19 Mar Essex dancers return home to perform in the Ballet Central’s 2019 International Tour
Central School of Ballet’s renowned graduate performing company Ballet Central brings its annual tour to The Civic Theatre, Chelmsford on Friday 3rd May at 7.45 pm. Under the artistic direction of Christopher Marney, Ballet Central’s diverse range of dance and theatre will perform in 20 venues across England over a five month period (full tour schedule at the end of the release) and will go on to perform in Tokyo, Japan.
The annual Ballet Central tour offers audiences across the country the chance to see the company’s young and dynamic dancers showcase the best dance theatre from current industry professionals alongside newly-commissioned work and refreshed classics from the world’s top choreographers. Ticket prices are deliberately low to make the tour widely accessible in each venue. Tickets at The Civic Theatre are £16, concessions £13.50.
In addition to the performance on Friday evening, tickets are also available to see behind the scenes as Ballet Central prepare for their performance. This is a rare insight into the world of professional dance – a chance to see an open class on stage in The Civic Theatre as dancers prepare mentally and physically, perfecting their technique. Taking place from 12.15 pm – 1.00 pm on Friday 3rd May, tickets for the Ballet Central Open Class are priced at just £6 (£4 concessions).
This season’s repertoire delivers an exciting performance of theatricality, technical excellence and drama choreographed by top dance industry influencers, with stunning costumes enhanced by powerful music. The repertoire includes Christopher Marney’s Carousel Dances, inspired by the 1945 musical Carousel by Rodgers and Hammerstein, a unique version of the Dying Swan Solo created by Calvin Richardson, and the Company is delighted to present an extract fromFrederick Ashton’s acclaimed Valses Nobles et Sentimentales performed to Maurice Ravel’s suite of waltzes. Following the wonderful response to Kenneth MacMillan’s piece in the 2018 tour, Ballet Central is honoured to present another excerpt from MacMillan’s works, House of Birds, based on the Grimm Brothers’ macabre fairy tale, Jorinda and Joringel. Ballet Central also presents Jasmin Vardimon’s (in between), a physical contemporary work first created with the National Youth Dance Company in 2013. And for the first time, Ballet Central is collaborating with Thiago Soares, principal dancer with the Royal Ballet, who has created a new work with Ballet Central’s young dancers which will be premiered in London at a series of performances at the Bloomsbury Theatre in July.
Ballet Central has already performed 15 sold-out shows of The Nutcracker at the ADC Theatre in Cambridge and at the British Museum in December. Adding an international date to the 2019 tour in Tokyo, Japan demonstrates the increasing popularity of the Company’s theatrical dance performances.
Christopher Marney, Artistic Director of Ballet Central comments: “Audience attendance for last year’s Ballet Central tour was higher than ever. The exciting repertoire brought by these influential choreographers not only entertains our audiences, but also ensures our talented young dancers secure employment with leading dance companies and musical theatre productions worldwide.”
Ballet Central is the touring company of Central School of Ballet in London, the leading centre for professional dance training and education. Students in the final year of their three-year BA (Hons) degree course in Professional Dance and Performance join Ballet Central to gain invaluable touring experience before graduation. Ballet Central’s dancers not only perform but also help with technical aspects including lighting, sound, staging and wardrobe.
Central’s graduates go on to join the world’s premier dance companies. Performing a range of repertoire on the Ballet Central tour choreographed by some of the most renowned figures in the dance industry to ticket-buying audiences is an enriching experience for the students, enhancing their skills and development, making them particularly employable. Recent Central students are currently employed with Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Company, Scottish Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, English National Ballet, Northern Ballet, Rambert, Ballet Black, Phantom of the Opera, West End & Worldwide, Milwaukee Ballet – USA, Singapore Dance Theatre, Sarasota Ballet – USA, K-Ballet – Japan, New English Ballet Theatre.
