Summer B (Age 11 - 14)
Week 1 29 July  - 2 August 2013

• A huge congratulations to Nancy Osbaldeston, who has won English National Ballet's Emerging Dancer award, 2013. Nancy performed the grand pas de deux from Don Quixote and Neumeier's Bach's Suite no. 2 as her solo.
  

  The People’s Choice Award went to Laurretta Summerscales, who performed the Black Swan pas de deux and a solo from Elite Syncopations.

All of this year's Emerging Dancer finalists were graduates of the School, and we are extremely proud of each of their performances!

English National Ballet School is delighted to announce that Ksenia Ovsyanick, graduate of the School & English National Ballet Artist, has been awarded 'Outstanding Female Performance' (Classical) at the National Dance Awards.

We would like to congratulate Ksenia on this fantastic achievement!

For more information on this story, please click here.

English National Ballet School will present its first international summer course at The Ballet Theatre of Toledo studio in Holland, Ohio,

The world-renowned ballet school, based in London, England, will be sending teachers from the school to lead a week long ballet  intensive from July 22-27, 2013. This will be the only opportunity in 2013 for students and ballet professionals to study with this esteemed arts organization within the United States. The course is open to Advanced, Pre-Professionals and Professionals and master classes will also be held in the evenings for Intermediate-level students.

“We are thrilled to have our studios chosen by this prestigious program as the host site for this summer course,” said Nigel Burgoine, BTT Artistic Director. “Our spacious and modern ballet facility with three studios was exactly what English National Ballet School was seeking in a North American location for its summer program.”

Samira Saidi, Director of Dance at English National Ballet School says,”‘we are delighted to be collaborating with Nigel Burgoine and The Ballet Theatre of Toledo with our first USA Summer School.  We look forward very much to working with the talented ballet students from across the United States.”

Auditioning for a place on the course is by Youtube link and DVD. Dancers from the local area and region are invited to apply to join the class, which is expected to draw ballet students from across the country. Five scholarships have been provided by Dorothy Mackenzie Price.
 
For further information write to  enbs.usa@enbschool.org.uk
For an audition form please go to www.ballettheatreoftoledo.org

English National Ballet School is delighted to announce that it has appointed Samira Saidi as its new Director of Dance. Samira joins the school  following an illustrious career including twenty years dancing with Sadlers Wells and Birmingham Royal Ballet and Graduate women’s teacher at Elmhurst School for Dance along with associations with many prestigious dance organisations within the UK.

Samira was born in Manchester and trained with Noreen Bush at the Bush Davies School where, at fifteen years old, she won the RAD Solo Seal Award and the Adeline Genée Silver Medal.  Continuing her training at The Royal Ballet School, she was chosen and coached by Sir Frederick Ashton, to dance the Fonteyn role in Birthday Offering. At eighteen she joined Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet, staying with the company when it was renamed Birmingham Royal Ballet. She danced many Principal roles including the title role in David Bintley's The Snow Queen which was created for her.

Samira retired from dancing in 1999 to concentrate on teaching, choreography and raising her children, initially teaching and developing Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Dance Track Programme and the RBS Junior and Senior Associate programme as well as being in much demand as a guest teacher for various Companies, Schools and Academies.  In 2004 she joined Elmhurst School for Dance as the Classical Ballet teacher for the graduate women and latterly, also, the Ballet Mistress, Resident Choreographer and head of Elmhurst’s satellite Associate Programme which she helped to conceive and develop throughout the UK.

Regarding her appointment Samira says, ‘Over thirty years of experience comprising both performance and dance education has instilled within me the importance and value of treasuring, retaining and passing on the history and honesty of the profession and I am delighted to be in my new post as Dance Director at English National Ballet School’

Anu Giri, Co-Director of ENBS says, ‘We are delighted to welcome Samira as the new Director of Dance.  We believe her skills and experience as a dancer, teacher and manager will add great value to our current team and we look forward to strengthening and developing the artistic vision and excellence of the School under her leadership.’

5th, 6th & 7th July at ENBS Studio Theatre, SW10

12th & 13th July at The Bloomsbury Theatre, WC1

London Olympia 9th, 10th & 11th March 2012

We are thrilled to announce that the English National Ballet School will be at Move It 2012 this year.

Move It is considered to be the best dance exhibition show in the UK and we will be there for all three days at stand 428.  Do  come and visit us and we will be able to give you information about all of our courses, ENBS Juniors - our fabulous classes for children and information about ENB2's magical production of Sleeping Beauty for children from the age of 3 up which opens in London and then tours the UK from April 2012.
 

There will also be an opportunity to meet some artistic staff and hear about our audition process for the school, participate in our ENBS Juniors drop in classes and also see a performance from our current ENBS Juniors students and the fabulous ENB2 dancers.

For further information about the weekend please visit the Move It 2012 website: www.moveitdance.co.uk

English National Ballet and English National Ballet School create new children’s ballet which tours the UK in Spring 2012.

Following the phenomenal success of the Angelina Ballerina ballets, which reached audiences of over 300,000 across the UK and the world between 2007 and 2009, English National Ballet in partnership with English National Ballet School is continuing the initiative to bring ballet to young audiences. Spring 2012 sees the unveiling of My First… a series of ballets bringing children their first taste of the world of ballet.

The first ballet to be adapted in this way will be My First Sleeping Beauty which tours the UK from April 2012. The show will be performed by the third year students from English National Ballet School in their first professional tour, so it will be a “first” for both audiences and performers.

My First Sleeping Beauty will give English National Ballet School students the opportunity to gain real work experience, dance principal roles, raising their profile and visibility as they prepare to enter the profession. The performances will enable a wider range of people and young children to engage with the school and ballet.

Anu Giri Director of English National Ballet School said “This is a huge opportunity for our students. You can teach them so much in the studio but when you put them in front of an audience that is when they really start their journey to becoming a performer”

Created with young attention spans in mind, My First Sleeping Beauty will be choreographed and designed by dancer and choreographer Matthew Hart. Click here to see Matthew talking about his vision for My First... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ82GLPVdfc

Matthew said "I am so thrilled to be choreographing this new production for English National Ballet and English National Ballet School, I want to create a really accessible way for children to enjoy this classic fairy tale, retaining the drama of the original ballet, but adding a real sense of fun and magic, giving youngsters their first taste of the world of ballet"

The dancers will wear the sumptuous Georgiadis costumes from the Company’s full production of The Sleeping Beauty, with elements of the original sets also used, giving audiences the feel of a full scale classic ballet. However the story and choreography will be adapted, making it more approachable, fun and suitable for young audiences.

 English National Ballet launched a worldwide competition for young artists to create the poster for My First… via creative community www.talenthouse.com, with the brief to create a piece of artwork that will appear on all the Marketing collateral, including the poster.

 Over 300 people from all over the world entered the competition with five artists shortlisted. The winner, chosen by English National Ballet, with the help of celebrated cartoonist and illustrator Gerald Scarfe, receives $2000 in prize money.

“I was impressed at the standard of the entries to the My First Sleeping Beauty poster competition”, says Gerald Scarfe. ”Some of the submissions showed real quality in draughtsmanship and individual style. It was a real challenge picking a favourite as I felt many of the entries had strong elements, and the judges were acutely aware that the winner would need to work as an advertising poster and appeal to children from the age of 3.”

We’re delighted to announce that Mark Ruffle is the winner of the My First… competition; his artwork can be viewed here http://www.ballet.org.uk/what-s-on/my-first-artwork-competition.html

Matthew Hart added, “We chose Mark Ruffle’s design as it conveyed the sense of mischief and fun that I’m planning for the ballet. I absolutely love the colour and the humour of the design.”

Mark Ruffle said, “I’m absolutely delighted to be the winner of this competition. My 10-year-old daughter inspired me to enter as she is an aspiring ballerina and she will be thrilled! We can’t wait to see the posters – and the show!”

Full Listings

For booking information visit www.ballet.org.uk

Peacock Theatre, London

3 April 7pm (Press night)

4 – 8 and 10 - 13 April 11am, 2pm

7 – 8 April 5pm

Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

21 April 11am 2pm, 5pm

22 April 11am, 3pm

Grand Opera House, York

28 April 11am, 2pm, 5pm

29 April 11am, 3pm

New Wimbledon Theatre

5 May 11am, 2pm, 5pm

6 May 11am, 3pm

The Hawth, Crawley

11 May 5pm

12 May 11am, 2pm, 5pm

The Churchill, Bromley

19 May 11an, 2pm, 5pm

20 May 11am, 3pm

Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe

26 May 11an, 2pm, 5pm

27 May 11am, 2pm

Manchester Palace Theatre

2 June 11am, 2pm, 5pm

3 June 11am, 3pm

ENBS is pleased to announce it will be holding the following audition weekends in Spain and Italy: 

Madrid, Spain - Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th February. 

This will involve 5 hours of classes for children aged 11-14 .  They have the option of Direct Entry Audition to the Summer School at ENBS. 

For children aged 16-19 in September 2011, there will be 7 hours of classes and an opportunity for Direct Entry Audition for the Full Time Course and Summer School Programme.

If you would like to attend please contact enbsauditions@gmail.com or spain@dancetoursinternational.com

Florence, Italy  -  Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th February. 

For children aged 16-19 in September 2011 and would like to audition for the Full Time Course.  Please contact Sabrina Margarolo at balletcentre@tiscali.it

The weekends will provide the opportunity to take master classes taught by ENBS Artistic staff.