Italian ballet dancer Francesco Gabriele Frola has been promoted to Principal Dancer of the National Ballet of Canada and at the same time becomes a Principal at English National Ballet. Dance is in his DNA. His parents, both former dancers, run a dancing school, Professione Danza, in Parma, the city where Gabriele spent the first 16 years of his life. He is the eldest of four … [Read more...]
James Hobley, Britain’s Got Talent’s autistic dancer, now 19 leaves ENB’s school to join Scottish Ballet
James Hobley, first known to the general public as a Britain’s Got Talent finalist in 2011, has graduated from English National Ballet School and has a contract to start his professional career with Scottish Ballet. I wrote about his story three years ago, because it is extraordinary and reads like a fable. Here is the beginning of that article about James becoming a … [Read more...]
Lead Principal Aaron Robison to leave English National Ballet after one season
Lead Principal Aaron Robison has decided to leave English National Ballet at the end of the current season. Robison only joined English National Ballet in June last year and will be returning to San Francisco Ballet where he danced as a Principal from 2016-2017, prior to joining ENB. Before that he danced with Houston Ballet, Corella Ballet, and Birmingham Royal Ballet. He … [Read more...]
Sneak peek of Don Quixote at La Scala – photos from today’s dress rehearsal
Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote returns again to La Scala with many of the company's newer Principals and Soloists making role debuts. Tomorrow night's cast - and that of this afternoon's dress rehearsal - will see Timofej Andrijashenko dance Basilio for the first time, and he will be dancing with Nicoletta Manni who is a house favourite in the role of Kitri. In the first … [Read more...]
English National Ballet announces promotions and new joiners for the 2018/2019 season
Tamara Rojo has announced promotions within English National Ballet and new joiners for the 2018/2019 season. Joiners and promotions Joining the Company will be Jeffrey Cirio who joins English National Ballet as Lead Principal following his recent guest performances in Song of the Earth, La Sylphide, Romeo & Juliet, Nutcracker and Akram Khan’s Giselle. Cirio is … [Read more...]