Photo by Johan Persson - Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews

Last night I was fortunate enough to catch the National Ballet of Canada's Canadian premiere of Chroma by Wayne McGregor. It was presented with two other stunning pieces: Serenade, and Emergence.

Wayne McGregor is the Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, and this is the first time his piece has been performed since it earned rave reviews and multiple dance awards when it was first created back in 2006.

Chroma means the intensity of colour and the freedom from white, and in this piece the body behaves as the frequency of colour, and from that colour all different textures and shades are explored. The stark set and the minimalist costumes are designed to enhance the visual intensity of the uncharacteristically beautiful poses and slithering movements.

The entire piece was an exploration of the limits of the human body.  Hyper-extended legs, over-splits, dislocated shoulders, contortionist spines all balanced with clean lines, classic ballet poses and partner work.

Now let's add in the rock music.  Besides the visually stunning shapes, the musical score is an incredible mix of White Stripes hits, orchestrated and mixed in with Joby Talbot's original film music inspired score. The orchestra was huge, and the score managed to be both jarring and comforting, thanks to the memorably melodies that weaved in and out.

Keep reading to see a clip of the opening sequence from The Royal Ballet's production.