English National Ballet presents Dance Journeys 2019, showcasing the creative voices of young people on the main stage at Sadler’s Wells during the Company’s She Persisted programme.
Dance Journeys, supported by John Lyon’s Charity, gives young people the opportunity to work as a professional company and gain an in-depth experience of the production process leading to a performance – igniting a passion for dance.
Fifty young dancers from London schools Copthall School and Friern Barnet School, join English National Ballet’s ENBYouthCo to work together as one Dance Journeys Company to premiere Uncharted at Sadler’s Wells.
Our 2019 Dance Journeys programme also features inspiring performances from ENBYouthCo, English National Ballet School, and English National Ballet to celebrate dancers at various points of their own dance journey.
Uncharted takes its inspiration from English National Ballet’s She Persisted triple bill, and traces female pioneers, unstoppable sailors, courageous mountaineers, tenacious astronauts and imaginative writers. Direction and choreography of this major new dance work is by Malgorzata (Gosia) Dzierzon and Renaud Wiser, and choreographers Katie Cambridge, Hubert Essakow and Aaron Vickers. The captivating score is by Aleksandra Vrebalov, recorded by 70 young musicians from Royal College of Music Junior Department and Costume Design by Louie Whitemore.
Tamara Rojo CBE, Artistic Director at English National Ballet said: “Through projects such as English National Ballet’s Dance Journeys we can help to encourage and nurture young talent. Supporting the next generation, and creating opportunities for them, helps us to further develop our art forms, reach new audiences and create the artists of the future.”
Fleur Derbyshire-Fox, Engagement Director at English National Ballet said: “Dance Journeys positively impacts on young people, far beyond the project itself. Opportunities and experiences like this help to increase young people’s confidence, raises their aspirations and develops greater resilience and life skills in everything they do.”
Dance Journeys 2019 also sees ENBYouthCo perform We Are Here, choreographed by Jo Meredith, reflecting on themes of power, transformation and strength from English National Ballet’s triple-bill, Lest We Forget and what these mean to young people of today. This new work is highly physical and dynamic in nature, exploring control and manipulation within today’s society.
English National Ballet School students perform Rosamunde, choreographed by Carlos Valcárcel, ahead of their performance at Youth America Grand Prix 2019 20th Anniversary Gala at the Lincoln Centre in New York on 20 April 2019.
Completing the programme is English National Ballet, performing Vera, inspired by Vera Brittain’s memoir of the First World War A Testament of Youth. Choreographed by English National Ballet’s Stina Quagebeur, Vera premiered in 2014 as part of the Company’s programme for emerging choreographic talent (Choreographics) and was also part of the Lest We Forget programme last year, a series of poignant works to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War.
John Lyon’s Charity has granted in excess of £200,000 to enable the development of Dance Journeys since its inception in 2009. With their support, over the past 10 years English National Ballet have built a programme which is recognised for its artistic quality, ambitious approach and authentic partnership engagement.
Dance Journeys is a free ticketed performance. For more information on the programme please visit the website.