Dance show of the week: Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black in Shadows, York Theatre Royal, tonight, 7.30pm

Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black in A Shadow Work, choreographed by Chanel DaSilva. Dancers: Acaoã de Castro & Taraja Hudson. Picture by ASH

NOW in its 24th year, Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black returns to York Theatre Royal with a thrilling new double bill, featuring Pancho’s darkly comic adaptation of Oyinkan Braithwaite’s international bestselling novel, My Sister, The Serial Killer.  

When Korede receives a distress call from her sister Ayoola, she knows what to do: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This is the third boyfriend Ayoola has killed in “self-defence,” and the third mess Korede has to clean up.

She should probably go to the police, but family comes first. Things take a turn, however, when Ayoola begins dating the doctor Korede secretly loves, forcing Korede to choose between saving him and betraying her sister. 

The double bill is completed by Brooklyn-born, award-winning choreographer Chanel DaSilva, making her British choreographic debut with A Shadow Work.

Renowned for using the arts to inspire meaningful change, DaSilva has been commissioned by prestigious companies such as The Washington Ballet, Parsons Dance Company and Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and made history as the first Black woman to choreograph for The Joffrey Ballet.

In her debut for Ballet Black, DaSilva delves into the profound practice of shadow work, exploring its power to reveal our true selves. Her work is celebrated for its deep exploration of humanity and its potential to inspire transformation both within the dance world and beyond.  

Ballet Black has transformed the landscape of British ballet, creating a prominent platform for dancers and artists of Black and Asian descent, as well as establishing a new canon of ballet repertoire that resonates with audiences around the world. 

Discover more tonight. Box office: 01904  623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

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