Wayne McGregor's triple bill paired the world premiere of Quantum Souls with Yugen and Untitled, 2023, the work he made with the artist Carmen Herrera.
The Royal Ballet gave Wayne McGregor: Alchemies at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden from Saturday 18 April to Wednesday 6 May 2026. The triple bill included the world premiere of his Quantum Souls.
McGregor, born in Stockport in 1970, has been Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet since 2006. He was the first to come to the post from contemporary dance. He received the Outstanding Contribution to Dance award at the 2026 Olivier Awards.
The evening opened with Untitled, 2023, made with the minimalist artist Carmen Herrera, with costumes by Burberry. Her designs for it were her first and only work for the stage.
Yugen followed, his response to Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. He created it in 2018 for the Bernstein centenary with the artist Edmund de Waal.
Quantum Souls closed the programme, set to Bushra El-Turk’s Ka with costumes by Saul Nash. The percussionist Beibei Wang and the double bassist Tony Hougham played, and in live cadenzas the dancers’ movements triggered the percussion. It was a co-production with San Francisco Ballet.
Melissa Hamilton, Fumi Kaneko and William Bracewell were among the dancers. Koen Kessels conducted the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.