Press Release: MULTI AWARD-WINNING choreographer Wayne McGregor is appointed President of Elmhurst Ballet School Elmhurst Ballet School is delighted to announce its new President, Wayne McGregor CBE, Artistic

[Jan McNulty]

Media release: Tuesday 14 February 2023

 

 

MULTI AWARD-WINNING choreographer Wayne McGregor is appointed President of Elmhurst Ballet School

 

 

Elmhurst Ballet School is delighted to announce its new President, Wayne McGregor CBE, Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor and Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden.

 

Wayne McGregor succeeds Sir David Eastwood as the school’s President. The announcement coincides with Elmhurst’s centenary celebrations and as an ongoing relationship between the school and Studio Wayne McGregor goes from strength to strength.

 

Since 2019 the relationship has generated invaluable opportunities for Elmhurst students to work with professional company artists and explore Wayne McGregor’s cutting-edge choreographic repertoire and creative process.

 

Elmhurst Ballet School was founded in 1923 to prepare dance students for a life in theatre and dance. For ten decades the school has continued to build on its artistic, academic, boarding and health & wellbeing offer so training remains relevant in an ever-developing dance sector. Today’s announcement strengthens the school’s aims to help students graduate performance-ready for the world stage.

 

Elmhurst students are currently working on their fifth project with Studio Wayne McGregor. In the past students have been granted permission to perform excerpts of Wayne McGregor’s Entity and Atomos and have created new contemporary dance by working collaboratively with members of the award-winning London based company.

 

“Wayne McGregor is regarded as one of the world’s leading choreographers and today’s announcement is an exciting development for Elmhurst as the school celebrates and builds on its one-hundred-year legacy.” Jessica Ward, Principal of Elmhurst Ballet School.

 

“I am thrilled to contribute to the vision and future programme of Elmhurst as President. The creative training of young dancers has been a career long passion. As dance companies worldwide extend their repertoire, dancers need to be equipped with new skills that offer them the best chance to succeed.” Wayne McGregor CBE.

 

-ENDS-

 

 

Elmhurst Ballet School is a world-renowned centre of dance excellence in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, which trains young dancers aged 11-19. Celebrating its 100th birthday in 2023, the school was founded in Camberley, Surrey in 1923 and relocated to Edgbaston in Birmingham in 2004. 

 

The school aims to nurture individuality through dance training, academics and health & wellbeing and guide students to become independent, collaborative and versatile artists. Elmhurst's dance training is delivered by current and former dance professionals. The training is enhanced by the association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, an ongoing relationship with Studio Wayne McGregor, and many visiting choreographers and dance artists work collaboratively with the students during the school year. 

 

Elmhurst believes that its exceptional training opportunities should be available to young dancers regardless of their financial, social or cultural backgrounds. Whilst Elmhurst is an independent school, typically some 89% of students benefit from UK Government support or in-house bursaries to train at the school.

 

Recent graduates are working with companies across the UK and internationally including Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sir Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, Northern Ballet, Scottish Ballet and the Royal Ballet. Stars of stage and screen trained at the school during its Camberley years, including Dame Merle Parke DBE, Hayley Mills, Juliet Mills, Jenny Agutter, Susie Blake, Helen Baxendale and Hermione Norris. 

 

Wayne McGregor CBE is President, and Carlos Acosta CBE and Dame Merle Park are listed amongst the school’s Vice Presidents.

 

Wayne McGregor CBE is a multi-award-winning British choreographer and director. He is Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor, encompassing creative collaborations in dance, film, music, visual art, technology and science; a touring company of dancers Company Wayne McGregor; and learning and research programmes. Wayne McGregor is also Resident Choreographer at The Royal Ballet, Director of Dance for the Venice Biennale, and is regularly commissioned by and has works in the repertories of the most important ballet companies around the world.

 

McGregor is Professor of Choreography at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, has Honorary Doctorates from Plymouth University, University of Leeds, University of Chester, and UAL, and is an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association. He has won four Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards, two Time Out Awards, three South Bank Show Awards, three Olivier Awards, a Prix Benois de la Danse and two Golden Mask Awards. In 2011 McGregor was awarded a CBE for Services to Dance and in 2021 was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Prix de Lausanne.

 

Photography credit: Wayne McGregor. Photography by Pål Hansen.