We are very proud to look back at a very successful year for New English Ballet Theatre.
In June, we premiered Royal Ballet Principal Matthew Ball’s first group work at the Next Generation Festival at the Royal Opera House.
Created for 7 dancers and set to music by Claudio Monteverdi, Acts of Exaltation is a joyous exploration of communities coming together to worship, to tell stories and to believe.
In August, our Founder and Artistic Director, Karen Pilkington-Miksa was awarded an MBE for her services to dance.
“As Chairman of New English Ballet Theatre, I am absolutely thrilled that NEBT’s founder, Director, and indeed its inspiration has been awarded an honorary MBE by HM the King. There can be no one more deserving of this recognition than Karen. Bravo!”
Luke Rittner KBE, Chair of Trustees
The second half of the year was devoted to international touring.
NEBT Associate Choreographer and Royal Ballet First Soloist, Valentino Zucchetti, created a trio for his Royal Ballet colleague, Principal Dancer Melissa Hamilton and NEBT dancers José Alves and Jerome Barnes, set to two of Richard Strauss’ expressive and poignant ‘Four Last Songs’.
Into the Light successfully premiered at Melissa Hamilton’s ballet gala at the Grand Opera House Belfast on 26th & 27th October, accompanied live by Irish soprano Mary McCabe.
Our next touring production took us to France, where we performed Did You Steal My Hat?, a new 23-minute NEBT commission choreographed by French choreographer Constant Vigier, at the the Festival Senlis Mène la Danse in November. We were also honoured to have been invited by the 1st Deputy Mayor for Culture Affairs and Communication to perform the piece in Roissy a week later.
We hope that this will be the start of an ongoing cultural exchange with France and become a part of NEBT’s international touring destinations.
NEBT dancers in rehearsals for Did You Steal My Hat? Photos by Poetry Film Productions.
We bring 2024 to a close already looking forward to our Spring Season 2025, which includes a double bill at the London Handel Festival with a new commission by Valentino Zucchetti, and a Baroque-themed mixed bill touring programme.