News: Diamond anniversary for ENB
The English National Ballet was established in 1950, initially as the London Festival Ballet and so the company celebrates its sixtieth year in 2010. Since its formation it has performed in 207 cities in 42 different countries.
One particular ballet has been performed by the ENB in its Christmas season in every single year and to help celebrate the 60th anniversary, the company will be creating a new version of The Nutcracker, to be choreographed by its current Artistic Director, Wayne Eagling. The new production will be given its world premiere at the London Coliseum on 10 December 2010. This will be the tenth production of The Nutcracker to enter the company’s repertoire, since the very first performance of the Markova/Dolin production at the Stoll Theatre in its founding year.
After the more modern approach of choreographer Christopher Hampson and designer Gerald Scarfe in the production that has recently ended its run at the Coliseum, Eagling promises a return to a traditional retelling of the story that will be set in Edwardian London. The leading designer Peter Farmer has been commissioned to design the work. His past ballet credits include the recreation of Frederick Ashton’s Sylvia for the Royal Ballet and Derek Deane’s Swan Lake for ENB.
Another highlight of the 60th year will be the return of Deane’s in-the-round Swan Lake to the Royal Albert Hall for ten days in June 2010 with guest artist Polina Semionova coming from the Berlin State Opera to reprise the role of Odete/Odile she first danced for ENB, aged just 19, in 2003. She will be partnered on the opening night by the ENB’s most exciting young dancer Vadim Muntagirov, who joined the company from the Royal Ballet School last year. This will be the sixth time that the Royal Albert Hall has staged Deane’s spectacular version of the Tchaikovsky classic.
The company will begin the new season with a spring tour that opens in Glasgow on 17 March with Mary Skeaping’s production of Giselle – a long-time company favourite – and Eagling’s Men Y Men. The season will also include a revival of Michael Corder’s Cinderella that will open at the Bristol Hippodrome on 25 March. The Company will perform a summer season at the Coliseum for the first time in over a decade (10[^ – ^]14 August) and the autumn season will open with Nureyev’s Romeo & Juliet at the Palace Theatre, Manchester on 14 October.
See English National Ballet at the London Coliseum in
The Snow Queen (to 17 Jan 2010) read our review and
Giselle, with Wayne Eagling’s new work Men Y Men (20 – 24 Jan 2010)
More on Engish National Ballet
Report by Graham Watts