The Royal Ballet, Lyssa – a new short film

As we gradually make our way to theatres and live performance, digital streaming is reluctant to let go of the slot it's created and inhabited with increasing confidence during lockdown.

And so it is that The Royal Ballet is about to release a new short film as part of its #OurHouseToYourHouse digital programme. Lyssa marks a new collaboration between the company, the choreographer Lynne Page, the British recording artist Nadine Shah and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

In Greek mythology Lyssa was the goddess of anger and rage, and Lynne Page describes this short film as her response to a turbulent year, which hardened her belief that female voices need to be heard more. Her film has two key themes: a celebration of female power and live performance.

The work features 17 Royal Ballet female dancers, performing to Nadine Shah's song Trad, which was re-orchestrated specially for this project by Nadine’s collaborator and co-composer Ben Hillier. Shah is backed by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

Lynne Page is a prolific choreographer, whose work extends across film, TV, musicals and opera. Her plentiful credits include Viva Forever! A Little Night Music and Little Shop of Horrors, and she is quoted as being the only choreographer who has managed to work with Kanye West and Stephen Sondheim in the same year.

Page built Lyssa on what she perceived as the strengths of her collaborators. Of The Royal Ballet dancers she said: 'I wanted to work with The Royal Ballet in a way that was grounded, visceral and raw, and showed the enormous strength these dancers have.'

And as for Nadine Shah, Lynne Page describes her as 'a great artist and I find her music lends itself to theatricality, with warmth, depth and wit.'

Recorded during lockdown, Lyssa was performed on the Royal Opera House main stage and directed for the screen by Anthoula Syndica-Drummond, at the head of the ROH broadcast team.