Ballet Black — 25th Anniversary TourLyric Theatre, The Lowry — 14th April 2026
Ballet Black marked its 25th anniversary with a UK tour that proved exactly why the company remains such a vital force in British dance. This was dance theatre designed to provoke thought, stir emotion, and awaken empathy — and it succeeded on every level.
The company, a beautifully diverse ensemble of highly trained dancers, presented a double bill: HOPE and INGOMA, two contrasting works with distinct stories and emotional landscapes.The audience reflected this same diversity all coming together to support this performance. Seeing so many different people united in the same space, moved by the same story, was genuinely moving.
Part I — HOPE
Let’s be clear: if you arrived expecting classical ballet in its traditional form, HOPE will quickly teach you otherwise. This is theatre dance — layered, expressive, and intentionally disorienting at first.
The piece is narrated throughout, offering an evolving interpretation of hope as an idea, a feeling, and a force. The choreography blends jazz, rhythm and blues, touches of hip hop, and moments of classical ballet woven seamlessly into the mix. At first, the storyline feels elusive, almost chaotic, but that’s part of the point. We’re conditioned to expect linear storytelling in ballet; HOPE asks you to think, question, and interpret.
As the narration unfolds, the movement on stage begins to make sense — not literally, but emotionally. The dancers perform with raw honesty, their physicality full of nuance and vulnerability. The result was liberating, surprising, and exquisitely executed.
Part II — INGOMA
The second half, INGOMA, was the emotional core of the evening — powerful, haunting, and deeply human.
The work depicts the 2012 Marikana miners’ strike in South Africa, where police opened fire on striking workers, killing 34 men. It’s recent history, and the choreography refuses to let the audience look away from the devastation left behind: the grief of wives, children, siblings, and parents; the resilience of a community; the courage required simply to survive.
Chants and the Lord’s Prayer were spoken in Xhosa, an agglutinative tonal language within the Bantu family. The Xhosa people, primarily from South Africa’s Eastern Cape, have a cultural lineage stretching back at least to the 7th century, with modern communities descended from Nguni clans. This linguistic and cultural grounding added depth and authenticity to the work.
INGOMA was the standout of the evening — a piece that was daunting, beautiful, and emotionally overwhelming. The dancers’ expressions, their grounded physicality, and the weight of the story they carried made it impossible not to feel the tragedy and the strength embedded in every movement.The audience let their feelings be known at the end with a standing ovation.That, speaks volumes in the world of theatre!
Final thoughts? 
Ballet Black’s 25th‑anniversary programme is more than a celebration — it’s a statement. A reminder of the power of dance to tell stories that matter, to honour histories that should not be forgotten, and to connect audiences to experiences far beyond their own.
A wonderful experience ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐