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Press Release: Northern Ballet Joiners, Promotions and Departures


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Northern Ballet offers contracts to BBC Young Dancer finalists
 
Northern Ballet will welcome 10 new dancers to the Company this summer including finalists from this year’s BBC Young Dancer competition. The Leeds-based company has also announced promotions for existing members of the Company.
 
Winner of the ballet section of the 2015 BBC Young Dancer competition, Archie Sullivan, who was mentored by Northern Ballet’s Artistic Director David Nixon OBE during the competition, will join the Company’s first year corps from English National Ballet School. Archie is joined by fellow finalists Jenny Hackwell (KS Dance) who also joins the first year corps and Paris Fitzpatrick (Tring Park School) who joins as an Apprentice. Kaylee Marko (English National Ballet School), who performed as Archie’s pas de deux partner in the live BBC Young Dancer final in May, also joins the first year corps.
 
In addition, Northern Ballet will welcome Natalia Kerner (Académie Princesse Grace, Monte Carlo) and Alexander Yap (The Royal Ballet School) to its first year corps along with Diogo Barbosa (English National Ballet School), Genevieve Heron (Elmhurst School for Dance) and Grace Robinson (The Royal Ballet School) who join as Apprentices.
 
For the second year the Company will also reap the benefits of the Academy of Northern Ballet’s pioneering Graduate Professional Programme with graduating student Harriet Marden joining Northern Ballet as an Apprentice.
 
Promotions within the Company include: Ashley Dixon to Leading Soloist, Antoinette Brooks-Daw and Giuliano Contadini to First Soloists, Rachael GillespieNicola GervasiJeremy Curnier and Isaac Lee-Baker to Junior Soloists and Matthew KoonAbigail Prudames and Joseph Taylor to Coryphée. In addition Hironao Takahashi becomes a Senior Artist whilst former Apprentices Alice BaystonIsabelle CloughKiara FlavinDominique Larose and Gavin McCaig all move into the first year corps.
 
Northern Ballet has also said goodbye to nine of its dancers this year. Principal Character Artist Darren Goldsmith retired in December after more than 20 years with the Company and Premier Dancer Kenneth Tindall gave his final performance for the Company in May to pursue a career as a Freelance Choreographer. After five years with Northern Ballet, Matthew Broadbent is leaving to join Scottish Ballet, whilst Isadora Valero Meza moves on to the National Ballet of Portugal. Dancers Olivia Holland, Adeline Kaiser, Gwénaëlle Poline Santos and Luisa Rocco are also leaving the Company.
 
This autumn Northern Ballet will commence its season with the World Première of Jonathan Watkins’ 1984 at West Yorkshire Playhouse from 5 – 12 September 2015 before national tours of 1984Madame ButterflyWuthering Heights andThe Nutcracker.
 

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Lovely to see so many new graduates offered contracts with the company.

 

 and that so many dancers on the apprentice scheme have now got contracts.

 

The amount of upward movement within NB must also be very encouraging for Company members.

Edited by capybara
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