Ballet Central 2017 Nationwide Tour Commences at The Stratford Circus Arts Centre

Central School of Ballet's renowned graduate performing company Ballet Central will begin its extended annual nationwide tour at The Stratford Circus Arts Centre on Thursday 30th March 2017. Under the guidance of its new artistic director Christopher Marney, Ballet Central's diverse range of dance and theatre will now appear in 22 towns and cities across a five month period. (Full tour schedule at the end of the release).

Ballet Central gives audiences across the country the chance to see the company's young and dynamic dancers who are on the cusp of their professional careers, showcasing newly-commissioned works and celebrated masterpieces by the dance industry's top choreographers.

The repertoire for this year's tour features Act 2 of Highland Fling by Matthew Bourne, Indigo Children by Royal Ballet artist-in-residence Liam Scarlett, and a new version of the ballroom scene from Romeo & Juliet by former English National Ballet's Jenna Lee. It also includes specially created works by Christopher Bruce and Malgorzata Dzierzon, as well as excerpts from Petipa's La Bayadere. The tour will also feature a scene from Dracula, choreographed by Michael Pink from the original production directed by Christopher Gable in 1996.

Christopher Marney, Artistic Director of Ballet Central comments "I am thrilled to announce that the Ballet Central 2017 tour will this year visit ten new venues reaching from Cornwall to Scotland and bringing the next generation of talented dancers to your hometown. This year's performance showcases the best dance theatre from current industry professionals and gives you the chance to see newly-commissioned work and refreshed classics from the world's top choreographers. With renewed artistic vision, this is an opportunity to see the future stars of dance as they launch their professional careers".

Ballet Central is the touring company of the leading centre for professional dance training and education, Central School of Ballet which is based in London. Students on the final year of their three-year BA (Hons) degree course join Ballet Central to gain invaluable touring experience before graduation. Ballet Central's dancers not only perform but also help with technical aspects including lighting, sound, staging and wardrobe. Another highlight of Ballet Central is the music, much of which has been created by Central's Composer-in-Residence Philip Feeney, who also performs live on the tour.

Graduates from Central go on to join the world's premier dance companies. Recent Central students are currently employed with Birmingham Royal Ballet, Matthew Bourne's New Adventures Company, English National Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Ballet Ireland, National Ballet of Estonia, Ballet Black, Northern Ballet, K Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Vienna Festival Ballet, Slovakia Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, Billy Elliott and many more.

"A graduate from Central School of Ballet is a valuable asset in any company for they have already experienced life as a professional dancer by touring with Ballet Central. I have had the pleasure of working with many highly talented graduates of Central School of Ballet, indeed, several have played demanding leading roles in my productions with great success." says Sir Matthew Bourne OBE, renowned Artistic Director and founder of Matthew Bourne's New Adventures company.

For more information visit: www.balletcentral.co.uk and www.centralschoolofballet.co.uk.

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