Flight Pattern
Flight Pattern is a one-act contemporary ballet by Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite, set to the first movement of Henryk Górecki's Symphony No.3. It premiered at the Royal Opera House, London, on 16 March 2017, making Pite the first woman to choreograph for The Royal Ballet's main stage in 18 years. The ballet won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 2018.
| Flight Pattern | |
|---|---|
An image from Flight Pattern | |
| Choreographer | Crystal Pite |
| Music | Henryk Górecki |
| Premiere | 16 March 2017 Royal Opera House |
| Original ballet company | The Royal Ballet |
| Design | Jay Gower Taylor Nancy Bryant Tom Visser |
| Genre | contemporary ballet |
Flight Pattern examines the European migrant crisis. The ballet starts with 36 dancers performing on stage, and transitions to a series of duets and solos originated by dancers Marcelino Sambé and Kristen McNally. The piece was mostly positively reviewed by critics, with many praising the performance of the two soloists and the choreography of the ensemble. In 2022, Pite expanded the ballet into Light of Passage, with Flight Pattern becoming the first part of the ballet. The narrative is non-linear and the movement uses lines created by the dancers' bodies and formations of queues to create tension on stage.