Pas de Deux From Chéri: A Timeless Pas de Deux

Kira Dillon
14 hours ago
2 min read

This April, Ballet Nights 011: Convergence brings together artists and voices from across Europe, Asia, and North America, while also recognising the institutions and figures who have shaped the landscape of dance in the United Kingdom. Alongside new international perspectives, the programme honours the legacy of British ballet with a rare revival of a work by one of its most important choreographic voices.

At the centre of this moment is the pas de deux from Chéri, choreographed by Peter Darrell. Performed by Ixan Llorca Ferrer and Samara Downs of Birmingham Royal Ballet, the work brings an essential piece of British choreographic heritage to the stage of Cadogan Hall.

Darrell remains a defining figure in the development of modern British ballet. As the founder of Scottish Ballet, he played a pivotal role in shaping the artistic identity of ballet in the UK during the late twentieth century. His choreography is known for its emotional intelligence, its fluid partnering, and a distinctive theatrical sensitivity that prioritises psychological nuance over overt display. Created in 1980 for Scottish Ballet, Chéri was inspired by the celebrated novel by Colette. The story explores an intimate and complex relationship between two lovers separated by age, capturing themes of desire, tenderness, nostalgia, and the quiet ache of passing time. Rather than dramatic spectacle, the ballet unfolds through subtle shifts in connection and gesture, allowing the emotional life of the characters to emerge through the choreography’s sculptural partnering.

At the heart of the work is the pas de deux, a moment of intimacy that reflects Darrell’s distinctive choreographic voice. The movement flows with an understated sensuality, lifts unfold organically, weight is shared with softness and trust, and the dancers’ connection becomes the emotional centre of the stage. It is a ballet moment defined less by virtuosity than by atmosphere and feeling.

The score by David Earl provides a lyrical musical landscape that supports the ballet’s emotional depth, while the original designs by Philip Prowse lend the work an elegant theatrical frame. For Ballet Nights, the choreography has been carefully reconstructed from Benesh Movement Notation by Kristin Johnson, ensuring that Darrell’s original choreography is preserved with precision and care.

The performance also reflects the strong lineage connecting Britain’s major ballet institutions. By presenting the work with dancers from Birmingham Royal Ballet, Ballet Nights continues its collaboration with the country’s leading companies while reinforcing the continuity of the British ballet tradition. The staging has been made possible with the support of the Peter Darrell Trust, whose work helps ensure that Darrell’s choreography continues to be seen by new generations of audiences.

Within a programme that celebrates global dialogue and contemporary voices, this revival provides an important counterbalance: a reminder of the artistic heritage that continues to shape the present.

In bringing Chéri to London audiences once again, Ballet Nights honours not only a remarkable choreographer, but also the enduring lineage of British ballet itself.