About the work
"Wayne McGregor: Alchemies" is a triple bill by the British choreographer Wayne McGregor, which opened on 18 April 2026 at the Royal Opera House in London (The Royal Ballet). The evening marks McGregor's twenty years as Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet: in 2006 he became the first choreographer from a contemporary-dance background to hold the post. The programme brings together three works that display McGregor's range across visual art, science and music, and ran until 6 May 2026.
Plot
The bill comprises three pieces: "Untitled, 2023", created in collaboration with the artist Carmen Herrera; "Yugen" (2018), McGregor's lyrical response to Leonard Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms"; and the world premiere "Quantum Souls", set to Bushra El-Turk's composition "Ka", performed by percussionist Beibei Wang and double bassist Tony Hougham together with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Characteristically for McGregor, the works combine an extremely mobile, anatomically extended movement language with pronounced musicality and close collaboration with composers and visual artists.
Cultural significance
Wayne McGregor is one of the defining choreographers of our time; his appointment as Resident Choreographer in 2006 marked the opening of the tradition-rich Royal Ballet towards contemporary dance. Two decades on, "Alchemies" takes stock of that journey, setting established works against a new world premiere. McGregor's interdisciplinary approach – interlacing dance with natural science, technology and visual art – has lastingly broadened the perception of the classical ballet canon. The evening was widely reviewed by the London press.