English National Ballet is a renowned
classical balletClassical Ballet is the most formal of the ballet styles, it adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet, British ballet and Italian ballet...
company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin and based at Markova House in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. One of three major ballet companies in
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
, English National Ballet is one of the leading ballet companies in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
and is primarily a touring company, performing in theatres nationwide in the UK as well as conducting international tours and performing at special events.
English National Ballet is a renowned
classical balletClassical Ballet is the most formal of the ballet styles, it adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet, British ballet and Italian ballet...
company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin and based at Markova House in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. One of three major ballet companies in
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
, English National Ballet is one of the leading ballet companies in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
and is primarily a touring company, performing in theatres nationwide in the UK as well as conducting international tours and performing at special events. The company has 67 dancers and its own symphony orchestra which tours with it in the UK and also sometimes overseas. The company regularly performs seasons at the London Coliseum and has been noted for specially staged performances at the
Royal Albert HallThe Royal Albert Hall is an arts venue situated in the Knightsbridge area of the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, the
Concert for DianaConcert for Diana was a concert held at the new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday; 31 August that year brought the 10th anniversary of her death...
and for producing a new ballet based on the animated TV character
Angelina BallerinaAngelina Ballerina is a fictional mouse, created by author Katharine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craig, who features in a popular series of children's books...
. The Patron of English National Ballet is HRH Prince Andrew,
Duke of YorkThe title Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch...
History
English National Ballet was originally founded in 1950 by the renowned British dance couple,
Alicia MarkovaMadame Alicia Markova DBE was an English ballerina, choreographer, director and teacher. She was the first British dancer to become the principal dancer of a ballet company and one of only two British dancers to be recognised as a Prima Ballerina Assoluta. She was widely considered to be one of...
and
Anton DolinSir Anton Dolin was the stage name of Sydney Francis Patrick Healey-Kay , an English ballet dancer and choreographer....
.
Markova and Dolin were leading stars of the
Ballets RussesThe Ballets Russes was an itinerant ballet company which performed under the directorship of Sergei Diaghilev between 1909 and 1929. Some of their places of residence included the Théâtre Mogador and the Théâtre du Châtelet, as Paris had a large Russian exile population...
, one of the most influential ballet companies of the 20th century. After the death of its director Serge Diaghilev in 1929, the company was disbanded and in 1931, one of its dancers,
Ninette de ValoisDame Ninette de Valois, OM, CH, DBE was an Irish dancer, teacher, choreographer and director of classical ballet. She danced professionally with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, later settling in England...
, founded the Vic-Wells Ballet company in London, with Markova and Dolin as Principal dancers, Markova becoming Prima Ballerina in 1933. Markova and Dolin left the Vic-Wells Ballet in 1935 to tour as the Markova-Dolin company and following the success of their performances, they decided to form their own company with the sole purpose being to tour both nationally and internationally, taking ballet to audiences that had not had the opportunity to see the art form.
The
London Festival Ballet was founded in 1950 with the financial backing of the Polish impresario Julian Braunsweg. The name was inspired by the then imminent Festival of Britain, however the company would later be renamed to today's English National Ballet. Dolin was the company's first Artistic Director and established the company as a touring group both nationally in the UK and Internationally, touring abroad for the first time in 1951. Dolin also introduced a number of educational programs in the early years, deigned to make ballet accessible to new audiences. The decision to change the name to English National Ballet came in 1989 and was intended to reflect the company's role as Britain's only classical ballet company dedicated to touring ballets nationwide at an affordable price for audiences.
Principal Dancers
| Name |
Nationality |
Training |
Joined ENB |
Rank |
Other Companies |
| Yat-Sen Chang |
CubanThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
Cuba |
Cuban National Ballet SchoolThe Cuban National Ballet School in Havana, with 4,350 students is the biggest ballet school in the world and the most prestigious ballet school in Cuba , directed by Ramona de Sáa...
|
1993 |
Principal |
National Ballet of Cuba
Jeune Ballet de France |
| Elena Glurdjidze |
GeorgianGeorgia Georgia Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan...
Georgia |
Tbilisi Choreographic School
Vaganova Ballet AcademyThe Vaganova Ballet Academy is one of the most famous and influential classical ballet schools in the world. It has also been known as the Imperial Ballet School and the Leningrad State Choreographic Institute...
|
2002 |
Senior Principal |
Russian Ballet Company
St Petersburg State Academic Ballet
St Petersburg Ballet Theatre of Konstantin Tatchkin |
| Dmitri Gruzdyev |
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Russia |
Vaganova Ballet Academy The Vaganova Ballet Academy is one of the most famous and influential classical ballet schools in the world. It has also been known as the Imperial Ballet School and the Leningrad State Choreographic Institute...
|
1993 |
Senior Principal |
Kirov Ballet |
| Daria Klimentová Daria Klimentová is a Czech prima ballerina and photographer.She trained at the Prague State Conservatory. In 1989 she joined the National Theatre Ballet Company in Prague as a soloist and after one year was promoted to principal. In 1992 she joined Cape Town City Ballet in South Africa as...
|
CzechThe Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
Czech Republic |
Prague State Conservatory |
1996 |
Senior Principal |
National Theatre Ballet, Prague
Cape Town City BalletThe Cape Town City Ballet Company, formerly known as the CAPAB Ballet Company, is based in Cape Town, South Africa.- History :The Cape Town City Ballet originates from the UCT Ballet Company, which was established by Dulcie Howes in 1934. This became the CAPAB Ballet Company under the directorship...
Scottish BalletScottish Ballet is Scotland's national ballet company, based in Glasgow.- History :Founded by Peter Darrell and Elizabeth West as Western Theatre Ballet in Bristol in 1957, the Company moved to Glasgow in 1969 and was renamed Scottish Theatre Ballet, changing to Scottish Ballet in 1974...
|
| Sarah McIlroy |
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
UK |
Royal Ballet School The Royal Ballet School is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of The Royal Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in London...
|
1992 |
Principal |
| Fernanda Oliveira Fernanda Oliveira is a Brazilian sailor. She won a bronze medal in 470 class at the 2008 Summer Olympics....
|
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
ian Brazil |
Centro de Dança, Rio de Janeiro
Royal Ballet SchoolThe Royal Ballet School is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of The Royal Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in London...
|
2000 |
Senior Principal |
Chilean National Ballet |
| Erina Takahashi Erina Takahashi, born in Hokkaidō, Japan, is a Senior Principal dancer with the English National Ballet. She was the Critics Circle Best Female Newcomer in 2001.- Career & Repertory :...
|
Japaneseis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Japan |
Kushiro Ballet Academy
English National Ballet SchoolEnglish National Ballet School is a specialist classical ballet school based in London in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1988 as the associate school of the English National Ballet, and is now recognised as one of the foremost classical ballet schools in the UK.-Overview:English National...
|
1996 |
Senior Principal |
| Aroniel Vargas |
CubanThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
Cuba |
Cuban National Ballet SchoolThe Cuban National Ballet School in Havana, with 4,350 students is the biggest ballet school in the world and the most prestigious ballet school in Cuba , directed by Ramona de Sáa...
Laura Alonso & Ivan Montreal |
2004 |
Principal |
Royal Winnipeg Ballet The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is Canada's oldest ballet company and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America....
|
Soloists & First Soloists
- Zhanat Atymtayev
- Désirée Ballantyne
- Asta Bazeviciute
- Esteban Berlanga
- Begoña Cao, First Soloist
- Crystal Costa , First Soloist
- Daniel Jones
- Jenna Lee
- Adela Ramirez, First Soloist
- Fabian Reimair, First Soloist
First Artists
- Kei Akahoshi
- James Forbat
- Laura Hussey
- Daniel Kraus
- Senri Kou
- Van Le Ngoc
Van Le Ngoc was born on 26 September in Hanoi,Vietnam.He moved to live and study in France with his family in 1996. From 1996 - 1998, he followed his study to become a ballet dancer at National Superior Conservatory of Music and Dance in Lyon...
- Laurent Liotardo
- Anton Lukovkin
- Andre Portasio
- Lisa Probert
- Juan Rodriguez
- Adrienne Schulte
- James Streeter
- Venus Villa
Artists
- Tracy Shuk-Kan Au
- Kerry Birkett
- Francisco Bosch
- Ruth Brill
- Ethan Brookes
- Laura Bruña Rubio
- Jung ah Choi
- Kuei-Yao Chu
- Shevelle Dynott
- Edward Fallon
- Emma Findlay
- James Forbat
- Anna Forbes
- Anna-Mi Fredriksson
- Jennie Harrington
- Anjuli Hudson
- Amber Hunt
- Natalia Kremen
- Pedro Lapetra
- Monika Lepisto
- Miranda Lee
- Alison McWhinney
- Nancy Osbaldeston
- Ksenia Ovsyanick
- Nicholas Peak
- Stina Quagebeur
- Grant Rae
- Nicholas Reeves
- Junor de Oliveira Souza
- Tamarin Stott
- Tomomi Tamagawa
- Sayako Tomiyoshi
- Yuki Watanabe
- Max Westwell
- Stephen Wilson
- Araminta Wraith
- Nathan Young
Simone Clarke
In 2006/7, English National Ballet was the focus of the British media after
The GuardianThe Guardian is a British daily newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Founded in 1821, it is unique among major British newspapers in being owned by a foundation .The Guardian Weekly, which circulates worldwide, provides a compact digest of four newspapers...
newspaper reported on 21 December 2006 that Principal dancer
Simone ClarkeSimone Clarke is an English ballerina and former Prima Ballerina of English National Ballet company. In 2006, she was the centre of controversy when it was revealed that she is a member of the British National Party...
was a member of the
far rightFar right, extreme right, hard right, ultra-right or radical right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within a political spectrum...
British National PartyThe British National Party is a far-right, whites-only political party in the United Kingdom, formed as a splinter group of the British National Front by John Tyndall in 1982. The party's current chairman is Nick Griffin, himself a former national organiser of the National Front.The BNP is not...
. Following the report, a number of other stories appeared in the press and on television and Clarke became known as the "BNP Ballerina".
The British National Party is a minor, but legitimate political party in the United Kingdom that is widely criticised for its apparently extremist and racist policies. Clarke admitted being a member of the BNP, stating that her reason was to oppose mass immigration in Britain. She voiced her belief that the BNP was the only political party willing to take a stand against immigration, stating that she would continue to be a member of the party. Following a number of stories in the press and a protest at the Coliseum by anti-racism protesters, Clarke refused to comment further on the issue and English National Ballet denied calls to terminate her employment, releasing the following statement:
- "English National Ballet does not comment on political affiliations of any of its employees nor any other aspects of their personal lives. Any personal view expressed by one of our employees should not be considered as endorsed by the company. English National Ballet is an equal opportunities employer and prides itself in the ethnic diversity of all its employees."
Clarke has a daughter with her former partner
Yat-Sen ChangYat-Sen Chang is a Cuban principal dancer in the English National Ballet.Yat-Sen Chang is a Chinese Cuban born in Matanzas, Cuba. Yat-Sen Chang studied dance at the Cuban National Ballet School, beginning his studies at the age of nine...
, who is currently a Principal with English National Ballet and is of Chinese-Cuban origin. Whether for political or artistic reasons, Clarke was sidelined on a number of occasions following the stories and later left the company. She has since become engaged to the BNP Councillor, Richard Barnbrook and is currently an executive with an organisation that is reported to have links with the British National Party.
External links