Elmhurst Ballet School Announces Graduate Destinations 2018

Elmhurst Ballet School, the associate school of Birmingham Royal Ballet, announces details of its graduate destinations for 2018. As the academic year draws to a close with performances of 'Summer Creations: New Works', staff and students of the Edgbaston, Birmingham based school celebrate the Class of 2018 that graduates to full-time employment, short-term contracts and apprenticeship programmes.

The students join a long list of alumni who are currently working in professional dance settings across the world.

In August, Joseph Taylor joins Birmingham Royal Ballet as an Apprentice and the second recipient of the 'Birmingham Royal Ballet and Elmhurst Ballet School Award for Excellence'. This annual award is made possible by a generous gift from an anonymous donor and funds one exceptional graduate from Elmhurst Ballet School to join Birmingham Royal Ballet on a one-year apprenticeship. Joseph follows in the footsteps of Jade Wallace, last year's awardee.

As an Elmhurst student, Joseph performed with Birmingham Royal Ballet in The Tempest, Cinderella and Aladdin and graduates from the school with the 'Horton's Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Elmhurst' accolade.

Graduating a year early from Elmhurst Ballet School is second year Upper School student and Head Boy James Lovell. James will make his debut with New Adventures in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake 2018/19 tour as The Prince.

International offers for the Class of 2018 includes: Orla Ruth Baxendale joins Ailey II, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's junior company in New York City, as an Apprentice; Sarah Eddie joins the Ajkun Ballet Theatre in New York; Harvey Evans joins Sarasota Ballet in Florida; Brittany Green joins Vanemuine Ballet Theater in Estonia; Janice Felices and Lin Fujimoto join Romanian National Ballet; and Reo Morikawa and Tokiko Sasao join Cinevox Theatre Ballet in Switzerland. International contracts continue as Kianna Stephens pursues a career in commercial dance and joins P&O Cruises.

Closer to home Georgia Smart and Ai Sa Vivian Mok join the Graduate Programme of Northern Ballet and Serina Faull joins Vienna Festival Ballet based in the UK.

Rebecca Hudson and Josef Jagger have been offered Elmhurst Ballet School Graduate Placements. This one year award allows graduating students to continue their training in kind and gain invaluable experience across all school departments including Artistic, Boarding, Development and Communications.

Yuzu Hikosaka returns to Japan to continue her dance training and Niamh Robinson heads to London to pursue a career in dance.

Robert Parker, artistic director of the school and former Principal dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet, said: "We are extremely proud of all our students across the entire Lower and Upper schools. Our graduating students continue to succeed and inspire the next generation of young dancers. Whether joining companies close to home or much further afield, we wish all our graduating students the greatest success, and we hope their passion for dance continues for many more years to come."

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