On 11 June, English National Ballet’s Emerging Dancer competition will be held at the London Coliseum for the first time.
Through this annual event, English National Ballet recognises the excellence of its artists. Selected by their peers, six of the company’s most promising dancers will perform in front of an eminent panel of expert judges, before one receives the 2018 Emerging Dancer Award. The recipients of the People’s Choice Award, selected by members of the public, and the Corps de Ballet Award, acknowledging the work on and off-stage of a member of the Corps de Ballet, will also be revealed.
The finalists will perform a pas de deux, followed by a solo. This year will see Precious Adams and Fernando Carratalá Coloma performing Petipa’s Harlequinade pas de deux; Francesca Velicu and Daniel McCormick performing a pas de deux from English National Ballet’s Le Corsaire; and Connie Vowles and Giorgio Garrett performing a pas de deux from Bournonville’s William Tell.
Precious Adams will then perform a new solo choreographed by Mthuthuzeli November, Junior Artist of Ballet Black; Francesca Velicu will perform Toccata, a new work choreographed by Royal Ballet of Flanders Principal and former English National Ballet First Artist, Nancy Osbaldeston; and Connie Vowles will perform a new piece by Royal Ballet Young Choreographer, Charlotte Edmonds.
Fernando Carratalá Coloma will perform new choreography by Victor Ullate Ballet dancer, Mariano Cardano; Giorgio Garrett will perform Fraudulent Smile by choreographer Ross Freddie Ray; and Daniel McCormick will perform a solo from Leatherwing Bat by American dancer and choreographer Trey McIntyre.
The finalists are being coached for their performances by their peers in the Company. Pedro Lapetra and Junor Souza are working on Le Corsaire with Francesca Velicu and Daniel McCormick; Fernanda Oliveira and Barry Drummond are helping Connie Vowles and Giorgio Garrett prepare for William Tell; and Crystal Costa and Fernando Bufalá are rehearsing Harlequinade with Precious Adams and Fernando Carratalá Coloma. Additional coaching is also being given by Joseph Caley, Maria José Sales and Shevelle Dynott.
Also on the night, last year’s joint Emerging Dancer Award winners, Aitor Arrieta and Rina Kanehara will perform the pas de deux from Act III of The Sleeping Beauty, whilst the winner of the 2017 People’s Choice Award, Georgia Bould, will perform an extract from La Sylphide.