Wayne McGregor's Alchemies: A Warm and Human Triple Bill at Royal Opera House
Choreographer Wayne McGregor, renowned for his intellectually rigorous but sometimes emotionally cool dance works, presents a strikingly warm counterpoint in his triple bill Alchemies at the Royal Opera House in London. This production, featuring two existing pieces and one world premiere, reveals some of McGregor's most human and engaging choreography to date, marrying incredible physical facility with expressive lyricism in a spellbinding display.
Two Decades of Influence and Evolution
McGregor's twenty-year tenure as resident choreographer at the Royal Ballet has fundamentally transformed the company. His appointment from contemporary dance rather than ballet initially sparked controversy, but his influence has expanded the company's artistic outlook and pushed dancers toward remarkable versatility. Where early works sometimes appeared awkward on classically trained performers, today's generation executes McGregor's demanding choreography with natural ease.
The dancers have clearly influenced McGregor as much as he has influenced them, bringing not just their extraordinary physical capabilities but also their lyricism and instinctive communication skills to these abstract works. This symbiotic relationship shines throughout Alchemies, creating dance that resonates on both technical and emotional levels.
Untitled, 2023: Stark Minimalism and Expressive Power
The triple bill opens with Untitled, 2023, featuring designs by Cuban artist Carmen Herrera that establish a beautifully stark minimalistic tone. A single stretched green triangle slices through a white backdrop, complemented by a white geometric sculpture that focuses attention on the clarity of line in McGregor's choreography.
Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir's orchestral score provides a striking contrast to this spacious setting, shifting textures from claustrophobic intensity to ominous swells and sudden majesty. The movement vocabulary shows clear influences from Merce Cunningham while incorporating feline curves and stretches, culminating in a richly expressive final solo from Calvin Richardson that demonstrates the work's emotional depth.
Yugen: Gorgeous Musicality and Swoon-Worthy Dancing
The 2018 work Yugen presents perhaps the most conventionally beautiful piece in McGregor's repertoire, set to Leonard Bernstein's glorious Chichester Psalms. Commissioned for Bernstein's centenary, this unusually melodic score inspires McGregor to create dance that breathes like a singer, with choreography that leans into the music's religious reverence and jazzy lilt.
Edmund de Waal's set designs provide towering frames that evoke cathedral-like awe without religious paraphernalia, while the dancing proves utterly swoon-worthy. Young first artist Marco Masciari demonstrates remarkable sensitivity in his pas de deux with Emile Gooding, marking both as definite talents to watch in the Royal Ballet's future.
Quantum Souls: Exploratory Premiere with Vital Energy
The world premiere Quantum Souls belongs to the company's more experienced principals, particularly the soulful William Bracewell. Bushra El-Turk's 2022 score Ka features a massive bank of drums, gongs, marimba and other percussion instruments played live on stage by Chinese percussionist Beibei Wang, with some sections improvised for added vitality.
The absorbing choreography possesses a genuine sense of exploration, with dancers encountering each other in multitudinous ways that keep audiences constantly guessing what might come next. When the bright banana-yellow stage transforms into a starry night sky through McGregor's design collaboration with lighting designer Lucy Carter, the dancers skitter with frenetic energy like creatures with heartbeats ten times faster than human.
Wang's vital presence maintains moment-to-moment aliveness throughout the performance, and when she moves among the dancers, it appears she has held them under her spell from the beginning. This sense of magical transformation perfectly embodies the alchemical theme of the entire triple bill.
A Lasting Impression of Human Connection
Alchemies represents a significant evolution in McGregor's choreographic approach, demonstrating that his experimental spirit can coexist with deep human connection. The triple bill showcases how twenty years of collaboration with Royal Ballet dancers has enriched both the company's capabilities and McGregor's artistic vocabulary.
From the stark minimalism of Untitled, 2023 to the musical gorgeousness of Yugen and the exploratory vitality of Quantum Souls, this production offers compelling evidence that McGregor's work continues to evolve in exciting directions. The spellbinding dancing throughout will indeed make audiences swoon, proving that technical brilliance and emotional resonance can exist in perfect harmony.
Wayne McGregor: Alchemies continues at the Royal Opera House in London through May 6th, offering audiences a rare opportunity to witness this choreographer's most human and engaging work to date.
