A partnership in full bloom

The dancers who inspired a new duet are among the cast of the visiting New York City Ballet

When the principal dancers with the New York City Ballet Wendy Whelan and Jock Soto perform together it is with breathtaking intensity. "I first danced with him in the early 1990s," remembers Wendy Whelan, who has since partnered Soto hundreds of times. "We have so much experience together and know each other so well, that our partnering is like a flower that has bloomed. When you find the right partner, it works and it goes beyond your imagination."

Was the chemistry there with Soto from the beginning? "When as a young soloist I was thrown at him, I was definitely more immature than he was. He had a lot more experience, because as a young dancer he had been partnering more experienced ballerinas," explains Whelan. "He then became my teacher and showed me how to do it. He becomes an extension of me. It is as if he is under my skin, moulding himself to how I move. If I jump, it is not as if he is lifting me up. He is part of me."

Now they are to dance in the UK premiere of Christopher Wheeldon's duet Liturgy, a piece written in response to the strength of their partnership. Set to the haunting Fratres for violin, strings and percussion by Arvo Pärt, the two dancers "sensuously knot and fold around each other". For Whelan, Liturgy was a gift: "I have never had a simple pas de deux made especially for me and so it is very special."

This is the third time Wheeldon and Soto have performed together in pieces by the young choreographer. Liturgy is "tear-evoking", according to Whelan. "It is very pure. It is about the relationship of two bodies. There is a spiritual feeling to it - a union of spirit - not edgy, but deep and profound and intimate."

This visit by Danses Concert-antes showcases an ensemble of 17 soloists and principals from the New York City Ballet, last seen at Sadler's Wells in 2002. The programme will also feature a world premiere by Benjamin Millepied for four male dancers, with music by Steve Reich and Daniel Ott, and a performance of one of Balanchine's Variations pour une Porte et un Soupir.

The finale is the UK premiere of Hallelujah Junction, choreographed by the NYCB's ballet master-in-chief, Peter Martins. With music by John Adams, it features "explosive leaps and lightning-speed partnering" reveals Whelan.

The dancer, now in her thirties, began training as a balleri-na at the age of three and joined the NYCB at 18. She remembers watching a performance of Balanchine's Agon. "It struck me. It was typical Balanchine choreography and the kind of dancing that I connected with: abstract and intense, not soft and romantic. Agon is now one of mine and Jock's biggest pieces that we dance together."

How is it growing up in a ballet company? "It changes every five years. I ask myself, 'Who am I? Why do I dance? What do I need to change?' Now I see the younger kids coming up, and I can help them. We are like a family. It could be ugly, but really it is beautiful and tight."

Danses Concertantes, Sadler's Wells, London EC1 (0870 737 7737), 19-23 October