English National Ballet 2015/16 Season

_{17 February 2015}
www.ballet.org.uk

English National Ballet 15/16 Season

• She Said, a new triple bill of female choreography at Sadler’s Wells, featuring world premieres from Aszure Barton, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Yabin Wang.
• Lest We Forget returns with performances at Sadler’s Wells, Milton Keynes and Manchester
• Le Corsaire returns with performances at the London Coliseum and Liverpool
• Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo & Juliet embarks on a national tour
• Swan Lake in-the-round at the Royal Albert Hall
• Following its most successful Winter season on record, English National Ballet’s Nutcracker returns to the London Coliseum

English National Ballet, winner of Outstanding Company at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards, today announces its 2015/2016 season.

In April 2016, English National Ballet presents She Said, a new triple bill dedicated to female choreography at Sadler’s Wells. The programme includes three world premieres from, Aszure Barton, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Yabin Wang.

Of She Said Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of English National Ballet said: I have wanted to present an evening dedicated to female choreographers for some time now, and I am thrilled to be working with these incredibly talented women, who are some of the most exciting creative voices working in dance today. I have been following Aszure, Annabelle and Yabin’s careers for a while and I am delighted that they are each going to create new work for English National Ballet.

 Barton’s credits include some of the world’s best dance companies and artists, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Sydney Dance Company. Lopez Ochoa has created work for a number of companies around the world. Her version of A Streetcar Named Desire for Scottish Ballet won the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Best New Production, the Critic’s Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Choreography, and was nominated for an Olivier Award. Wang has created a number of works for her own Company, Yabin & her Friends, as well as internationally renowned choreographers including Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, who said of Wang, “I am not only amazed by her versatility as an accomplished young dancer, choreographer and producer, but I am also impressed by her creative ideas and unrelenting pursuit of arts.”
 

Originally commissioned to commemorate the centenary of the First World War, Lest We Forget returns to London with performances at Sadler’s Wells (8 – 12 September), and tours to Milton Keynes (20 October), and Manchester (24 November). Featuring works from three British choreographers; Akram Khan’s Dust, winner of Best Modern Choreography at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards, looks at the empowerment of women in war and how women became the main workforce in the country; Russell Maliphant’s Second Breath is about the sacrifice of men in war; and No Man’s Land by Liam Scarlett, explores relationships in war and the loss and longing felt by women left behind by their partners.

Last year just under 50,000 people saw an English National Ballet performance on its Autumn tour. This year alongside Lest We Forget, the Company’s Autumn 2015 national tour includes Rudolf Nureyev’s award-winning Romeo & Juliet,  which tours to Bristol (14 – 17 October), Milton Keynes (22 – 23 October), Southampton (28 – 31 October), and Manchester (26 – 28 November).

Of the Autumn tour, Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of English National Ballet said: “Taking world-class ballet to audiences outside of London is something I think is truly important, and I am very proud that this season we will present both full scale ballets and new works. We cannot wait to take Lest We Forget, our award-winning triple bill created to commemorate the centenary of the First World War, to audiences in Milton Keynes and Manchester; as well as our critically acclaimed production Le Corsaire, and Rudolf Nureyev’s beautiful Romeo & Juliet, to audiences up and down the country.
 

English National Ballet’s Le Corsaire, makes a welcome return to the stage with performances in Liverpool (18 – 21 November) and at the London Coliseum (13 – 24 January 2016). The only UK Company to perform the full work, English National Ballet will release Le Corsaire on DVD with pre-order from 11am on Tuesday 17 March 2015, and to purchase from Monday 30 March 2015.

Following English National Ballet’s most successful Winter season on record, where over 105,000 people came to see Nutcracker and Swan Lake reaching a capacity of 94%, Nutcracker returns to the London Coliseum (16 December – 10 January), continuing the Company’s tradition of presenting a Nutcracker production each year since its inception.

Raymond Gubbay and the Royal Albert Hall present Derek Deane’s Swan Lake in-the-round at the Royal Albert Hall from the 1 – 12 June 2016. Set to Tchaikovsky’s classic score, played live by English National Ballet Philharmonic, this spectacular staging – the largest production of its kind in the world – features over 120 performers including 60 swans taking to the stage.

English National Ballet is committed to making ballet accessible to everyone. In partnership with the English National Ballet School, the My First Ballet series takes a popular ballet title and reworks it for an audience as young as three. Next season My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by George Williamson, English National Ballet’s Associate Artist and graduate of the English National Ballet School, will premiere at the Peacock Theatre in London before going on a national tour.

In March 2016 Emerging Dancer returns for its seventh year. The competition remains vital to the development of English National Ballet’s younger dancers as the competing dancers perform in front of a panel of eminent judges. The winner is announced at the end of the evening together with the recipient of the People’s Choice Award, which is voted for by members of the public.

Last year English National Ballet announced plans to increase its international touring, which continues into next season with performances in Madrid and Barcelona. Upon invitation from the Paris Opera Ballet, the Company will also take Le Corsaire to the Palais Garnier in June 2016.
 

On sale dates:

Lest We Forget
General Public: Tuesday 17 February 2015

Romeo & Juliet; Le Corsaire; and Nutcracker

English National Ballet Members: Tuesday 17 February 2015
General Public: Monday 23 February 2015

Swan Lake in-the-round
General Public: Thursday 26 February 2015

Le Corsaire on DVD
Pre-order: 11am on Tuesday 17 February 2015
To buy: Monday 30 March 2015
www.ballet.org.uk/ownlecorsaire

Emerging Dancer
TBA

My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty
TBA

She Said
November 2015

For further information about English National Ballet and to book tickets visit www.ballet.org.uk. Please note performance details are subject to change.
 

Full details of the 15/16 season:

Lest We Forget
Tuesday 8 September – Tuesday 24 November 2015
National Tour

**** “a brave and brilliant move from artistic director Tamara Rojo” Evening Standard

Following a critically acclaimed run at the Barbican in 2014, English National Ballet takes Lest We Forget on a national tour to Sadler’s Wells (8 – 12 September), Milton Keynes Theatre (20 October), and the Palace Theatre, Manchester (24 November).

A poignant reflection on World War 1, Lest We Forget features three works by British choreographers expressing the experiences of those who fought in the war, and those who stayed behind. Dust, by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Akram Khan, looks at the empowerment of women in war and how women became the main workforce in the country; Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Russell Maliphant’s Second Breath is about the sacrifice of men in war; and No Man’s Land by Liam Scarlett, explores relationships in war and the loss and longing felt by women left behind by their partners.
 

Romeo & Juliet
Wednesday 14 October – Saturday 28 November 2015
National Tour

***** “This is the most deeply romantic of all versions, and the most tragic.”
Daily Express

English National Ballet takes Rudolf Nureyev’s award-winning Romeo & Juliet on a national tour to the Bristol Hippodrome (14 – 17 October), Milton Keynes Theatre (22 – 24 October), The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (28 – 31 October), and the Palace Theatre, Manchester (26 – 28 November).

The world’s greatest love story, Romeo & Juliet features inventive, passionate choreography set to Prokofiev’s score performed live by English National Ballet Philharmonic.

Amidst the grandeur of the Capulet’s ball, the star-crossed lovers meet, unleashing a fateful sequence of events, from the romantic balcony scene to their tragic final embrace. Full of action, humour and drama, Rudolf Nureyev’s award-winning production of Romeo & Juliet was originally created for English National Ballet in 1977 to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. The Company has since performed it worldwide to critical acclaim.
 

Le Corsaire
Wednesday 18 November 2015 – Sunday 24 January 2016
National Tour

***** “ENB’s Corsaire…is a roaring success.” Financial Times

Following its five-star premiere in 2013, English National Ballet’s production of Le Corsaire returns with performances at the Liverpool Empire (18 – 21 November), and a two week run at the London Coliseum (13 – 24 January).

Le Corsaire, follows the escapades of Conrad, a pirate, who journeys across high seas to save his harem girl, Medora. It is a swashbuckling fantasy tale of captive maidens and cutthroats, love and betrayal, and deception and conspiracy, culminating in one of the most breath-taking spectacles in ballet.
The first UK Company to perform the complete work, English National Ballet’s production features sets and costumes by Hollywood film designer Bob Ringwood, whose film credits include Batman, Alien 3, and Troy.
 

Nutcracker
Wednesday 16 December 2015 – Sunday 10 January 2016
London Coliseum

Nutcracker returns to the London Coliseum this Christmas. First performed in 2010 to celebrate English National Ballet’s 60th anniversary, Wayne Eagling’s version has since been seen by over 370,000 people.

Featuring over 100 dancers and musicians, Nutcracker is set in a world of Edwardian elegance taking audiences on a journey with Clara, her Nutcracker doll and the magician Drosselmeyer, set to Tchaikovsky’s soaring score performed by English National Ballet Philharmonic. This is English National Ballet’s 11th production of Nutcracker since it performed its first full length production in 1950, its founding year. Since then, English National Ballet has established the tradition of performing Nutcracker at Christmas every year.
 

Emerging Dancer
Monday 14 March 2016
Venue TBA

English National Ballet’s annual Emerging Dancer competition enters its seventh year, recognising rising dance talent and excellence within the company.  A group of promising dancers perform in front of an eminent panel of judges, before one receives the 2016 Emerging Dancer Award.  The winner is announced at the end of the evening together with the recipient of the People’s Choice Award, which is voted for by members of the public.

Emerging Dancer is generously supported by Talbot Hughes McKillop, the restructuring experts.
 

My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty
Wednesday 16 March – Sunday 29 May 2016
National Tour

Making ballet accessible to an audience as young as three, the My First Ballet series, a joint venture between English National Ballet and English National Ballet School, continues with a new production of My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty.

Choreographed by George Williamson, English National Ballet’s Associate Artist and former member of the English National Ballet School, My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty opens at the Peacock Theatre in London’s West End, My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty then embarks on a national tour, visiting seven venues around the country.
 

She Said
Tuesday 12 April – Sunday 17 April 2016
Sadler’s Wells

With a focus on female choreography, She Said sees new works from three internationally renowned choreographers: Aszure Barton, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Yabin Wang

Between them, Barton, Lopez Ochoa and Wang’s credits include some of the world’s best dance companies and artists, from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Sydney Dance Company (Barton), to Scottish Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Ballet Nacional de Cuba and Pacific Northwest Ballet (Lopez Ochoa), and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (Wang).

More details of the programme to be announced shortly.
 

Swan Lake in-the-round
Wednesday 1 – Sunday 12 June 2016
Royal Albert Hall

Raymond Gubbay and the Royal Albert Hall present Derek Deane’s Swan Lake in-the-round at the Royal Albert Hall. The largest production of its kind, it features over 120 dancers, and has delighted audiences around the world since its premiere in 1997.

With Tchaikovsky’s classic score played by the English National Ballet Philharmonic, this production features acrobats, jugglers and 60 swans gliding across the stage within the splendour of the Royal Albert Hall.
 

Notes to Editors

LISTINGS INFORMATION FOR THE 15/16 SEASON

Lest We Forget
Sadler’s Wells, London
8 – 12 September 2015
Box Office: 0844 412 4300 or www.ballet.org.uk/lestweforget
Tickets: £12 – £45

Romeo & Juliet
Bristol Hippodrome
14 – 17 October 2015
Box Office: 0844 871 3012 or www.ballet.org.uk/romeoandjuliet
Tickets: £9 – £45

Lest We Forget
Milton Keynes Theatre
20 October 2015
Box Office: 0844 871 7652 or www.ballet.org.uk/lestweforget
Tickets: £9 – £35

Romeo & Juliet
Milton Keynes Theatre
22 – 24 October 2015
Box Office: 0844 871 7652 or www.ballet.org.uk/romeoandjuliet
Tickets: £9 – £45

Romeo & Juliet
The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
28 – 31 October 2015
Box Office: 023 8071 1811 or www.ballet.org.uk/romeoandjuliet
Tickets: £10.75 – £48.50

Le Corsaire
Liverpool Empire
18 – 21 November 2015
Box Office: 0844 871 3017 or www.ballet.org.uk/lecorsaire
Tickets: £9 – £40

Lest We Forget
Palace Theatre, Manchester
24 November 
Box Office: 0844 871 3019 or www.ballet.org.uk/lestweforget
Tickets: £9 – £35

Romeo & Juliet
Palace Theatre, Manchester
26 – 28 November 2015
Box Office: 0844 871 3019 or www.ballet.org.uk/romeoandjuliet
Tickets: £9 – £40

Nutcracker
London Coliseum
16 December 2015 – 10 January 2016
Box Office: 020 7845 9300 or www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker
Tickets: £14 – £79

Le Corsaire
London Coliseum
13 – 24 January 2016
Box Office: 020 7845 9300 or www.ballet.org.uk/lecorsaire
Tickets: £14 – £79

Emerging Dancer
Venue and tickets TBA

My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty
Peacock Theatre, London
24 March – 3 April 2016
On sale Spring 2015

She Said
Sadler’s Wells, London
12 – 17 April 2016
On sale Autumn 2015

My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty
The Orchard, Dartford
16 & 17 April 2016
On sale Spring 2015

My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty
New Theatre, Oxford
30 April & 1 May 201
On sale Spring 2015

My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty
Bristol Hippodrome
21 & 22 May 2016
On sale Spring 2015

My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty
New Victoria Theatre, Woking
28 & 29 May 2016
On sale Spring 2015

More venues and dates for My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty to be announced shortly

Swan Lake in-the-round
Royal Albert Hall, London
1 – 12 June 2016
Box Office: 0845 401 5045 or www.ballet.org.uk/swanlake
Tickets: £19.50 – £70
 

About English National Ballet

English National Ballet brings world-class classical ballet to the widest possible audience – delighting them with the traditional and inspiring them with the new. We aspire to be the United Kingdom’s most exciting and creative ballet company.

www.ballet.org.uk

Winner of Outstanding Company at Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards 2014

Current Work…
Modern Masters opens on 10 Mar until 15 Mar at Sadler’s Wells. Emerging Dancer is on 23 Mar at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre. My First Ballet: Swan Lake opens on 2 Apr until 23 May and tours throughout the UK. Choreographics opens on 18 Jun until 20 June at the Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler’s Wells. Details about these productions, Principal casting, our forthcoming season and to book tickets visit www.ballet.org.uk. You can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/enballet [@ENBallet], Instagram at www.instagram.com/englishnationalballet, Facebook at www.facebook.com/EnglishNationalBallet and YouTube at www.youtube.com/enballet