Cassa Pancho’s Shadows was a double-bubble of compelling and contemporary choreography. Split into two dances, ‘A Shadow Work’ is a haunting psychological piece that centres around the idea of the shadow self – the parts of us, often deemed negative or unacceptable, that we hide from the world and repress.
In essence, The famous Psychologist Carl Jung said the goal was not to destroy the shadow but to bring it into conscious awareness, integrating it into the whole self, therefore becoming a more complete and authentic individual. The beautiful and graceful principal (Taraja Hudson) has her shadows trapped within a box and battles powerful emotions in her attempts to confront them.
By contrast, the second piece ‘My sister the Serial Killer’ was a ‘fun’ if you will, adaptation of the story of a nurse who’s sister, quite annoyingly, keeps killing people. Armed with rubber gloves and bleach she clears up after each mess and helps dispose of the bodies. A very strange choice for a ballet story I thought, but actually it really worked, it was all at once funny, gripping and farfetched.
Ballet Black was created to advocate for Black and Asian dancers and this latest production, blending classical ballet with contemporary themes and styles continues its commitment to presenting diverse and thought-provoking works. It’s a terrible shame it was such a short run as Shadows doesn’t disappoint, it’s a solid testament to Pancho’s artistic vision and the talent of its dancers.
NEED TO KNOW: Ballet Black – Shadows is on tour until 21 May 2025 | See listing for dates. Next stop, Birmingham Rep.
Related links
Cassa Pancho – interview
