Elmhurst's summer Ascent

Published: 13 June 2022
Reporter: Vera Liber

Elmhurst Ballet School in Tetris Credit: Magda Hoffman

Elmhurst Ballet School, in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, is to present a summer run of shows under the title Ascent.

Running 814 July 2022 in the school’s studio theatre, the shows are the students’ final performances before moving upwards in the school or to other destinations and, for the graduate year Elmhurst Ballet Company, into professional dance.

Jenna Lee, a former Soloist with English National Ballet and Founder of JLee Productions, will create work for year 7–9 students. Laura Day, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Principal Character Artist & Assistant Répétiteur, will create Journey to the Ball and At the Ball inspired by Cinderella for year 12. Sandrine Monin, dance artist, choreographer and movement director, will create The Invitation for year 12 students, and freelance choreographer Morgann Runacre-Temple will create a new work for year 13.

Elmhurst staff including Sonia Fajardo, Ana Garcia, Jenny MacNamara, Sarah-Jayne Blackwell and Indra Reinholde will create a range of dance pieces. Tetris will be choreographed by graduate year student Olivia Chang-Clarke who was seen in this year’s televised BBC Young Dancer Competition finals.

There will be excerpts from Atomos, created by Wayne McGregor for Company Wayne McGregor in 2013. Majisimo, by the late Cuban dancer and choreographer George Garcia, will be rehearsed for the stage by Elmhurst teachers Joshua Barwick and Michael Raynaud. Peaky Pachuco! inspired by the TV hit Peaky Blinders will be choreographed by Zak Nemorin.

Elmhurst artistic team members Nicky Linzie, Andrea Tredinnick, Gloria Grigolato, Lee Robinson, Jim Grundy, Joshua Barwick and Michael Raynaud also create or rehearse numbers for the shows.

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