Ex Nihilo/The Human Edge, The Royal Opera House

An enticing synthesis of ballet and contemporary Indian dance comes to the intimate Linbury stage in two original world premieres by rising choreographic star Mayuri Boonham . The first, Ex nihilo , (the Latin for ‘out of nothing’) is inspired by the Hindu text, Rig Veda, and uses dancers from Boonham’s own award-nominated company, ATMA .

The second work,  The Human Edge , takes its inspiration from a Hindu creation myth and will be performed by Royal Ballet soloists Yuhui Choe (much acclaimed this month for her Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty) and Kenta Kura.

A Choreographic Affiliate with the Royal Ballet, Mayuri Boonham was trained in the Bharata Natyam style of Indian temple dance. She made her debut at the Linbury last year with Väc II (part of the experimental Draft Works programme), which, in the words of dance critic Bruce Marriott, did not so much fuse as “flip easily” between the two idioms.

The show also promises a fascinating musical perspective. Ex nihilo will be performed to an electronic score by the Delhi-based duo, Midival Punditz, while The Human Edge uses recordings from a sound installation by American artist, Bill Fontana.