Tamara Rojo CBE, Artistic Director of English National Ballet, has announced promotions within the company and new joiners for the 2017/2018 season.
At 20, Cesar Corrales has been promoted to the company's youngest Principal following his performances in Akram Khan’s Giselle, Nutcracker, Mary Skeaping’s Giselle, Le Corsaire, Coppelia and William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated. He joined the company in 2014, was promoted to Junior Soloist in 2015 and to First Soloist in 2016, when he won both the Emerging Dancer and People’s Choice Awards.
Alison McWhinney and Fernando Bufalá are promoted to First Soloist and Katja Khaniukova, Aitor Arrieta and Ken Saruhashi to Soloist. Tiffany Hedman, Rina Kanehara and Guilherme Menezes are promoted to Junior Soloist. Precious Adams, Isabelle Brouwers, Jung ah Choi, and Francesca Velicu are promoted to First Artist. Emily Suzuki is promoted to 4th year Artist of the Company.
Jeffrey Cirio, Principal at American Ballet Theatre, joins as Guest Artist to perform with the Company for the autumn/winter season and Oscar Chacon will reprise his role as Hilaron in Akram Khan’s Giselle.
Jurgita Dronina joined the Company as Lead Principal in July 2017 following her guest performances in Mary Skeaping’s Giselle at the London Coliseum and Grand Opera House, Belfast and in Coppelia at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan.
Coventry-born Aaron Robison joined as Lead Principal from San Francisco Ballet in June 2017. His first performances with ENB will be as Romeo in Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo & Juliet alongside Dronina as Juliet at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
Joseph Caley joins as Principal from Birmingham Royal Ballet. He has performed in Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Giselle, Cinderella and Nutcracker and has been a guest artist with the Australian Ballet and with Star Dancer Ballet in Japan.
As Soloist, Skyler Martin joins from Dutch National Ballet. Claire Barratt and Eireen Evrard join as Artists of the Company.
Also joining as Artists of the Company are Alice Bellini (The Royal Ballet School), Daniel McCormick (Houston Ballet Company), Henry Dowden (Scottish Ballet) and Rhys Antoni Yeomans (English National Ballet School). Julia Conway joined as Artist of the Company mid-season.
Yonah Acosta leaves English National Ballet to join as Principal of Bavarian State Ballet. He joined ENB in 2011 as First Artist, was promoted to Junior Soloist later that year and to Principal in 2014. He has performed in Roland Petit’s Le Jeune Homme et la Mort, Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, Coppélia and Swan Lake and as Albrecht in Mary Skeaping’s Giselle.
Principal Laurretta Summerscales will take a sabbatical during the 2017/2018 season to perform with Bavarian State Ballet.
Also leaving at the end of the 2016/2017 season are Soloist Emilio Pavan, First Artist Jinhao Zhang and Artists of the Company Yoko Callegari and Jeanette Kakareka who join Bavarian State Ballet, while Artist of the Company Vitor Menezes joins the Royal Danish Ballet and Daniele Silingardi joins Stuttgart Ballet.
First Artist Tamarin Stott is to leave and Artist of the Company Grant Rae retires at the end of the current season. Junior Soloist Juan Rodrigues and First Artist Makoto Nakamura left the Company mid-season.