Celebrating 25 Incredible Years – Lowry, Salford Welcomes Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black This April with its 25th Anniversary Programme: Ballet Black at 25

Celebrating 25 incredible years, Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black brings Ballet Black at 25 to Salford on Tuesday 14th April – direct from its premiere at the Linbury Theatre, London. The first stop on its UK tour, the company begins its anniversary celebrations at Lowry with an exciting new mixed programme that showcases both a landmark work from its repertoire and an inspiring new commission created especially for this milestone year.

The programme features Ingoma (2019), the choreographic debut of former company dancer, Mthuthuzeli November. 

Inspired by the 1946 South African miners’ strike, a precursor to the anti-apartheid movement, Ingoma captures the suffering and resilience of Black miners and their communities, bringing rarely told stories to the ballet stage. The work won both the 2020 Olivier Award and the Black British Theatre Award for Best Dance Production.

Alongside it comes a new commission ...all towards hope. from Hope Boykin, a two-time Bessie Award winner, making her UK choreographic debut. 

Hope has created a celebratory piece especially for Ballet Black’s 25th year.  “I make work and create environments from personal and lived experiences. This new piece is a vibrant tribute to the company’s journey and a bold look towards its future”, said Hope Boykin.

Since its founding in 2001, Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black has transformed the landscape of British ballet by championing artists of Black and Asian descent. Known for their repertory of deeply resonant works, the company and its dancers have won and been nominated for many awards. Ballet Black has a long history of performing at the Royal Opera House, beginning in 2005 with its first season at the Linbury Studio Theatre. 

Cassa Pancho, Artistic Director and Founder, said: “We are excited to celebrate our 25th anniversary. In our latest bill, you will see something great from our past; the Black British Theatre and Olivier Award winning, Ingoma, created by Mthuthuzeli November in 2019, and something equally great but very different, ...all towards hope. from Alvin Ailey royalty, Hope Boykin, which looks towards our future. This diversity of repertoire is what I consider to be one of the strengths of BB: no two ballets are alike, whether the subject is serial killers, African ancestry or the state of the world today, I hope we will always put on a show that makes you think, feel and want to return again and again.”

‘…this small, adventurous company has always punched well above its weight in creating new works.’ The Independent ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)

Ballet Black at 25 comes to Lowry, Salford on Tuesday 14th April – tickets are available now from thelowry.com