ZDENEK KONVALINA LEAVES ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET

[aileen]

This has appeared on the company's website. I wonder whether Ksenia will go too.

[Ian Macmillan]

Website link here:

 

http://blog.ballet.org.uk/farewell-zdenek-konvalina/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=farewell-zdenek-konvalina

[alison]

I'm sorry to see that: I never did get to see him dance when he was a company member.

 

That might explain some of the TBAs, though.

[Bruce Wall]

I notice, although it says he is leaving at the end of September, that he is still down (e.g., listed) to dance in October/November in Swan Lake (e.g, assignments in Manchester, Milton Keynes, Liverpool) and one as Franz in Coppelia in Oxford again in November.  I assume those positions will now be filled by another company member (perhaps Bufala) or a guest artist.  

 

One certainly wishes him well - especially being newly married - and very much hopes his health has not had to play too significant a role in his determination to depart.  

Edited September 19, 2014 by Bruce Wall

[Jan McNulty]

Here's the official press release:

 

FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 

After three years with English National Ballet, Lead Principal Zdenek Konvalina has announced he is to leave the Company.

 

 

Zdenek Konvalina joined English National Ballet as Lead Principal in 2011. During his time with the Company he performed lead roles in productions including Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Manon and Apollo.

 

Konvalina says; “Being a member of English National Ballet has been an absolute pleasure and it has been an incredibly difficult decision to leave the Company, but at this stage in my career I have decided to take time out in order to explore and develop other personal artistic interests. Everyone at English National Ballet, from Tamara and the dancers to the technical, orchestra and administrative staff are the hardest working individuals I have ever worked with. I want to thank them all for their support over the years and I welcome the opportunity to perform with the Company in the future.”

 

Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of English National Ballet says: “Zdenek is an outstanding dancer and he will be missed by everyone at English National Ballet. I wish him the all the best for the future.”

 

Previously Konvalina was with National Ballet of Moravia-Silesia, where he was promoted to Principal at the age of 19; in 2001 he joined Houston Ballet as Principal and in 2006 joined The National Ballet of Canada as Principal.

 

Throughout his career Konvalina has won numerous awards for his performances including the 2012 Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Outstanding Male Performance for his role in Apollo with English National Ballet, gold medal at the prestigious Helsinki International Ballet Competition and the World Ballet Festival, Tokyo. He received The Rolex Dancers First Award for roles inEtudes and Jiří Kylian’s Soldiers’ Mass.

 

He has appeared as guest artist with various international companies including Slovak National Theater, Inoue Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Concierto de Puerto Rico, National Ballet of Cuba, Munich’s Bayerische Staatsoper and Dutch National Ballet. 

In 2010 Konvalina co-choreographed Impermanence with Guillaume Côté, which received its premiere at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Italy, in 2010.

Zdenek Konvalina leaves English National Ballet at the end of September 2014.

[aileen]

I only saw him dance a few times. He was very good in Apollo. Unfortunately, he had several lengthy periods of illness during his relatively brief time at ENB.