Now in its eighth year, English National Ballet’s Emerging Dancer competition will be held at Sadler’s Wells on 25 May 2017. Selected by peers within the company, six of ENB’s most promising dancers will perform in front of a panel of expert judges, in a bid to receive the 2017 Emerging Dancer Award.
Emerging Dancer is a key part of English National Ballet’s commitment to developing and nurturing talent within the company. Last year’s winner of both the Emerging Dancer Award and the People’s Choice Award, Cesar Corrales, has since been promoted to First Soloist. He has performed many principal roles since, and his performance as Ali in Le Corsaire has been nominated for Outstanding Male Performance at the 2017 Critics Circle National Dance Awards.
The 2017 finalists are:
Isabelle Brouwers
Isabelle joined English National Ballet in 2014. This season, Isabelle has performed as Myrtha in Akram Khan’s Giselle, Mirliton and Lead Flowers in Nutcracker, and as Myrtha in Mary Skeaping’s Giselle. A previous Emerging Dancer finalist in 2014 and 2015, Isabelle won Silver Medal at the 2013 Genée International Ballet Competition.
Rina Kanehara
Rina joined English National Ballet after being named Prize Winner at the Prix de Lausanne 2015. In the 2016/2017 season Rina made her debut as Clara in Nutcracker. Rina was a finalist in Emerging Dancer 2016, and has won Silver Medal at Varna 2016 and Gold Medal at the Youth America Grand Prix 2012.
Madison Keesler
Madison joined English National Ballet in 2013, and was previously with Hamburg Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. This season she worked closely with Akram Khan on the creation of Giselle and performed in the title role, as well as performing as Lead Snowflakes and Flowers in Nutcracker, and as Bathilde in Mary Skeaping’s Giselle.
Aitor Arrieta
Aitor joined English National Ballet at the start of the 2016/2017 season. He has since performed as Albrecht in Akram Khan’s Giselle, and as the Nutcracker. He received The Professional Dancers’ Association of Gipuzkoa Discover Award in 2015, the 2015 Dancer Revelation of Gipuzkoa Prize and Gold Medal at the International Dance Contest of Biarritz.
Guilherme Menezes
Guilherme joined the company from English National Ballet School in 2011. This season he has performed as the Nutcracker and Lead Flowers in Nutcracker, and in Akram Khan’s Giselle. He was a finalist at Prix de Lausanne 2010 and was a finalist in Emerging Dancer 2013.
Emilio Pavan
Previously a member of Queensland Ballet, Emilio joined the company in 2015. He has performed in Akram Khan’s Giselle and made his debut as Nephew in Nutcracker this season.