Press Release: English National Ballet's Emerging Dancer 2020

[Jan McNulty]

English National Ballet 

Emerging Dancer

Tuesday 22 September 2020, 7.30pm

Live-streamed performance

Digital Tickets: £5 

www.ballet.org.uk/emerging

 

Photo caption: Emerging Dancer finalists 2020 © Laurent Liotardo and post-production by Nik Pate

 

On Tuesday 22 September 2020, English National Ballet’s Emerging Dancer competition will be broadcast live from the Production Studio at the Company’s East London home for the first time.

 

The annual event, now in its 11th year, celebrates the bright future of ballet and the excellence of the Company’s young talent. This year’s event will be live streamed and available to watch online for just £5.

 

Selected by their peers, six of the company's most promising dancers will take part in this year’s competition and have been paired up to perform a classical pas de deux and contemporary piece before a panel of esteemed judges. The winners of the Emerging Dancer and People’s Choice awards will be chosen on the night. The performances will be accompanied by live music performed by members of the English National Ballet Philharmonic.

 

This year will see Ivana Bueno and William Yamada perform a pas de deux from Talisman, Emily Suzuki and Victor Prigent perform a pas de deux from Satanella and Carolyne Galvao and Angel Maidana perform a piece from Diana and Acteon.

 

The contemporary section will see the couples perform three brand-new original works, created especially for the event. Ballet Black dancer and choreographer Mthuthuzeli November has created a piece for Ivana and William, ENB First Artist and Associate Choreographer Stina Quagebeur is creating for Emily and Victor and ENB Lead Principal Jeffrey Cirio is choreographing for Carolyne and Angel.

 

As is tradition, the six finalists are being mentored by their peers in the Company throughout the process in preparation for the event. Ivana and William are being mentored by Junior Soloist Senri Kou, Emily and Victor are working with First Artist Sarah Kundi and Artist of the Company Pedro Lapetra is mentoring Carolyne and Angel.

 

Joining Tamara Rojo CBE, Artistic Director of English National Ballet, on the judging panel this year is Sarasota Ballet Choreographer and former Royal Ballet and Rambert dancer Matthew Hart, leading multidisciplinary dance artist and director of Kerry Nicholls Dance, Kerry Nicholls, The Royal Ballet principal Natalia Osipova, Northern Ballet's Artistic Director of Digital and Choreographer in Residence Kenneth Tindall and The Royal Ballet principal, Edward Watson

 

For the first time the live viewing audience will be able to vote for their People’s Choice Award winner on the night, by using a new text-to-vote system.  Viewers will also enjoy backstage access to the event throughout the broadcast with interviews and much more.

 

Also revealed on the night will be the recipient of the Corps de Ballet Award, acknowledging the work on and off stage of a member of the company’s Corps de Ballet chosen by the ENB artistic team.

 

The event will also see a special solo performance from last year’s Emerging Dancer Award winner Julia Conway and the People’s Choice Award winner Rhys Antoni Yeomans, who will be dancing a new creation by Arielle Smith.

 

This year’s event is produced by First Soloist James Streeter as part of ENB’s new dancer development programme, Dance Leaders of the Future. The whole event and performances will align with Covid regulations.

 

To buy digital tickets, visit www.ballet.org.uk/emerging

 

-ENDS-

 

English National Ballet is a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England.

 

Notes to Editors

 

The 2020 Emerging Dancer finalists:

 

Ivana Bueno

Bueno joined the Company after graduating from the Princess Grace Academy, Monaco, in 2018 following her training at Fomento Artístico Cordobés in her home country of Mexico. During her time at English National Ballet she has enjoyed dancing the Spanish dance in Wayne Eagling’s Nutcracker.

 

Carolyne Galvao

Originally from Brazil where she trained at the Bale do Teatro Escola Basileu França, Galvao joined English National Ballet in 2018. Some of her career highlights so far include being a prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne 2018 and winning Silver Medal at the Jackson Ballet Competition 2018. Notable roles with the Company include the Chinese and Spanish dances in Wayne Eagling’s Nutcracker and Jewels in The Sleeping Beauty at ENB’s 70th Anniversary Gala.

 

Miguel Angel Maidana

Maidana began his dance training in his home country of Paraguay at Escuela de Danza Mainumby before moving to Argentina to study at Academia de Ballet de Moscù followed by Belgium to attend Brussels International Ballet School. He joined English National Ballet as an Artist of the Company in 2018 and notable roles in his time with the company have included Freddie and Spanish dance in Wayne Eagling’s Nutcracker, Birbanto in Le Corsaire and Playlist (Track 2) and Swansong as part of ENB’s 70th Anniversary Gala.

 

Victor Prigent

French dancer Prigent trained in French Guiana, Paris, Chicago and San Francisco and danced with San Francisco Ballet and Atlanta Ballet for a season each before coming to the UK to join English National Ballet as Artist of the Company in 2017. Highlight roles of his time at ENB so far include Freddie and Chinese dance in Wayne Eagling’s Nutcracker, the Beggar Chief in Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, Neapolitan in Derek Deane’s Swan Lake and Swansong and Playlist (Track 2) at ENB’s 70th Anniversary Gala.

 

Emily Suzuki

Suzuki has been an Artist of the Company since 2016 having trained in her native Japan at the Acri Horimoto Ballet Academy before moving to the UK to study at English National Ballet School. In 2017 and 2019 she danced the role of the Chosen One in Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring).

 

William Yamada

Yamada has been in the Company since 2015. He originally trained with his mother followed by the Young Dancer’s Academy, London, and the Royal Ballet School. As part of English National Ballet’s 70th Anniversary Gala in January he debuted in Playlist (Track 2) by William Forsythe and he has also danced the role of Freddie in Wayne Eagling’s Nutcracker during his time in the Company.

 

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

[Janite]

Just purchased a ticket for this one. It is lovely to have ballet performances to look forward to. 

Edited September 9, 2020 by Janite

[alison]

Currently featuring on the BBC London News - good publicity for them.

[Beryl H]

By sheer coincidence I chose a DVD to watch last night that had performances of The Talisman and Satanella (Nina Ananiashvili Gala), they are very difficult pdd, so is Diana and Acteon, looks exciting.

[alison]

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get back from work in time to watch this this evening.  I wonder if I can pay after the event?

[Blossom]

3 hours ago, Beryl H said:

By sheer coincidence I chose a DVD to watch last night that had performances of The Talisman and Satanella (Nina Ananiashvili Gala), they are very difficult pdd, so is Diana and Acteon, looks exciting.

Am I right in thinking it's a Petipa extravaganza?

Can't wait to watch!

[Jan McNulty]

4 hours ago, Beryl H said:

By sheer coincidence I chose a DVD to watch last night that had performances of The Talisman and Satanella (Nina Ananiashvili Gala), they are very difficult pdd, so is Diana and Acteon, looks exciting.

 

Nao Sakuma and Chi Cao performed a SPECTACULAR Diana and Acteon at Birmingham's Symphony Hall some years ago - made all the more spectacular because they were dancing on a bit of stage somewhat akin to a pocket handkerchief!

 

I'm looking forward to this competition greatly tonight.

[Blossom]

So pleased I have worked out how to wirelessly connect from my laptop to TV (ok - the truth is I have my own personal IT support at home).

Very interested to see if the live digital experience has even a hint of the atmosphere there is usually at Emerging Dancer - was sitting next to Jeffrey Cirio, Adela Ramirez and a few of their colleagues last year who were really cheering on their mentees. I also remember a certain singer/actress in front of me sticking her fingers in her ears every time they whooped and cheered...

[BristolBillyBob]

29 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

I'm looking forward to this competition greatly tonight.

 

Me too! I'll see you there - I'm on the front row with you today. 😎

[Blossom]

Somewhat sad to see everyone masked up on stage. New world. 

[capybara]

1 hour ago, Blossom said:

Somewhat sad to see everyone masked up on stage. New world. 

 

? The dancers, presenter and AD were not masked.

The orchestra, the judges, and the audience were.

 

A really enjoyable evening and wonderful for the six finalists who got to DANCE in front of a live audience.

[Blossom]

16 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

? The dancers, presenter and AD were not masked.

The orchestra, the judges, and the audience were.

 

A really enjoyable evening and wonderful for the six finalists who got to DANCE in front of a live audience.

Posted at the beginning of the evening when Ore Oduba was introducing the event with a (spaced)  row of masked up judges (?) behind him. Obviously through the evening the dancers and presenters weren't. Why so critical of a simple observation at a specific moment in time? 

[Jan McNulty]

Discussion of the evening here please: