London Ballet Circle has been supporting GradPro since it’s beginning in 2021. Three years on it has grown and continues to offer an opportunity for young dancers to prepare for life after vocational training, by bringing them together with professionals, coaches and dance companies. This year’s distinguished panel was made up of Zenaida Yanowsky, Cynthia Harvey, Gail Monahan, Sir David Bintley CBE and Mark Baldwin OBE.
The 2024 finals were held at Elmhurst on May 19th and several LBC members were in the audience to see the performances and hear the judges’ decision. The London Ballet Circle Award was presented to Leo Godfrey who will be graduating from English National Ballet School in a few weeks time.
Leo joined the other finalists in a full day of class work, coaching of their individual pieces and a professional photo shoot. In front of the judges, the 14 young candidates showed off what they could do in centre classwork, followed by each participant performing a classical and contemporary solo. Leo danced Prince’s Solo from Act II of Nutcracker and The Swan. The competition was strong but Leo obviously impressed the judges as he was awarded the London Ballet Circle Award of £500 and a week’s placement with Northern Ballet. Congratulations, Leo!
While the judges deliberated, last year’s London Ballet Circle Award winner Michael Maple and Ariel Hardy, winner of the 2024 GradPro Choreography Award, danced for the audience. Michael will be dancing with English National Ballet in Swan Lake at The Royal Albert Hall.