WORLD PREMIERE OF NEW BRITISH BALLET LAUNCHES AUTUMN SEASON FOR ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET

English National Ballet launches its autumn season in October with the world premiere of its first new full-length ballet for a decade.

Michael Corder’s a spectacular production of The Snow Queen is one of two full-length ballets being taken on tour around the UK by English National Ballet this autumn.

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale, The Snow Queen boasts an all-British creative team, with Corder joined by designer Mark Bailey, and Prokofiev’s music arranged by Julian Philips.

The Snow Queen kicks off English National Ballet’s autumn tour in Liverpool on 11 October, moving on to Bristol, Oxford, Southampton and Manchester before arriving at the London Coliseum for Christmas.

The other ballet in the company’s autumn season is Derek Deane’s Swan Lake.. His traditional production, set to Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score, brings the romance and high drama of the grand Russian ballet tradition alive.

One of the world’s great ballet companies, English National Ballet has gone from strength to strength since the arrivals in 2005 of Craig Hassall as MD and Wayne Eagling came as Artistic Director.

Their mission: to remain true to the company’s original 1950s vision of taking classical ballet of the highest quality to the widest geographical audience - at a price everyone can afford.

By commissioning and acquiring new pieces, refurbishing existing works and encouraging new choreographers to work with its impeccably trained performers, ENB aims to maintain an original and popular repertoire for the nation.

Affordable pricing is a key and to ensuring they develop new audiences, and the company has set the standard in maximising accessibility to dance, especially in its ground-breaking education and outreach activity.

The dedicated Education and Community Unit works within all the communities that the Company tours to, creating relationships with a wide variety of audiences nationwide and encouraging understanding of ballet.

English National will be touring with its full company of 64 dancers and full symphony orchestra. The international line up of dancers include popular husband-and-wife team Agnes Oaks and Thomas Edur as well Daria Klimentová and Dmitri Gruzdyev; Elena Glurdjidze and Arionel Vargas; Erina Takahashi and César Morales, and Fernanda Oliveira.

Further demonstrating its commitment to developing audiences for ballet, Sky Arts continues its tenure as National Tour Sponsor in 2007.


National Press nights
The Snow Queen 17 October, Bristol
Swan Lake 24 October, Bristol

London Press nights
The Snow Queen 11 December, London Coliseum
Swan Lake 8 January 2008, London Coliseum