Ballet Central head to Crawley's Hawth

The company presents a new cast of dancers performing a mixture of original pieces from distinguished choreographers and a restaging of an existing contemporary work.

Under the artistic direction of artist-in-residence Mikaela Polley and artistic director Kate Coyne, Ballet Central will present three new pieces this year created on Central’s dancers. Mikaela Polley’s new piece Unbound involves the entire company, created as a celebration of the dynamism of the ensemble bringing classical ballet and contemporary dance together. New choreography from the dance industry influencer Ashley Page, Twice Removed, is set to music by the composer John Adams. Ballet Black’s Mthuthuzeli November, also a former dancer on the Ballet Central tour, has created a new piece Sunset in Cape Town that demonstrates his distinctive choreographic voice. Cathy Marston’s piece Moving, Still is being restaged especially for this year’s Ballet Central tour.

Mikaela said: “The experience of working with renowned choreographers in the creative process is invaluable for student dancers. They learn to absorb, understand and interpret the story of each piece and the choreographers’ different ways of working. This accelerates their growth as future professionals and helps to prepare for the transition into company life when they graduate in July.”

Kate Coyne, Central’s artistic director, said: “Joining Ballet Central and the experience of performing on tour distinguishes our dancers and supports their future employability in the dance industry. Performing is the ultimate goal for professional dance students so the chance to bring all their training to a peak in front of a live audience fulfils ambitions and stimulates new learning. Audiences benefit from seeing new talent and vibrant choreography in theatres across England.

“The annual Ballet Central tour offers audiences across the country the chance to see the company’s young and dynamic dancers showcase choreography from current industry professionals alongside newly commissioned work and refreshed classics from the world’s top choreographers. Performing a range of repertoire on tour over several months to ticket-buying audiences is an enriching experience for the students, enhancing their skills and development, making them particularly employable.”

Ballet Central is the touring company of Central School of Ballet in London. Students in the final year of their three-year BA (Hons) degree course in professional dance and performance join Ballet Central to gain touring experience before graduation. Ballet Central’s dancers not only perform but also help with some of the technical aspects of touring including lighting, sound, staging and wardrobe.