Co-production for Boston Ballet and the Royal Ballet
Two major ballet companies recently announced their first co-production, set to premiere on 28 May in London, and in the US for the 2017/18 season. Boston Ballet and the Royal Ballet will present Wayne McGregor's 'Obsidian Tear', by the Royal Ballet's Resident Choreographer. The piece is inspired by renowned Finnish composer Esa-Pekka Salonen’s orchestral work Nyx, and features an all-male cast.
In addition to the work 'Chroma' - performed by Boston Ballet in 2013 and 2015 to critical acclaim - 'Obsidian Tear' will be the second work of McGregor’s in Boston Ballet’s repertoire. Further plans for the world premiere and co-production were announced by McGregor at the Royal Opera House’s Insights event on 11 May, which was live-streamed for viewers around the world. McGregor is one of the most dynamic, exhilarating choreographers today, emphasised by the partnering of the two companies for the first time.
'Obsidian Tear' will concentrate on the solitary despair of Salonen’s 'Lachen Verlernt', and the symphonic grandeur of Nyx (inspired by the elusive Ancient Greek goddess of night) through both myth and modernity. The set is designed by McGregor, with Katie Shillingford (Fashion Editor for Dazed and ConfusedMagazine, and Fashion Director for AnOther Magazine) as Fashion Director, and lighting design by Lucy Carter, McGregor’s long-term collaborator.
Since 1963, Boston Ballet’s internationally acclaimed performances of classical, neo-classical, and contemporary ballets, combined with a dedication to world class dance education and community initiative programmes, have made the institution a leader in its field. Boston Ballet School, the official school of Boston Ballet, has a long-standing dedication to excellence and access. The School reaches more than 5,000 students young and old each year through Boston Ballet School classes, the Summer Dance Workshop, Pre-Professional Summer Dance Programme and the Pre-Professional Training held at three studio locations, in Boston, Newton, and Marblehead.