Elmhurst Ballet School Celebrates Graduate Employment 2017

Elmhurst Ballet School, in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, announces details of its graduate destinations for 2017. The academic year draws to a close and staff and students of the Edgbaston, Birmingham based school celebrate as the class of 2017 leave to full-time employment, apprenticeship and graduate programmes with some of the world's top ballet companies.

The students join a list of 'Elms' who are currently working in professional dance companies both nationally and internationally, in West End shows, dance education, teaching and learning and participation.

Next month, Brogan McKelvey and Hamish Scott join Birmingham Royal Ballet as Artists and Jade Wallace joins Birmingham Royal Ballet as an Apprentice. This employment success for the graduates builds on an already strong artistic relationship between Elmhurst Ballet School and Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Offers continue across the UK as Siri Girling heads to Leeds and joins Northern Ballet's Graduate programme; Elizabeth Donson, Hannah Scott, Isobel Holland and Jordan Wright join the Pre-Professional Programme of Ballet Cymru in Wales. Laura Bruzzone joins Ballet Theatre UK on a Graduate Placement.

The following graduates take the Elmhurst Ballet School name and its celebrated training across the world: Abigail Baker joins Vienna State Ballet, Austria; Sara Nativi joins Ballet Nice Méditerranée, France; Wakana Matsuzawa heads to her homeland and joins Tokyo Ballet, Japan; Saho Nozaki joins the Atlantic City Ballet Apprenticeship programme, USA; Connor Williams joins National Ballet of Estonia; Charalampos Skoupas joins The Wroclaw Opera Ballet, Poland; Harry Simmons joins Aalto Ballett Theater Essen, Germany; and Lydia Holt joins Cork City Ballet, Republic of Ireland.

William Brooke and Erin Sheffield have been offered Elmhurst Ballet School Graduate Placements giving them an opportunity to continue their training in kind and gain experience in the development, boarding and administrative departments of the school.

Elmhurst prides itself on offering its students a training and school experience that encompasses many aspects of the performance and education sectors. One graduate student, Joseph Massey, discovered a passion for lighting design when he was given the opportunity to work with and shadow Birmingham Royal Ballet's professional technicians. Joseph will continue his passion for all things lighting and join Merlin Entertainment as a Lighting Technician. Moesha Lamptey heads to Sheffield University to study History and German and Georgia Stanfield enters Further Education towards a career in Marine Biology.

Robert Parker, artistic director of the school and former Principal dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet, said: "We are incredibly proud of all our students across the Lower and Upper Schools. It is with great pleasure and pride we see so many of our graduate students go on to employment across the sector and across the world. This year is extra special as three of the students join our friends and neighbours at the school's associated company Birmingham Royal Ballet. A small number of students have discovered other passions during their time at the school and we wholeheartedly support them as they continue in further education and other sectors to fulfil their career goals."