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Press Release 25 January 2010

Ballet Central announces 25th Anniversary Tour 2010:

Unique student Ballet Company to visit 25 venues across the UK

Ballet Central has announced its 25th anniversary tour commencing on 10th March at the Castle Hall in Hertford. The tour will cover 25 venues across the UK, this year including the Lowry in Salford Quays, The Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House and will culminate in a three night run at the Unicorn Theatre in London 15th-17th July.

The programme of this landmark tour embraces pure Classical Ballet, dynamic Contemporary Dance, Jazz works and narrative pieces. Audiences for Ballet Central continue to grow year on year particularly in regional centres.

The 25th anniversary tour highlights will include David Nixon’s Song to St Andrew, Christopher Bruce’s Shift and excerpts from Peter Wright’s Giselle and Michael Pink’s Dracula. Kit Holder, Louise Bennett and past graduate Christopher Marney are creating new pieces for this tour, and the School’s Director Sara Matthews will be reviving Dances from a Knot Garden. Michael Pink’s dramatic narrative piece I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire and Phillip Aiden’s Let Yourself Go complete this exciting programme. Philip Feeney, Musical Director, will provide live accompaniment during the tour.

Ballet Central is formed from final year students at Central School of Ballet (CSB) in London, one of Europe’s leading centres for dance education and training. Students not only perform but also help with all aspects of staging, from technical lighting to wardrobe.

CSB Director Sara Matthews explains “The Ballet Central tour is a perfect chance to see new top dance talent and the best way for our graduating students to get a taste of life in a professional touring company. Dancers live to perform so touring is a much anticipated part of our three year curriculum.”

“Performing with Ballet Central is part of the BA (Hons) Degree course at CSB”, Sara continues, “We are the only vocational ballet school to offer an Honours Degree and pre-professional touring experience on such a scale. Ballet Central continues to be a springboard for hundreds of dancers into the top international dance companies. Audiences who catch this tour will see emerging dance professionals and a truly entertaining repertoire.”

“And ticket prices are deliberately kept low”, Sara says, “to make the tour accessible to all.”

Students benefit from working with a mixture of highly acclaimed and emerging choreographers on newly commissioned works and much-loved revivals. This results in a company with a varied repertoire and dancers with remarkable versatility.