© Ballet Central Central School of Ballet students are keeping a diary of their final year for us - the year when they actually go out on a tour all around the UK. But that's in the future and this month some of the students introduce themselves. Back in 2000 we also tracked 4 Ballet Central students on their UK tour: Year 2000 Student Diary Ballet Central website

Amy Grubb...

Introduction
Hello ballet people, I'm Amy, nineteen last week and have enjoyed dancing for the last fifteen years and hopefully looking forward to another fifteen years, who knows? The third and final year at the Central School of Ballet will be exciting, demanding and hopefully fruitful. I am delighted to have been invited to keep and share a diary with you for these next few months.

The Early Years
My first dance steps were taken aged four when I followed my sister into the Rachael Swann School of Dancing in Morley, Leeds taking RAD examinations, doing shows and competitions with the school. Then at the age of eight and for a further eight years The Royal Ballet School became the biggest influence in my life. I enjoyed my three years as a JA in Leeds and my five years at White Lodge. Leaving home at eleven was one of the biggest decisions I have had to take but it was wonderful to be with so many talented and like minded friends. I soon learned to cope with homesickness, unbelievable workloads (I thought then!) stress and pressure. These years also helped me to become self-disciplined and motivated which I am sure will help me in the next few months at Ballet Central.

In addition to my vocational training I have always tried to expand my experience by attending various summer schools. Over the years I have been to the Yorkshire Ballet Seminars and was thrilled to be awarded the Markova Scholarship and in 2001 I was awarded the John Field scholarship at the John Field Memorial Seminars. This year I attended the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive in Los Angeles which was a fantastic experience.

Central School of Ballet
Two years ago I was exceptionally pleased and grateful to accept the offer of the first Christopher Gable Scholarship and join the Central School of Ballet. I have been able to continue an intense classical training with the benefit of being taught a variety of contemporary techniques in preparation for the demands of today's companies. I have also been extremely fortunate in gaining valuable performance experience with the Kirov Ballet at the ROH, Design for Dance at the Cochrane Theatre, various school and in-house performances. Earlier this year I qualified for my long time ambition to enter the Gene Awards but instead of going to Oz I have just completed a weeks rehearsal of the ‘Christmas Carol’ with the Northern Ballet Theatre. The tour starts today so I'm now off to Belfast. FANTASTIC- I'll tell you about it in my first diary entry.

Well, I hope you feel you know me better now and that you will share the whole experience throughout my time at Ballet Central.

Amy Grubb
12/11/02

Morgann Runacre-Temple...

Hi, my name is Morgann Runacre-Temple, I’m from London and am currently in my third year at Central, becoming part of Ballet Central 2003.

Over the next nine months I will be doing my best with the other students to relay to you honest accounts of the highs and lows of Ballet Central 2003. The rehearsals, venues, tour buses and auditions……

So, just a little background information to start off with. I started dancing when I was three at my local dance school but it wasn’t until I was about eleven that I admitted to myself that I did actually enjoy it and could possibly pursue it seriously. So I attended classes throughout my secondary education (GCSE’s and ‘A’ levels) until 2000 when I embarked on my three year journey with Central School of Ballet.

As well as the obvious technical training I have had at Central over the last two years I have also been lucky enough to try choreography. In February I created a piece for the Design 4 Dance Project with the design students at Central St Martin’s and am currently choreographing the opening ceremony of the Philip Lawrence Awards at the Bloomsbury in December.

Now, despite the fact we haven’t actually started touring, we are already deep in rehearsals for Ballet Central. This is partly due to a very exciting performance on 4th December at the Tate Modern gallery for our sponsors, Scottish Power. This is a thrilling prospect - to be able to dance in such an inspiring and prestigious environment for our first performance. It is, however, also quite daunting as we are well aware of the importance of this event to us and the 4th December is getting a little too close for comfort!

Co-incidentally enough, one of the pieces being performed is Oliver Hindle’s ‘Seagram’ – a work I believe is based on meditation, inspired by works actually hanging in the Tate Modern. Needless to say, we have been working extra hard on our artistic interpretation of the piece! Also in the programme is Antonio Castilla’s ‘The Game We Play’ and Sara Matthews’ ‘Dances from a Knot Garden’, both quite high energy pieces which will require a lot of stamina when performed one after another!

Not to appear stressed in any way but I have been informed today that the piece I created for Ballet Central will also be included in the Tate programme. Whilst this is exciting it is also fairly overwhelming and I feel it will need some serious and urgent cleaning done to it! Phew, and we haven’t even started touring!

As you can imagine, whilst all this is extremely exciting it is also very hard work and the jam-packed weeks seem to literally fly by. Before I know it I shall be writing again, no doubt giving an account of December and then of our tour kicking off! I can feel it approaching as I speak ……….(gulp)!

Morgann Runacre-Temple
12/11/02

Stephanie Elstob...

November 2002 – Scrambled Legs!
Welcome to my first diary entry! I guess I should begin by telling you something about myself. My name is Stephanie Elstob – or Steph to everyone here at Central – and I am now half a term into being a third year. It’s so strange writing that already, I still feel like I’m a first year, only I now wear a different colour leotard!

As I am sure some of you may know, our third year also means it’s time to start auditioning! For me, I think this is probably going to be one of the most important and most challenging years in my life (so no real pressure!). I have my first big audition coming up on the 20th of this month for Scottish Ballet. At the end of October I flew up to Glasgow for two days to take class with the company and had a fab time. Scottish Ballet is the company that I am now definitely interested in, especially with the prospects that their new director, Ashley Page, is bringing with him. I will say no more on that subject now as not to tempt fate, but I will let you know all about the audition next month!

I originally come from a small town just outside of Newcastle Upon Tyne. I think my ears have now become immune to the bad attempts that I have heard of my Geordie accent – although members of my year are still trying to perfect it!

I named this diary ‘Scrambled Legs’ as I have a real comic idea of how an outsider would perceive us third years running around the CSB building going between rehearsals! We are doing a lot of exciting work learning and creating new ballets for our Ballet Central tour, working with very inspiring teachers and choreographers in the process.

I think I should sign off for this month as I’ll be taking up too much space! I promise to let you know all about our ‘preview’ Ballet Central performances at the ‘Tate Modern’ and, of course, all about my audition, next month.

Have a fantastic November!

Stephanie Elstob
12/11/02