NEBT Associate Choreographers
Ruth Brill
Ruth is a freelance choreographer. She trained at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts and English National Ballet School. She danced with English National Ballet (2007-2012) and Birmingham Royal Ballet (First Artist, 2012-2019).
Ruth has created work for Birmingham Royal Ballet (including Arcadia and Peter & The Wolf), English National Ballet (including Dance in Perpetuity and dance film MOMENTA), English National Ballet & Chelsea Ballet Schools (Nutcracker Gala – London Coliseum), BBC Dance Passion, Future Dreams Gala (Neshamot – London Palladium), The Rugby World Cup Welcoming Ceremony for England (Sound of Strength) and various dance films (BODIES, Chrysalis, Beneath Still Waters). Ruth is passionate about creating narrative work and has also completed a course in Dramaturgy with Lou Cope.
Recent projects include commissions for English National Ballet, New English Ballet Theatre, the Cecchetti Society and The Royal Ballet School.
Ruth is the Artistic Director of London Children’s Ballet. She re-staged Cathy Marston’s production of Ballet Shoes (2019) and has since commissioned the creation of Anne Of Green Gables (2022), Snow White (2023) and Secret Garden (2024) for the company.
ruthbrill.com/ | Photo by Dasa Wharton
Daniela Cardim
Daniela Cardim is a Brazilian/British choreographer based in Arizona. Born in Rio de Janeiro, she danced with Ballet do Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro and with Dutch National Ballet, Amsterdam.
She is an NEBT Associate Choreographer and worked in the company’s leadership team from 2013 to 2024, initially as Company Manager and then Assistant Director, before being appointed Artistic Director of Ballet Arizona in 2024.
As a choreographer, Cardim gives great importance to musicality and her creative process involves close collaboration with the dancers.
Commissions include works for Birmingham Royal Ballet, Dutch National Ballet (main and Junior companies), West Australian Ballet, Poznan Opera Ballet, Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo Companhia de Dança, English National Ballet School, Dutch National Ballet School, School of American Ballet (as part of the New York Choreographic Institute), Elmhurst Ballet School and the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.
Cardim created five works for New English Ballet Theatre. She was cited as ‘new name to watch’ by Dance Europe Magazine’s Critics’ Choice Awards for her 2015 work Tangents, and her work Vertex was chosen by Dance Europe’s Critics’ Choice Awards as one of the ‘Best Premieres of 2017’. She has recently been nominated for the Award of Best Choreography of 2022 for her work Stabat Mater in Poland.
www.danielacardim.com | Photo by Yebo Photography
Jenna Lee
Jenna Lee is a freelance choreographer with a Master’s Degree in Choreography and a former soloist of English National Ballet. She specialises in neo-classical collaborations and innovative choreographic pieces, whilst also running her own company, JLee Productions.
Jenna has worked on a multitude of creative commercial projects including music videos, festivals and cultural collaborations. Jenna choreographed an acclaimed UK tour, collaborating with World Dance Champions, Flawless, to create an explosive fusion of ballet, breakdancing and acrobatics. She produced a flashmob at London’s Tower bridge to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and has worked internationally on a cross-cultural project in Shanghai choreographing for 200 students across China and the UK. Jenna has produced explosive work for Citroen, The Sanderson hotel, Coutts Bank, and her choreography has appeared on productions for ITV, Sky, Channel 4 and CBBC.
Jenna has created dynamic pieces for English National Ballet, Northern Ballet and Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami. She has also choreographed three full-length narrative ballets for London Children’s Ballet, Snow White, Little Lord Fauntleroy and Anne of Green Gables.
For NEBT, Jenna created Classical Symphony for Synergies in 2012, and The Four Seasons in 2017 which also featured in our 2018 and 2022 programmes.
Kristen McNally
Kristen McNally is an English dancer and choreographer. Born in Liverpool, she trained locally with Elizabeth Hill before joining the Royal Ballet Upper School. Kirsten graduated into the Royal Ballet in 2002, was promoted to First Artist in 2007, Soloist in 2009 and Principal Character Artist in 2017.
She regularly choreographs for Draft Works, with works such as Yes we did, Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the Game and Checkpoint 19. Further choreography at the Royal Opera House includes Chance to Dance, The Royal Ballet School and Metheus for BalletBoyz the TALENT in the Linbury Studio Theatre.
McNally regularly works with the Royal Opera House’s Learning and Participation department, with work including choreographing for Chance for Dance and co-presenting Royal Ballet Live. Other choreography work includes the ‘Tiny Dancer’ television advert for John Lewis (2015).
For NEBT Kirsten has created Lonesome Gun, Mad Women, Moonshine, I Can’t Dance and Invisible Touch.
Andrew McNicol
Andrew McNicol is a freelance British choreographer based in London. His choreographic work began whilst studying at The Royal Ballet School, where he won the Kenneth MacMillan choreographic competition. Andrew has launched the McNicol Ballet Collective to connect dancers and collaborators to create ambitious new work.
For NEBT, Andrew created Les Carnaval des Verites for our 2012 Synergies programme, and Kreutzer Sonata in 2013 for a mixed programme which was also showcased in our 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Érico Montes
Brazilian dancer and choreographer Érico Montes was born in São Paulo and trained locally from the age of three until 2002, when he was awarded a bronze medal in the International Dance Seminar in Brasilia and moved to London to study at the London Studio Centre.
In 2003 he won gold medal in the Dance Competition in Rieti, Italy, and was awarded a scholarship with The Royal Ballet School.
Érico joined The Royal Ballet in 2004 and was promoted to First Artist in 2010. He has created full length ballets for London Children’s Ballet (The Secret Garden, Nanny McPhee) and Athens Children’s Ballet (Persephone, Hansel & Gretel) as well as shorter pieces for Constela Ballet (Renard) and London Studio Centre’s Images (Suite in Colour). In 2020 he became Associate Director of Ballet Arts Project. After working as Ballet Master for NEBT’s 2022 season, Erico subsequently joined the
Erico created Wesendonck Lieder for NEBT in 2013, and Toca in 2014, which also featured in our 2015 programme. In 2019 he created work in progress, Unbridled Blood.
opera.toulouse.fr/le-ballet | www.balletartsproject.com | Photo by George Abdilla
Morgann Runacre-Temple
Morgann is a freelance choreographer and movement director. Credits include Kingdom of Back for Northern Ballet, Rosie fällt for Stuttgart Ballet, Der Wolf for Oper Graz, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Carmen, Nutcracker for Ballet Ireland, Give My Love to The Sunrise for English National Ballet, Poppy Hotel for Wilton’s Music Hall. She has created works for Ballet Central, Images of Dance, English National Ballet School and Royal Ballet School.
In partnership with Jessica Wright, she makes dance films. Credits include Tremble and The Secret Theatre for Scottish Ballet (‘Best full length Dance Film’ National Dance Awards 2021). Jess and Morgs were nominated for Outstanding Creative Contribution that year.
In 2022 Morgann is creating a new work for Birmingham Royal Ballet and a reimagined Coppelia for Scottish Ballet together with Jess.
For NEBT, Morgann created Rosamunde.
www.morgannrunacre-temple.com | Photo by Robert Gravenor
George Williamson
George Williamson was born in Worcestershire and trained at Elmhurst Ballet School and at English National Ballet School, where his choreographic work subsequently began. He danced with Polish National Ballet and has had choreography commissioned for a variety of companies including English National Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Lithuanian National Ballet, American Ballet Theatre Studio Company and Constella Ballet & Orchestra.
In 2013, George received a nomination for the Benois de la Danse Award for his production of Firebird. He created My First Ballet: Swan Lake and My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty, both for English National Ballet. In 2017, George won the Genesis International Choreography Competition at Milwaukee Ballet with his new ballet, Wonderers.
For NEBT, George created Threefold in 2012, and Strangers in 2016.
Valentino Zucchetti
Valentino was born in Calcinate and began training locally aged four. Aged 11 he moved to Milan to study at La Scala Ballet School. At 16 he was offered a scholarship to study at The Royal Ballet Upper School and while there won the 2006 Genée International Ballet Competition and the 2007 Solo Seal award. Following training at The Royal Ballet Upper School he joined Zürich Ballet. He joined the Royal Ballet in 2010, promoted to First Artist in 2011, Soloist in 2012 and First Soloist in 2014.
Valentino won the Royal Ballet School’s Ursula Moreton Choreographic Award in 2005. He choreographed Sonata for Six for the School’s 2013 matinee and regularly creates pieces for The Royal Ballet’s Draft Works. His 2020 ballet Scherzo for The Royal Ballet received the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Dance. His ballet Anemoi created for the main stage of the Royal Opera House received its world premiere in June 2021 and won the Critic’s Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Choreography in 2022. In 2022, he created Prima for The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration.
For NEBT, Valentino created Orbital Motion, which was part of our 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons, Enticement’s Lure (2016) and Firth of Fifth as part of Genesis Dance Project.
Choreographers
Peter Leung
Peter initially trained as a classical ballet dancer at The Royal Ballet School before dancing at Bayerisches Staatsballett, Le Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon and Dutch National Ballet. He has also studied filmmaking at the New York Film Academy, and photography at Central Saint Martins, London, and the Fotoacademie NL.
He is the creative director of House of Makers, an interdisciplinary performance arts company, and has been affiliated with the Dutch National Ballet as a Young Creative Associate.
His works include commissions for Dutch National Ballet; Van Gogh Museum, EYE museum, Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam; Rotterdam Kunsthal, Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam; Origen Cultural Festival, Switzerland; International Bach Festival, Gran Canaria; fashion designer, David Laport; KLM & Rituals, and Heineken. For NEBT, he created All in Passing (2023).
www.peter-leung.com | Photo by Bowie Verschuuren
Ernst Meisner
Ernst Meisner is Artistic Director at Dutch National Ballet Academy since 2018 and Artistic Coordinator of Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company. He trained at the Nationale Ballet Academy in Amsterdam and at the Royal Ballet School in London, and subsequently danced with The Royal Ballet and Dutch National Ballet.
He choreographed various works for Dutch National Ballet, including Saltarello (2012), And after we were (2011), Het Nationale Canta Ballet (2012), Axiom of Choice (2014), In Transit (2017) and Impermanence (2018). For the Junior Company he choreographed Embers (2013), No Time Before Time (2016) and Revelry (2017). With Marco Gerris, artistic director of ISH, he made the ‘hip-hop meets ballet’ productions Narnia: de Leeuw, de Heks en de Kleerkast (2014) and GRIMM (2018). He also made works for the New York Choreographic Institute, The Royal Ballet New Works Program, English National Ballet School, DanceEast and Encore Dance Company.
For NEBT, Ernst created Bright Young Things in 2012.
Georgie Rose
Georgie Rose studied at the Royal Ballet School, receiving several accolades for her choreography. She performed with New English Ballet Theatre, English National Ballet, The Royal Ballet and The Norwegian National Ballet.
Her Principal and Soloist roles include Kylian’s Petite Mort, One of a Kind, Falling Angels and Sweet Dreams, Makarova’s Three Shades in La Bayadere, Kitty in Spuck’s Anna Karenina, Big Swans in Holmes’ Swan Lake, Balanchine’s Agon and The Dark Angel in Serenade.
In Norway, Georgie has choreographed the opera The Seven Deadly Sins and several other works, including for the National Ballet UNG. She is also an assisting choreographer for disabled dancers and was chosen to be a part of the Royal Ballet Choreographer development course.
Georgie’s work has been toured through Norway, Germany and Belgium.
Marcelino Sambé
Marcelino Sambé is a Portuguese dancer and a Principal of The Royal Ballet. He trained at The Royal Ballet Upper School and graduated into the Company during the 2012/13 Season, promoted to First Artist in 2014, Soloist in 2015, First Soloist in 2017 and Principal in 2019.
Sambé is a keen choreographer and was selected as one of the UK’s emerging choreographers by Youth Dance England in 2012. His M’ cã cré sabi won second prize at the 2011 Ursula Morton Choreographic Awards and was performed in the School’s annual matinee that year.
Works include Preparations for the Last TV Fake and The Chosen
Victim for The Royal Ballet’s Draft Works.
For NEBT in 2016 as part of our programme Quint-essential: Five New Ballets, Marcelino created Land of Nod.
Guest Choreographers
Michael Corder
Michael Corder, one of Britain’s most successful international choreographers, was born in London, trained at the Royal Ballet School and danced with The Royal Ballet, Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Dutch National Ballet and Australian Ballet.
He has created over 60 works, including: Rhyme Nor Reason and L’Invitation au voyage (The Royal Ballet); the Olivier Award-nominated The Wand of Youth (Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet); Ancient Airs and Dances (Northern Ballet Theatre); Romeo and Juliet (Norwegian National Ballet); Danses Concertantes (Hong Kong & Boston Ballet); Cinderella (English National Ballet; Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production; Evening Standard Award); Masquerade (The Royal Ballet); Melody on the Move (English National Ballet; Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Best Choreography); Water, for a new production of Homage to the Queen for The Royal Ballet’s 75th anniversary programme, presented to Her Majesty The Queen in honour of her 80th birthday; Orpheus (The Royal Ballet of Flanders); April – England (Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival); House of Dreams (Ballet Black). His 2007 production of The Snow Queen for English National Ballet was subsequently staged in Vilnius, Vienna and Prague.
For NEBT, he created Legends in 2012.
Wayne Eagling
Wayne Eagling was born in Montreal and trained at the Patricia Ramsey Studio of Dance Arts and The Royal Ballet School. He graduated into The Royal Ballet in 1969 and was promoted to Principal in 1975.
He became Artistic Director of Dutch National Ballet (1991–2003), Artistic Director of English National Ballet (2005–12) and choreographed a number of works The Royal Ballet, La Scala Ballet, Milan, Kremlin Ballet Company, Moscow, New National Theatre, Japan and the Hungarian National Opera.
For NEBT, Wayne choreographed Remembrance set to music by Handel played live by The English Concert conducted by Harry Bicket in 2018.
Images in carousel: Daniela Cardim, Peter Leung and Morgann Runacre-Temple, photographed by Deborah Jaffe. Wayne Eaging, photographed by Drew Forsyth.