New Adventures & Central School of Ballet announce Student Associates programme
13 September 2016
Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures & Re:Bourne are delighted to announce a new partnership with Central School of Ballet.
The company is committed to supporting dance schools and conservatoires in nurturing, and developing the next generation of talent for the company and the Student Associates programme will build on existing work in this area. New Adventures has a long history of employing dancers who have graduated from Central School of Ballet, including Seren Williams (2016 graduate) who will be making her debut in Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes this November. This project has also emerged following the recent appointment of longstanding Company member, Christopher Marney, as the new Artistic Director of Ballet Central.
Two third year students from Central School of Ballet have been selected as our first Student Associates. Stephen Murray and Brittanie Dillon, were selected after a weekend of auditions led by Matthew Bourne (Artistic Director, New Adventures) and Etta Murfitt (Associate Artistic Director, New Adventures). Stephen and Brittanie will attend The Red Shoes rehearsal and creation period at the Backstage Centre, Essex. They will then support the Company by performing in various performances during the show’s Christmas season at Sadler’s Wells from 6 December 2016 – 29 January 2017, and further on in The Red Shoes UK tour.
Matthew Bourne says, “I’m delighted to be building on our partnership with Central School of Ballet. Central frequently delivers first rate performers that go on to have long careers with New Adventures, including Dominic North, Danny Reubens, Nicole Kabera and Andrew Monaghan. They are the perfect partner school to be launching this new initiative with, to further build on our commitment to supporting the best schools to deliver the best talent to the sector.”
Heidi Hall, Director, Central School of Ballet says, “I am delighted that our relationship with New Adventures continues to grow and that young dancers training at Central get to experience life as a professional dancer first hand. The list of our wonderful alumni currently working with New Adventures is testament to the training and vision we collectively work towards in providing theatrical and narrative dancers for the industry. I would like to thank Sir Matthew for his continued support and all at New Adventures for their investment into our young dancers and for giving them this invaluable opportunity.”
Christopher Marney, Artistic Director, Ballet Central says, “As alumnus of Central School of Ballet and a principal dancer with New Adventures I could not think of a more fitting collaboration between a school and company that mean so much to me. Ballet Central will now more than ever become a vehicle to launch young dancers into the profession by introducing them to initiatives such as this. The vision of the school’s founder Christopher Gable to produce versatile and intelligent performers is still our ethos and one that fits perfectly within the mould of not only a New Adventures performer but a dancer many other companies require. This new scheme will strengthen further our students performing experience and enable them to fit the demands of our current industry.”
