English National Ballet’s Emerging Dancer competition put on pause after exit of Tamara Rojo

English National Ballet today announced that its Emerging Dancer competition will be paused until 2024.

The decision was made to ensure Artistic Director Designate, Aaron S. Watkin, and the wider Artistic team can fully support the programme and maximise its impact in the context of the company's wider programming.

Due to increased financial constraints, the Board of Trustees and Executive team have taken the decision to focus financial resources towards supporting new work in the 2023-2024 financial year.

Aaron S. Watkin, said:

Providing opportunities for talent development is a key part of my vision for English National Ballet and so it is very important to me that I am closely involved with programmes such as Emerging Dancer. With the Company's busy programme of activity, we have decided to pause next year's Emerging Dancer until I am in post full-time. I am very much looking forward to celebrating the artistry and dedication of ENB's dancers through Emerging Dancer in 2024.

Next year will see English National Ballet honour a recipient of the People's Choice Award, voted for by audience members across the season, and the Corps de Ballet Award, which acknowledges the work both on and off stage of an Artist of the Company.

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.