English National Ballet plans for 2014-15

Posted on September 15, 2014

English National Ballet (ENB) has announced its 2014 to 15 season, with works by William Forsythe, John Neumeier and Jiri Kylián, and guest performances by Ivan Vasiliev and Alban Lendorf.

Vasiliev and Lendorf will perform with the company in Swan Lake at the London Coliseum in January 2015, partnering Alina Cojocaru and Tamara Rojo. These will be Vasiliev’s first ever performances as Prince Siegfried. Rojo said: “It is a reflection of English National Ballet’s reputation that we are able to attract outstanding talent from around the world to perform with the company. I can’t wait to see Ivan partner with Alina and I look forward to performing alongside Alban again in Swan Lake.” Lendorf partnered Rojo in ENB’s recent run of Coppelia, reviewed in the September issue of Dancing Times.

From March 10 to 15, the company will dance Modern Masters: Icons of 20th Century Choreography at Sadler’s Wells. The programme includes William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated and John Neumeier’s Spring and Fall – both choreographers new to the company. The bill is completed by Kylián’s Petite Mort.

This season, new principal dancer Alejandro Virelles joins ENB from Boston Ballet. He will dance leading roles in Swan Lake and The Nutcracker on tour and at the London Coliseum.

The company has also expanded its Dance for Parkinson’s programme, with new regional classes with DanceEast in Ipswich and National Dance Company Wales in Cardiff. They join existing classes run in partnership with Oxford City Council and Merseyside Dance Initiative.

In summer 2015, ENB will make a large-scale international tour to Beijing, Singapore, Madrid, Barcelona, Mexico City and Bogota.

Picture: Alban Lendorf and Tamara Rojo in Coppelia. Photograph: Arnaud Stephenson

Zoe Anderson

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.