The need for new choreography in the classic manner is a dominating force behind the work of Christopher Wheeldon’s Morphoses troupe. Wheeldon himself is the best of advocates for such ballet-making, and he is still a young man. Asked to name a handful of other worthy young creators in this taxing dance form, I would be hard put to it, no matter how small the hand. So we must be grateful that Wheeldon’s enterprise is a setting for his own creativity, and at Wednesday night’s opening of a brief visit to Sadler’s Wells, a first programme (of two) brought the revival of his Commedia, responding happily to Stravinsky’s Pulcinella music. It was a delight at its creation last year, and so it remains, not least in the writing for Leanne Benjamin and Edward Watson, their duets self-aware, loving, elegant, choreography on the emotional and physical qui-vive, admirably done.

There followed two events over which I would rather draw veils. Leaving Songs is by the Australian dance-maker Tim Harbour, with a score by his compatriot Ross Edwards. We are told in pre-performance chat (the evening is marred by oh-so-artful and oh-so-tedious film interludes) that it concerns death and rebirth. It also concerns a pastel-leotarded cast, yearning, balloons (symbolic, I regret to say), and movement sodden with dew. But, when compared with the abuse of music and dance that is Softly as I Leave You – and I can’t wait for you to go – it is a romp.

Softly is owed to Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon (of Nederlands Dans Theater) and proposes appalling behaviour by a brutish couple while music by Bach and Arvo Pärt is played. I can find not one iota of merit in its vulgar posturings.

The evening, happily, ends on a bravura note: Alexey Ratmansky’s response to Ravel’s Bolero. Rising above all the clichés of the score and of previous realisations (someone on top of a table shimmying like my sister Kate) Ratmansky deploys three women and three men, who are by turn soloists and chorus.

Movement ideas are stated, developed, shared. Ravel’s insidious little tune bears astonishing dance-fruit as handsome academic choreography opens out, thriving in the score’s claustrophobic space. A brilliant caprice, splendidly done.

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