The Royal Ballet Presents Black History Month Draft Works
Events run 6 - 7 October 2025.
By: Stephi Wild Sep. 17, 2025
This October, Royal Ballet Principal dancer Marcelino Sambé curates Black History Month Draft Works in the Clore Studio, an evening celebrating Black creators and choreographers whose voices are shaping the future of ballet. Featuring five emerging female choreographers and a range of dancers from The Royal Ballet, Ballet Black, and freelance artists, Draft Works provides artists the opportunity to develop new choreographic ideas.
Company Wayne McGregor alumnus Hannah Joseph and Royal Ballet Artist Rebecca Myles Stewart create new works for dancers of The Royal Ballet. Olivier award-winning dancer Isabela Coracy presents a work performed by members of Ballet Black. The programme also features works by two of the current Sadler's Wells Young Associate Choreographers, BLUE MAKWANA and Elisabeth Mulenga. MAKWANA presents a new work performed by two Royal Ballet artists and members of the Company's Aud Jebsen programme, while Mulenga's work will be performed by freelance artists Steffi Fashokun, Kirke Gross, Adhya Shastry and Magnus Westwell. The works will all be set to the music of Black composers and musicians, lighting design for all works is by Prema Mehta.
Black History Month Draft Works is the third in a yearly series of evenings curated by Black artists from The Royal Ballet, celebrating a range of Black talent in dance and music. It follows Royal Ballet Choreographic Residency Joseph Toonga's Rhythm in Resilience (2023), and Royal Ballet Principal Joseph Sissens' Legacy (2024). This year, all works are inspired by Sambé's own journey exploring the legacy of Black musical artists across history.
Marcelino Sambé, curator of Black History Month Draft Works, said, “Being part of this project has been a real privilege. I believe these five choreographers are essential voices in the future of choreography. I have learned so much and been completely inspired by them. The way they work, communicate, and transform vision into movement is something that will deeply inspire my own journey as a dancer and creator. I feel very lucky to have played even a small part in their paths. Let's keep our eyes on them; they are our future, and it's a future that looks pretty extraordinary.”
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