Murmuration Level 2 is the second version of Sadeck Berrabah’s captivating dance show, which premiered in France in 2024 and has already been seen by over 300,000 spectators. Berrabah, a self-taught dancer and choreographer, has worked on Grammy Awards shows and the handover ceremony for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. You may well have seen his work without knowing it.
Murmuration Level 2. Image credit Fabien Malot
This production is now showing at the Peacock Theatre with a cast of 30 dancers, aiming to win over a British audience with its fast-paced, perfectly synchronised, and uplifting 70-minute performance. Featuring a cast clad simply in black trousers and t-shirts, the dances focus the eye on the bare forearms (and sometimes legs) of the dancers, creating a hypnotic effect as these disembodied limbs produce a series of shapes that ripple across the stage. It really is quite mesmerising, and there is no room for error when the entire troupe dances in unison, intricately interweaving patterns on the bare theatre stage. The dancers exhibit styles from hip-hop to ballet and deliver a sterling performance throughout the show with unrelenting energy and commitment. The backdrop is a thumping soundtrack (by Berrabah’s brother) of various music genres, perfectly and appropriately in synch with the on-stage action.
The Murmuration project began in 2023 when Berrabah was inspired by a flock of birds gliding across the sky in tight formation. On stage at the Peacock, he described the work as coming from interest in the natural world and geometrical forms – things that don’t seem to be closely allied – but then he dropped the Fibonacci Series into the mix, and it started to make sense. The show is very angular, but the way movement flows across the stage is like the motion of birds, wheeling across the sky. It reminded me of the amazing choreography from the 1983 dance piece Rosas Danst Rosas by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, but this is not to take anything away from Berrabah’s talent and originality. There have been criticisms that Murmuration Level 2 lacks sufficient new content, but, having not seen the first iteration, I am unable to comment. However, the sheer ingenuity, power, and impressive performances would make me happy to watch this again.
When the entire group was performing, there were moments when I felt like I was watching the most incredible party, and I wanted to join them! The dancers delivered a five-star performance, but were occasionally hindered by some poor choices in the lighting design, which plunged them into impenetrable shadows or washed them out in red light, diminishing the full effect of their hard work and the incredible choreography. At one point, all the cast used handheld torches, which didn’t work on the darkened stage as you could no longer see their arms – the main focus of the piece. But the lighting could also enhance the action. Occasionally, the performance would shift from the entire troupe to pockets of four dancers, and the way they were picked out by the spotlights gave more than a hint of the video to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
Before the end of the show, the charismatic Berrabah came onto the stage and encouraged the entire audience to join in and “create something beautiful together”, which involved us all learning some of the arm movements to his directions. Highly enjoyable, fun and inclusive. I am all for shows that run straight through, but, unusually for me, I felt that Murmuration would benefit from an interval, ending the first part on a natural high (the audience burst into spontaneous cheers at one point) and extending into a second half. The show could be criticised for feeling slightly repetitive, but that could be addressed by breaking it up into two parts, slowing the pace after the break, and perhaps extending the latter part by 10 minutes or so.
Despite these quibbles, the end of the show is simply breathtaking. After the audience participation segment, we return to the stage for the final numbers, where the dancers utilise gold umbrellas and white-lined jackets to elevate the performance to a whole new level.
Busby Berkeley knew the power of a full stage of dancers. This show is very different, but it has the same energy and verve, presented in an innovative and hugely enjoyable way. It’s advertised as a visual spectacle, and it truly is.
Review by Fiona Gilbert
Inspired by birds in flight, Murmuration Level 2 is a tight blend of hypnotic dance and perfect synchronisation, mixed with hip hop, martial arts, contemporary dance and ballet. Tapping into the choreographer’s love for symmetry, mathematics and poetry, the show features 30 dancers moving in unison, showcasing the strength and power of the collective.
Sadeck Berrabah became an overnight sensation after a viral YouTube moment in 2017 which launched his choreography career. He has worked with world renowned music artists including Shakira and Black Eyed Peas, and his choreography has featured at handover ceremonies for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
MURMURATION LEVEL 2
Peacock Theatre
10 to 20 September 2025