I knew I wanted to work from a ballet base, but layered over this would be elements from stage combat techniques as well as actual sword-fighting styles.

I pictured the knights as some sort of cross between a Samurai warrior and a Ninja. The movement style, at least at times, would be smooth and grounded and use very low stances like I had seen in some T’ai Chi forms that involved a sword. I thought the difference between these low styles and ballet—which is so often lifted—would make for an interesting visual contrast.

For the blade work, I attended an Iaido class which is the art of drawing the sword and making the first few strikes. (Extended duelling falls in to the realm of Kendo.) And, as mentioned before, I got other ideas from the wealth of martial arts films I had seen.

Since all the other swords in the ballet were straight, I chose the curved blade of a Samurai sword for the knights. (A Ninja’s sword looks similar but has a straight blade.)