Emma Maguire is a Soloist of The Royal Ballet. She lost her mother, Ann, a teacher, when she was stabbed to death in front of her class by a 15-year-old pupil at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds. Her murder, which shocked the entire UK, was in 2014.
Emma and her family have admirably turned this horrific happening into something positive by creating the Ann Maguire Arts Education Fund, in memory of her life, and her passion for helping children by providing bursaries and funding for the enhancement and personal development of young people under 18 years old. It was designed to cover all aspects of the arts but the main areas of focus are dance, music, language and drama.
The fund was set up in May 2014 and has so far raised £74,000. In 2015 a sold-out dance gala with Emma’s colleagues was held at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London.
On Sunday 3 September there will be a second gala with many of The Royal Ballet’s top dancers at the Leeds Grand Theatre.
It is so fitting to hold this special Gala performance at the Leeds Grand Theatre where my mum took my sister and I to see our first ballet. It will be a night to honour and remember Ann Maguire in her home town.All monies raised on the night will be going to the Ann Maguire Arts Education Fund to continue the life’s work of my mum in inspiring and educating young people in Leeds.
The line-up includes dancers from The Royal Ballet performing pieces from the classical ballet repertory including works by Frederick Ashton, Christopher Wheeldon and Liam Scarlett. Will Tuckett will present the world premiere of Quizás and there will also be the world premiere of a new work by the BalletBoyz. The evening will also include performances by Northern Ballet’s Dreda Blow and Giuliano Contadini, dancing a duet from Jonathan Watkins’ award-winning ballet 1984.
Previous grant recipients from the Ann Maguire Arts Education fund will also perform at the Gala.
Royal Ballet Principals Steven McRae and Edward Watson will dance two special solos; McRae’s knockout tap solo Czardas will be accompanied by violinist Vasko Vassilev and Watson will perform the UK premiere of Clair de lune by Alastair Marriott set to Debussy’s music.
The Gala will include a selection of pas de deux from a variety of ballets including Le Corsaire and Swan Lake, Ashton’s Voices of Spring and Thaïs, Christopher Wheeldon’s Aeternum,and Liam Scarlett’s Asphodel Meadows.
The incredible lineup of artists from The Royal Ballet appearing include Sarah Lamb, Laura Morera, Akane Takada, Ryoichi Hirano, Steven McRae, Edward Watson, Beatriz Stix Brunell, Claire Calvert, Yuhui Choe, Itziar Mendizabal, Reece Clarke, Ricardo Cervera, Nicol Edmonds, Fumi Kameko and Marcelino Sambé. Royal Ballet pianists Kate Shipway and Robert Clark will accompany the evening.
Concerto pas de deux Choreography by Kenneth MacMillan Sarah Lamb and Ryoichi Hirano Clair de lune – UK Premiere Choreography by Alastair Marriott
Edward Watson
White Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake Choreography by Marius Petipa
Fumi Kaneko and Nicol Edmonds Artists of BalletBoyz World Premiere Asphodel Meadows – pas de deux Choreography by Liam Scarlett
Laura Morera and Ryoichi Hirano
1984 Choreography by Jonathan Watkins
Dreda Blow and Giuliano Contadini
Voices of Spring Choreography by Frederick Ashton
Yuhui Choe and Alexander Campbell
Aeternum – pas de deux Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon
Claire Calvert and Reece Clarke Quizás – UK Premiere Will Tuckett
Laura Morera and Ricardo Cervera ThaÏs – pas de deux Choreography by Frederick Ashton
Itziar Mendizabal and Nicol Edmonds Czardas Choreography by Steven McRae
Steven McRae Le Corsaire Choreography by Marius Petipa
Akane Takada and Marcelino Sambé
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
Emma Maguire is a Soloist of The Royal Ballet. She lost her mother, Ann, a teacher, when she was stabbed to death in front of her class by a 15-year-old pupil at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds. Her murder, which shocked the entire UK, was in 2014.
words feel rather superfluous other than to wish Maguire family well and hope the gala is an enormous success