Among a raft of news from English National Ballet School is the launch of a new Young Choreographers showcase that will give students the opportunity to showcase their choreographic talents. It will be The Wallace Collection and released via YouTube and Facebook later this spring.
In a project curated by art historian Dr Minna Moore Ede, the students will take inspiration from a range of artworks from The Wallace Collection including an Equestrian Knight in Armour from around 1480, Perseus and Andromeda by François Lemoyne (1723), and François Boucher’s The Rising of the Sun (1753).
by François Lemoyne,
one of the art works selected to inspire students in the Young Choreographer project
The young choreographers will work in collaboration with composer and conductor Martin Georgiev, who has curated a playlist of over 30 musical works informed by the artworks for students to choose from; and the Royal College of Music. They will also have the opportunity to work with the London College of Fashion University of the Arts London to create costume and make-up designs.
More good news is that ENBS’ Summer Performance 2021 will see its students make a welcome return to the stage and perform in front of a live audience for the first time in over a year.
This year, the School welcomes back the three choreographers involved in last year’s virtual event. Andrew McNicol will choreograph a new creation while Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Didy Veldman will build on their previous work, adapting their original virtual creations for the stage.
The Summer Performance will also see students perform a new work by choreographer and filmmaker Morgann Runacre-Temple as well as Sir Frederick Ashton’s Les Rendezvous, restaged by Christopher Carr from The Royal Ballet.
Full details including dates and venues will be announced shortly.
Continuing the performance theme, some second and third year ENBS students and trainees are getting the chance to perform with Birmingham Royal Ballet in Sir David Bintley’s Cinderella at the Birmingham REP, and with Northern Ballet in David Nixon’s Swan Lake at the Leeds Grand Theatre, both in June.
Finally, the impact of the pandemic had led the School and English National Ballet to conclude that the original plans to co-locate at London City Island are no longer viable. Both school and company will now re-evaluate their requirements, continuing to collaborate and work closely together in the meantime.
The School will therefore remain at its current home in Chelsea for the present time, continuing to work with its partners at bbodance and Chelsea Theatre so that students can benefit from the excellent facilities their premises offer in addition to its base on Hortensia Road.