English National Ballet Collab
75th Anniversary Performance - “Echoes of Études”
Role: Writing Direction, Performer
Format: Live Performance
Location: ENB HQ - 41 Hopewell Square London, E14 0SY
Year: 2025
Problem: English National Ballet needed original spoken-word/rap performances that could sit seamlessly within Re-Play 2025 — a multidisciplinary showcase celebrating ENB’s 75th season and featuring 85 dancers across multiple community companies. They required contemporary, narrative-driven music that could integrate with choreography and elevate the overall staging.
Result: An original spoken-word/rap piece that helped bridge ENB’s classical roots with contemporary storytelling. Two sold-out shows and cross-disciplinary production that resonated with both traditional ballet audiences and new-generation listeners.
Approach
For ENB’s annual Re-Play 2025 production, we were commissioned to create two original spoken-word/rap pieces that would complement the choreography and thematic direction of the show. We collaborated closely with ENB’s creative team to understand the programme’s goals: honouring ENB’s history while re-imagining classical ballet language for a new generation. Our brief was to craft work that felt modern, narrative-rich and emotionally grounded, yet respectful of the traditions that inspired the dancers’ movement. LightWave developed bespoke lyrical narratives and musical direction tailored to the performers, with particular attention to pacing, tone, and resonance within ENB’s “Echoes of Études” and wider youth/community ensembles. We shaped the writing, vocal delivery, and performance structure to align with timing, staging, and choreography across the two sold-out shows at the Mulryan Centre for Dance. To ensure cohesion in the live production, we also supported rehearsals and integrated adjustments based on the choreography’s evolving rhythm, giving ENB a hybrid performance that merged ballet and spoken word with clarity and flow.
