PRESS RELEASE
Leipzig Ballet, Lyon and Prague Conservatoires join line-up for International summit on ballet training for the 21st century
Paul Chalmer, Director of Germany's Leipzig Ballet and Jaroslav Slavický
from the National Conservatoire for Dance in Prague, are among the latest Directors invited to attend the international summit on ballet training, The 21st Century Dancer: Nurturing Talent.
The international Rural Retreat is produced by DanceEast in partnership with the Prix de Lausanne and will take place directly following the 2006 Prix in Vevey, Switzerland from 29 January - 1 February 2006.
At a time when serious questions are being raised about the training of ballet dancers for the 21st century, the Directors of the world's top ballet companies are meeting with the heads of the ballet training schools from across the globe to focus on the future training of ballet dancers. This crucial meeting has attracted 32 participants from 12 different nations as far afield as China and Canada, Australia, Finland, and the UK.
Key issues identified for discussion by the directors taking part are:
* Ensuring that keen young people starting training at the age of 10, many as boarders are provided with a wider frame of reference beyond dance; a full academic education and social environment
* Looking at the problems of a young and short career; life after the stage and those who don't make it to a professional career; seeking guidance from sport on how to compensate for short, injury prone careers
* Dealing with young people who come from a "star" MTV consumer society - a society of instant gratification and star culture where the work ethic is not part of the culture
* Making ballet relevant to young people growing up in today's globalised, multi-cultural society
The Retreat will also provide an opportunity to question
* Whether young dancers today are quipped with the necessary skills required to work in today's ballet companies or if there is a mismatch between training and what is needed
* How to eliminate stereotypes
* How to raise the profession to adult status
* How to facilitate more interface between company dancers and students
* How to train dancers to be part of team not on being a star
* If training today is too comfortable
* Are we training ballet dancers or classical dancers
Assis Carriero, Director of Dance East said: "Training is at the heart of the world of ballet and dance. Companies around the globe rely on the schools to supply their dancers; the schools need the companies to employ their students. Yet more often than not these two worlds have gone about their business and had little time for open dialogue. Are the graduating dancers equipped for the jobs being offered them by the companies or is there a mismatch between what is being produced by the schools and what is needed by the companies?
"Today directors of both schools and companies realise the importance of communication and want to clarify their respective responsibilities.
What both have in common is young people - highly gifted young people who from a very young age make a decision quite single-mindedly to follow a career in ballet."
The 3rd Rural Retreat will be facilitated by Sue Hoyle and Prof. Christopher Bannerman and guest speakers are Serge Dorny, Director General
of the Lyon National Opera and Richard Meen, M.D., D. Psych CRCP Clinical
Director, Kinark Child and Family Service Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto.
Notes to Editors
Following the Retreat there will be simultaneous major press conferences at the Royal Opera House in London and the Hotel des Trois Couronnes, Vevey, on 1 February with Minister for Culture, David Lammy as a guest speaker.
Members of the Rural Retreats Steering Group include Assis Carreiro (Director, DanceEast), Jane Hackett (Director, English National Ballet School), Roanne Dods (Director, The Jerwood Charitable Foundation), Sue Hoyle (Deputy Director, Clore Leadership Foundation), Prof. Christopher Bannerman (Head of Centre, RESCEN/ Middlesex University); Alistair Spalding (Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Sadler's Wells), Deborah Bull (Creative Director, ROH2/The Clore Studio), David Nixon (Artistic Director, Northern Ballet Theatre), Jeanette Siddall (Director of Dance, Arts Council England), Mavis Staines (Artistic Director, Canada's National Ballet School / Artistic President, Prix de Lausanne), Bruce Sansom (Director, Central School of Ballet), and Jeanette Siddall (Dance Director, Arts Council England) and Cynthia Harvey (international teacher and coach).
The 3rd Rural Retreat is supported by Arts Council England East, The Jerwood Charitable Foundation, The Rudolf Nureyev Foundation, Arts Council England, Freed of London, Harlequin Floors, the Prix de Lausanne, Ricki Gail Conway and the East of England Development Agency.
Directors confirmed for Rural Retreat: Nurturing the 21st century Dancer
1. Alberta Ballet, Canada - Jean Grand-Maître
2. Australian Ballet - David McAllister
3. Ballet du Grand Théatre de Genève - Philippe Cohen
4. Bayerisches Staatsballett - Ivan Liska
5. Boston Ballet - Mikko Nissinen
6. Dutch National Ballet - Ted Brandsen
7. English National Ballet - Wayne Eagling
8. Finnish National Ballet - Dinna Bjorn
9. Leipzig Ballet - Paul Chalmer
10. National Ballet of Canada - Karen Kain
11. Northern Ballet Theatre - David Nixon
12. Royal Ballet of Flanders - Kathryn Bennetts
13. Royal Swedish Ballet - Madeleine Onne
14. Stuttgart Ballet - Reid Anderson
15. The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden - Jeanetta Laurence
Confirmed Ballet Schools:
1. Australian Ballet School - Marilyn Rowe
2. Beijing Dance Academy, China - Lin Yang
3. Central School of Ballet (London) - Bruce Sansom
4. Conservatoire National Superieur de Danse de Lyon - Jean-Claude
Ciappara
5. Finnish National Ballet School - Hannele Niiranen
6. English National Ballet School - Jane Hackett
7. Elmhurst School for Dance in association with BRB - Mary Goodhew
8. Hamburg Ballet School - Marianne Kruuse
9. Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson Academy - Shelly Power
10. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School (ABT) - Franco De Vita
11. John Cranko Schule - Tadeusz Matacz
12. National Ballet School of Canada - Mavis Staines
13. National Conversatoire for Dance, Prague - Jaroslav Slavický
14. Royal Conservatory, The Hague - Wim Broeckx
15. Royal Swedish Ballet School - Kerstin Lidström
16. Zurich School of Music, Drama and Dance - Oliver Matz
17. The Royal Ballet School (England) - Gailene Stock
For further information, images and interviews please contact:
Assis Carreiro at DanceEast on 01473 295238 or
assis@danceeast.co.uk <mailto:assis@danceeast.co.uk>
Sue Rose on 0780 858 7248 or
suerose.pr@hotmail.co.uk <mailto:suerose.pr@hotmail.co.uk>