Royal Ballet promotions (and joiners and leavers) 2023!

[LinMM]

Yes apparently he has announced now that he’s off to Sweden probably more opportunities more quickly but love his dancing 

[alison]

I hadn't realised that we hadn't included the leavers and joiners in the original post, so here's a link to the ROH announcement:

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/news/the-royal-ballet-promotions-new-joiners-and-leavers-2023

 

"The following dancers will join the Company in the 2023/24 Season:

Graduates of The Royal Ballet School, Bethany Bartlett, Sierra Glasheen, Seung Hee Han, Isabella Shaker, Caspar Lench and Blake Smith join the Aud Jebsen Young Dancers Programme.

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."

 

The retirement of Laura Morera and the departures of Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani and Senior Benesh Choreologist Anna Trevien (to the Royal Danish Ballet) are acknowledged.

 

"Alicia Rose Couvrette, Ava May Llewellyn and Alix Van Tiggelen from the 2022/23 Aud Jebsen Young Dancers Programme, and Prix de Lausanne dancer Darrion Sellman, leave the Company at the end of the Season."

I must admit that, with my more limited excursions to the ROH I hadn't worked out who they all were, but I wish them well in the future.

 

There are a lot of changes to the music department, with the departure of Jonathan Lo to the Australian Ballet, with Martin Georgiev becoming staff conductor.  I have to admit that I'd been unaware that there was a Jette Parker Ballet Conductor position!

 

 

[Ondine]

An update:  Here is a recent interview with Julie Joyner, RB Prix de Lausanne apprentice / trainee for 2023-4. She's won numerous awards so it will be interesting to watch her progress.

 

"I had the privilege of teaching Miss Julie during the many years she was with Dance Arts Centre in Suwanee, Georgia. She has spent the past several years under the leadership, guidance and teaching from THE INTERNATIONAL CITY SCHOOL OF BALLET, Marietta, GA. This summer she will be moving to London England where she has accepted an apprenticeship with the Royal Ballet company in London, England, for the 2023/24 season. We will be talking about her dance journey and what it took to reach one of her goals of being accepted to her favorite ballet company. ~ Enjoy!"   https://www.youtube.com/@ReneePauley4Ballet

 

 

[Ondine]

I'll add this here.

 

 

[Dawnstar]

I only wish they had given the names of the dancers in the order in which they appear in the photo. I can tell the two men apart from headshots & Seunghee Han is obvious as the only Asian dancer but the other 4 girls I can't work out who is who.

[Bluebird]

33 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I only wish they had given the names of the dancers in the order in which they appear in the photo. I can tell the two men apart from headshots & Seunghee Han is obvious as the only Asian dancer but the other 4 girls I can't work out who is who.

Front row, left to right, Bethany, Sierra, Casper.

 

 Back row left to right, Isabella, Blake, Julie Ann,  Seunghee Han.

Edited August 24, 2023 by Bluebird

[Dawnstar]

Thank you @Bluebird. Now I have to try to remember & recognise them all on stage next season!

[LinMM]

You won’t have any problem when Caspar is on stage lol! He’s a standout! 
 

[FionaM]

It seems Darrion Sellman made a good choice.  He has posted photos and videos of him performing Ali in Royal Swedish Ballet’s production of Le Corsaire.  AD is Nicholas La Riche.  Production by Jose Martinez.  That’s some prestigious names to work with! There is rehearsal video with Jose Martinez.
 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz4Ha5HIwmz/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[capybara]

Great to see this after a year for Darrion of standing on the sidelines.

But I was sooooo hoping there would be a way of keeping him at the RB.

[LinMM]

Me too! He had such great classical line 

[FionaM]

Keeping the best graduates is going to only be an ever increasing problem for RB.  
 

I see Takumi Miyake, top graduate from RBS in 2022 is getting many guesting opportunities with YAGP and Natalia Osipova’s own shows alongside performing newly created works and the usual gala fare on tour with ABT Studio company.   
 

That seems a lot more satisfying artistically than Cinderella corps de ballet waltz. Etc. 

[Naomi M]

2 hours ago, FionaM said:

 

I see Takumi Miyake, top graduate from RBS in 2022 is getting many guesting opportunities with YAGP and Natalia Osipova’s own shows alongside performing newly created works and the usual gala fare on tour with ABT Studio company.   

 

I read in a Japanese article that Takumi Miyake's dream was to join RB but unfortunately he got seriously injured at the time of the audition (ligament damage) and could not apply, which was devastating for him. He auditioned at ABT Studio Company after his recovery and got accepted. 

https://www.ohk.co.jp/data/20090/pages/ 

https://news.ksb.co.jp/article/14703805

[capybara]

34 minutes ago, Naomi M said:

 

I read in a Japanese article that Takumi Miyake's dream was to join RB but unfortunately he got seriously injured at the time of the audition (ligament damage) and could not apply, which was devastating for him. He auditioned at ABT Studio Company after his recovery and got accepted. 

https://www.ohk.co.jp/data/20090/pages/ 

https://news.ksb.co.jp/article/14703805

I might be wrong but I don’t think there are auditions as such from the RBS to the RB. KOH ‘keeps an eye’ out and some students are invited to join the Aud Jebsen Young Dancer scheme.

[Amanda Liu]

Just spotted two new artists on the ROH website (Poppy Frenkel and Grace Reid). Are they new joiners? 

[Sim]

2 minutes ago, Amanda Liu said:

Just spotted two new artists on the ROH website (Poppy Frenkel and Grace Reid). Are they new joiners? 

Yes.  Grace just joined a couple of weeks ago.  She had been a guest artist with Norwegian National Ballet and is a graduate of the Vaganova Academy in Russia. Prior to Vaganova, she had trained at Natalia Kremen Ballet School. I remember her as a talented young girl back then, and am so pleased with what she has achieved.  She is a lovely dancer and I look forward to seeing her thrive and develop at the RB.  

 

I'm afraid I don't know anything about Poppy.

[Ondine]

36 minutes ago, Amanda Liu said:

Poppy Frenkel

 

Both so new there is as yet no bio on the RH site! A photo but no link.

 

Is this a different dancer to Poppy Frankel at ENB? It could get confusing!

 

If it's actually Poppy Frankel then she was at White Lodge then three years with Vanessa Palmer then with ENB. 

 

https://www.vanessapalmer.co.uk/menu/student-achievements.html

 

 

 

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Ondine

[bridiem]

Poppy Frenkel looks lovely. (Vanessa Palmer - what an excellent dancer she was! So glad to see how well her students are doing.)

[capybara]

38 minutes ago, Amanda Liu said:

Just spotted two new artists on the ROH website (Poppy Frenkel and Grace Reid). Are they new joiners? 

I wonder whether, as with ENB, these might be temporary contracts to cover the Nutcracker season?

[Ondine]

7 minutes ago, capybara said:

I wonder whether, as with ENB, these might be temporary contracts to cover the Nutcracker season?

 

They are listed alongside other Artists.  I don't think the RB works on a temp contract basis.

 

Any extras for the corps usually come from the RBS students.

 

[Emeralds]

There can't be that many dancers by the fairly distinctive name of Poppy Frankel dancing classical ballet in Britain? I hope it's Poppy Frankel from ENB whom I  remember in small roles who was excellent in ENB's productions. I guess we'll know soon enough, hopefully. I remember Isabella Gasparini going from Northern Ballet to English National Ballet to Royal Ballet (or Leanne Benjamin dancing at SWRB/BRB then ENB then RB), so company hopping can be auspicious. 😀 

[Ondine]

8 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Poppy Frankel

 

She's listed as a leaver at ENB.  I think she hails from the NE of England originally.

 

https://www.ballet.org.uk/blog-detail/promotions-new-joiners-departures-2023-2024-season/

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Ondine

[capybara]

28 minutes ago, Ondine said:

 

They are listed alongside other Artists.  I don't think the RB works on a temp contract basis.

 

Actually it does, albeit rarely. There are examples of dancers (currently in the Company) being employed on a temporary basis in the first instance and subsequently being offered a full contract.

 

Edited to add that, having double-checked her Ballet Association interview, Isabella Gasparini is one of the dancers who was initially employed specifically for the run of just two ballets. This is possibly less likely to happen now that there is the Aud Jebsen Young Dancers’ scheme.

Edited November 25, 2023 by capybara

[Guest oncnp]

Did someone leave? The total number of dancers (as listed on the website and may not be accurate) does not seem to have increased (98 + AUD JEBSEN (6) + PDL (1)). They did seem a bit short in the Artist Dept., though

 

19    Principal
7    Character
12    1st solo
19    Soloist (includes Yudes (on leave) and Mock (who is leaving I believe))
23    1st Art
18    Artist

 

98    
 

Edited November 25, 2023 by oncnp

[Tony Newcombe]

23 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

There can't be that many dancers by the fairly distinctive name of Poppy Frankel dancing classical ballet in Britain? I hope it's Poppy Frankel from ENB whom I  remember in small roles who was excellent in ENB's productions. I guess we'll know soon enough, hopefully. I remember Isabella Gasparini going from Northern Ballet to English National Ballet to Royal Ballet (or Leanne Benjamin dancing at SWRB/BRB then ENB then RB), so company hopping can be auspicious. 😀 

Leanne ENB via Berlin then RB

[Ondine]

5 minutes ago, oncnp said:

Did someone leave?

 

Well we know Tomas Mock is leaving, there could be others I suppose.

 

 

[Ondine]

2 hours ago, Sim said:

Yes.  Grace just joined a couple of weeks ago.  She had been a guest artist with Norwegian National Ballet and is a graduate of the Vaganova Academy in Russia. Prior to Vaganova, she had trained at Natalia Kremen Ballet School. I remember her as a talented young girl back then, and am so pleased with what she has achieved.  She is a lovely dancer and I look forward to seeing her thrive and develop at the RB.  

 

I'm afraid I don't know anything about Poppy.

 

 

Strangely, Poppy Frankel is listed on the Norwegian National Ballet site. This is where Gina Storm-Jenson is currently.

 

https://www.operaen.no/en/about-us-oslo-operahouse/the-norwegian-opera-and-ballet/norwegian-national-ballet/

 

 

 

 

[LinMM]

I feel a bit guilty! 
Poppy Frankel looks like a lovely dancer from that clip above but have no recollection of her at ENB at all!! 

[Sabine0308]

14 hours ago, oncnp said:

...

19    Principal

...

NINETEEN principals, wow. That's expensive for a company 😳

[capybara]

47 minutes ago, Sabine0308 said:

NINETEEN principals, wow. That's expensive for a company 😳

And very difficult to manage in terms of the ongoing development and artistic fulfilment of each and every one of them.

[Odyssey]

The balance does look odd with 12 first soloists , a good proportion getting towards the later years in their career. 

[FionaM]

5 hours ago, Sabine0308 said:

NINETEEN principals, wow. That's expensive for a company 😳

And no doubt a wide differential in pay for the big ticket selling names vs the newer principals. 

[San Perregrino]

1 hour ago, FionaM said:

And no doubt a wide differential in pay for the big ticket selling names vs the newer principals. 

I did wonder, given the small number of performances the principal dancers have these days, if it might be prudent to have them on ‘zero hours’ contracts? 😉 (written with my tongue firmly in cheek)