There’s a contradiction in dance as we reach the end of 2025. In some ways, it seems in good health: the opening of Sadler’s Wells East in February provided another venue for a wide variety of forms; audiences are strong and passionate.
But the surface liveliness hides a worrying shrinking of new work and the Edinburgh fringe revealed too many dance-makers rushing to the stage with a half-baked production because they have neither time nor money for proper development. It is significant that Figures in Extinction, the dance event of the year, was backed by Nederlands Dance Theater and years in the making.
The established companies are concentrating on longer runs of popular classics, with great benefits. The Royal Ballet’s showings of Onegin and Romeo and Juliet allowed the company to show its riches, and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s La Fille mal Gardée revealed its breadth and confidence. English National Ballet is adventurous in London and more traditional in the regions. Scottish Ballet produced a superb Mary, Queen of Scots, by Sophie Laplane and James Bonas, which would have made the list had I been allowed 11 favourites.
10. The Forsythe Programme
English National Ballet, Sadler’s Wells
Related articles:
The fine dancers of ENB brought strength and sparkle to exhilarating works by William Forsythe, still refining and rethinking all that classical ballet can do, with reverence for the past and hopes for the future.
9. Momentum
London City Ballet, Sadler’s Wells and touring
At a time when smaller companies are struggling, London City Ballet has a consistent sense of purpose and an eye for interesting choreography. This programme featured Pictures At An Exhibition, a gem by Alexei Ratmansky.
Bullyache, Venice dance biennale
Ferociously original and profoundly disturbing, Bullyache’s depiction of a corrupt global elite conveyed images of decadent, destructive power games in detailed, precise dance. It comes to Sadler’s Wells next year.
7. Deepstaria
Company Wayne McGregor, Sadler’s Wells
Wayne McGregor’s watery exploration of the deep, lit by Theresa Baumgartner, is as surprising as it is beautiful. Some of its choreography and its magical impact can be felt in his immersive installation On The Other Earth at Stone Nest, London, until 22 February.
Cathy Marston, Royal Ballet and Opera
Both narrative and abstract, Cathy Marston’s one-act ballet took Britten’s Violin Concerto and used it as the inspiration for a searing piece about a loner (a wonderful William Bracewell) standing out against conformity.
Thick & Tight, Battersea Arts Centre and touring
My most surprising moment of the year was this mixed bill of short pieces by El Perry and Daniel Hay-Gordon. Jokey and clever, it is also deeply moving in its inclusiveness, with a solo by Hay-Gordon that felt like a love letter to dance itself.
4. The Midnight Bell
Matthew Bourne, Sadler’s Wells and touring
There is no one better than Bourne at telling stories of heartache and despair. This revival of his piece based on the characters in Patrick Hamilton’s books who seek salvation and love at the bottom of a glass is one of his very finest. Impeccably danced by a cast who knew how to get the most out of every gesture, it is full of vivid period detail and desperate longing.
Edinburgh International festival
The merging of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, hip-hop dancers (some drawn from the London comprehensive where the orchestra is based), JS Bach and the intelligence of the choreographer Kim Brandstrup produced an uplifting and inspiring work, which will be seen again in 2026.
2. Köln Concert
Trajal Harrell, Zürich Dance Ensemble, Sadler’s Wells
Keith Jarrett’s free-jazz musings, Trajal Harrell’s choreography and songs by Joni Mitchell made for a truly revelatory evening.
1. Figures in Extinction
Nederlands Dance Theater and Complicité, Manchester and Edinburgh festivals; Sadler’s Wells
Crystal Pite and Simon McBurney, two distinctive and serious creators, came together to create this powerful and thought-provoking response to the climate emergency. In three parts, it combines unforgettable images with complex thinking and strong emotion. A masterpiece.
Figures in Extinction at Sadler’s Wells: Photograph by Rahi RezvanibyÂ