London City Ballet Momentum Review
September 13, 2025 | Sadler’s Wells Theatre – London, England, UK
In their program titled Momentum, London City Ballet presents a well-rounded and consistently impressive mixed bill of new and revisited neoclassical repertoire showcasing a technically strong and powerful company.
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London City Ballet Momentum Review
The performance opens with a gem of George Balanchine’s early work, Haieff Divertimento. This piece premiered in 1947 and was thought lost for 40 years before it was restored by original cast members. London City Ballet’s performance marks the first time this choreography touches UK soil.
The piece is wonderfully technical and a clear depiction of Balanchine style and technique. The dancers of London City Ballet achieve these nuances skillfully and are clearly suited to such a challenge.
From the first rise of the curtain, the bright disposition and open projection of emotion from the dancers - particularly the girls - stands out.
A surety, confidence and enjoyment beams from the stage across the whole piece; achieving this as the first take-away from the audience’s perspective is very impressive and a testament to the company’s technical prowess and maturity as the Haieff Divertimento boasts technical challenge after challenge.
Jimin Kim, featured in the sections “Aria” and “Lullaby”, is a standout for achieving this ease and mastering of control and style. The audience is drawn to her from the moment she steps out from the wings. She carries herself with a demure confidence which slowly unfolds into a joyous dynamism that her colleagues share and meet in group sections.
Overall, the company’s execution of this Balanchine classic is stunning and sharp with a maturity very impressive from a cast, some of whom are as young as 19.
We now move quickly yet effectively into the tender and intimate world of Liam Scarlett’s Consolations & Liebestraum danced to a live rendition of Franz Liszt’s piano score of the same name.
Our first image is of Alina Cojocaru sitting in a warm spotlight in the centre of the stage as the beautiful notes of the live piano rise around her. The piece loosely follows the themes of a relationship and its progression through different emotions.
Performed by six dancers, mostly taking the stage in duets, Consolations is a beautifully simple piece. The warm and minimal lighting compliments the black and dark grey costumes and keeps the focus on the emotional connection of the dancers and the beautiful shapes of Scarlett’s fluid choreography.
The technique and expertise of partnering is commendable, the dancers navigating challenging lifts with outward ease.
Particularly beautiful is the connection between Yuria Isaka and Arthur Wille who dance the first duet. They portray an honest chemistry which lends itself perfectly to this part of the storyline. The audience feels their connection to each other.
At some moments during the group sections unison was lost, but this was always fleeting. The dancers’ presence and movement execution always remained making the discrepancies less noticeable.
The emotional narrative of the piece is expertly bookended by Cojocaru and Joseph Taylor who dance the final duet with genuine feeling and rawness. The audience can feel, and almost hear, their torment and depth of emotion through their breath.
Soft Shore, created for London City Ballet by Paris Opera Ballet’s Premier Danseur Florent Melac, is the third and final piece of the first half of the performance. It is a standout from the evening danced by a cast of four, three male and one female, with all dancers in soft shoes and dressed alike.
It begins with a solo by Alejandro Virelles as smoke slowly billows across the space from downstage right. Virelles moves with stunning fluidity and takes immediate ownership of the space as we hear Beethoven’s Razumovsky String Quartet, Molto adagio e mesto fill the auditorium.
The heartfelt, almost melancholy, strings pair pleasingly with the curling smoke and is mimicked in the billowing fabric of the loose blouses worn by the dancers creating a cohesive and fluid piece.
The strongest and most touching moment is a duet danced between Wille and Taylor.
Their partnering is so natural with an impressive equality which is not often achieved, particularly in a same sex duet. Their cohesion and connection flowed effortlessly and was a pleasure to witness.
After the interval, we come back for the delight that is Alexei Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. It is a well known piece by New York City’s Ballet Artist in Residence, set to a score by Modest Mussorgsky and accompanied by backdrops of Wassily Kandinsky’s best-known masterpieces.
London City Ballet’s dancers dive into this piece with force, their youth and energy as a company wonderfully complementing the character and style of this piece.
Strong dynamism and use of ballon is impressive from the whole cast and again, as with Haieff Divertimento, the company’s proficiency with neoclassical repertoire is evident. Challenging lifts and stylised, inorganic shapes and movements are completed with ease, a testament to the dancers’ ability and the thorough rehearsal of the piece.
The structure of the ballet moves in clear sections, each flagged by a new artwork on the backdrop and a clear change in atmosphere. The dancers are committed and persuasive in their portrayal of these changes in energy and frequently elicit responses from the audience, often laughter.
Similarly, the dancers' follow through of movement is strong - and being essential to the style, so very pleasing to see.
At times unison and accents are slightly off or missed; however, this is easily looked past considering the energy, stamina and quality required in this particularly challenging work.
Overall, this piece is very entertaining and a beautifully joyous and strong ending to a well-rounded and high quality performance. The dancers receive a strong and appreciative applause and take their final curtain call with pride and radiate genuine happiness.
Featured Photo of London City Ballet’s Yuria Isaka & Company in Alexei Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Photo by ASH.
