Royal Ballet promotions (and joiners and leavers) 2023!

[Benjamin]

Note: I’m just sharing what was said in the Instagram post to get this news out there asap. 
 

Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin O’hare today announces promotions, new joiners and leavers for The Royal Ballet's 2023/24 Season!

 

We are delighted to announce that:

@Gasparini.Isabella is promoted to First Soloist.

 

@micabradbury, @hannahjayneg, @sae_maeda, @joon_is_joon and @taisuke_ 29 are promoted to Soloist.

 

@bomin kim, Nadia Mullova-Barley,

@katharina_nikelski, @ameliatownsend_ @yuhang_999, @harrisbell, @liamboz, @daichi_ikarashi, @harrison_lee13,

@marco_masciari_ and @aiden_ob are promoted to First Artist.

 

@oliviaafindlay, @_scarlett_harvey_, @ellanewtonsevergnini, @martindiiaz.

and @lucfoskett02 are now promoted to Artists.

 

Congratulations to all!

Edited July 6, 2023 by Benjamin
Reformatting.

[Benjamin]

Just now, Benjamin said:

I’m just  sharing what wa said in the Instagram post to get this news out there asap. 
 

Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin

'Hare today announces promotions, new joiners and leavers for The Royal Ballet's 2023/24 Season!

We are delighted to announce that:

@Gasparini.Isabella is promoted to First Soloist.

@micabradbury, @hannahjayneg, @sae_maeda, @joon_is_joon and @taisuke_ 29 are promoted to Soloist.

@bomin kim

-, Nadia Mullova-Barley,

@katharina_nikelski, @ameliatownsend_ @yuhang_999, @harrisbell, @liamboz, @daichi_ikarashi, @harrison_lee13,

@marco_masciari_ and @aiden_ob are promoted to

First Artist.

@oliviaafindlay, @_scarlett_harvey_, @ellanewtonsevergnini, @martindiiaz.

and

@lucfoskett02 are now promoted to Artists.

Congratulations to all!

These are just instagram usernames, so it might be a bit confusing, but I’m assume the proper press release will be on here soon.

[LinMM]

Yes the Aud Jebsen dancers have been announced too on the RBS thread here! 

[Guest oncnp]

25 minutes ago, Benjamin said:

I’m just  sharing what wa said in the Instagram post to get this news out there asap. 
 

Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin

'Hare today announces promotions, new joiners and leavers for The Royal Ballet's 2023/24 Season!

We are delighted to announce that:

@Gasparini.Isabella is promoted to First Soloist.

@micabradbury, @hannahjayneg, @sae_maeda, @joon_is_joon and @taisuke_ 29 are promoted to Soloist.

@bomin kim

-, Nadia Mullova-Barley,

@katharina_nikelski, @ameliatownsend_ @yuhang_999, @harrisbell, @liamboz, @daichi_ikarashi, @harrison_lee13,

@marco_masciari_ and @aiden_ob are promoted to

First Artist.

@oliviaafindlay, @_scarlett_harvey_, @ellanewtonsevergnini, @martindiiaz.

and

@lucfoskett02 are now promoted to Artists.

Congratulations to all!

Now on webpage as well along with other joiners/leavers. All of the dancing leavers were already known

 

News (roh.org.uk)

 

The following promotions have been made: 

Isabella Gasparini is promoted to First Soloist. 

 

Mica Bradbury, Hannah Grennell, Sae Maeda, Joonhyuk Jun and Taisuke Nakao are promoted to Soloist. 

 

Bomin Kim, Nadia Mullova-Barley, Katharina Nikelski, Amelia Townsend, Yu Hang, Harris Bell, Liam Boswell, Daichi Ikarashi, Harrison Lee, Marco Masciari and Aiden O’Brien are promoted to First Artist. 

 

Olivia Findlay, Scarlett Harvey, Ella Newton Severgnini, Martin Diaz and Luc Foskett of the Aud Jebsen Young Dancer Programme from the 2022/23 Season are now promoted to Artist.

 

Edited July 6, 2023 by oncnp

[Benjamin]

I’m very excited for Isabella Gasparini with a promotion to First Soloist. 

Unsurprisingly no promotions to principal. 
 

I think all the promotions are very well deserved.

[LinMM]

Am sorry to see that Darrion Sellman has left the Company though I wonder where he’s off to perhaps an American Company? 
Otherwise congrats to all who have been promoted and especially pleased with this seasons Aud Jebsen dancers who have made it into the Company as Artists and the new intake of dancers for the 23/24 season. 
Also great news about Isabella and finally Harrison Lee gets a promotion!! 

[Anna C]

Excellent news!  Delighted for all those promoted. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[zxDaveM]

As an aside, they seem to have the biogs done now on the website. Fair play, look pretty good

[Rob S]

Well done to them all, particularly pleased for Isabella Gasparini

[serenade]

Great news!  Congrats to all, especially for Isabella 🙂

[Blossom]

Wow - so thrilled for Isabella (I may have yelped with delight on reading this).

 

All much deserved promotions - some in particular  that I hope will then get promoted up the ranks quite quickly and can't believe they are only just making it to their new rank. Cinderella was an excellent opportunity for some of the Jesters being promoted too!

 

 

[capybara]

Thrilled for Isabella in particular but all the promotees, some of whom have been taking prominent soloist roles all year, are also very deserving of their move up the ladder.

I'm not sure how, with so few leavers (and 4 of them apprentices of one kind or another), the Company can keep on taking in more from the Aud Jebsen scheme. Very sorry to see that  Darrion Sellman is leaving but, like others before him, he probably feels ready for more soloist level opportunities. If I were the new ENB Director I would be grabbing him.

[FionaM]

Interesting to look at the soloist group.  I see quite a few who have already performed full-length lead roles and are at another level of experience and capability compared to others in this rank  … Buvoli, Dias, Ella, M.Sasaki in particular.

[Sim]

Great news all round…especially for Isabella.  I do hope that she will get a chance at Titania next season, and Juliet the following season!

 

Also very happy to see Hannah Grennell promoted to Soloist.  I wasn’t sure it would ever happen!

 

Congratulations to all.  

[Rob S]

1 hour ago, capybara said:

 

I'm not sure how, with so few leavers (and 4 of them apprentices of one kind or another), the Company can keep on taking in more from the Aud Jebsen scheme. V

 

Maybe that's why they didn't take on all the Aud Jebsen dancers

[Jamesrhblack]

Delighted, in particular, re Isabella Gasparini, Hannah Grennell and Liam Boswell.

[capybara]

34 minutes ago, FionaE said:

Interesting to look at the soloist group.  I see quite a few who have already performed full-length lead roles and are at another level of experience and capability compared to others in this rank  … Buvoli, Dias, Ella, M.Sasaki in particular.

 

Buvoli, Dias and Sasaki (whose promotions were probably delayed by the pandemic) have already been promoted two years in succession. But it is surely only a matter of 12 months before they become First Soloists.

 

[FionaM]

7 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

Buvoli, Dias and Sasaki (whose promotions were probably delayed by the pandemic) have already been promoted two years in succession. But it is surely only a matter of 12 months before they become First Soloists.

 

Fingers crossed!  
 

I don’t think there are (nor should there be) any rules or restrictions on having to do X many years at any particular rank.  I remember that Reece Clarke got promoted twice in one year.   
 

 Of course the main restriction is how full the ranks above are.

[art_enthusiast]

47 minutes ago, Rob S said:

 

Maybe that's why they didn't take on all the Aud Jebsen dancers

 

Yep

Does anyone know where the rest are going? I know Ava May Llewellyn is in BRB but curious about the others - Alicia Rose Couvrette, Alix Van Tiggelen and Darrion Sellman. Good luck to all of them

[capybara]

2 hours ago, FionaE said:

I don’t think there are (nor should there be) any rules or restrictions on having to do X many years at any particular rank. 

Completely agree and Buvoli, Dias and M.Sasaki we’re on my own list for further promotion this year.

 

Nevertheless, there can be an appearance of ‘time-serving’ in certain cases, partly when contemporaries seem to race through the ranks and those left behind are not obviously injured. I do have examples but I’d better not ‘stir the pot’.

 

[Sim]

2 hours ago, art_enthusiast said:

 

Yep

Does anyone know where the rest are going? I know Ava May Llewellyn is in BRB but curious about the others - Alicia Rose Couvrette, Alix Van Tiggelen and Darrion Sellman. Good luck to all of them

I am also hoping that someone can enlighten us on this!

[Linnzi5]

Yay! Congratulations to Isabella Gasparini! I am so happy for her - she totally deserves it. Very pleased for Nadia Mullova-Barley, particularly, though huge congratulations to everyone.  

[Dawnstar]

Eleven promotions from Artist to First Artist seems a lot. If my maths is correct (which it probably isn't!), there will be 23 First Artists compared to 16 Artists next season. Having more First Artists than Artists seems unusual. Is it? Among the eleven promotions, I'm particularly pleased to see Liam Boswell (although now the website biographies are restored, I see his fails to list him having danced Hans-Peter, which considering it's his largest role to date seems rather a significant omission).

[balletfanatic]

8 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

Eleven promotions from Artist to First Artist seems a lot. If my maths is correct (which it probably isn't!), there will be 23 First Artists compared to 16 Artists next season. Having more First Artists than Artists seems unusual. Is it? Among the eleven promotions, I'm particularly pleased to see Liam Boswell (although now the website biographies are restored, I see his fails to list him having danced Hans-Peter, which considering it's his largest role to date seems rather a significant omission).

I've noticed a few mistakes on the bios eg a current soloist described as first artist. I hope they correct any errors 

Edited July 7, 2023 by balletfanatic

[Rob S]

It would've been nice if the ROH website had updated the ranking section on the day of the announcement....I doubt it was a surprise they came out yesterday

[FLOSS]

Congratulations to all those who have been promoted. I do wish that management would tell the punters who it is planning should dance major supporting roles such as Lilac Fairy and the Jester and who is to appear in major soloist roles before booking opens. Management must know and that information might  generate additional ticket sales. As it is, whether you  get to see debuts in roles that may indicate or alter  the trajectory of a dancer's career is very much a matter of chance. 

 

I have to say I think that Kevin has spent  the money freed up by Morera's retirement very wisely. He is  under no obligation to have a set number  of dancers at any rank in the company and given the outstanding performance that so many of the Artists gave last season it comes as no surprise that we shall start the 23/24 season with more First Artists than Artists. Last season's choice of repertory which included both Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella provided ample opportunity for dancers in the lower ranks of the company to show what they could do when faced with challenging  classical and neo-classical soloist roles but whether or not you got to see the performances which earned these promotions was a matter of luck. I was fortunate enough to see both Buvoli and Mullova-Barley as Lilac Fairy and both were  impressive as they seemed actively involved in every aspect of the role and their miming was dramatically effective. I also caught Boswell as a Jester who did not reduce the character to a mere leg machine. As far as Gasparini is concerned she has more than earned her ranking as First Soloist.

 

At this point Kevin is keeping the troops happy. These promotions will boost company  morale as they recognise and reward  hard work, talent and loyal service.I have no doubt that the casting during the coming season such as Mistress and Manon will give a clearer indication about who is in the running for further promotion.

 

 

 

[Ondine]

On 06/07/2023 at 12:14, LinMM said:

Yes the Aud Jebsen dancers have been announced too on the RBS thread here! 

 

Julie Joyner is also joining as the latest Prix de Lausanne 'apprentice', 2023 to 2024. Darrion Sellman was the 2022-3 trainee. The prize is for one year with the company, for further training & experience.

 

Julie Ann Joyner, graduate of the International City School of Ballet and scholarship winner and recipient of the Best Young Talent award at the 2023 Prix de Lausanne, joins as the Prix de Lausanne dancer for the 2023/24 Season. 

 

 

https://pointemagazine.com/prix-de-lausanne-winners-2023/

 

 

 

 

 

[Neverdancedjustamum]

On 06/07/2023 at 12:26, LinMM said:

Am sorry to see that Darrion Sellman has left the Company though I wonder where he’s off to perhaps an American Company? 
Otherwise congrats to all who have been promoted and especially pleased with this seasons Aud Jebsen dancers who have made it into the Company as Artists and the new intake of dancers for the 23/24 season. 
Also great news about Isabella and finally Harrison Lee gets a promotion!! 

Darrion Sellman has just announced on his Instagram that he will be joining the Royal Swedish Ballet for the 2023/24 season.

[capybara]

2 hours ago, FLOSS said:

 

At this point Kevin is keeping the troops happy. These promotions will boost company  morale as they recognise and reward  hard work, talent and loyal service.I have no doubt that the casting during the coming season such as Mistress and Manon will give a clearer indication about who is in the running for further promotion.

Since there are several Principals waiting in the queue to dance Manon, I very much doubt that there will be much to learn from the casting of that role - Mistress probably.

[Chiari]

Congratulations to all the promoted! 

 

This year there was no "shock promotion" everything was well deserved and long awaited. 

I'm not surprised about the lack of new principals, they promoted a lot of new ones in the last few years and there weren't a lot of retirements. There is a good number of principals to hold the fort while future new ones are in training. 

Again, congrats to all, especially new first soloist Isabella. 

[Guest oncnp]

I didn't see it announced anywhere but while looking something else up I noticed Philip Mosley is no longer on the Principal Character Artist list om the website. 

 

 

[capybara]

55 minutes ago, oncnp said:

I didn't see it announced anywhere but while looking something else up I noticed Philip Mosley is no longer on the Principal Character Artist list om the website. 

 

He never was a Principal Character Artist. For many years he has been listed as Artistic Scheduling Manager and Character Artist and that continues to be the case.

 

I wonder whether there will be a new Emerging Choreographer or will Joseph Toonga have a third year.

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by capybara

[TurningPointe]

On 06/07/2023 at 12:26, LinMM said:

Am sorry to see that Darrion Sellman has left the Company though I wonder where he’s off to perhaps an American Company? 
Otherwise congrats to all who have been promoted and especially pleased with this seasons Aud Jebsen dancers who have made it into the Company as Artists and the new intake of dancers for the 23/24 season. 
Also great news about Isabella and finally Harrison Lee gets a promotion!! 

I am sorry too to hear that Darrion Sellman is leaving the Royal Ballet after his year as a Prix apprentice.  He announced that Nicholas LeRiche (formerly an Etoile with the Paris Opera Ballet) now Director of the Royal Swedish Ballet has given him the opportunity to join his company for the 23/24 Season.