English National Ballet School presented a full summer programme with excerpts from traditional ballets and new works showing the technical proficiency of the students as they aim for jobs in the profession. The opening Étude no. 1, turned the spotlight on clarity of classical positions, the essential baseline while the closing number, a joyous breakout in Marguerite Donlon’s Ruff Celts, showed the versatility and endless choreographic possibilities open to a well-trained dancer.
Under new artistic director, Lynne Charles, there is a strong emphasis on raising standards and building closer ties with the Company. Two graduates will be joining the Company next season and seven are joining the ENBS GAP programme.
The main work was Graduation Ball, a favourite of the former London Festival Ballet and now enjoyed by 2nd Year students. The many small roles gave good opportunities for individual performers. Divertissement were introduced by the ‘Good Girl’, Annabel Foster, who danced a strong solo including a neat diagonal of hops on pointe. The order was almost hijacked by Lyla Ireland, a fun-loving ‘Pigtails’ determined to find a boyfriend. Drummer Boy, Kota Haratani, struck the right note and gave a dashing show. Dina Rom Haugerud made a wistful Sylph partnered by a love-struck Rocco Strickland as The Scotsman. ENBS fielded two strong fouetté girls, Viviana Guemez and Elisha Tan, who went into battle with glee. The Cadets were well groomed and dapper, convincingly entering into the manners of the era.
There were two items from Ronald Hynd’s Coppélia. The Waltz of the Hours was danced by 1st Years with care, commitment and generous acknowledgment of the audience. Well-rehearsed to show neat footwork and clean lines with all dozen dancers pirouetting from the kneel with ease. Riho Hayashi and Luke Wragg danced the 3rd Act Pas de Deux. It opened with Wragg’s solo, an exuberant display of fine beats and tours matched by Hayashi, a star performer, utterly charming and very confident. The duet showed careful partnering and a successful conclusion.
Pas de Six from Swan Lake was an interesting revision of the well-known Act 1 Pas de Trois, with the solos and coda divided up to make a successful work for a graduation performance. It was taken at a lively pace with the dancers working musically and well-coordinated. Each has a share in the technical challenges with Haru Yokoo making the most of her solo opportunity.
Études on a Theme of Satie and El Cid both choreographed by Lynne Charles were well designed to highlight the school’s focus on sound classical training. Études starts at the barre with four female dancers each side going through their paces, beautifully synchronised and well positioned, though I would have liked a little stronger lighting. Lily Moran working on her own on the centre barre portrayed a modern use of pointe, rolling over from the plié and sliding on the edge of the shoe. She gets the final étude to dance out her angst and ends wrapped around the barre. The men get their moment, leaping over the barre to take centre stage and two duets, a lyrical adage of fine extensions from Elsie Pinder with Isaac Calstar-Fisher and a more emotional contemporary duet with good use of the floor from Zai Calliste and Olivia-Şenay Bayram choreographed by Juan Eymar.
El Cid to Massenet’s stirring music was danced by the 1st Years. The opening cohort was led by spirited Maho Yanari, the female dancers fluttering fans and the men swirling capes. Successive groups presented quality dance, carefully choreographed to challenge and strengthen, building to an exhilarating climax.
Pas de Deux from Italian Suite was danced by guests from Brigham Young University performing group, Gordon Felesina and Olivia Newell. We see little of Gerald Arpino’s work so it was a pleasure to see these two fine dancers performing this duet of extended lines and heightened emotion.
A Mozart Divertimento from Renato Paroni was an thrilling and rather busy classical choreography. It was a challenging work for the 2nd Year students who nevertheless did well coping with high lifts and tricky tours.
Ruff Celts thrusts the dancers into the moment in a work of powerful contemporary movement. The costumes said it all with the white ruffs the only well-behaved item. The men looking rough and ready in Irish kilts and bare chests, the women in sleek sexy leotards, their black socks giving a booted rebellious look. It has a slow burn buildup from the opening solo into a duet from Zai Calliste and Haru Yokoo, then male and female dancers taking turns, each with their own strong language. The final section with explosive high jumps punctuated with roars made a truly celebratory close.
