“There are no mothers-in-law in ballet,” said George Balanchine, explaining why most of his ballets are abstract explorations of pure movement. It’s a good line, but it’s both right and wrong. Part of dance’s power springs from the attempts of various choreographers to use a silent medium to communicate complex thought – and the plot-driven ballet is a surprisingly resilient form.
Last week brought two contrasting examples. For a long time, Wayne McGregor has been grappling with new definitions of narrative. Pieces such as Raven Girl, Woolf Works and The Dante Project (for the Royal Ballet) and Lore (for La Scala), not to mention Autobiography for his own Company Wayne McGregor, reveal a fascination with reinventing the way that dance relates to story.
