Sadler’s Wells in September
Across all venues in September Sadler’s Wells is host to the UK premieres of world-class dance productions from the likes of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Michael Keegan-Dolan, Carlos Acosta’s Acosta Danza, London City Ballet and more, as well as the final outing of the Sadler’s Wells, Pina Bausch Foundation and École des Sables co-production of The Rite of Spring on the international stage.
Flemish-Moroccan choreographer and Associate Artist Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui presents the UK premiere of Vlaemsch (chez moi)at Sadler’s Wells Theatre on Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 September. A love letter to his Flemish roots, and exploring the complexities of national identity, the piece features international performers from Cherkaoui’s Antwerp-based company Eastman, hailing from Japan, America, Russia, Ukraine, Congo, Canada, Germany and beyond. The cross movement between West and East or North and South is characteristic of Cherkaoui’s choreography, over a career in which he has created over 50 full-fledged choreographic pieces and received two Olivier Awards.
Alongside Vlaemsch, Cherkaoui has collaborated with leading Disabled dance artist Marc Brew to create an Accident / a Life– a Sadler’s Wells co-commission which will be presented at Sadler’s Wells East on Thursday 25 – Saturday 27 September. The stunning visual theatre piece unravels moments in our lives, exploring difficult subjects using humour, storytelling, film, music, dance and a car. The starting point was sharing life stories and key moments of change. For Marc, this was his car accident, where he went from ballet dancer to paraplegic in a split second.
Also at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in September, dance legend Carlos Acosta celebrates the tenth anniversary of his dance company Acosta Danza with a mixed bill in London this autumn. A Decade in Motion, which includes two UK premieres, comes to Sadler’s Wells Theatre from Tuesday 23 – Saturday 27 September. The company celebrates ten years of nurturing dancers who combine classical and contemporary to create a repertory built on Cuban’s history and culture where they stretch dance boundaries.
London City Ballet, the former resident company of Sadler’s Wells, returns to Sadler’s Wells Theatre from Saturday 13 – Sunday 14 September following an inaugural year which saw them tour through Asia, America and Europe. Performing Momentum, a brand-new repertoire showcasing artists and works rarely seen in the UK, including a piece by George Balanchine, they will be joined once again by Guest Artist, the celebrated ballerina Alina Cojocaru, who will appear at all performances.
Over at Sadler’s Wells East, Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Michael Keegan-Dolan comes to Stratford for the first time, alongside his company Teaċ Daṁsa, for the UK premiere of How to be a Dancer in Seventy-two Thousand Easy Lessons from Wednesday 17 – Saturday 20 September. How to be a Dancer in Seventy-two Thousand Easy Lessonsis a dance theatre production, featuring spoken word, physical comedy and contemporary movement while exploring nationality, identity, xenophobia, ancestor worship, shame, death, defiance, love and dance. Created in the COVID lockdown in 2020, the piece is written, choreographed and danced by Michael Keegan-Dolan, invoking stories from his own personal history as well as those of the world around him.
Sadler’s Wells home in the West End, the Peacock Theatre, is host to two multi-faceted productions this September. Firstly, The Genesis (Wednesday 3 – Saturday 6 September), a high-energy contemporary circus experience that sees 17 world-class acrobats push the limits of movement, soundtracked by an original soundscape that combines classical violin, piano, and various acoustic instruments with voices in song and recitation. Later in the month, after a sold-out tour of France, attracting over 300,000 spectators since its premiere, Sadeck Berrabah presents the UK premiere of Murmuration Level 2 from Wednesday 10 – Saturday 20 September. A blend of hypnotic dance and perfect synchronisation, Murmuration Level 2 fuses hip-hop, martial arts, contemporary dance, ballet and drawing.
On the international stage, Sadler’s Wells’ co-production of Pina Bausch’s landmark The Rite of Spring,produced with the Pina Bausch Foundation and Senegal’s École des Sables, will return to the theatre where the original ballet had its first performance over one hundred years ago, Paris’ Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, from Wednesday 24 September – Saturday 28 September 2025, ahead of its final performance at the Batiment des Forces Motrices in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday 7 October 2025. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring.
Finally, over on Digital Stage, audiences can stream a new ten-minute documentary film Making Moves 2025, directed by Paul Burt and produced by Sadler’s Wells, for free. The film is a behind the scenes look into Making Moves, a project that celebrates the next generation of dancers from schools and youth groups across England. Working with virtual toolkits from top choreographers: Jules Cunningham, Kloé Dean, Ben Duke and Seeta Patel, Making Moves puts creative freedom into the hands of young people, offers them new perspectives and celebrates the power of dance.
Visit sadlerswells.com to book now for their September programs.
Acosta Danza – De Punta a Cabo, Photo credit Hugo Glendinning