Press Release: ENB School's Winter Showcase filmed at The Roundhouse available from 21 December

[Jan McNulty]

 

English National Ballet School's Winter Showcase filmed at The Roundhouse  

 

 

Monday 21 December 2020 

From 7.30pm GMT 

www.enbschool.org.uk 

 

English National Ballet School is thrilled to announce that this year its Winter Showcase will premiere online (via website, YouTube and Facebook) from Monday 21 December from 7.30pm GMT and be available for 30 days thereafter. Filmed at The Roundhouse by Michael Nunnand William Trevitt, the Winter Showcase gives audiences around the world the chance to witness the future stars of ballet showcase their incredible talent.

 

Performance opportunities for the School’s students are key to their development as world-class artists. In a concept by and under the direction ofViviana Durante, Artistic Director, the Winter Showcase sees the School’s three year groups work with choreographer Andrew McNicol and contemporary dance teacher Hannah Cameron.

 

Viviana Durante, Artistic Director at English National Ballet School said: “I am delighted to be able to showcase our immensely talented students on the magnificent Roundhouse stage. Giving our students the opportunity to work with our wonderful choreographers, Andrew McNicol and Hannah Cameron, and experience performing in a professional setting is vital to ensure they continue to develop as well-rounded artists. Throughout this challenging year our students have shown their strength, dedication and passion and I couldn’t be happier to see them perform for audiences around the world.” 

 

English National Ballet School continues to adapt to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which is having a substantial impact on how the School operates and the lives of its students. It recently launched a COVID-19 Appeal to help ensure its talented and resilient young dancers can continue their training in a safe environment, generate performance opportunities and provide additional financial support for students who need it most. Click here for more information.

 

Of Space and Time, choreographed by Andrew McNicol, is a socially distanced ballet in masks, set to music by some of the great classical composers, Beethoven, Rossini, Weber, Glazunov and Tchaikovsky with costumes by Omar Bayoumi.

 

Conceived to build on the work the students have learnt during the first term, Of Space and Time is a response to the restrictions posed by COVID-19. The challenge of choreographing while observing COVID measures involved creating in bubbles, rehearsing with masks and maintaining social distancing while working.

 

Andrew McNicol said: “I wanted to capture something of the strangeness of this moment in time, contrasted with the resilience of the young dancers who despite the current challenges remain passionately committed to our art-form and developing themselves as individual artists.

 

“At this point in time, the opportunity to bring together the whole school towards a shared goal, and crucially experience the pure joy of being back in the theatre felt more vital then ever. I wanted to honour the fact these students have chosen to study ballet specifically and create a new work that celebrates the pure beauty and power of ballet as a creative language, enabling them to move fearlessly in the space once again.”

 

McNicol previously worked with the School when he created the ‘deeply moving’ (Sunday Express) Gradus for its Virtual Summer Performance earlier this year. He also created two works for its 2019 Winter Showcase, Splendour and Grand Finale, hailed as a ‘classical blowout’ (Dance Europe).

 

Throughout his career McNicol has choreographed for a range of companies and schools across the world including the Joffrey Ballet, The Royal Ballet, BalletX, NYCB’s Choreographic Institute, and Royal Ballet of Flanders among others. This year he founded the McNicol Ballet Collective, a modern ballet company to forge new artistic collaborations across the arts disciplines.

 

Following the contemporary assessments this term Hannah Cameron has brought together various Extracts from contemporary classwork. The students have been working with styles and techniques ranging from Cunningham-based to improvisation and release. The focus was to bring these different elements together whilst responding to the dramatic and inspiring space of the Roundhouse. Accompanied by live musician, Ronen Kozokaro, this work celebrates the opportunity of collaboration and the shared experience of dancing together.

 

Winter Showcase generously supported by Charles Holloway, The Linbury Trust, and Adrienne Waterfield.  

 

- ENDS - 

  

Notes to editors 

  

The Winter Showcase will be premiere online (YouTube and Facebook) on Monday 21 December from 7.30pm and be available for 30 days thereafter.   

 

About English National Ballet School 

 

English National Ballet School prepares the finest young ballet dancers for a lifetime of achievement. Our state-of-the-art facilities are matched by world-class training, education, pastoral care and performance opportunities. We provide our students with the confidence, creativity and skills for a career as a professional dancer with the major international companies, and for a future beyond performing. We aspire to be the school of choice for the next generation of ballet artists and to pioneer the future of dance education. www.enbschool.org.uk 

[Jan McNulty]

More information from Andrew McNicol:

 

 

Of Space & Time  Join us for the online premiere of my new socially distanced ballet Of Space &Time, a classical presentation created for English National Ballet School, filmed at The Roundhouse, London by Michael Nunn and William Trevitt. Watch the premiere online via Website/YouTube/Facebook from Monday 21 December from 7.30pm GMT, available for free and for 30 days thereafter. Discovering creative solutions  The instinct to connect, through touch and physical contact is so intrinsic and fundamental to the way I would usually create. Fast forward to today and Of Space and Time, a classical presentation is born. My first socially distanced ballet in masks, set to music by some of the great classical composers, Beethoven, Rossini, Weber, Glazunov and Tchaikovsky with costumes by Omar Bayoumi.  Conceived to build on the work the students have learnt during the first term, Of Space and Time, a classical presentation is a response to the restrictions posed by COVID-19. The challenge of choreographing while observing COVID measures involved creating in bubbles, rehearsing with masks and maintaining social distancing while working. A New Creative Process  ” I wanted to capture something of the strangeness of this moment in time, contrasted with the resilience of the young dancers who despite the current challenges remain passionately committed to our art-form and developing themselves as individual artists.” ”At this point in time, the opportunity to bring together the whole school towards a shared goal, and crucially experience the pure joy of being back in the theatre felt more vital then ever. I wanted to honour the fact these students have chosen to study ballet specifically and create a new work that celebrates the pure beauty and power of ballet as a creative language, enabling them to move fearlessly in the space once again.”  Thank you to Charles Holloway, The Linbury Trust and Adrienne Waterfield who generously supported the ENBS Winter Showcase.  This support has meant so much to us all, now more than ever. Being back in the theatre has been the greatest gift to close a challenging year.  McNicol Ballet Collective Looking Forward During the past months, we have focused our energies on developing exciting plans for 2021 and building the resources to make them a reality. I’m delighted to announce we have received some support from the Arts Council England and the Garfield Weston Foundation. This is particularly meaningful for us at this point in time and crucial for us to come back with hope and ambition in the new year.  Thank you to the whole MBC community - our artists, audiences, supporters and generous individuals who are key in helping make all that we do possible. Today, we ask if you would consider continuing your support by making a donation by 31 December. Donate  Please help us to end our financial year strong and support us to come back with hope in 2021, recharged and ready to celebrate the power of dance and share inspiring new creations with you.