Spring Programme
EMBERS
Choreography: Ashley Dean
Music: Max Richter – Embers (Alt Version 2014). Max Richter, Elfa Run Kristinsdottir, Trey Chui-yee Lee. Max Richter, ‘Mercy’; Voices Max Richter, Mari Samuelsen.
Costume Design: Ashley Dean and Lisa James
Lighting Design: Joshie Harriett
Drawing on the image of a lone piece of burning wood in a dying fire, Ashley Dean explores the theme of burnout in Embers. She taps into the emotions – both tender and difficult – of turning to others for support and emphasises the great strength it can take to hold someone else up. She touches on the theme of this ember never dying out, a light shining in the darkness and not being overcome – John 1:5. The original Embers duet was created for The Royal Ballet’s Draft Works in December 2022 and has now been expanded for NEBT. The piece is set to and inspired by Max Richter’s poignant scores Embers and Mercy.
CELESTIAL BODIES
Celestial Bodies drifts through the shadowed expanse of space, where four dancers move like distant stars coming into brief alignment. Their orbits shift between pull and release, tracing quiet patterns in the darkness. Set to Abul Mogard’s Half Light of Dawn, the work evokes a world where bodies glow faintly against the void, moments of connection appearing and dissolving like constellations on the edge of sight.
WHAT IS LEFT
What is Left is a delicate duet exploring a relationship on the edge of change. Set to J.S. Bach’s Air on the G String, the dancers move through cycles of closeness and distance, revisiting shared memories while confronting what can no longer be held. The duet captures the quiet tension between holding on and letting go, revealing the emotional traces that remain when love shifts shape.
ORBITAL MOTION
“Orbital Motion was originally choreographed in February 2013 for The Royal Ballet’s Draft Works, an annual event which that year had the audience surrounding the stage from all angles.
When I started choreographing the piece the general idea was to give the audience from every side a facade of the choreographic patterns and aesthetic lines. This train of thought introduced a circular motion throughout the piece in order to have most of the choreography facing outwards towards the audience.
Near the end of the process I couldn’t help but see that I was accidentally mimicking the orbital motion of planets circling around the sun which is where the title and idea started to develop.
For Draft Works I only had time to present one movement but my original idea was always to use the whole concerto. With the help of award-winning designer Emma Bailey and the belief of director Karen Pilkington-Miksa, I’ve expandedOrbital Motion specially for NEBT, a really dynamic company with great ambitions and adventurous aspirations towards new work.”
Valentino Zucchetti, Choreographer
“Working with NEBT has given me the opportunity to work immediately with a serious ballet company, collaborate on a detailed and professional level and create new exciting work with budding choreographers. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working out the narrative details whilst keeping my eye on the overall visual gestures.”
Emma Bailey, Designer
