This Moment: Choreography by Yuiko Masuwaka

This Moment

Choreography: Yuiko Masukawa
Music: Caroline Shaw, Plan & Elevation III-V
Costume Design: Ailsa Woodyard

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The performance opens with a striking sense of presence as a lone dancer takes the stage. The intentional absence of music creates a profound silence, drawing the audience of 1,900 into a singular, shared breath. A second dancer sweeps in like a leaf on an autumn evening, reuniting with the first in a display of poetic, emotive choreography. The first touch between the two has an electrifying effect to start the duet—a sensation that is surprisingly rare to feel as audience within a ballet context.

As the performance continues, the euphoric stage of the Regent Theatre transforms into an eerily cinematic frame. Dancers appear, exit, and reappear to meet one another. Everything happens "with no happenings," yet each spatial movement and choreographed sequence flutters with something we have long yearned for. Masukawa’s choreography skilfully breathes out a complex yet fluid vocabulary, masking high technical difficulty with an effortless grace through the dancers' bodies. The visual atmosphere is heightened by a thoughtful gradation of light and shadow; this interplay adds both physical and emotional depth, prompting the viewer to reflect on internal and psychological landscapes and the evolving relationships with dancers on the stage.

Caroline Shaw’s score is both sensible and evocative. The delicate vibration of the violin strings feels almost metaphysical, resonating against Ailsa Woodyard’s costume designs. The piece builds beautifully toward an open-ended finale, leaving the narrative conclusion to the audience’s imagination and ensuring a lasting resonance. The work’s success was best captured by the visceral reaction of a nearby audience member, whose spontaneous whisper of "beautiful" was an involuntary testament to the power of the performance.

2 March 2026