ENB presents a season of five new short films

An exciting new digital season of short works for camera from Russell Maliphant, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Yuri Possokhov, Arielle Smith, and Stina Quagebeur.

The digital season marks the first time Cherkaoui and Smith have created work for ENB’s main Company, and the first time Possokhov has created work for a UK Company.

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui reimagines Laid in Earth as a “torn apart” quartet. It is set to Purcell’s famous aria from Dido and Aeneas – sung live by mezzo soprano Fiona McIntosh, as well as new electronic music composed by Olga Wojciechowska.

Former principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, world-renowned choreographer Yuri Possokhov works with a UK company for the first time. His piece for four dancers, Senseless Kindness, is based on Vasily Grossman’s great novel, Life and Fate, about a Russian family caught in the Second World War, and set to Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No1.

In Take Five Blues, ENB Associate Choreographer Stina Quagebeur responds to two of her favourites pieces of music: Bach’s Vivace and Paul Desmond’s jazz standard, Take Five. Her eight dancers seem to play with their rhythms and echo their melodies, feeding off each other’s energy.

Russell Maliphant creates ever shifting choreography and uses light as an integral partner in the creative process. Collaborating on this project with video artist Panagiotis Tomaras and with sound design by Dana Fouras, the result is mesmerising.

Arielle Smith’s Jolly Folly is like your favourite dance number in an old movie musical: fast-paced, surprising, and full of uncontainable energy. Driven by the Klazz Brothers’ latin-infused covers of Tchaikovsky, Strauss and Mozart, it will make you grin from ear to ear.

English title Laid in Earth
Choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui
Director Thomas James
Duration 15 minutes
English title Take Five Blues
Choreography by Stina Quagebeur
Director Shaun James Grant
Duration 15 minutes
English title Jolly Folly
Choreography by Arielle Smith
Director Amy Becker-Burnett
Duration 15 minutes
English title Senseless Kindness
Choreography by Yuri Possokhov
Director Thomas James
Duration 15 minutes
English title Untitled
Choreography by Russell Maliphant
Director Michael Nunn and William Trevitt
Duration 15 minutes
Production Company English National Ballet