| Birmingham Royal Ballet | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Name | Birmingham Royal Ballet |
| Previous Names |
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| Year Founded | 1946 |
| Founders | Dame Ninette de Valois |
| Founding Artistic Director | John Field |
| Director Laureate | Sir Peter Wright |
| Principal venue | Birmingham Hippodrome Hurst Street Birmingham England, B5 4TB UK |
| Website | brb.org.uk |
| Senior Staff | |
| Chief Executive | Christopher Barron |
| Director | David Bintley, CBE |
| Assistant director | Marion Tait |
| Company Manager | Paul Grist |
| Ballet Staff | Michael O'Hare, Dominic Antonucci, Wolfgang Stollwitzer |
| Other | |
| Sister Company | The Royal Ballet |
| Orchestra | Royal Ballet Sinfonia |
| Official School | Elmhurst School for Dance |
| Formation |
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Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) is one of the three major ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside The Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet.[1]
Founded in 1947 as the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, the company was established under the direction of John Field, and was formed to continue ballet performances at Sadler's Wells Theatre, after its predecessor (today's Royal Ballet) moved to become the resident ballet company at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. The company was later granted a Royal Charter, becoming the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet and following relocation to Birmingham in 1990, the name was changed to Birmingham Royal Ballet, with the company becoming the resident ballet company at the Birmingham Hippodrome theatre.
It is now independent of the Royal Ballet in London, although it retains strong links with the company and the Royal Ballet School. As a resident company, Birmingham Royal Ballet has extensive custom-built facilities, including a suite of dance studios, the Jerwood Centre for the Prevention and Treatment of Dance Injuries and a studio theatre known as the Patrick Centre. In 2002, the need for Birmingham Royal Ballet to have its own school led to a new association with Elmhurst School for Dance, which is now its official ballet school.
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In 1926, the Irish-born dancer Ninette de Valois founded the Academy of Choreographic Art, a dance school for girls. Her intention was to form a repertory ballet company and school, leading her to collaborate with the English theatrical producer and theatre owner Lilian Baylis. Baylis owned the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells theatres and in 1925 she engaged de Valois to stage dance performances at both venues.
Sadler's Wells reopened in 1931 and the Vic-Wells Ballet and Vic-Wells Ballet School were established in premises at the theatre. These would become the predecessors of today's Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Royal Ballet School.
In 1939, the company lost its link with the Old Vic theatre and, in 1940, Sadler's Wells theatre was bombed during World War II. These events forced the company to begin touring the country, becoming known as the Sadler's Wells Ballet. The company did return to Sadler's Wells theatre, where it stayed until 1946, when the company was invited to become the resident ballet company of the newly re-opened Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. The company relocated to the opera house the same year in 1946, with their first production at the venue being Ninette de Valois' staging of The Sleeping Beauty.
Following the relocation of the company the school was relocated to its own premises in 1947 and a sister company was established to continue performances at Sadler's Wells, called Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet. This sister company would become the predecessor of today's Birmingham Royal Ballet. The first Artistic Director of the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet was John Field, who was later made co-director of the Royal Ballet and also worked as artistic director of La Scala Theatre Ballet and English National Ballet.
In 1955, Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet temporarily lost its link with Sadler's Wells theatre and relocated to the Royal Opera House as a touring unit of the main company.
In 1956, a Royal Charter was granted for both companies and the school and they were subsequently renamed the Royal Ballet, Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet School.
The Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet returned to Sadler's Wells theatre in 1970, whilst continuing to tour the country. The first indication that the company would leave London came in 1987, when the company was invited to become the resident ballet company at the Birmingham Hippodrome theatre. Consequently, the company relocated to Birmingham in 1990, being given its current name Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Sir Peter Wright remained as the company's Artistic Director and held the post until his retirement in 1995, when the current Artistic Director, David Bintley was appointed. In 1997, Birmingham Royal Ballet was made independent of the Royal Ballet and ceased to be managed by the Royal Opera House.
As an independent ballet company, Birmingham Royal Ballet no longer has official links with the Royal Ballet or Royal Ballet School. To further establish its reputation as a separate entity, in 2002, it began a new relationship with the Elmhurst School for Dance, which is now its official associate school. Elmhurst is the oldest established vocational dance school in the United Kingdom, and was previously based in Camberley, Surrey. It relocated to premises in Edgbaston, Birmingham in 2004, becoming known as Elmhurst School for Dance, in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet.
| Name | Nationality | Training | Joined BRB | Promoted to Principal |
Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Bond | UK | Royal Ballet School | 2003 | 2009 | The Royal Ballet, 2002–2003 Eurovision Young Dancers – Finalist (Great Britain), 2001 Young British Dancer of the Year – Winner, 2000 |
| Chi Cao | China | Beijing Dance Academy Royal Ballet School |
1995 | 2002 | Varna International Ballet Competition — Gold Medal, 1998 |
| Gaylene Cummerfield | New Zealand | Australian Ballet School | 2008 | 2009 | Australian Ballet, 1998–2008 Royal New Zealand Ballet, 1997–1998 Genee International Ballet Competition – Bronze Medal, 1996 Asian Pacific Ballet Competition — Winner, 1996 |
| Matthew Lawrence | New Zealand | Australian Ballet School | 2008 | N/A | Promoted to Principal – Australian Ballet, 2004 Australian Ballet, 1996–2008 |
| Iain Mackay | UK |
Royal Ballet School | 1999 | 2003 | Promoted to Soloist — Birmingham Royal Ballet, 2001 |
| Carol-Anne Millar | Canada United Kingdom |
Royal Ballet School | 1997 | 2009 | National Dance Awards – Spotlight Award, Female (Classical), 2007 Promoted to First Soloist — Birmingham Royal Ballet, 2005 Promoted to Soloist — Birmingham Royal Ballet, 2001 |
| César Morales | Chile | Municipal Theatre of Santiago Houston Ballet Academy |
2008 | N/A | Principal Guest Artist – Vienna State Opera Ballet, 2006 English National Ballet, 2004–2006 Altazor Prize — Winner, 2002 & 2003 New York International Ballet Competition — Gold Medal, 2003 Prague International Ballet Competitions — Gold Medal, 2002 Ballet de Santiago, years unknown |
| Natasha Oughtred | United Kingdom | Vanessa Hooper & Niall McMahon Royal Ballet School |
2007 | 2009 | Promoted to First Soloist — Birmingham Royal Ballet, 2008 Promoted to Soloist – The Royal Ballet, 2004 The Royal Ballet, 2000–2007 Genee International Ballet Competition – Gold Medal, 2000 |
| Robert Parker | United Kingdom | Royal Ballet School | 1994 | 1999 | National Dance Awards – Outstanding Male Artist, 2003 Laurence Olivier Awards – Nominee, 2001 National Dance Awards – Nominee, 2001 |
| Nao Sakuma | Japan | Michiko Komori Ballet School Royal Ballet School |
1995 | 2002 | National Dance Awards – Nominee, 2001 Jackson Ballet Competition — Special Jury Prize, 1998 |
| Ambra Vallo | Italy | Royal Ballet School of Flanders | 1996 | N/A | Danza & Danza Magazine — Best Female Dancer Award, 2004 Positano Awards — Best Performance, 2002 English National Ballet, 1993–1996 Positano Awards — Most Talented Upcoming Dancer, 1991 Luxemburg International Grand Prix — Winner, Date Unknown Rieti International Ballet Competition — Gold Medal, Date Unknown Houlgate International Ballet Competition — Silver Medal, Date Unknown |
| Elisha Willis | Australia | Australian Ballet School | 2003 | 2004 | Promoted to Soloist – Australian Ballet, 2001 Australian Ballet, 1991999-2003 |
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