The Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of Black Sabbath – The Ballet is a thrilling blend of classical dance and heavy metal music. While Paul Murphy conducts the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra in Black Sabbath music and original music composed by Marko Nyberg, Christopher Austin, and Sun Keting, inspired by the band, the company dances pieces choreographed by Raul Reinoso, Cassi Abranches, and Pontus Lidberg. In three acts, the ballet pays creative tribute to a band that has made its mark on popular culture.
The company dances wonderfully in spectacular combinations of solos, duets, quartets, and groups. In Act I, the Guitarist, Marc Hayward, joins them onstage, and they circle around him, carrying and floating him away. Yaoqian Shang and Javier Rojas, as “Solitude,” play, circle, spin, and lift while always kissing. They are joined by Rachele Pizzillo and Enrique Bejarano Vidal, in black full-body suits, who spin, lift, and extend their legs.
Act II has voice-overs of band members speaking about creating their music while “Orchid” plays. While Tony Iommi recounts the factory accident that necessitated his new guitar sound, Callum Findlay-White walks and spins to his speech. As Ozzy talks about starting out, Ava May Llewellyn spins and extends her legs. Later, while Ozzy relates a spooky occurrence with fans at a hotel, Lachlan Monaghan sings the beginning of “Black Sabbath.”
In Act III the dancers move an overturned car with a demon atop it around the stage, while spinning and lifting each other. Later, they tumble and leap across the stage, pumping their fists and stomping their feet. Riku Ito dances to the Guitarist as “Laguna Sunrise” plays, diving between his legs, circling around him, and moving in pure joy.
Conductor Paul Murphy, music director and principal conductor of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, powerfully leads the Opera House Orchestra in their renditions of Black Sabbath songs. While several songs, like “Iron Man” and “War Pigs,” appear multiple times, they are played differently each time. In Act I, they sound like Black Sabbath would play them, heavy metal grinding. In Act II, they sound much lighter, sometimes almost jazz-like; this version of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” sounds perhaps even better than the original. In Act III, the songs feel like the thrilling soundtrack to an action movie, the perfect accompaniment to the dancers’ energetic movements.
Costume Supervisor Elaine Garlick puts the dancers mostly in black shirts and tights or regular clothes. For some scenes, some wear grey bat-like outfits or black full-body suits covering their faces. Scenic elements, constructed by Scott Fleary Productions, involve small circular symbols dropping and rising from the ceiling, as well as an overturned car and a silver devil in Act III.
Lighting Designer K.J. enhances the atmosphere by playing with darkness and light. At the start, spotlights appear on the dancers as they emerge from the back. As Ozzy speaks of his encounter with witches, red lights shine in the back, creating an indistinct but frightening shape. Sound Production and Designer Joshua Blair handles the voice-overs of the band members.
Given the recent controversies at the Kennedy Center, audiences must decide for themselves whether to attend a production there. But Black Sabbath – The Ballet’s bringing together such disparate groups as heavy metal fans and ballet lovers, to enjoy world-changing music and inventive, beautiful dancing together, feels worth it.
Running time: Two hours and 10 minutes, including two 20-minute intermissions.
Black Sabbath – The Ballet plays through June 8, 2025, presented by Birmingham Royal Ballet, performing in The Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW, Washington, DC. For the schedule and to purchase tickets ($59–$169), go online or contact the Box Office at (202) 467-4600.
The program for Black Sabbath – The Ballet is online here.
COVID Safety: Masks are optional in all Kennedy Center spaces for visitors and staff. If you prefer to wear a mask, you are welcome to do so.