Wayne McGregor’s award-winning ballet triptych Woolf Works re-creates the emotions, themes, and fluid style of three of Virginia Woolf’s novels: Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves. With inspiration also enmeshed with elements from her letters, essays, and diaries, Woolf Works expresses the heart of an artistic life driven to discover a more accessible, uniquely modern realism. It brings to life Woolf’s world of “granite and rainbow”, where human beings are at once both physical body and uncontained essence. Created for The Royal Ballet in 2015, Woolf Works is an ambitious, brave, and thoughtful ballet set to challenge our expectations and take us to exhilarating new places.
Woolf Works has received notable recognition and outstanding critical acclaim. The full-length contemporary ballet won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production, and McGregor was awarded the Critics Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Choreography.
Woolf Works Tickets
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Ballet Performances 2024/2025
Overview & Video
Which ballet company's “Woolf Works” production is most prevalent?
“Woolf Works,” inspired by the life and writings of Virginia Woolf, is a ballet in three acts created by choreographer Wayne McGregor for The Royal Ballet in London. Since its premiere in 2015, it has been highly acclaimed for its innovative approach to ballet, blending contemporary dance with elements of classical ballet, and integrating multimedia and modern music composed by Max Richter. The ballet draws from three of Woolf’s novels: “Mrs. Dalloway,” “Orlando,” and “The Waves,” along with elements from her essays and letters, to create a multi-dimensional exploration of Woolf’s ideas and narratives.
As of my last update in April 2023, “Woolf Works” is most closely associated with The Royal Ballet, where it originated and has been most frequently performed. The production was notable for its ambitious scope and the way it pushed the boundaries of narrative ballet, incorporating innovative stage designs, projections, and a score that intertwines electronic and classical music to reflect Woolf’s themes of memory, identity, and creativity.
Given the specialized nature of “Woolf Works” and its reliance on McGregor’s unique choreographic style, as well as the specific multimedia elements designed for the production, it hasn’t become as widely adopted by other ballet companies as more classical works. The Royal Ballet’s production remains the seminal and most prevalent version of “Woolf Works,” celebrated for its artistic innovation and the depth with which it explores Woolf’s literary legacy.
The ballet has been praised for its originality and the way it engages with Woolf’s complex narratives, making it a significant work in the repertoire of The Royal Ballet and a landmark in contemporary ballet.
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