Cedar Lake Ballet Triple Bill

When it comes to patronage, some dance companies are more fortunate than others. New York’s thrilling contemporary ballet company, Cedar Lake, can afford to be adventurous, having mined a rich seam of private investment through Walmart heiress Nancy Laurie, who founded the company in 2003. But they take nothing for granted. The company is composed of 16 uniformly brilliant dancers, none of whom are risk averse. Whether they are required to roll around on the floor, interact with back projections or perform dizzying turns and gestures with mercurial speed, they are equal to the demands placed upon them.

The triple bill celebrating Cedar Lake’s 10th anniversary at Sadler’s Wells provides ample evidence of their continuing quest for challenging work. Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite, whose work is often closer to kinetic installation than pure dance, contributes Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue, which does precisely what it says on the tin. The mischievous geometry of Jiri Kylián’s Indigo Rose stretches the dancers’ vocabulary as only the Czech choreographer can. The bill is completed by Norwegian Jo Strømgren, who lightens the mood and breaks the intensity with his piece Necessity, Again that employs a selection of songs by Charles Aznavour and snatches of a recorded interview with Jacques Derrida. Sharpen your wits and go.

Cedar Lake's triple bill is on at Sadler’s Wells on 27th and 28th September