This year’s Summer Performance at the Bloomsbury Theatre marked the culmination of the first year of English National Ballet School’s Graham-based contemporary programme. Performed by our Level 2 students, Say What…?, choreographed by Graham Tutor Sarah Sulemanji, celebrated the students’ artistic growth through a work that was created collaboratively, encouraging them to explore identity, creativity and authentic expression through movement.

Rather than arriving with a finished concept, Sarah developed the work alongside the students throughout the creative process.

“I wanted to empower the students to tap into their creative potential and explore how we can communicate meaning honestly and expressively through movement, both on a personal and collective level. We began with creative tasks surrounding identity: who are we as humans and as dancers? Who are we when nobody is watching? Who are we when everyone is? From there, we began devising material, using Graham-based principles and movement as a catalyst for improvisation and exploration. I hope that, through this process, they were able to take ownership of the work while also exploring and developing their own artistic movement identity.”

The result was Say What…?, a title that perfectly reflected the themes explored throughout the rehearsal process.

“We called it Say What…? as a literal translation of the embodied themes we had been exploring. What do we choose to say? How do we find form, freedom and ownership within that idea, both in and beyond dance?”

The piece also marked an important milestone for ENBS as the first year of the School’s contemporary Graham programme came to a close. Throughout the academic year, students have developed a strong technical foundation while discovering new ways to communicate through movement, culminating in a performance that showcased both their technical progress and their individuality as artists.

Looking back on seeing the work performed under the stage lights for the first time, Sarah reflected on how the creative journey continued to evolve right up until the final performance.

“I am so proud of the students, the hard work they put into the process, and the way they presented their collective voice. Of course, I had some initial ideas regarding the structure and composition, but I certainly didn’t have a fully formed vision of what it would look like from the outset. The work evolved throughout the creative process, shaped by their ideas, discoveries and engagement. It was wonderful for them to have a finished piece that reflected their engagement with their Graham-based training throughout the year, celebrated their growth as dance artists, and situated their learning within a contemporary dance performance context.”

The performance received praise from critics, with SeeingDance describing the School’s Summer Performance as “…a fully professional showing.”

As the first cohort completes this new chapter of contemporary training at ENBS, Say What…? stands as a testament to the creativity, curiosity and collaborative spirit of our Level 2 students, and to the exciting future of contemporary dance at English National Ballet School.

Want to see more from our Summer Performance gallery? Click here for reviews and images from the Bloomsbury Summer performance.