Jan McNulty

Links - Tuesday 17 November, 2020 Streamed Reviews - Royal Ballet, Within the Golden Hour: Jenny Gilbert, Arts Desk Sarah Kirkup, Bachtrack Streamed Review - Mark Morris Dance Group, Dance On! Part 2: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Streamed Review - Pacific Northwest Ballet, Rep 2: Rachel Howard, Fjord Review Streaming Preview - Ballet dancers get their Nutcracker fix upstate: Wendy Goodman, Vulture New York Streamed Review - Sun Shier Dance Theatre, Lost and Found: David Mead, Seeing Dance Streamed Review (opera with dance) - Opera North, The Seven Deadly Sins: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Feature - Andrès Trezevant, Charlotte Ballet: Page Leggett, Charlotte Observer Streamed Review - Little Angels Theatre, Reach for the Stars: Chris Wiegand, Guardian

Daniel Parkinson is the Associate Conductor of Northern Ballet. He and some friends are raising money for the Help Musicians charity. They have recorded Copeland's Appalachian Spring (which is free to listen to but they welcome donations) which sounds fabulous. https://www.danielparkinsonandfriends.com https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/asimplegift https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk

I'm not a lover of Elite Syncopations either but I must say I thought the "expanded" version struck just the right note in the opening night gala.

A decent read in the Yorkshire Post: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/no-northsouth-divide-when-it-comes-both-football-and-ballet-jayne-dowle-3036571

Links - Monday 16 November, 2020 Streamed Reviews - Royal Ballet, Within the Golden Hour: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Preview/Background Feature - Sarasota Ballet brings Balanchine online: Jay Handelman, Sarasota Herald Tribune Streamed Review - Pacific Northwest Ballet, Rep 2 - Ghost Variations: David Mead, Seeing Dance Streamed Review - Smuin Contemporary Ballet, 20/21 Virtual Fall Season programmes A & B: Rita Felciano, DanceView Times Feature - Jillian Vanstone, National Ballet of Canada returns for a hometown performance: Josef Jacobson, Nanaimo News Bulletin Feature - Choreographer Ephrat Asherie unveils her short film UnderScored: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review Feature - Simulations: Living sculptures on the public stage, New York: George Kan, Brooklyn Rail News Feature - A Chagall curtain needs a new home with a tall ceiling: James Barron, NY Times Feature - Vahram Zaryam’s Perf Festival: Text, Gesture, and Translation: Christopher Atamian, Brooklyn Rail

Thanks Cherilyn, what a fascinating story. I suppose, with all the smoke and mirrors she seemed to have created during her lifetime, Marta Cinta Gonzalez will remain an enigma.

More sad news today that Ray Clemence, Goalkeeper extraordinaire, has passed away at the age of 72. #YNWA https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/nov/15/ray-clemence-former-liverpool-spurs-and-england-goalkeeper-dies-aged-72

Sad news today that Des O'Connor has passed away at the age of 88. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/nov/15/des-oconnor-tv-entertainer-dies-aged-88?fbclid=IwAR1a5hYtJ7qmm5zlTmifjoaZjosZwoz4x-iFAZyHC3wRBeR3kyU6pjacrik

I've just looked again at the Swan Lake pdd and I'm afraid I didn't seen any simplification of the choreography at all. I saw dancers performing it beautifully, possibly with a slight variation in style but one that I have often seen and I'm afraid that it seems a bit picky to me to even mention it.

Links - Sunday 15 November, 2020 Streamed Reviews - Royal Ballet, Within the Golden Hour: Laura Thompson, Telegraph John O’Dwyer, Seen and Heard International Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Gallery - Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Feature - An appreciation of Kizzy Matiakis on her retirement from the Royal Danish Ballet: Eva Kistrup, DanceView Times Streamed Review - Pacific Northwest Ballet, Rep 2: Sondra Forsyth, Broadway World Streaming News - Ballet Arizona to stream Nutcracker Suite: Elizabeth Montgomery, AZ Central Live Preview Feature - Sarasota Contemporary Dance tangos with a harp: Jay Handelman, Sarasota Herald Tribune

https://www.google.com/doodles/celebrating-maria-tallchief

I've moved a couple of posts over to a new thread to discuss the performance:

More thoughts tomorrow but I just loved tonight's programme from beginning to end. OK my 2 favourite pieces were Akane Takada and Alex Campbell in the duet from Rhapsody and Anna Rose O'Sullivan and Marcelino Sambé in Tchaikowsy PDD (no surprise there then!). I will be watching this programme several more times when it comes on line!

I've just come across this via twitter. It may be of interest.

Oh how awful. I love Stanfords.

Without giving it much thought I can think of at least 5 more Northern based fans of ballet who are active on this forum. I found his remarks patronising and ill thought out even though he has a valid point about struggling non-premiere league football clubs.

Off topic but when I saw this in the Not Dance forum I thought the thread was about flea treatments for dogs! I've amended the title!

I saw 2 ladies parked side by side in the car park in Waitrose last week - one in her driver's seat and the other in her passenger seat. They had the windows down and were having a natter over a picnic! I'm afraid I think the rules are absolutely as clear as mud.

Well said Sim!

PRESS RELEASE 11 November 2020 Birmingham Royal Ballet celebrates 30th Anniversary with free streamed performance at Birmingham’s iconic Town Hall Following critically acclaimed live performances of Lazuli Sky in Birmingham and London last month, Birmingham Royal Ballet is today pleased to announce Birmingham Royal Ballet at 30 – Supported by Birmingham City Council; acelebratory free online show, broadcast to audiences worldwide. The show, presented in partnership with Birmingham City Council, marks 30 years since the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet moved from London to the city in October 1990 and became Birmingham Royal Ballet. Filmed at Birmingham’s iconic Town Hall, the special programme will be hosted by Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Director Carlos Acosta who will be joined virtually by Leader of the Birmingham City Council, Councillor Ian Ward and Councillor Jayne Francis, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Culture; and will be available to view worldwide on the Company’s Facebook from 19 November for seven days. The show will mark 30 years since the Leaders of the Birmingham City Council had the visionary foresight to invite Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet to move to the City, building the Company a new home and studios attached to Birmingham Hippodrome in Thorp Street. Over the past three decades Birmingham Royal Ballet has cemented its place as one of the jewels in the crown of the City of Birmingham – displaying the city’s name as the Company has toured nationally and internationally entertaining millions and premiering 58 brand-new ballets. Birmingham Royal Ballet has been proud to take the spirit and name of Birmingham across the globe on tours including China, Hong Kong, Italy, Thailand, the USA, South Africa, Spain, Germany and Japan. Leader of the Birmingham City Council, Councillor Ian Ward said: “I am delighted that this performance was captured at Birmingham Town Hall - another of the jewels in the cultural crown of our wonderful city. Birmingham is truly a global city for the arts and Birmingham Royal Ballet helps spread the city's name and reputation for supporting the arts around the world. Sadly, this performance was filmed without an audience, as a result of the current Covid regulations, but all of our arts organisations in Birmingham are fighting to keep active and entertaining audiences in safe and innovative ways. We all need to keep supporting these organisations as they are not only the cultural heart of our city, but important generators of jobs, education and our entertainment economy.” Birmingham Royal Ballet is also at the heart of the local community, for over 21 years the company has delivered free workshops for 2,500 local primary school children every year, to identify young talented dancers with raw talent who Birmingham Royal Ballet then provides free ballet training and dance clothing to for up to two years, helping them achieve their dreams. For the last fifteen years Birmingham Royal Ballet has run the ground-breaking Freefall Dance Company for local Birmingham young adults with learning disabilities who train at the Company every week and regularly perform. As England enters another period of lockdown, this online show is being broadcast as a gift to the city of Birmingham from Birmingham Royal Ballet who want to thank the city and audiences for all their support and to welcome new audiences, who may not have yet seen the company perform. The show will be available across the globe and offers a message of hope to audiences in a time when people aren’t currently able to enjoy live performances in person. Staying true to the city of Birmingham’s motto the Company remains committed to pushing ‘forward’ during this time, and recently announced a specially adapted production of the classic Christmas fairy tale The Nutcracker, which will run at The REP from 14 – 22 December 2020 followed by the fully staged production at the Royal Albert Hall. Birmingham Royal Ballet at 30 – Supported by Birmingham City Council will feature 11 Company dancers, accompanied by live music performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet’s own orchestra, the world-class Royal Ballet Sinfonia, performing three pieces on the historic Town Hall stage: Ben Stevenson's contemporary pas de deux End of Time, Jorge Garcia's Majisimo set to music from Massenet’s opera Le Cid and Valery Panov's emotive solo piece, Liebestod. Artistic Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Carlos Acosta, said: “Circumstances this year have meant that we are not able to celebrate our 30th Anniversary in person but we are so pleased that we are able to give this gift to the City of Birmingham to say thank you for 30 years of support and memories. I’m so happy we can perform on the stage of the wonderful Birmingham Town Hall which has been a feature of the city for nearly 200 years. Thank you to Town Hall Symphony Hall and Birmingham City Council for their support of this special event.” Town Hall has been a hub of civic and cultural life in Birmingham since 1834. From classical to comedy to rock to pop, it’s now one of the city’s most versatile venues having featured artists such as David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Caitlin Moran and more. Famous classical premieres include Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, The Apostles, The Kingdom and The Music Makers. Nick Reed, Chief Executive Officer at Town Hall and Symphony Hall Birmingham said, “I’m delighted that Town Hall will welcome Birmingham Royal Ballet for this broadcast. History has been made many times over at this iconic venue, from Charles Dickens' reading of A Christmas Carol through to the world premiere of season five of BBC’s Peaky Blinders – this virtual performance will be another significant moment for the city.” Birmingham Royal Ballet at 30 – Supported by Birmingham City Council will be available to watch worldwide for free on Birmingham Royal Ballet's Facebook page for seven days from 19 November. Birmingham Royal Ballet is grateful to Birmingham City Council for their support of this event. NOTES TO EDITORS: Birmingham Royal Ballet Based at Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Royal Ballet is the United Kingdom’s leading touring ballet company performing a range of traditional, classical and heritage ballets as well as ground-breaking new works with the aim of encouraging choreographers of the future. The Company’s Director from January 2020 is the internationally renowned Carlos Acosta. Birmingham Royal Ballet performs at Birmingham Hippodrome for approximately ten weeks of the year and the remainder of the year tours throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. On average, the Company performs 175 shows a year nationally and internationally. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia is Birmingham Royal Ballet’s permanent orchestra, it is also Britain's busiest ballet orchestra. The Sinfonia also plays frequently for The Royal Ballet and other leading ballet companies, including performances with: The Royal Ballet, Paris Opéra Ballet, New York City Ballet, Australian Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Kirov, Norwegian Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and La Scala Ballet. Please note: the Birmingham Hippodrome has been closed for stage performances since lockdown but Birmingham Royal Ballet looks forward to returning to its home theatre for Cinderella in Spring 2021. Town Hall Symphony Hall Town Hall Symphony Hall’s mission is to inspire a love of live music, through performance, participation and learning. Managed together by Performances Birmingham Limited, a Registered Charity No 1053937, Town Hall and Symphony Hall are the centre of Birmingham’s cultural heart – presenting the world’s most exciting and diverse artists, orchestras and bands, including Kraftwerk, The British Paraorchestra of Great Britain, Satinder Sartaaj, Chineke!, Gary Barlow, Joan Armatrading and the world-renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. We believe that music is essential to everyone and has the power to transform and change lives, to entertain and uplift, to create shared experiences and to educate. Each year, we programme nearly 800 concerts and events and bring the best jazz, folk, world, roots, classical, rock and pop performers to audiences of over 550,000. Our Jazzlines programme is a key part of the region’s jazz infrastructure, nurturing new talent and creating performance opportunities, while our Learning & Participation team works with 18,000 people from across Birmingham each year. Find out more at thsh.co.uk

I've moved a couple of posts about ENB's streamings to this thread:

The BalletCo Forum encourages open discussion but it should be remembered that highly critical postings should be done under your own name. The Doing Dance Forum is particularly difficult because most people don't want their children to be identified, which is very sensible. If people are going to comment it needs to be the personal experience of the individual or their parent/guardian or their teacher with permission so to do.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHX8XzlAGUm/

9 November 2020 English National Ballet winter update Nutcracker Delights at the London Coliseum – Updated Performance Schedule. English National Ballet is preparing to return to the stage this winter. Whilst planned performances of Reunion: An Evening with English National Ballet are unable to go ahead due to the November lockdown in England, the Company is looking forward to performing Nutcracker Delights at the London Coliseum, now opening 17 December 2020 and running until 3 January 2021. Nutcracker Delights is a special 75-minute version of the Christmas classic that sees the Company perform a selection of the ballet’s most popular moments and iconic scenes accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s famous score played live by musicians from English National Ballet Philharmonic. Ahead of these performances, new dancers are welcomed into the Company. Natascha Mair joins as a Principal. Mair previously performed with Vienna State Opera Ballet (Wiener Staatsballett) where she rose through the ranks to Principal. She has danced with many companies around the world as a Guest Artist, including Slovenian National Ballet where she is a Guest Principal Dancer. Natascha has received numerous awards including First Prize at Premio Roma Danza (2012), Special Prize at the International Contest of Ballet Schools in Bejing (2012) and the Sponsorship Award of the Ballett Club Wiener Staatsoper & Volksoper (2014). On joining the Company, Natascha Mair said: "I am excited for my new journey with English National Ballet and moving to this incredible city which has so many different people and cultures for me to learn from. I never want to stop growing as a person and artist and I feel like English National Ballet is the perfect place for me to do so." Matei Hadrian Holeleu joins as a 1st Year Artist of the Company following his success at the 2020 Prix de Lausanne competition. Holeleu trained at Ballettschule Theater Basel, Switzerland and Octavian Stroia Highschool of Choreography and Drama, Romania. Eric Snyder joins as an Artist (Extra) from English National Ballet School. He has previously performed with English National Ballet in their 70th Anniversary Gala, Nutcracker, Cinderella and My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty. English National Ballet’s Artistic Director, Tamara Rojo CBE said: ”I’m so pleased to be able to welcome Natascha, Matei and Eric to the Company as we prepare to return to live performances soon, and I can’t wait to see them develop their artistry with ENB.” Principal casting for Nutcracker Delights is also announced today. Performing in the iconic roles of Clara and Sugar Plum Fairy are Lead Principals Erina Takahashi and Fernanda Oliveira; Principals Shiori Kase and Natascha Mair; and First Soloists Emma Hawes and Katja Khaniukova. Lead Principals Joseph Caley, Jeffrey Cirio, Isaac Hernández and Francesco Gabriele Frola will perform the role of Prince, whilst First Soloist Junor Souza will dance both Prince and Nutcracker. First Soloist Aitor Arrieta, Soloist Skyler Martin and Artist of the Company Fernando Carratalá Coloma dance the role of Nutcracker. Nightly casting for Nutcracker Delights will be announced soon. English National Ballet also welcomes new members to its Board of Trustees: Marilyn Berk, Lady Debbie Buffini, Kamara Gray, Chris Marks, Paul Pacifico and Dr. Shirley J. Thompson OBE. English National Ballet today announces that Lead Principal Alina Cojocaru will be leaving the company as her contract with us comes to an end. Cojocaru joined English National Ballet in 2013 as a Lead Principal Dancer. During her time with the Company Cojocaru has delighted audiences and critics alike, throughout the UK and internationally, with her performances in both classical and contemporary repertoire. Acclaimed for both her technical ability and her dramatic interpretation, Cojocaru has received much admiration for her performances with the Company in classical roles including Juliet in both Rudolf Nureyev’s and Derek Deane’s versions of Romeo & Juliet; the title roles in Giselle, Manon and Cinderella; Medora in Le Corsaire, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Clara in Nutcracker and Odette/ Odile in Swan Lake. Cojocaru has also garnered high praise for her artistry and on-stage presence in performances in contemporary works whilst with the Company: Approximate Sonata 2016, In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Spring and Fall, No Man’s Land, Second Breath and Akram Khan’s Giselle in which she performed the title role in the 2016 world premiere. Whilst dancing with English National Ballet, Cojocaru has twice been awarded the Critic’s Circle National Dance Award for Outstanding Female Performance (Classical), in 2017 for her portrayal of the title role in Akram Khan's Giselle and in 2018 for her performance as Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, and Danza & Danza Dancer of the Year 2019. Whilst Cojocaru’s last on-stage performance with the Company was in January 2020 as Clara in Nutcracker at the London Coliseum, her performances continued to enchant audiences around the world through English National Ballet’s recent series of Wednesday Watch Parties in which she appeared in Manon, Cinderella and Nureyev’s Romeo & Juliet. English National Ballet’s Artistic Director, Tamara Rojo CBE said: “It has been an absolute privilege to have an artist of Alina’s calibre as part of the English National Ballet family. I am so thankful for her immense contribution to the company over the past 7 years, and I hope to welcome her back as a guest in the future.” -ENDS- English National Ballet is a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England. English National Ballet is grateful for the generous grant it has been awarded through the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, which allows it to continue to create, perform and serve its audiences. NatWest is Principal Partner of English National Ballet. Listings Nutcracker Delights London Coliseum Thursday 17 December 2020 – Sunday 03 January 2021 www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker-delights Priority On-sale: Opens 10 November General on-sale:13 November This performance runs for approximately 75 minutes with no interval Presented by English National Ballet Enterprises Ltd Notes to Editors Natascha Mair was born in Vienna, Austria. She received her education from the age of seven at the Vienna State Opera, where she was taught by Gabriele Haslinger, Karen Henry, Galina Skuratova and Evelyn Téri, among others. In 2012 she graduated from high school and passed her ballet diploma exam with seventeen. From the 2012/13 season to 2020 she was engaged with the Vienna State Ballet, in 2014 she was promoted to demi-soloist and in 2016 to soloist. In December 2018, Vienna State Ballet Director Manuel Legris promoted Mair to Principal following a performance of Rudolf Nureyev's The Nutcracker at the Vienna State Opera House. Since 2020 she is a Guest Principal Dancer at the Slovenian National Ballet. Natascha has made several television appearances including in the broadcasts of the New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic and the opening of the Vienna Opera Ball. She appeared as a guest dancer in many European countries and overseas. Matei Hadrian Holeleu started ballroom dancing as a child, before taking up ballet at the age of 13. He trained at Ballettschule Theater Basel, Switzerland (2017-2020) and Octavian Stroia Highschool of Choreography and Drama, Romania (2014-2017). At the 2020 Prix de Lausanne, Holeleu was a prize winner and also received the Best Swiss Candidate Award. Other awards include 1st place contemporary at the European Ballet grand Prix 2017 where he was also a classical ballet finalist; 1st place contemporary and 3rd place classical ballet at the 2016 Young Stars Ballet Competition, Romania and 1st place classical ballet at the Romanian National Ballet Olympics (April 2015-2017). Eric Snyder began his dance training at the age of 9 with the Yuma Ballet Academy in Yuma, Arizona. Upon competing in the 2018 Prix de Lausanne as a finalist, he was offered a full-tuition scholarship to join English National Ballet School as a second-year student. He has previously performed with English National Ballet in their 70th Anniversary Gala, Nutcracker, Cinderella and My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty. Marilyn Berk led an internationally renowned luxury cashmere retailing business for over 30 years before retiring in 2014. She has extensive commercial and branding experience combining contemporary design with traditional craftsmanship having also steered the company to its digital platform. She has championed the preservation and promotion of the historic heritage of her flagship shop in the Burlington Arcade. She was appointed a trustee of the Wallace Collection in 2016 sitting on the audit and investment committees. She has worked with The Prince’s Trust advising on their retail outlet and successfully mentored many of the Trust’s young companies through the retail process. Her other voluntary commitments include chairing educational appeal panels and helping young victims through the criminal court system. Lady Debbie Buffini chairs the Buffini Chao Foundation, a family philanthropic foundation which she and her husband Sir Damon established in 2005 to support education and opportunities for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Debbie enjoys liaising closely with the chosen charities and enjoys visiting the projects in action. Charities supported include those which seek to raise aspiration in education and those that open the door to music, dance, theatre and sport. Debbie is also on the Board of Eastside Young Leaders Academy, a charity based in Newham, East London, which nurtures and develops the leadership potential of BAME girls and boys including those at risk of exclusion from school. Prior to this, Debbie practised as a solicitor in shipping finance, working in London and the US, having qualified both in England and at the New York State Bar. Kamara Gray is the Founder and Artistic Director of Artistry Youth Dance, a vibrant youth dance company that showcases and celebrates aspiring dancers of African and Caribbean descent, aged 12 to 19 years. She is an experienced dance teacher and choreographer, and has worked extensively in the UK, Australia and Kuwait. Kamara is based in London, and has taught at numerous schools, colleges, and universities including: Urdang Academy, Buckinghamshire New University, City and Islington College, Irie Dance Theatre, the Royal Academy of Dance school, and the British Academy of International Arts (Kuwait). Her choreography includes performances for: Live Vibe: Two’s a Company at The Place Theatre; The Soldier’s Tale, an opera for the Wimbledon International Music Festival; the ‘Sheer Chemistry’ product launch; Move It; and Big Dance. As a performer, her credits include film, television and live events including the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony as a Lead Tap dancer, the MTV Europe Awards, and L’Heure Espagnole with the Royal Opera. Chris Marks has spent most of his career in banking. His most recent role was as the CEO of NatWest Markets PLC, NatWest Group’s investment banking business. He was part of the team brought into NatWest / RBS to restructure the business after the global financial crisis. He is currently taking a career break before embarking on his next challenge. A lifelong ballet fan, Chris was previously a member of the Finance and General Purposes Committee before joining the Board of Trustees. He now Chairs the Finance and General Purposes Committee. Chris studied Civil Engineering at Bristol University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Paul Pacifico is CEO of AIM, the Association of Independent Music which represents the UK’s community of music entrepreneurs including independent labels, service companies and self-releasing artists amongst its 800 members. For two years prior, Paul was CEO of the UK’s Featured Artists Coalition (‘FAC’), and founding President of the International Artist Organisation (‘IAO’), which unites artist organisations in music from different countries to speak with one voice. In his early career, Paul Pacifico spent almost 10 years in the City in banking and strategy consultancy before leaving to focus on Specific Music in 2005. Specific Music is an independent label and creative music consultancy which designs and delivers bespoke music for industry clients as well as brands and charities. Paul also set up The AllStars Collective, which is made up of 40 of the world’s top session musicians. Paul teaches at Berklee’s campus in Valencia, Spain, where he delivers the ‘Artist as a Startup’ course on their international Masters programme in Contemporary Performance. Paul also sits on the Boards of UK Music, Impala, the Music Advisory Board for London’s Roundhouse and a member of the Strategic Advisory Board for the Creative Industries Federation. Paul continues to perform and record as a harmonica player and work as an independent Creative Director on projects. He has worked with artists across genres including Quincy Jones, Nile Rodgers, High Contrast, KT Tunstall, Tom Middleton, Duane Eddie, Jimmy Cliff and Dr John. Dr. Shirley J. Thompson OBE was born, brought up and still resides in east London (Newham). As well as being a leading British composer she is also an academic, and an artistic director that stages her own operatic productions. The conceptual music of composer Shirley J. Thompson is performed and screened worldwide and often described as ‘superbe’ (Le Figaro) as well as ‘powerful and striking’(Planet Hugill). A visionary artist and cultural activist, Thompson has pushed the boundaries of classical music composition and performance with ground-breaking productions that have attracted new audiences worldwide. Thompson is the first woman in Europe to have composed and conducted a symphony within the last 40 years. New Nation Rising, A 21st Century Symphony performed and recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is an epic musical story celebrating London’s thousand-year history, This extraordinary work was originally commissioned to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002 and the concept was latterly assumed as a framework for the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony. She co-scored the ballet PUSH that toured to over 40 of the world’s major opera houses, including The Marinsky Theatre, La Scala and Sydney Opera House. Her opera series, Heroines of Opera, encapsulates hidden narratives of iconic women in history and challenges the concept of the femme fatale, the usual portrayal of women in the operatic cannon. Thompson has consistently demonstrated in her creative and professional work, a strong belief in the transformative power of music, dance and the arts to affect social, cultural and political change. About English National Ballet English National Ballet has a long and distinguished history. Founded in 1950 as London Festival Ballet by the great English Dancers Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, it has been at the forefront of ballet’s growth and evolution ever since. English National Ballet brings world class ballet to the widest possible audience through performances across the UK and on eminent international stages including The Bolshoi Theatre and Palais Garnier; its distinguished orchestra, English National Ballet Philharmonic; and being a UK leader in creative learning and engagement practice, building innovative partnerships to deliver flagship programmes such as English National Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s. Under the artistic directorship of Tamara Rojo CBE, English National Ballet has introduced ground-breaking new works to the Company’s repertoire whilst continuing to honour the tradition of great classical ballet, gaining acclaim for artistic excellence and creativity. 2019 saw English National Ballet enter a new chapter in its history with a move into a purpose-built state-of-the-art home in East London which brings a renewed commitment to, and freedom for, creativity, ambition, and connection to more people, near and far, than ever before. www.ballet.org.uk About Arts Council England Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk

DIVERSITY, EQUALITY & INCLUSION AT ELMHURST BALLET SCHOOL Following a month of Black History related commemorations and events at Elmhurst Ballet School, the vocational school in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, reinforces its commitment to develop an inclusive landscape across its Edgbaston, Birmingham base. It will also continue to engage in local, national and international conversations to ensure its activity that tackles issues around diversity, equality and inclusion aligns with those of its multicultural home city, the pledges of the wider dance and arts sector and the global rhetoric demanding change. Jessica Wheeler, Principal of Elmhurst Ballet School, said: “Although at Elmhurst we recognise the monumental importance of Black History Month, we want to exceed the once a year moment and embed our conversations and actions into the whole school calendar and beyond. By engaging in open, honest and collaborative dialogue with Board members, staff and students, it is our aim to see the entire school community work together and create an environment that is safe, fair and inclusive. We want everyone who walks through our doors to feel represented by what they see and do in our studios and classrooms. We want to keep finding ways through, for example, networking and outreach work, to encourage and support more Black, Brown and Asian students to feel confident about pursuing a career in dance.” Home to almost 200 UK and international full-time students, Elmhurst trains professional dancers to take their places on the world stage. As the world justly focused on the tragic death of George Floyd and sadly others before and after him, the pace of the anti-racism Black Lives Matter protest increased and Elmhurst stood in solidarity with the entire Black community. Along with its many dance associates and friends, the school acknowledged it was time to reflect on its own practice, educate the entire school population and learn from partners whose call-to-actions have already garnered attention for galvanising change in dance and further afield. The recent opportunities to reflect, educate and learn during Black History Month, complemented and built on past activity at the school. Theresa Ruth Howard is a diversity in dance advocate, consultant and strategist and assists arts organisations to better understand, design and implement Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programmes and initiatives. She is the founder and curator of Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet, a digital platform established to preserve, present and promote the contributions and stories of black artists in ballet. Howard’s relationship with Elmhurst began in summer 2019 after Wheeler was captivated by her keynote speech during the Young Talent Festival Symposium at the Royal Opera House in London. Later that year she was invited to the school to engage with all students and staff and worked directly with the Upper School on the students’ perceptions of diversity culture, aesthetics, genderism and personal development in ballet. Elmhurst continues the conversation with Howard, most recently during Black History Month. In September 2019, Snéha Khilay, Managing Director of Blue Tulip Consultancy, captivated and inspired all staff during a bespoke training day on diversity, equality, inclusion, unconscious bias, bullying and harassment. Last month, the school welcomed more prominent guests who offered their perspective and narrative to inspire students and staff to delve deeper into Black History. Doctor Rob Power of Powerful Histories is a strong advocate for social justice and an expert in Black History and African History. He worked with Elmhurst students to promote an awareness of the history of racism and the Black presence in Britain. Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Director, Carlos Acosta CBE, also a Vice President of the school, and Principal dancer Brandon Lawrence presented a socially distanced open rehearsal at Elmhurst, just days before the company returned to the stage and in front of a live audience for the first time in seven months. Lawrence, a Principal dancer at Birmingham Royal Ballet, recently worked with spoken word artist Davy Lazare. The two artists from polarised art genres worked together to co-produce and co-star in BODIES. The film, recently nominated for Best Microshort Film at this year's Birmingham Film Festival is a ‘dance expression driven by spoken word poetry, reflecting the nightmares of today’s world on racism and hate’. Upper School students will watch the film in Elmhurst’s theatre space on Saturday 14 November. In Elmhurst’s almost 100 year history, the population of the school has been predominantly white, echoing the ballet sector as a whole. The school has been working to improve representation across all areas of its community, which has changed significantly over the past few years. Determined its drive for change is more than a lip service, Elmhurst is committed to being part of sector-wide conversations and actions helping to realise equity in dance and dance education. The school is inspired by the work and voices of a growing number of individuals and organisations including Ballet Black and their ‘Equality Resources’and most recently Scottish Ballet’s ‘commitment to anti-racism in ballet’. Closer to home, Elmhurst’s links with Birmingham Royal Ballet and its Dance Track talent identification initiative has become a pathway for young Black and Asian dancers to progress to the school’s Elmhurst Young Dancers programme- weekend classes in Birmingham, Manchester, Sunderland and Plymouth, leading to opportunities to audition for a full-time place at a vocational school. Wheeler, adds: “There is still so much more to do to see diversity and equality in ballet and dance education. We are not perfect, but along with so many partners and allies, we are passionate and driven to implement change, not only for the good of the school but for the greater good of society. We will continue to learn from positive actions happening across the professional setting. By bringing these ideas back to our board room, studios and classrooms we can shape our own strategies and practice and continue to turn out students into dance companies and the wider world with shared values and goals.”