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Ballet Black was started by Cassa
Pancho as a way to provide dancers and students of black
and Asian descent with inspiring opportunities in classical
ballet. Together with founding Ballet Master Denzil
Bailey, Ballet Black’s first audition was held
at the Royal Academy of Dance, London. After several months of searching,
six dancers became the first members of Ballet Black: Frederic
Claudel, Celia Grannum,
Florence Kollie, Sia Kpakiwa,
Gerrard Martin and Jake Nwogu.
Ballet Black held its first performance at the Royal Academy
of Dance, featuring works by Pancho and Bailey, as well
as musical performances by Celloman and students from Trinity
College of Music.
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Ballet Black debuted
at the Cochrane Theatre, London, dancing in ballets by Stephen
Sheriff and Patrick Lewis. Dancer Silvestre Sanchez replaced
Gerrard Martin. At the same time, Pancho opened the Ballet Black
School for young children in Shepherd’s Bush, and the
Ballet Black Associate Programme for teenage and professional
dancers. |
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Raymond
Chai took over as Chief Ballet Master, and the Company
returned to the Cochrane theatre once more, with new dancers Neil
Totton and Jeremiah Tatum. A meeting with Deborah Bull, Creative
Director for ROH2 at the Royal Opera House, led to Ballet
Black moving its weekend classes and rehearsals to the Royal
Opera House, Covent Garden.
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Ballet Black held a fundraising performance
at the Clore Studio at the Royal Opera House, with new addition
to the Company, Camille Fitzworme, and also performed at the Global
Fusion Festival, Hastings. The Company achieved Registered Charity
Status. |
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Carlos Acosta, Principal Guest Artist
with The Royal Ballet Company became the Patron of Ballet Black.
The Company, (Damien Johnson, Carl Paris Adams, Denzil Bailey, Celia Grannum
and So-Yeon Kim) had its first season at the Linbury Studio
Theatre, with choreography by Antonia Franceschi, Stephen Sheriff
and Irek Mukhamedov. After a cancelled tour to Poland left
the Company in dire financial straits, Ballet Black returned
to the Linbury, and sold out a one-off fundraising performance
with just one week’s notice. The Associate Programme reached
over 100 members.
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| Ballet Black (now with dancers
Hugo Cortes, Richard Glover, Chantelle Gotobed, Damien
Johnson, So-Yeon Kim and Monica Stephenson) returned to the
Linbury Studio for a brand new, sell-out season, this
time featuring choreography by Ballet Master Raymond Chai,
Antonia Franceschi, Bawren Tavaziva and Liam Scarlett.
Ballet Black was also featured in a poll of ‘The Best
of Black Britain’ in PRIDE Magazine. |
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To find out more about our current staff and
dancers, please check out The
Company page. |
