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 English National Ballet |
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Health warning: This was our view of the English National Ballet Dancers in December 2001. For a more up-to-date view see the current version. |
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Dancers |
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2001 is definitely a year of change for the company with a new artistic director and new chief executive. Unfortunately the changes do no extend to the productions most of which continue to be too familiar to the regulars and must now be very boring for the dancers with long service. The arrival of Matz Skoog in August ended the longer than anticipated interregnum period caused by Derek Deane's illness. Skoog a former ENB dancer and New Zealand ballet artistic director is still taking a careful and considered look at the company. Like all newly appointed ADs, he sees things and people with a fresh pair of eyes, a few new names have got principal roles (Caroline Duprot - Sugar Plum Fairy) and senior soloists appear to have been cast above established principals. This unfortunately comes with the territory for dancers and it is likely to be another year before the results of career decisions become apparent. Comings and goings include the departure of Patrick Armand and Nathan Coppen (who joins the Royal Ballet) and the arrival of Jesus Pastor (formerly of Scottish Ballet) as senior soloist. Skoog appears to have brought with him fellow Swede Jan Eric Wikstrom who joins as principal and Cameron Macmillan joins as junior soloist. Both are high quality and indicate that Skoog has sound judgement.These new arrivals will certainly create a 'situation' where the established dancers will 'check the newcomers out', compare their work- it could be a catalyst for some. The female line up at the top remains the same.
The dancer views in this section were updated in December 2001 and will be next updated in October 2002. You may be interested in the ealier version of this page which we hold in archive - |
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Agnes Oaks | |||
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Thomas Edur | |||
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Thomas is a tall dark danseur noble and a superb and subtle actor. He is absolutely heroic on stage and is the Prince personified. He does Princes rather well and is absolutely heroic on staged. Beautifully schooled and consistently gives excellent performances. High jumps softly landed are a speciality and he is rightly praised by all the critics.
They are proof that you can never get too much of a good thing. Despite being around ENB for 10 years you never tire of seeing those two doing the same thing in the same production year after year.
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Yat Sen Chang | |||
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Dmitri Gruzdyev | |||
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In the showpieces such as the Don Q and Le Corsaire pas de deux he is stunning to watch - his barrel turns are formidable.
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Daria Klimentova | |||
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She is unfortunately not the automatic first choice for principal roles and so does not get her fair share of the limelight. Hopefully her profile has been raised with her appearance in the recent Mukhamedov gala. She is exquisite, elegant and a favourite with the ENB regulars. {top}
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Monica Perego | |||
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Erina Takahashi | ||
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Jan-Erik Wikstrom | |
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Vladislav Bubnov | ||
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Jean Luc Burke | ||
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He moves like a gazelle, high extensions, beautiful jumps and lands softly. His Gopak in the Nutcracker is stunning.
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Simone Clarke | ||
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Small and slight but very strong and has a big jump which has been put to good use in the Neapolitan dance in Swan Lake when she is hardly on the ground.
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Alice Crawford | ||
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Sarah McIlroy | ||
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Yosvani Ramos | ||
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Cameron McMillan | |
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Daniel Jones | ||
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His Tybalt was a menacing thug with a taste for violence and his Gopak is stunning. {top}
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Watch out for.... |
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Alexis Oliveira Just a few years out of the ENB school and recently promoted to Coryphee. {top} Fernanda Oliveira She is one of the few who get to do principal roles when they are first year corps de ballet. Fernanda did Odile and Juliet and showed great promise, though she needs to build up some strength. {top} |
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