Press Release: ELMHURST BALLET COMPANY in 'LEGACY' in London and Birmingham this May

[Jan McNulty]

 

in

LEGACY

 

- A mixed bill of dance in London and Birmingham during Elmhurst Ballet School’s Centenary year

- New and established dance repertory showcase graduate students of Elmhurst Ballet Company

- Legacy includes the fifth project as part of an ongoing relationship with Studio Wayne McGregor

 

 

Elmhurst Ballet Company, the graduate year performance strand of Elmhurst Ballet School presents Legacy at Sadler’s Wells’ Lilian Baylis Studio, London on 13May and Elmhurst Studio Theatre, Birmingham on 19& 20May 2023.

 

The Elmhurst Ballet School initiative, now in its fifth iteration, prepares students for life after school. Similar to professional dance companies, members take daily ballet class, work with established artists and deliver outreach sessions in schools in their final year.

 

To bring Legacy to the stage, a range of distinguished individuals and organisations have passed their dance experience and knowledge on to the 14-strong company.

 

The students worked collaboratively with Jordan James Bridge, a Company Wayne McGregor artist to create The End is Where We Start. The new work is a gentle nod to the door closing on the students’ time at Elmhurst and another door opening as the dancers move to their next career stage.

The work marks the fifth project between Elmhurst and Studio Wayne McGregor in a relationship that enables students to explore multi award-winning Wayne McGregor’s cutting-edge choreography and creative process. 

 

As Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham continues to celebrate its Centenary, an excerpt from Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering is a fitting addition to the programme. Ashton, Founder Choreographer and later Director of The Royal Ballet, created the work in 1956 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sadler’s Wells Ballet, which that same year received a Royal Charter to become The Royal Ballet.

 

Another dance milestone is commemorated in Bronislava by Avatâra Ayuso, choreographer and artistic director of Ava Dance Company. Bronislava honours the 1923 Les Noces (The Wedding), the most famous work by Bronislava Nijinska, an innovative choreographer who in the early 20^th century pushed the female ballet technique in directions that no one had done before.

 

Members of the graduate company will be showcased in Argonauts, an excerpt from David Bintley’s jazz-based The Orpheus Suite, with music by Colin Towns. The theme continues in a new jazz dance Doin’ That Doo-Wah Thing! by choreographer Cris Penfold.

 

The Argentinian-inspired Malambo by Elmhurst teacher Sonia Fajardo, performed for The Queen Consort on the occasion of Her Majesty’s recent visit to the school and as part of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s An Evening of Music and Dance, and Resonate by Jack Farren, an Elmhurst Ballet Company artist, completes the programme.

 

Elmhurst Ballet Company members in 2023 are Amelia Cook, William Davolls, Ella Dennehy, Caitlin Edgington, Jack Farren, Florence Fowler, Leo Morad, Kazusa Murayoshi, Léo Rech, Benjamin Spiteri, Isabel Tornqvist, Sophie Walters, Heidi Whiting and Samantha Wong.

 

-ENDS-

 

Elmhurst Ballet Company in Legacy in May 2023:

 

Saturday 13 May at 2.30pm & 7.45pm

Sadler’s Wells’ Lilian Baylis Studio, LONDON

Tickets: www.sadlerswells.com // 020 7863 8000

 

Friday 19 May at 7pm & Saturday 20May at 7pm

Elmhurst Studio Theatre, Elmhurst Ballet School, BIRMINGHAM

Tickets available via Elmhurst Ballet School Eventbrite

 

Elmhurst Ballet Company is an Elmhurst Ballet School initiative and bridges the gap between school and professional life. 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’s exceptional training opportunities is available to young dancers regardless of their financial, social or cultural backgrounds. Although Elmhurst is an independent school, 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, New Adventures, Northern Ballet, Scottish Ballet and the Royal Ballet.

 

Wayne McGregor CBE is President of the school, and Carlos Acosta CBE and Dame Merle Park are listed amongst the school’s Vice Presidents. Elmhurst Young Dancers’ Programme provides weekend pre-vocational training in Birmingham, Manchester, Plymouth and Sunderland. A new Research and Performance Department is the first in the world to support evidence-based practice in a vocational dance school setting.

www.elmhurstballetschool.org

 

Social media: Twitter: @ElmhurstBallet Instagram: @elmhurstballetschool Facebook: elmhurstballetschool

 

Photo credit: Sophie Walters and Ben Spiteri in The End is Where We Start. Photography Magda Hoffman.