Tag: Yorkshire Ballet School

Sergei to join the YBSS gala

Sergei PoluninThe Yorkshire Ballet Summer School gala set to be held at Sadler’s Wells on 29 September has added an extra star to its performing ranks. Sergei Polunin, one of the most talked about male ballet stars of the twenty-first century will be joining the star-studded gala to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School, hosted by Sir Anthony Dowell and Sir Derek Jacobi, produced by Marguerite Porter and Richard Clifford.

Polunin will be joining other world class theatrical and dance names such as Wayne Sleep and Samantha Bond performing ‘We’re A Couple of Swells’ (originated by Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in ‘Easter Parade’); dancers from the Northern Ballet in ‘Bitter Earth’ choreographed by Kenneth Tindall; Imelda Staunton and Michael Ball; Elizabeth Harrod, Soloist with the Royal Ballet;  ‘Le Corsaire’ performed by ENB soloist Lauretta Summerscales; the BalletBoyz and the Talent 2013, Steven McCrae with his own tap version of Gene Kelly’s ‘I Got Rhythm’; Dane Hurst in Mark Baldwin’s solo ‘Inala’, and dancers from Birmingham Royal Ballet.

The YBSS grew out of the Yorkshire Ballet Seminars which began in 1973 by ex-Royal Ballet dancer and teacher David Gayle MBE to give young people the chance to meet ballet professionals and learn about opportunities to further their ballet interests.  Within two years the Seminars had morphed into the YBSS, the country’s first residential ballet course. Porter likens the YBSS to talent scouting: “We wanted to help regional children to meet and be seen by experienced artists and teachers…40 years later we are still in a privileged position because of our contacts in the ballet world and are so pleased to be able to continue directing promising students to vocational schools”.

It must be noted that both Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter have great admiration for the venture, as it “does wonderful work introducing children to the world of dance by providing them with world class tuition” and they only hope that sciatica and a dodgy hamstring won’t prevent them premiering the Dolores Umbridge and Carson pas de deux to a dance hungry public!

Tickets: £12 to £85 www.sadlerswells.com

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Conversation With Marguerite Porter: A Royal Ballet Diamond

Marguerite PorterMarguerite Porter, director of the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School, is a British ballet diamond. From joining The Royal Ballet aged just 17, to partnering ballet legend Rudolf Nureyev, Porter’s ballet career has been full of iconic and incredibly memorable moments. Today sees Porter at the helm of the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School, leading it towards its fundraising Gala at Sadler’s Wells at the end of the month.

Where did you train?

I trained with Louise Browne in York and then at The Royal Ballet School for two years before joining the company.

What was your typical day like?

Class was at 10:30am followed by all day rehearsals which would end around 6pm, however if there was a performance in the evening and one was dancing the principal role, one would finish around lunchtime in order to prepare for the evening performance.

What is a typical day like now?

There is no typical day, as the Summer School approaches it becomes extremely busy. My PA arrives around 10am and typically we will work until around 3pm. At present in preparation for the Gala I am working all hours of the day and night with various deadlines to meet.

Who inspired you to dance?

I began to dance by accident; I was extremely tall for my age and developed a stoop in order to fit in with my peers!  In order to try and correct my poor posture, my grandmother asked a friend of hers if her twin daughters (who attended the Rambert School in London) would give me ballet lessons in their bedroom during the holidays.  As soon as I started to put music to the exercises I had been taught I knew I wanted to dance. Later when ballet came fully into my life I would say Lynn Seymour and Margot Fonteyn were my inspiration.

Did you train in any other techniques other than ballet?

At the Royal Ballet School we learned character dances and Spanish dancing.

What was life like as a Royal Ballet Dancer?

In my early years with the Royal Ballet as a corps de ballet member I was blissfully happy. Sir Frederick Ashton, Michael Somes and Jack Hart were the joint directors.  It was a wonderful atmosphere in which to begin my career. I joined the Royal Ballet aged 17; I had never been out of the country before and in those days we did extensive tours abroad. Four months in America and Canada with a six week run at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York was a thrill for someone who had never been on a plane before or indeed until the age of 15 out of Yorkshire. These were the golden years with Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev leading the company, it was such a thrill for us young dancers to be a part of it. As I progressed through the ranks to become a principal the pressure and responsibility increased and somewhat diminished the freedom and pure joy of those early years.

Do you think life there is different now?

Very difficult to answer this question, I can only imagine the pressure is even greater as they do many more performances than in my day.

What are the most memorable parts of your extensive career?

Working with the likes of Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth McMillan, Jerome Robbins and many other wonderful choreographers, also performing  with some of the greatest dancers of the 20th century including Anthony Dowell, Rudolf Nureyev and others too numerous to mention.

Do the same things motivate you each day for ballet and dance?

The motivation each day for dance is the love of it, the discipline which is innate in a dancer’s body and constant striving for perfection.

Do you still take classes?

No.

What’s the best part of dance and performance?

I used to find the rehearsal period and preparation the most exciting, creating and developing a role and making it one’s own. If it all comes together in the performance which is what one strives and hopes for, then it is exciting and fulfilling.

Of all the iconic dancers and choreographers you’ve worked with, what is the one moment that will always be with you?

Performing as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake with Rudolf Nureyev as Prince Siegfried at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to a ballet or dance career?

It is a very hard life and I would advise anyone wanting to be part of it, to consider whether or not they have the physical stamina and emotional strength to withstand it. If, after serious soul searching, (and they have all the physical attributes necessary to become a dancer) I would suggest they work hard, wear blinkers and soldier on.

What are you looking forward to most for YBSS?

To continue in the same way with all the positive things that David Gayle the founder of the YBSS instilled at the beginning.

What’s next?

To continue as we have in the past 40 years, hopefully inspiring, guiding and helping young talent.