Halfway Through the Ballet Central 2024 Tour

18 June 2024

The Ballet Central company is now halfway through its annual summer tour, having completed performances at five out of the ten venues. There have been plenty of things to celebrate so far but before we reflect on some of these notable moments, we can look ahead to the final two performances at Britten Theatre in July that have just gone on sale. To read more about Central School of Ballet’s performances at Britten Theatre and to book tickets, click here.

The tour started off with a bang, opening at Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler’s Wells. The premiere welcomed an exciting range of guests, including valued supporters and donors of Central School of Ballet as well as prominent figures in the dance industry. The premiere also received a fabulous first review from LiftedLeg, in which the programme was described as “a good mix of tradition and the bang-up-to-date”. Click here to read the full review.

After a fantastic opening to the tour, the company then hit the road and travelled to Newbury to perform for another sold out auditorium as part of the Newbury Spring Festival. Local schools, dance schools and companies are invited into the theatre as part of a free learning and community participation initiative. The young people were able to watch the Ballet Central dancers take their company class on stage, learn about the company and the process of performing in a tour, and ask Central’s Ballet Central Lead and Artistic Director any questions.

Next on the route was Oxford Playhouse, a new venue on the tour list. Ballet Central’s debut in Oxford was incredibly successful. Oxford Playhouse was also, this year, the largest venue on the tour and despite its impressive size, the auditorium was buzzing. From this performance, Ballet Central received two more wonderful reviews. The first, from Quaere Living, particularly highlights the ethos and artistic vision of the company.

“The world of classical ballet can be quite traditional and conservative and I was so happy to see Ballet Central breaking many classical traditions to wonderful effect.” To read the full review by Catherine Flustch, click here. The second review perfectly encapsulates the essence of each of the pieces in this year’s repertoire and can be found here. Ballet Central is excited to have received such a warm and enthusiastic welcome to the rich dance scene in Oxford.

The company then proceeded to visit Chipping Norton, a favourite amongst audiences and the school. The cosy venue challenges the student’s adaptability and performance skills due to the more intimate relationship between dancer and audience. Following this, the students visited Chelmsford, another special venue for several of this year’s company who come from Essex, and a longstanding venue on the tour.

Ballet Central has been taking a well-deserved, short break before their next two performances in Bury St Edmunds (Wednesday 19 June) and Uppingham (Friday 21 June). Tickets are on sale and group discounts are available – click here to find out more.