English National Ballet 70th Anniversary Gala

Celebrate the countless dancers, choreographers, artists, musicians, artisans, technicians and audience members who, over 70 years, have been a part of the English National Ballet family, as we and English National Ballet School come together for this once-in-a-lifetime event. In the first half, they present a non-stop programme of some of the most important, enjoyable and iconic works that make up English National Ballet’s history and ground-breaking repertoire. Classics of the Ballets Russes (that inspired their original vision) melt into modern productions; archive footage dissolves into live action on stage; and extracts from great masters – Balanchine, Petit, MacMillan and many more – follow one another to create an astonishing, dream-like look back at their history, and that of modern ballet. The evening concludes with a stunning showcase of the great talent across all the ranks of English National Ballet, with Harald Lander’s Etudes. This favourite of their repertory, which they first performed in 1955, begins with traditional ballet exercises and steps – from tendus to ronds de jambe and adagio – and ramps up to a spectacular bravura display. Repertoire includes extracts from great masterworks and modern productions, including Apollo and Who Cares? by George Balanchine, August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, Christopher Bruce’s Swansong, Derek Deane’s Strictly Gershwin, William Forsythe’s Playlist (Track 2), Coppélia by Ronald Hynd, Akram Khan’s Giselle and Dust, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Broken Wings, Kenneth MacMillan’s The Sleeping Beauty, Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo & Juliet, Roland Petit’s Carmen and Three Preludes by Ben Stevenson. International dance star Sergio Bernal will also be joining the Company as Guest Artist, performing Farruca (Three-Cornered Hat). For 70 years, English National Ballet has been known for artistic excellence, innovative collaborations and bringing world-class ballet to the widest possible audience. For this special anniversary, support them with the purchase of a premium ticket, which includes a programme and a donation to the company.