Our 2024 summer season featured seven ballets choreographed by Matthew Ball, Daniela Cardim, Wayne Eagling, Kristen McNally and Valentino Zucchetti to music by Claudio Monteverdi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Frédéric Chopin and Genesis.
In the autumn, we premiered Valentino Zucchetti’s trio Into the Light at Melissa Hamilton’s Belfast Ballet Gala, and performed a new commission by French choreographer Constant Vigier, Did You Steal My Hat? at Paris (Senlis) and Roissy, France.
Next Generation Festival
Linbury Theatre at the Royal Opera House, London
Sat 15th & Sun 16th June
Choreography by Matthew Ball and Daniela Cardim
We were delighted to be returning to the Linbury Theatre at the Royal Opera House in June after successfully premiering our programme of female choreographers, Into the Spotlight, at the Next Generation Festival 2022.
This year, performed two contemporary ballets in a mixed programme with Norwegian National Ballet 2.
Royal Ballet Principal Matthew Ball premiered his first ensemble piece, Acts of Exaltation for seven dancers, set to several sacral and secular works by Baroque master, Claudio Monteverdi.
The second piece of the evening was Daniela Cardim’s playful group work Baroque Encounters, set to two pieces for harpsichord by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Acts of Exaltation by Matthew Ball
“Acts of Exaltation, on a theme of broadly defined ‘religiosity’, is set to music by Claudio Monteverdi … It devises complex patterns of bodies, arms and hands. … Elsewhere it opens out into sections that give the dancers light and freedom, allowing them to express a collective sense of joy in movement.”
– Seen and Heard International
Acts of Exaltation was generously supported by Bonnie Robinson and an anonymous donor.
Baroque Encounters by Daniela Cardim
“It is wonderful, as are the seven dancers, dressed in April Dalton’s Renaissance plum-coloured costumes, long dervish skirts for all in the first, short Roman military style tunic skirts for the second, under Andrew Ellis’s chiaroscuro lighting. Expressive hands seem to be fingering the music, whilst bodies become a baroque chamber orchestra: Emily Pohl and José Alves (formerly with Ballet Black) excel in the pas de deux.”
Vera Liber – British Theatre Guide
Genesis Rock Ballet
Aud Jebsen Studio Theatre, Royal Academy of Dance
Wed 12th June | Private event
Choreography by Matthew Ball, Wayne Eagling, Kristen McNally and Valentino Zucchetti
We returned to the Royal Academy of Dance’s beautiful Aud Jebsen Studio Theatre with two different programmes.
The first programme comprised a preview of Matthew Ball’s new group work Acts of Exaltation, complemented by four songs from our Genesis Dance Project.
Triple Bill: Acts of Exaltation | Baroque Encounters | Nocturne
Aud Jebsen Studio Theatre, Royal Academy of Dance
Thu 13th June
Choreography by Matthew Ball and Daniela Cardim
Our second programme at the Royal Academy of Dance featured Daniela Cardim’s Baroque Encounters, a premiere preview performance of Matthew Ball’s Acts of Exaltation, and Daniela Cardim’s dramatic pas-de-deux Nocturne.
“Baroque Encounters by Daniela Cardim remains a joy. The work has a warm elegance.”
David Mead – Seeing Dance
Into the Light
Grand Opera House Belfast
Sat 26th to Sun 27th October
Choreography by Valentino Zucchetti for Melissa Hamilton’s Ballet Gala
A special collaboration that brought together NEBT, Hamilton Christou Productions, choreographer Valentino Zucchetti and Northern Ireland Opera.
Did You Steal My Hat?
New Commission
Festival Senlis Mène la Danse (Paris)
Sun 24th November
Roissy
Fri 29th November
Choreography by Constant Vigier
Some incidents can really make people show their true colours.
When someone loses something that means a lot to them but seems worthless to others, conversations can go wild, accusations can be made, and friendships can be lost.
I was keen to delve into this surreal scenario (that I lived through though!) to explore the themes of relationships, judgements, perspectives and egos…
Constant Vigier
2024 Season – All Works
Acts of Exaltation
Choreography: Matthew Ball
Music: Claudio Monteverdi
Costume Design: Elin Steele
Lighting Design: Andrew Ellis
Baroque Encounters
Choreography: Daniela Cardim
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach
Costume Design: April Dalton
Lighting Design: Andrew Ellis
Did You Steal My Hat?
Choreography: Constant Vigier
Music: Felix Mendelssohn
Costume Design: Constant Vigier
Lighting Design: Constant Vigier
Into the Light
Choreography: Valentino Zucchetti
Music: Richard Strauss
Costume & Lighting Design: Melissa Hamilton and
Valentino Zucchetti
Genesis Dance Project:
Watcher of the Skies
Choreography: Wayne Eagling
Music: Genesis
Costume Design: Nina Kobiashvili
Lighting Design: Andrew Ellis
I Can’t Dance
Choreography: Kristen McNally
Music: Genesis
Costume Design: Nina Kobiashvili
Lighting Design: Andrew Ellis
Invisible Touch
Choreography: Kristen McNally
Music: Genesis
Costume Design: Nina Kobiashvili
Lighting Design: Andrew Ellis
Firth of Fifth
Choreography: Valentino Zucchetti
Music: Genesis
Costume Design: Nina Kobiashvili
Lighting Design: Andrew Ellis