Overseas Graduates in 2013 Destined for UK Ballet Companies

[BalletDad10]

Would it be interesting to share data on the vocational schools overseas supplying dancers to UK Ballet companies? Another thread has listed destinations of recent graduates from UK schools. By examining both threads, parents/dancers will have a wider and more up-to-date knowledge of vocational school options worldwide. 

[Pas de Quatre]

I'm not sure that many dancers actually come straight from overseas schools direct to UK companies.  Usually the route is via Senior school in UK (even if only for a year or two) or else as a professional, having already worked in a company abroad, then coming to a UK company.

[Thecatsmother]

I have a feeling ENB took 1 or 2 students from San Francisco ballet school this season.

[LinMM]

A lot of overseas students do these International competitions and then from there may,more usually, get invited to Senior schools like the RBS or may,occasionally, be taken straight into a company after winning or having been spotted/scouted there.

 

Wasn't a boy from Central (admittedly not from overseas) accepted into Scottish Ballet or Ballet West company straight from the Prix de Lausanne......or may have been YAGP

[JulieW]

So, just done a quick search of the Northern Ballet website, looking at the biographies of the new dancers this year.....  links for two of the dancers didn't work, but the other three included two dancers who had trained abroad and had come from jobs in ballet companies (Joffrey Ballet and Zurich Ballet) and one was Matthew Koon who came from ENBS.

 

 

This is ENB's announcement for its new starters:

 

We are delighted to announce that English National Ballet has the following new dancers, with effect from the new Autumn Season:

Alina Cojocaru (The Royal Ballet) – Lead Principal

Fernando Bufala (Barcelona Ballet, English National Ballet, Royal Ballet School) – Soloist

Jeanette Kakareka (The Rock School and San Francisco Ballet School) – Artist

Madison Keesler (San Francisco Ballet School) – First Artist

Daniele Silingardi (Royal Ballet School) – Artist

Joan Sebastian Zamora (The Rock School, Phili (PA) The Royal Ballet School, Institucion Colombiana de Ballet Clasico (Incol ballet) – Artist

 

 

And Birmingham Royal Ballet announced three new starters this year - one British boy who graduated from Elmhurst the year before and went to Singpore Ballet for a few months, and three ladies from RBS, one from Sweden, one from Japan and one from China (if my memory serves me right - I've closed the web page now!)

[aileen]

Madison Keesler has *not* come straight from San Francisco Ballet School. She has come from San Francisco Ballet and I believe that before that she danced with Hamburg Ballet. Whilst I welcome the mini-bios on ENB's website I wish that there weren't so many errors and that some of the information wasn't so out-of-date. Also, there should be some consistency in listing previous schools and companies eg Joan Zamora's last school, to my knowledge, was the RBS which is listed between the Rock School and Incol Ballet. It's interesting if Jeanette Kakareka has come straight from SFB School. As PdQ said above, it's rare for an overseas-trained student to come straight into a UK company from a school abroad.

[veryskint]

Wasn't a boy from Central (admittedly not from overseas) accepted into Scottish Ballet or Ballet West company straight from the Prix de Lausanne......or may have been YAGP

The prizes at Prix include scholarships to schools such as RBS and also one year apprenticeships with companies. My understanding is that in the case above contract with Scottish Ballet is permanent. However, being in the final of a high profile competition will most likely improve the profile of a prospective professional dancer.

[Ellie]

I agree that it is (probably) highly unusual that foreign graduates immediately gain employment in UK Companies (at least the 'high profile' ones) They would usually, as has been mentioned, spend their last few years of training at a UK Upper School, either through audition, or being 'spotted' at competitions and would then, through the school, be invited to audition/join a company by a visiting AD. Do RBS, ENB or Northern even hold open auditions ? (I may be wrong, but I don't think so)

[JulieW]

Northern do - they're advertising their next audition at the moment

[BalletDad10]

This from an article in July about young dancers joining RB certainly backs up what you've all been saying:

 

"Annette Buvoli and David Donnelly will join as Artists from The Royal Ballet School, with Masaya Yamamoto joining the Company as a Prix de Lausanne dancer.  Anna Rose O’Sullivan, Luca Acri and Marcelino Sambé joined as Artists during the 2012/2013 Season."

 

The article can be found here: 

 

Masaya Yamamoto has only trained in Japan, I believe. 

[Pas de Quatre]

Yes, as veryskint says above, older dancers can win a years placement with a company at Prix de Lausanne.  RB is one of the companies offering this.  Younger dancers can win a year at the school.  A few years ago a young man who won a place at RB  from Prix de Lausanne was unable to take it up as he couldn't afford London living costs (this is not a salaried position as far as I know).  He transferred the placement to a company in USA.

 

ENB holds open auditions for its seasons "in the round" at the Albert Hall, where temporary contracts are given.

[mimi66]

Masaya Yamamoto (he won bronze at Lausanne) I think is an "apprentice" and not on a formal contract.  I wonder if there may be some visa issues as he is a non-EU citizen?

 

Luca Acri joined RB upperschool after winning 5th (? I think) place at Lausanne. Before that he was also trained in Japan  (his mother is Japanese) but this may not be too relevant as he was trained by his parents who are both retired ballet dancers.  As Luca's name suggests, his father is Italian, so Luca has no visa problem working in the UK.

Edited November 13, 2013 by mimi66

[Jan McNulty]

As far as I am aware if there were visa issues the young man would not be performing no matter what his status.

[Pas de Quatre]

As I said, I think it is not a salaried position so a visa is much easier to obtain for a student than a job.  RBS Upper School students often perform with the company and there are no problems for those from overseas.   

[Ellie]

Thank you for the info about Northern Julie ! I'll pass it on. Marcelino, I believe was offered his place at RBS through the Prix de Lausanne, A number of other students from Portugal have also gained places in International Upper Schools and/or companies through the Prix, YAGP etc...