English National Ballet announces repertoire for Emerging Dancer

Emerging Dancer returns to a live audience at Sadler’s Wells, London on Friday 24 May. Six of English National Ballet’s most promising dancers, selected by their peers, showcase their talent in front of an eminent panel of expert judges, before one is presented with the Emerging Dancer Award.

This year’s finalists, mentored by their peers, will each perform a classical pas de deux and a contemporary duet in their pairings. Anna-Babette Winkler and Jose María Lorca Menchón will perform an excerpt from La Bayadère; Breanna Foad and Thiago Pereira will perform the Venetian Carnival duet from Satanella; and Anna Ciriano and Shunhei Fuchiyama will perform the Grand Pas de Deux from Don Quixote.

The Company’s creative talent is also eminent in the contemporary section. Rentaro Nakaaki, himself a previous Emerging Dancer finalist, is choreographing a new work, Moya, for Anna Ciriano and Shunhei Fuchiyama, with original music composed by fellow Company member, Fabian Reimair.

Breanna Foad and Thiago Pereira will perform a new work by London-based Taiwanese choreographer Ching-Ying Chien. Chien said: “This new duet is inspired by the imagery of Penrose stairs, an impossible object where the staircase always comes back to the starting point. In our current human society, we often believe we’re moving somewhere, yet we end up stuck in a loop. I’ve been exploring this idea with Breanna and Thiago through movement that creates a dream/nightmare feeling among reality”.  

Celebrating English National Ballet’s contemporary repertoire, Anna-Babette Winkler and Jose María Lorca Menchón will perform Dust by Akram Khan. On coaching the pair, First Soloist James Streeter said: “Although it feels like yesterday, it has been ten years since I first performed AkramKhan’s Dust, a piece that means so much to us and we hold very close to our hearts. It is such an honour and a privilege to work alongside Erina Takahashi and Mavin Khoo as we see Anna-Babette and Jose dive deeper into this powerful work. It has been so wonderful to support them as they travel on their journey, and I feel very great full to be able to share this experience with them.”

Emerging Dancer 2024 will be hosted by Aaron S. Watkin, Artistic Director of English National Ballet.

This year’s esteemed judging panel comprises: Amanda Britton MA, Chief Executive, Principal and Artistic Director of Rambert School; Monica Zamora, Former Principal Dancer of Birmingham Royal Ballet; Edward Watson MBE, Former Principal Dancer of The Royal Ballet; and Isabela Coracy*, Senior Artist of Ballet Black.

The recipients of the People’s Choice Award, as voted for by audiences throughout the Season, and the Corps de Ballet Award, which acknowledges the work on and off-stage of an Artist of the Company, will also be announced. There will be special performances by 2022 Emerging Dancer winner Eric Snyder and People’s Choice winner Precious Adams.

English National Ballet Philharmonic will perform live, conducted by Principal Guest Conductor Gavin Sutherland.

Emerging Dancer 2024 will be filmed and made available to stream for free on English National Ballet’s YouTube channel from Thursday 30 May, for a limited time of 30 days.

Visit ballet.org.uk for more information.

The 2024 Emerging Dancer finalists, Photo credit Laurent Liotardo