each time she lifts the lid, or is pressured to, new internal struggles emerge, unfolding through intense solos, charged duets, and group numbers.
fluid and synced duets
Hudson shares beautifully fluid and synced duets with lead shadow Acaoã de Castro, whose graceful movement contrasts with the often-oppressive presence of the other shadows. One duet, in particular, balances harmony and pain with moments of fluidity giving way to fighting. Despite their conflicting moments, a level of care and tenderness is maintained between the pair.
The Ballet Black Company in A Shadow Work, choreographed by Chanel DaSilva. Pic: ASH.
The choreography is layered and unsettling, particularly in the rigid, doll-like sequences performed by the ensemble, which have a horror-like quality. This uneasiness is further heightened by David Plater’s crisp lighting design, which includes strobe effects and barbed wire-like shadows that stretch across the stage at various points.
Natalie Pryce’s translucent black costumes for the shadow dancers enhance the eerie, ghostlike effect, as they blend into the dark space – while the protagonist stands out in a stark white costume.
could be pushed further
The concept is strong. However the piece doesn’t delve deeply enough to fully satisfy. Cristina Spinei’s score, blending acoustic piano with synthesizer, feels more like a series of similar-sounding recorded tracks than a fully integrated soundscape. It subtly undercuts the movement’s intensity and contributes to the sense that the work could be pushed further.
Helga Paris-Morales and Isabela Coracy in My Sister, The Serial Killer, choreographed by Cassa Pancho. Pic: ASH.
While the first piece looks at what we conceal within and what eats us up inside, My Sister, The Serial Killer explicitly brings horror and gruesomeness to the forefront with blood, poison and murder.
Adapted by Ballet Black’s artistic director, Cassa Pancho, from Oyinkan Braithwaite’s novel, the piece launches straight into a murder and cover up, immediately setting the tone of pitch-dark humour for this sharply performed thriller.
pulses with tension
Isabela Coracy brings strength and precision to Korede, the dutiful sister caught between morality and loyalty as she aids her sister in disposing her murder victims. Helga Paris-Morales is magnetic as Ayoola, the charismatic, seductive, and deadly younger sister who claims to kill her boyfriends in “self-defence”.
Their relationship pulses with tension as Korede fears that her secret love, the doctor (Ebony Thomas), may become Ayoola’s next victim.
Megan Chiu, Taraja Hudson, Elijah Peterkin, Helga Paris-Morales, Mikayla Isaacs, Love Kotiya, Bhungane Mehlomakulu and Acaoã de Castro in My Sister, The Serial Killer, choreographed by Cassa Pancho. Pic: ASH.
Pancho’s direction and adaptation strike a clever balance between horror and lightness. In particular, she brings great contrast through her decisions to expand Korede’s nightmare, where torment consumes her (a moment that’s only a small part of the book), and then to introduce lightness through a standout house party scene, featuring vibrant costumes, soulful music, and energy.
The ensemble demonstrates extraordinary versatility, taking on multiple roles as party guests, nurses, ghosts, and a rippling river. The company’s shared choreographic input adds a strong sense of cohesion to the work, and the dancers’ enjoyment is palpable throughout.
ambitious
My Sister, The Serial Killer is theatrical, and fully realised, whereas A Shadow Work is more abstract, emotionally exploratory and demanding of imagination. Although the murderous second act will certainly have wider appeal, both pieces successfully explore identity, secrecy, and the shadows we live with.
This ambitious double bill underscores Ballet Black’s range, blending dance, drama, and social commentary in a way that lingers.
Running Time: One hour and 45 minutes (including one interval)
Festival Theatre, 13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT.
Wed 21 May 2025
One performance: 7.30pm.
Run ended.
Ballet Black’s SHADOWS on tour:
Watford Palace Theatre
Wed 8 October 2025
Tickets and details: Book here.
Gala Durham
Tue 14 October 2025
Tickets and details: Book here.
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Fri 24 October 2025
Tickets and details: Book here.
The Belgrade Coventry
Tue 4 November 2025
Tickets and details: Book here.
The Marlowe, Canterbury
Tue 18 November 2025
Tickets and details: Book here.
Sadler’s Wells Theatre London
Wed 26 – Sat 29 November 2025
Tickets and details: Book here.
Isabela Coracy and the Ballet Black Company in My Sister, The Serial Killer, choreographed by Cassa Pancho. Pic: ASH.
ENDS
