The London Ballet Circle
Meet the world's leading dancers, choreographers and artistic directors
The London Ballet Circle offers informal talks by figures from the world of dance, visits to company rehearsals and ballet schools, a range of other dance-related activities, and regular newsletters and updates for members.
All the funds raised are used to provide help for young students in their training, other forms of sponsorship for schools, or support for specific dance projects.
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Next up on Zoom with the LBC is Adam Cooper at 7.00pm on the 9th December. The link will be sent to all members near to the date.
On the 24th November, Ernst Meisner zoomed from Amsterdam with Graham Watts in what proved to be a highly informative and inspirational conversation.
Having started dancing aged four and joining the Royal Ballet School at 17, Ernst had danced many soloist roles with the Royal Ballet and spoke fondly of the camaraderie among the dancers, notably when he had played Benvolio.
He had begun to choreograph while with the RB and has continued to make acclaimed new work over the subsequent 10 years.
His placement with Dutch National Ballet following a DanceEast seminar for aspiring directors had been instrumental firstly in his transferring to Amsterdam as a soloist and subsequently becoming the founding coordinator of DNB’s Junior Company and the Director of the DNB Academy.
The conversation ranged across all of Ernst’s roles, the various impacts and challenges of the pandemic, the pioneering digital work of DNB and his internationally popular online ballet classes – all of which Ernst spoke about with great warmth and positivity.
No charge is made for these Zoom 'talks' but those attending are encouraged to make a donation so as to help the LBC maintain its support to student dancers and organisations.
IT IS NOW EASIER THAN EVER TO DONATE TO THE LBC: JUST PRESS THE BUTTON AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE!
The link to Zoom is sent to LBC Members a few days ahead of the event and is on the News: Members Only page. Non members who would like to 'attend' may request the link from [email protected] no later than 24 hours beforehand, please.
'VISIT' TO ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET SCHOOL
Members can now book (and pay) online here for an opportunity to watch the graduate year male students in a coaching and variations session via Zoom 4.15pm - 6.00pm on 8th December. Please go to the Events page.
Many companies have moved into seasons of digital programmes. Those listed below are 'pay-to-watch' unless stated otherwise:
English National Ballet has announced a digital season of specially created works for camera which is being streamed via ENB at Home in November and December. The programme is as follows and each work is available to watch for 3 days after it is purchased (£3.49 each time):
Take Five Blues (from 23rd November); Senseless Kindness (from 30th November); Laid in Earth (from 7th December); Echoes (from 14th December); Jolly Folly (from 21st December)
The Royal Danish Ballet is showing its La Sylphide free of charge here: https://kglteater.dk/xtra/forestillinger/forestilling-sylfiden/
The Royal Ballet is streaming Flight Pattern until the 5th December and its programme of Divertissements, Scherzo by Valentino Zuchetti and Within the Golden Hour by Christopher Wheeldon until the 13th December. The RB's performance of The Nutcracker will be filmed on 22nd December.
[Dance Europe has an interview with the Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin O'Hare on its home page https://www.danceeurope.net and a range of other short films on its website: https://www.danceeurope.net/films/]
Stuttgart Ballet is streaming "Angels and Demons", a bill that should have premiered in May 2020. The online premiere will take place on Friday, 27th November at 6.00pm and it is available until Sunday, 29th November at 9.00pm on www.stuttgart-ballet.de and Stuttgart Ballet’s YouTube Channel
Falling Angels - Choreography Jiří Kylián; Music Steve Reich
Petite Mort (Stuttgart Premiere) - Choreography Jiří Kylián; Music Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Le Jeune Homme et la Mort (Stuttgart Premiere) - Choreography Roland Petit; Music Johann Sebastian Bach
To coincide with Armistice Day, New English Ballet Theatre (NEBT) is streaming its full-length 2018 ballet Remembrance, choreographed by Wayne Eagling. The is accessible free of charge from https://www.youtube.com/c/newenglishballettheatre until the 15th December
Sadler's Wells has a varied line-up of free programmes entitled Digital Stage in Focus https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/2020/sadlers-wells-digital-stage/
Dutch National Ballet has an ongoing sequence of programmes: https://www.operaballet.nl/online
Other companies' digital seasons are set out on the following websites:
https://sarasotaballet.org
[Sarasota Ballet has three Digital Programmes at a cost of $35.00 per performance; $90 for all three
Programme 2 on the 20th November features performances and excerpts from the works of George Balanchine;
Programme 3 on the 18th December will be announced soon.]
https://washingtonballet.org/season/2020-21-season/
