Jan McNulty

Here's an older thread that may still be relevant: If you type "how much pointe work" into the search box there are also lots of other threads that may have more general but still useful information.

Hello @Kitten and welcome to the Forum!

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE K2CO ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF LADY MACMILLAN AS ITS FIRST PATRON K2CO dance company, led by award-winning choreographer and dance artist Rosie Kay, is delighted to announce that Lady MacMillan is joining the company as its very first Patron. Deborah MacMillan, a huge supporter of Rosie Kay’s work, is the wife of the late Sir Kenneth MacMillan who is regarded as one of the UK’s finest choreographers. Commenting on her appointment Deborah said “The Arts are peopled by those rare and brave individuals who cherish and protect their creative flame and I am delighted and honoured to be the first patron of K2CO.” Rosie Kay added: “I am delighted to have the patronage of Deborah MacMillan. She has been an incredible source of support and inspiration through the setting up of K2CO and I, with her vision, very much look forward to the future of my company and my choreography. “Sir Kenneth MacMillan is the greatest choreographer of the 20th century, and I have long studied his works. The combination of real emotional storytelling, exquisite and technically challenging dance, and the exploration of the biggest themes on life and death have been an inspiration to me. To be able to work with Deborah MacMillan now is a dream come true.” K2CO also announces new board members joining the Oversight Board: Jo Quillan, COO at The Really Useful Group; digital arts curator Tony Guillan; writer, speaker and University of Edinburgh Rector Simon Fanshawe and director and photographer Robert Knights. K2CO was launched in 2022 and in 2023 toured to Norwich Theatre Playhouse, Blackpool Grand Theatre and Theatre Royal, Bath with an updated version of Kay’s acclaimed 5-star award winning production 5 Soldiers. Funded by Arts Council England it used dance to explore the emotional stories of a group of combatants who become fractured by war. Running alongside the main stage performance of 5 Soldiers at Norwich Theatre Playhouse was Rosie Kay’s award-winning engagement programme, INCUBATE which saw the company work with young students from Norfolk Institute of Performing Arts. Kay looks forward to shaping the vision of K2CO with Deborah MacMillan, and the Oversight Board will help with Kay’s plans to tour her work, fundraising and developing a new work for large scale theatres. K2CO programming details will be announced later this year. Notes to Editors K2CO is a dance company that makes totally unique, political, and timely work on controversial subjects. We exist to support the choreographic vision of artist Rosie Kay. We aim to highlight the power of dance as an art form and as a means of human communication. Dance can convey joy, love, passion, fear, sex, sexuality as well as complex socio-political situations from a human perspective. The company aims to create the best quality dance which is at the forefront of world contemporary dance theatre. The company uses ways to help audiences engage through targeted engagement work related to the themes of each show, through digital capture and distribution and through professional training programmes to increase education, technical and thinking skills in the dance sector. MISSION: We work with academics, universities, artists, and communities to research works. These include participants recruited through charities on issue-based themes. We train and nurture professionals, preparing them for the world of work and exploring themes of Rosie Kay’s work and principles. We do this through a robust training programme that supports participants from less privileged and diverse backgrounds. We create and produce world class dance and bring it to audiences in the UK, working with the top large-scale theatres. inspiring and making work that becomes a talking point before, during and afterwards. VISION: Our vision is to be the foremost female-led dance company in the UK, making work that is important, meaningful and highly engaging. We will tour to theatres that want dance to make an impact and grow audiences. We want to make work that leaves audiences exhilarated, thinking and motivated. K2CO will show that dance has the power to inspire, investigate and challenge ideas of today’s society. Biographies Lady MacMillan - Patron Born in Queensland, Australia, she was educated in Sydney and won a scholarship to the National Art School where she studied painting and sculpture. Since 1970 she has lived in London, where she met and married Kenneth MacMillan. She has designed ballets for the stage, ‘Quartet’, ‘Sea of Troubles’ and ‘Concerto’. For television, ‘A Lot of Happiness’. She returned to painting full-time in 1984. She exhibits in London and for 10 years also at Glyndebourne. At Expo 17 in Astana Kazakhstan 20 of her paintings were shown in the Opera House depicting backstage life to co-inside with performances of Manon by her late husband. Her work is in private collections in the USA and the UK. She was a member of the Royal Opera House Board (1993–6) and was Chairman of The Friends of Covent Garden (1996). Between 1996 and 1998 she was a member of the Arts Council of England and chaired the Dance Panel. She is custodian of her late husband’s Choreography and Theatre work. New Board Members Jo Quillan A proud Scot from Glasgow, Jo has lived and worked in London for over 30 years. A qualified accountant, she has held senior UK and International finance positions in the recorded music and music publishing industries, having worked for both Sony Music International and EMI, and headed up Finance & Operations outside North America at sports talent and marketing agency Wasserman and at UK out-of-home media specialist Posterscope. Jo joined Andrew Lloyd Webber’s global theatrical licensing and production company The Really Useful Group as COO in 2019, fulfilling a long-held career ambition and personal dream to work in theatre. Tony Guillan Tony Guillan is a producer, curator and creative consultant who works with artists and cultural organisations across the visual and performing arts, film and new media, specialising in the integration of digital and broadcast techniques, and the application of new technologies (XR, AI, Web3), to create work and engage audiences on and off-line. He has produced film and new media work, led public art commissioning, artist development, digital innovation and strategy consultancy for organisations including Tate, Artangel, UK City of Culture, The Space, IWM and The University of Oxford. Simon Fanshawe OBE Simon Fanshawe OBE is the co-founder of Diversity by Design, a broadcaster and author. His latest book is “The Power of Difference” - the Chartered Institute Management’s Book of 2023 when he was also voted into HR Magazine’s Hall of Fame. He is currently on the Board of Powerful Women and is Chairman of Hexagon Housing Association. He was previously Chairman of Sussex University, and on the Boards of Housing & Care 21, the Museum of London and Brighton Dome & Festival. He has long been involved in campaigns for equality and positive social change. He was a co-founder of Stonewall and of the Kaleidoscope Trust. In 2013 he was awarded an OBE for services to Higher Education and an Honorary Doctorate by Sussex for services to diversity and human rights. Robert Knight Robert Knights has worked as a freelance director, mainly in television and film all his life. His plays and series include, The Glittering Prizes, The History Man, Tender is the Night, Mosley, The Ebony Tower, Morse, Porterhouse Blue, and The Dawning. Actors he has directed include Anthony Hopkins, Tom Conti, Tony Sher, Geraldine James, Helen Mirren, Sir Laurence Olivier, Ian Richardson, Les Dawson, David Jason, John Cleese, Dawn French, Mary Steenburgen, Jean Simmons, and Jonathan Cake. Nominated three times for BAFTAS: David Jason winning one as Best Actor, and Christopher Gunning for Best Music. Won an Emmy in New York for Porterhouse Blue. Writers whose screenplays he has directed include Frederic Raphael, John Mortimer, Malcolm Bradbury, Dennis Potter, Christopher Hampton, Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran. Rosie Kay Rosie was born in Scotland, danced from a very early age, then trained at London Contemporary Dance School, graduating in 1998, before a career as a dancer in Poland, France, Germany and the USA. Kay returned to the UK in 2003, founded Rosie Kay Dance Company 2004-21 and has now set up K2CO a new venture for her past and future works. Rosie Kay is a Director and Trustee of Dance Consortium which exists to tour the best contemporary dance from across the world to local audiences across the UK. Kay’s works up to date include a contemporary set adaptation of Romeo + Juliet (2021) and returned to performing on stage with the Absolute Solo II tour in 2021 with three personal solos danced by Kay, with Adult Female Dancercelebrated as the ‘Top 5 Dance Works of 2021’ by The Observer and Kay was nominated for a National Dance Award 2022 for Outstanding Female Performance (Modern) for Absolute Solo II. Kay is well known for the multi award-winning work 5 SOLDIERS (2010- present) based on intense research with the British Army and large-scale development of this work, 10 SOLDIERS (2019). Kay’s works tour to Sadlers Wells, Birmingham REP, Norwich Theatre Royal, Salisbury Playhouse and regularly tour Europe and the USA. Rosie Kay’s Fantasia, a pure-dance work about beauty was included in The Guardian’s ‘Top 10 Dance of 2019’. MK ULTRA was created in 2017 a work about conspiracy theory and pop made with BBC film-maker Adam Curtis. Other works include Motel (2016), a collaboration with visual artists Huntley Muir, Sluts of Possession (2013) created with rare archive material from the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, There is Hope (2012) exploring religion, Double Points: K (2008) a collaboration with Emio Greco| PC and Asylum (2005) based on research with asylum seekers. Kay choreographed the live Commonwealth Games Handover Ceremony (2018), watched by over 1 billion people worldwide and has worked in film as the choreographer to Sunshine on Leith (2013). Kay was the first choreographer appointed Leverhulme Artist in Residence at the School of Anthropology, University of Oxford (2013). Awards for her work include Best Independent Company (2015) and nominated for Best Choreography for 5 SOLDIERS (2015), National Dance Awards and nominated for Best Independent Company 2012 and 2017, a Royal Society for Public Health Award for support to military communities, and the Bonnie Bird New Choreography Award. Kay was awarded by the Queen as a ‘Young Achiever of Scotland’ and won the Bonnie Bird New Choreography Award from Laban. 5 SOLDIERS Community Engagement work INCUBATE was Highly Commended by the Royal Society of Public Health. Kay has published several academic works and themes include conflict and choreography, kinaesthetic empathy, neuroscience, and disordered eating.

Given there are so few dancers I would guess that most dancers will be dancing most nights...

I was in Sheffield for the weekend and what a weekend it was! On Friday evening I got to see one of the other casts - Harris Beattie and Saeka Shirai - and they were glorious and oh so very young. They gave such beautifully nuanced performances and they were utterly believable and utterly heartbreaking. Dominique Larose was just glorious as the nurse. She must be one of the best dance-actresses in the country. Kevin Poeung was fantastic as Mercutio and Filippo di Vilio was a fun loving Benvolio till tragedy struck. George Liang was superbly angry as Tybalt. The whole cast was invested in this tremendous performance. Saturday evening's treat was Kevin Poeung and Sarah Chun - even better than they had been in Leeds. The cast was basically the same as I had seen in Leeds and they were all wonderful. The trouble is that I am now running out of superlatives but suffice to say that the evening (and weekend) ended on a high! Saturday afternoon's cast was led by Joseph Taylor and Dominique Larose (yes - after she played the nurse on Friday evening! Joe and many of the other dancers are also playing multiple roles in different performances. I was talking to Helen Bogatch in Leeds and she said she was dancing every female role except Juliet!). Harris Beattie was a wonderful, fun loving Mercutio. His joyfulness made his death even harder to watch. Filippo again excelled as Benvolio. What can I say about this performance - well I think it is the BEST performance of this production I have ever seen. I was totally overwhelmed. Dominique and Joe WERE Juliet and Romeo. The whole cast rose to the occasion and this is one of those performances where there is magic dust in the air. I was totally overwhelmed by the end and trying very hard not to sob out loud. Thank you to the whole cast for this special performance. We were truly privileged to be in the audience on Saturday afternoon. You can now only get cast sheets on line by looking at the website or using the QR code in the theatre that takes you to the website. I don't think the company has got it quite right yet...

This is a hard one. I am not speaking from any knowledge of the training system in the UK or anywhere else. LCB will presumably have had a specific type of dancer the company wanted. Would it be reasonable to expect them to populate the company with graduates? As the company is privately funded would the funders have had an expectation that may not have been for graduates? I have heard that graduates sometimes experience integration difficulties into companies because they are not used to performing in a company as compared to school. A newly started company could not afford (in my opinion) the time for them to settle in. Many years ago a company I follow was increasing in size and took in about 12 graduates. From an audience point of view it just did not work and at the end of the year all but 2 or 3 of those graduates left the company. LCB could not afford to find itself in that position being a company of 14 dancers. Who knows what may happen over the next couple of years when the company is established.

It's interesting how we all differ isn't it. I don't like the film of The Red Shoes. I've tried to like it but I just don't. I had to be "persuaded" to go and see Matthew Bourne's production and much to my total surprise I absolutely loved it! I've seen it several times and loved it each time. I don't believe Matthew Bourne has ever marketed his productions as ballet but he seems to have a huge love of and respect for ballet. I remember when I first saw Sleeping Beauty and some of the fairy variations had nods to the ballet variations and he said he had tried to bring a flavour of them to his work. I know people who think MB walks on water and others in front of whom you are not allowed to mention his name. I like, even love, most of his works but there are a couple I really do not want to see again.

Matthew Bourne has done a terrific production of The Red Shoes...

View in Browser For immediate release 9 April 2024 Northern Ballet announces triple-bill of short works Pictured: Sarah Chung, photo Guy Farrow. Northern Ballet announces a new programme of works Three Short Ballets, to be performed in Leeds and London Line-up includes two world premières by Mthuthuzeli November and Kristen McNally and a Northern première of Rudi van Dantzig’s Four Last Songs Northern Ballet will open its autumn 2024 season with Three Short Ballets a triple-bill featuring two world premières and a Northern première. The trio of works will be performed in Leeds at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre from the 6-14 September and in London in early 2025. The mixed programme has become a staple of the Company’s repertoire since 2018, designed to challenge the boundaries of classical ballet and invite new choreographic voices to the fore. Opening the programme will be a previously announced original work from Olivier-award winning Mthuthuzeli November. Inspired by R.L. Peteni's South African novel Hill of Fools, and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Fools will tell a tale of bitter rivalry between two villages. Known for his unique fusion of dance styles, November's third collaboration with Northern Ballet promises an emotionally stirring performance, complementing the talents of the Company's dancers. The second world première will be an as yet untitled piece from Kristen McNally, Choreographer and Principal Character Artist at The Royal Ballet. This new ballet will see McNally work with two Northern Ballet dancers and Joe Powell-Main, an exceptional disabled dancer who uses wheels and crutches. McNally and Powell-Main previously worked together on Sleepwalker for The Royal Ballet and will be expanding their exploration of fusing ballet and inclusive dance. In the last year, Northern Ballet has championed inclusive dance through projects like Every Little is a Change, a ground-breaking dance film featuring Company dancers and participants from Ability, their program for adults with additional learning support needs. This commitment extends to the stage, when two dancers from Ability joined the cast of Romeo & Juliet at Leeds Grand Theatre this March. McNally's new commission promises to continue placing inclusive dance at the forefront, celebrating diversity and accessibility in the world of ballet. The final piece in the lineup is Dutch classic Four Last Songs, choreographed by Rudi van Dantzig. Created in 1977 by the then Artistic Director of Dutch National Ballet. Four Last Songs is a breath-taking expression of love, loss, and the beauty of the human experience. Performed to Richard Strauss’ composition by the same name, the ballet is danced by four couples with four segments beautifully mirroring the music. Three Short Ballets will première at Leeds Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre on the 6 September. Tickets go on sale today and are available to book at northernballet.com/three-short-ballets. London dates will be announced later in the year. Notes to Editors Three Short Ballets Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds 6-14 September 2024 northernballet.com/three-short-ballets Northern Ballet Bold and innovative in its approach, Northern Ballet is one of the UK’s leading and widest touring ballet companies, dedicated to creating stories that connect. A champion for the cultural exports of the North, the Leeds-based Company is committed to bringing ballet to as many people and places as possible, under the leadership of Artistic Director Federico Bonelli. Northern Ballet’s Company of dancers performs a combination of its full-length ballets and specially created ballets for children at more than thirty venues annually. Audiences can also enjoy Northern Ballet’s work on screen through their digital dance platform. Visit northernballet.com/digital-dance to discover more.

And the full press release: PRESS RELEASE – Tuesday 9 April 2024 Youtube: londoncityballet / Instagram: thelondoncityballet / www.londoncityballet.com LONDON CITY BALLET ANNOUNCES FULL TOUR AND COMPANY LONDON CITY BALLET ANNOUNCES ITS INAUGURAL SEASON WILL COMPRISE A NEW COMPANY OF 14 INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED DANCERS, REPRESENTING 9 NATIONALITIES AND BRINGING EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE FROM PRINCIPAL ARTISTS AS WELL AS RISING STARS FROM THE UK DANCE SCENE THE 18-VENUE INTERNATIONAL TOUR WILL BEGIN IN BATH THIS JULY AND INCLUDE CAMBRIDGE, CHELTENHAM, WINDSOR, YORK AND SADLERS WELLS LONDON, AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL DATES IN THE USA, DOHA QATAR, AND PORTUGAL, PLUS SHANGHAI, GUANGZHOU AND 5 FURTHER CITIES IN CHINA IN MAY, LONDON CITY BALLET WILL MOVE INTO A NEW STATE OF THE ART STUDIO AND OFFICE BASE IN ISLINGTON London City Ballet has today announced its new company and details of its first season after a hiatus of almost 30 years. The dancers in the new company are: Alejandro Virelles (Freelance, formerly Staatsballet Berlin, ENB), Álvaro Madrigal Arenilla (Compañía Nacional de Danza), Isadora Bless (Orlando Ballet), Joseph Taylor (Northern Ballet), Miranda Silveira(Freelance, formerly San Francisco Ballet), Ayça Anıl (Istanbul State Opera and Ballet), Cira Robinson (Freelance, formerly Ballet Black), Nicholas Vavrečka (Freelance, formerly Scottish Ballet), Ellie Young (Freelance, Royal Ballet School), Arthur Wille (formerly Ballet Dortmund Junior Company), Bárbara Verdasco (Compañía Nacional de Danza), Jimin Kim (Korea National University of Arts), and Nicholas Mihlar (Zurich Tanz Academy). In London at Sadler’s Wells, internationally celebrated ballerina Alina Cojocaru will join the company as a Guest Artist. Headshots and biographies of all the dancers are available here. New appointments to the creative and wellbeing team include Iain Mackay as a Rehearsal Director, Luke Abnett as Physiotherapist, Matthew Gregory as Company Pianist, and Andy Murrell as Lighting Designer. They will join Christopher Marney as Artistic Director, Sean Flanagan as General Manager, and Kate Lyons as Rehearsal Director. Christopher Marney said: “After an extensive search I am honoured to welcome the 14 uniquely talented artists joining London City Ballet, for its inaugural season. It felt essential to involve dancers at varying stages of career and experience, due to the narrative demands of the work we will present. My hope is their valued input will influence the ballets we are able to uncover. “The tour comprises familiar, much loved venues in the UK that played an important role in the former company's history, but also encompasses new and extensive touring in America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. “It is a privilege to begin collaborating with these artists and starting a new chapter in the company's history.” The 18-venue international tour will begin at Bath Theatre Royal (July 17-20), followed by Cambridge Arts Theatre (July 23-25), Latitude Festival (July 27), Cheltenham Everyman (August 2-3), Windsor Theatre Royal (August 9-10), Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and five further cities in China to be announced, York Theatre Royal (Sept 6-7), Sadlers Wells London (Sept 11-14) with USA dates in late September and Doha, Qatar. On July 6-7 dancers from London City Ballet will feature at the International Ballet Gala at the Palácio de Seteais, Portugal. London City Ballet will present Resurgence, a programme of acclaimed works including the revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s 1972 one-act ballet Ballade, unseen in Europe for over 50 years. Ashley Page’s Larina Waltz marks the ballet’s 30th anniversary, and Olivier award-winner Arielle Smith premieres a new work. Eve, a full company work by Christopher Marney, which premiered at Sadler’s Wells in 2022, will close the evening. At tour venues in Portugal and China the pas de deux from Kenneth MacMillan's Concerto will also be performed. Tickets for the tour are available here. NOTES TO EDITORS Trailer here Dates: PALÁCIO DE SETEAIS, PORTUGAL 6-7 July BATH THEATRE ROYAL 17-20 July CAMBRIDGE ARTS THEATRE 23-25 July LATITUDE FESTIVAL, SUFFOLK 27 July CHELTENHAM EVERYMAN 2-3 August WINDSOR THEATRE ROYAL 9-10 August (Onsale date Friday 12 April) CHINA 16 August-1 September YORK THEATRE ROYAL 6-7 September SADLERS WELLS 2024 PERFORMANCES: 11-14 September Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes (including one 20 minute interval). For more visit www.londoncityballet.com For queries contact info@londoncityballet.com London City Ballet London City Ballet is a touring company of international dancers presenting engaging stories through dance to audiences across the world. Alongside creating newly commissioned work by upcoming, plus established, Choreographers and emphasis will also be on resurrecting older works that may no longer be in the mainstream repertoire. London City Ballet strives to present engaging and entertaining works whilst ensuring the history which came before them is not forgotten. The original iteration of the company closed in 1996 having formerly been the resident company of Sadler’s Wells, and internationally recognised as one of the world’s leading dance collectives, patronised by Diana, Princess of Wales. It was sensitively reformed in 2023 after a 30-year hiatus, under the Artistic Direction of Christopher Marney. The inaugural 2024 tour will pay homage to the company’s early beginnings, shining a bright light on a new chapter. Christopher Marney Chris is a Choreographer, Teacher and former Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company Chicago and Central School of Ballet in London As a dancer Chris worked internationally for Balletboyz, Gothenburg Ballet Sweden, Ballet Biarritz France, Bern Ballet Switzerland and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures where he has danced many principal roles around the world. During his time in these companies he performed in works by choreographers William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Nacho Duato and John Cranko to name a few. He danced with the Michael Clark Company in The Rite of Spring and Les Noces and his final performance in 2017 was with Ivan Putrov’s Men in Motion where he danced the Faun in Nijinsky’s L’Apres Midi d’un Faun. The Critics Circle National Dance Awards nominated him for Outstanding Performance in Modern Dance two years running as well as being included in Dance Europe’s Outstanding Male Dancer 2013 list. As a choreographer he has created works for Ballet Black, English National Ballet’s Emerging dancer, ‘The Four Seasons’ for the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company, Nutcracker at the British Museum, ‘Eve’ at Sadler’s Wells and ‘Lady Macbeth’ at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. His London West-End credits include choreography for McQueen The Play at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and Tell Me on a Sunday at the St. James. As a Director Chris has had the pleasure of programming diverse tours across the UK & US commissioning new work as wells as presenting repertoire by choreographers George Balanchine, Jasmin Vardimon, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Kenneth MacMillan, Liam Scarlett, Frederick Ashton and Matthew Bourne, amongst others. He was named associate artist of the UK Foundation for Dance, holds a Masters degree in Choreography and was associate Choreographer for Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty. Chris is patron of the Chelmsford Ballet Company and a guest teacher for ballet companies worldwide. Sadler’s Wells     Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation. We strive to make and share dance that inspires us all. Our acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap.   We commission, produce and present more dance than any other organisation in the world. Since 2005, we have helped to bring more than 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown. Our acclaimed productions tour the world. Since 2005 we’ve produced 64 new full-length works and performed to audiences of more than two million, touring to 51 countries.   Each year, over half a million people visit our three London theatres - Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio and Peacock Theatre. Millions more attend our touring productions nationally and internationally or explore our digital platforms, including Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage. Sadler’s Wells East In 2024 we’re opening a fourth London venue in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Sadler’s Wells East will house a 550-seat mid-scale theatre, as well as facilities for the new Rose Choreographic School and the hip hop theatre training centre, Academy Breakin’ Convention. Sadler’s Wells East joins the rich cultural heritage of Stratford, opening in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of the East Bank development alongside the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL and the V&A. Sadler’s Wells East will support artist development and training, and the creation of new work. It will build the infrastructure for dance and make it accessible to more people. Sadler’s Wells East will house a flexible theatre presenting a wide variety of dance performances. Community will be at the heart of Sadler’s Wells East with a large open foyer that can be used by everyone as a meeting or performance space. There will also be dance studios and world-class dance facilities for dancemakers to train, create and rehearse productions. Supporting artists Supporting artists is at the heart of our work. We have associate artists and companies, which nurture some of the most exciting talent working in dance today. We host the National Youth Dance Company, which draws together some of the brightest young dancers from across the country. Sadler’s Wells Breakin' Convention runs professional development programmes to champion and develop the world’s best hip hop artists, as well as producing, programming and touring groundbreaking hip hop performances.   Learning and community links Around 30,000 people take part in our learning and engagement programmes every year. We support schools local to our theatres in Islington and Stratford, designing experiences for children and young people to watch, explore and critically engage with the arts. We also run Company of Elders, a resident performance company of dancers aged over 60 who rehearse with renowned artists to make new work for public performances locally, nationally and internationally.   Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.  www.sadlerswells.com   Stay up to date with everything Sadler’s Wells on social media    Facebook: @SadlersWells    Twitter: @Sadlers_Wells    Instagram: @sadlers_wells    YouTube: Sadler’s Wells Theatre   

BRB did perform a production by SPW as you say way back. I don't know if this will be the same one though.

As reported in Links too:

Hello @Dance-mum and welcome to the Forum!

PRESS RELEASE - THE STATE BALLET OF GEORGIA'S PRODUCTION OF SWAN LAKE EXTENDED AT LONDON COLISEUM UNTIL 8 SEPTEMBER PRESS RELEASE 8 April 2024 WORLD RENOWNED STATE BALLET OF GEORGIA ANNOUNCES EXTENSION FOR SWAN LAKE AT THE LONDON COLISEUM IN SUMMER 2024 ● THE STATE BALLET OF GEORGIA’S SWAN LAKE EXTENDS HISTORIC RUN AT THE LONDON COLISEUM UNTIL 8 SEPTEMBER ● FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS 175 YEARS OF EXISTENCE, THE COMPANY ADDS LONDON AND DUBLIN TO THE LIST OF WORLD CAPITALS IT HAS BROUGHT JOY. SUPERSTAR NINA ANANIASHVILI, FORMER PRIMA BALLERINA OF THE BOLSHOI, EX PRINCIPAL DANCER OF AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE, AND FORMER GUEST STAR OF THE ROYAL BALLET RETURNS TO LONDON NOW AS DIRECTOR OF THE STATE BALLET OF GEORGIA ● THE STATE BALLET OF GEORGIA LATER TRAVELS TO DUBLIN’S BORD GÁIS ENERGY THEATRE TO PERFORM SWAN LAKE FROM 20-24 NOVEMBER ● COLISEUM PRIORITY TICKETS FOR THE EXTENDED DATES ON SALE TODAY, WITH SEE PRIORITY BOOKING ON TUESDAY 9 AND WEDNESDAY 10 APRIL, AND GENERAL ON-SALE ON THURSDAY 11 APRIL AT 10AM YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE SOCIAL MEDIA www.facebook.com/swanlakeinlondon www.instagram.com/swanlakeinlondon The State Ballet of Georgia has extended its first visit to London, with performances of Swan Lake at the London Coliseum now running until from 28 August to 8 September. Based at the stunning Opera and Ballet State Theatre in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, this company of “versatile and accomplished” dancers (The New York Times) has soared under the bold artistic direction of world-renowned, Georgian-born Nina Ananiashvili, former prima ballerina with Bolshoi Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. Ananiashvili, considered one of the all-time greats, returned home to her native country in 2004 to lead the company. The State Ballet of Georgia’s last visit to the UK was in 2008 when they performed at the Edinburgh International Festival. Having performed on the London Coliseum stage in 1999 (as Kitri in Don Quixote with the Bolshoi), Ananiashvili now brings her company to London for the first time. Considered among the world’s 10 best classical companies, with a tradition of 175 years, experience the sleek grace and physicality of classical ballet at its best with The State Ballet of Georgia. Swan Lake’s enthralling story, timeless score, and unforgettable choreography have made it the most in-demand ballet in the world. This breathtakingly beautiful production with gorgeous white tutus and sumptuous lakeside and ballroom settings will undoubtedly draw audiences into the fantasy of the world’s most loved ballet. This version of Swan Lake, staged for the Company by Nina Ananiashvili’s long-term dancing partner, the renowned Alexei Fadeechev, features hand-painted cloths made in the Georgian Opera House’s own workshops. They were designed by theatrical legend Vyacheslav Okunev. He also created the nearly 100 costumes for the production, all coming from Tbilisi to London. Director of The State Ballet of Georgia, Nina Ananiashvili said of the production: ‘Swan Lake is one of our best repertoires. It combines elaborate costumes, stunning choreography, exquisite ornaments and the young generation of dancers with Georgian characteristics. Swan Lake has always had an important place in my career. It was the first ballet that I performed in the Bolshoi Theatre and was my first and final significant performance at American Ballet Theater. I can’t wait to share it with audiences in London for the first time.’ With a company of 65, and accompanied by the award-winning English National Opera Orchestra, this lavish production opens on 28 August. The company will then travel to Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre for performances of Swan Lake from 20-24 November. Listings Information The State Ballet of Georgia Swan Lake London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4ES Performances from 28 August 2024 Evening Performances Wednesday - Saturday 7.30pm Matinees Thursday Saturday and Sunday 2.30pm Tickets https://londoncoliseum.org/ The State Ballet of Georgia Swan Lake Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Grand Canal Square, Docklands, Dublin, Ireland Performances from 20 November 2024 Evening Performances Wednesday - Saturday 7:30pm Matinees Saturday 2:30pm and Sunday 1pm Tickets https://www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie/show/swan-lake-state-ballet-of-georgia/ Choreography: Marius Petipa & Lev Ivanov, staged by Alexei Fadeyechev & Nina Ananiashvili. Music: Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky ENO Orchestra Detailed casting to be announced. Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes incl interval Producers: Simon Bryce and Andrew Guild General Management : Giles Rowland, Mark Goucher Ltd Marketing: Guy Chapman, Make a Noise Ltd Notes to Editors About Nina Ananiashvili, Director of State Ballet of Georgia Nina Ananiashvili took first steps towards the art of ballet at the age of 10. She studied at the Tbilisi Choreographic School, in Tamara Vikhodtseva’s class. In 1977, she pursued her education at the Moscow Choreographic School (often referred to as the Bolshoi Ballet School) under the tutorship of the prominent pedagogue Natalia Zolotova. In 1981-2004, she was prima ballerina at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre and, under the guidance of the outstanding ballerina Raisa Struchkova, Her first season with the Bolshoi Theatre was triumphant. She performed Odette-Odile (Swan Lake) in Hamburg, Germany, during the Bolshoi Theatre’s tour and received a 30-minute non-stop ovation from the audience after the performance. Nina Ananiashvili is the only ballerina honoured with the four most prestigious international ballet awards: Varna (Bulgaria) X International Competition Gold Medal (1980), Moscow IV International Competition Grand Prix (1981), Moscow V International Competition Gold Medal (1985) and Jackson (US) III International Competition Grand Prix (1986). Ananiashvili’s performances with Andris Liepa with Balanchine’s New York City Ballet in 1988 are regarded as a milestone in her career. She was the first dancer from the former Soviet Union to be invited to the theatre and was given leading parts in Balanchine’s ballets Symphony in C, Raymonda Variations and Apollo. She also performed with the Royal Ballet in England (Covent Garden), the Royal Danish Theatre, St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre. In 1993-2009, Nina Ananiashvili was guest Principal Dancer at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). In addition, she danced in Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Finland, Germany, Monte Carlo, Birmingham, Boston, Tokyo and other ballet theatres. She appeared as guest étoile with Rome Opera Ballet, La Scala Ballet and in Genoa’s Teatro Carlo Felice. From September 2004, Nina Ananiashvili has been Ballet Artistic Director of the Zakaria Paliashvili Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre, as well as Artistic Director of the Vakhtang Chabukiani State Choreographic School. Under her direction, more than sixty new performances and ballet miniatures have been staged at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre. The theatre’s repertoire includes new choreographic editions of classical ballets, as well as productions by George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Mikhail Fokin, Sir Frederick Ashton, and Jiří Kylián. Choreographers Alexei Ratmansky, Alexei Fadeyechev, Yuri Possokhov, Trey McIntyre, Stanton Welch, Jorma Elo, Medhi Walerski, Pär Isberg, Teet Kask and others collaborate with the ballet company. The touring performances of the State Ballet of Georgia have gained great success in the United States, Japan, Israel, Egypt, Italy , Spain, Estonia, Taiwan, Ecuador, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Finland, Lebanon, Ecuador, Portugal, Russia, Israel, China, Dubai, Oman and Belarus. In 2008, the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre’s ballet company was awarded with the prestigious Herald Angels award at the Edinburgh International Festival. In 2022 under the directorship of Nina Ananiashvili, a scenic cantata and one-act ballet Carmina Burana by Carl Orff (Ilya Jivoy choreography) was staged. In the performance participated Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre opera soloists, choir, orchestra and the State Ballet of Georgia ballet company. The project was then presented at the Teatro Regio Torino (Turin, Italy).The Orchestra and Choir of Teatro Regio Torino, soloists of the Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and the State Ballet of Georgia participated in this international co-production. Nina Ananiashvili is honoured with the title of People's Artist of Georgia (1989), laureate of Rustaveli State Prize (1993), Zurab Anjaparidze (2002) and Veriko Anjaparidze Award (2018) and The Presidential Order of Excellence (2010). The American Biographical Institute granted her the title of Woman of the Year (1997). She was awarded with the International Prize Golden Goddess (1999) established by a successor of the royal family of France, Princess Marie de Bourbon. In 2000, she was granted the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for her performance in Don Quixote during the Bolshoi Ballet's tour at the London Coliseum. She was named as Dance Magazine Award winner in 2002. Nina was elected as United Nations Goodwill Ambassador in Georgia (2007) for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The President of Italy awarded her with the Italian Solidarity Medal of Honour (2011). In 2017, Nina Ananiashvili received the prestigious award Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. On 19 April 2019, Nina Ananiashvili was named as the Honorary President of Europa Nostra Georgia, a Pan-European network for protecting cultural and national heritage. About The State Ballet of Georgia In September 2004, at the personal invitation of Mikheil Saakashvili the then President of Georgia, Nina Ananiashvili was appointed Artistic Director of The State Ballet of Georgia Theatre. Under Ananiashvili’s leadership, more than 60 ballets and miniatures have been staged at the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theatre in Tbilisi. The theatre’s repertory includes both new choreographic versions of classical ballets, as well as works by George Balanchine, Sir Frederick Ashton, August Bournonville, and Jiří Kylián. Alexei Ratmansky, Alexey Fadeechev, Yuri Possokhov, Trey McIntyre, Stanton Welch, Jorma Elo, and other choreographers collaborate with the theatre. Under Ananiashvili’s leadership, the company has toured substantially internationally including to the United States Japan, Israel, Egypt, Italy, Spain, Estonia, Taiwan, Ecuador, Scotland, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Spain and Italy. In 2008, the ballet company of the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theatre was awarded the prestigious Herald Angels award at the Edinburgh International Festival. In 2012, Ananiashvili’s 30-year career was celebrated at an event that included international ballet celebrities. Under the direction of Nina Ananiashvili, State Ballet of Georgia has been in demand for international touring and has performed in Japan, China, Taiwan, Israel, Egypt, Estonia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ecuador, Oman, Dubai, Portugal, Scotland, among others. About Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theatre Ballet Company The theatre opened on Apr 12, 1851, and for the second season in 1852 the St. Petersburg Ballet Company (featuring F. Manokhin, E. Panov) arrived in Tbilisi. They presented the second act of F. Taglioni’s ballet La Sylphide and Polka-Vengerka. This was the first ballet performance in Tbilisi. One year later Manokhin staged the second act of Giselle, and the first full ballet performance took place in 1854 when Manokhin again mounted Taglioni’s three-act ballet Gitana the Spanish Gypsy. Unfortunately, due to lack of finances, he returned to the Bolshoi Theatre in the Summer of 1854. In the 80s and 90s of the XIX century, Tbilisi saw performances by St. Petersburg Emperor Ballet Theatre. The stage of Tbilisi Opera Theatre was the venue for the foreign debut of Maria Perini, pupil of Italian dancer Enrico Cecchetti. She was the dancer who demonstrated the 32 fouette to the Georgian audience for the first time. During 1897-1907 she performed at the Tbilisi Opera Theatre. The creation of the Georgian ballet school is associated with her name; she founded the first choreographic studio for classical dances. Perini lived in Georgia for 48 years. Before returning to Italy in 1936, she attended the first Georgian ballet, staged by her pupil Vakhtang Chabukiani and it became clear to her that her work had not gone in vain. Mzechabuki (Heart of the Mountains in the following stagings) by Andria Balanchivadze is the first Georgian ballet and was staged by Vakhtang Chabukiani at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre. From 1929-1941, he worked at the Kirov Opera And Ballet (Mariinsky) Theatre, performing all leading roles from the classical repertoire. Chabukiani returned to Tbilisi in 1941 and managed the Opera and Ballet State Theatre Ballet Company until 1973. His partners at various times were Galina Ulanova, Maia Plisetskaya, Raisa Struchkova, Marina Semyonova, Alla Shelest, and Natalia Dudinskaya. On the Tbilisi stage he was continuously partnered by the legendary Vera Tsignadze. In the beginning of the 1970s, the ballet company had a new artistic director–George Aleksidze, Fyodor Lopukhov’s pupil. Aleksidze brought new aesthetics to the theatre, as neoclassical ballets became the part of repertory alongside classical works. The company’s next artistic director through 1982-1985 was Mikhail Lavrovsky, the internationally known Bolshoi Theatre dancer and choreographer. Under his short directorship several interesting ballets were staged – his own version of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. About the ENO Orchestra The award-winning ENO Orchestra is renowned for the versatility of its repertoire spanning four centuries, providing the musical landscape and emotion for all ENO productions. As equally at home in the fun and sparkle of Gilbert and Sullivan as it is in Wagner’s epic scores, it also brings to life the complexities and colours of contemporary operas including those by Birtwistle, John Adams, Tansy Davies, as well as musical theatre productions like Sweeney Todd, Sunset Boulevard and My Fair Lady. With an established reputation for its Handel work, from pioneering performances with Charles Mackerras in the 1980s to new work with specialists like Laurence Cummings for the BBC Two broadcast of Messiah (Easter 2021), in recent years the Orchestra has also received praise for the stamina and commitment it brings to the operas of Philip Glass, including the award-winning productions of Satyagraha and Akhnaten. Benefiting from the experience and passion of its players, the ENO Orchestra attracts some of the country’s brightest talent. It actively seeks to train the next generation of players through the ENO Evolve scheme with the Royal College of Music; Orchestral Fellowships for ethnically diverse string players to increase representation to better reflect our society; and to support a new generation of conductors through the ENO Mackerras Fellowship. It also seeks to inspire young people in its work with the ENO Engage department, welcoming schools to its dress rehearsals, playing and recording for educational projects and participating in workshops. About the London Coliseum The London Coliseum is the largest theatre in London with 2,359 seats. Built in 1904 by legendary theatre architect Frank Matcham, the glorious Edwardian architecture and interiors were magnificently restored in 2004. The theatre has been home to the English National Opera since 1968, and hosts some of the best entertainment the capital has to offer. Twitter: @LondonColiseum Facebook: @londoncoliseum

Have you checked the school’s website for the requirements? It is now too late to apply for entry in 2024 but the page shows you when applications open for 2025. https://www.hamburgballett.de/en/ballettschule/aufnahmepruefung.php

Lovely words Colman.

Hello @CindyN, I've merged your post with your earlier thread in the Doing Dance forum where all things training in dance are discussed.

I only know about the ballet world as a watcher so I'm not speaking from personal experience but ... If you take the UK as an example you have 5 main companies and a number of smaller companies. The number of vacancies depends on the number of dancers leaving or if the company is increasing in size. In the current economic situation companies are unlikely to be increasing in size so you are dependent on how many dancers may be leaving. There may be say an average of 5 vacancies per bigger company so that is 25 vacancies. If you include in the smaller companies there may be another 10 vacancies. So that is 35 vacancies in the UK. How many graduates are there from the vocational schools? In the UK we have RBS, Elmhurst, CSB, NBS, RCS and more. If, for example, 10 dancers graduate from each of the schools I have mentioned then already there are more potential candidates than vacancies. There is always going to be a mismatch of the number of vacancies with the number of candidates world wide. In the current financial situation world wide I would imagine that the disparity of candidates vs vacancies will be greater than usual.

Done.

I've recently taken up Tai Chi after a gap of 30 years so am basically a complete beginner again. I agree with what you say Peanut that it is essential to take correction if not taking it means you get injured. Our Tai Chi teacher is very good at spotting if you are not aligned correctly for example.

Hello @Pier and welcome to the Forum!

Miki is absolutely sublime as Aurora and Max Maslen is every inch the Prince. It's a fabulous cast (as all the ones I have seen in this run have been). BRB's is my favourite production of a traditional Sleeping Beauty. It is not the same as the RB production. @annamk ' s report on page 2 of this thread is well worth a read.

Very sorry to hear this Fiz. Thinking of you. Jxx

So very sorry to hear this news Michelle. Sending hugs. Jxx

Hello @ZoeDando and welcome to the Forum!