The Royal Ballet Celebrates The Royal Opera House's Multi-Year Partnership With Doncaster Council and Cast

The Royal Opera House and Cast have announced two landmark performances in Doncaster, starring dancers of The Royal Ballet and involving over 300 children from schools across the borough.

The performances will take place on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 September 2022. The first - a special Gala at Cast - will feature a selection of classic and contemporary choreography, led by Director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O'Hare, and performed by The Royal Ballet's roster of internationally-acclaimed dancers. It will be the Company's first performance on Cast's Main Stage.

This will be followed, on Saturday 24 September 2022, by a mass performance in Sir Nigel Gresley Square outside the theatre. Inspired by Alice's Adventures Underground and led by five dancers of The Royal Ballet, the performance will star more than 300 children from schools all over Doncaster and will be free to watch.

Fashion students from Doncaster College have been involved in the project, entering a competition to design The Mad Hatter's hat. The winner's design will be created by the Royal Opera House's costume department and worn by the character during Saturday's performance.

The programme is part of the Royal Opera House's ongoing, ambitious partnership with Cast and Doncaster Council, supported by Doncaster Creates, which was set up to improve access to arts provision and advocate for the role that the arts play in improving the lives of young people. The partnership commenced in September 2019 and, following a year of postponements due to COVID-19, was recently extended into 2023. Its aim is to reach most schools in the borough by next July, and create invaluable opportunities across Doncaster to develop young talent through dance, music and theatre craft.

Deborah Rees, Director of Cast, said:

'This partnership marks a shared ambition for culture in Doncaster. Positive outcomes for local young people remain our greatest challenge as a town and our most exciting opportunity to inspire a generation. To be able to share this once-in-a-lifetime performance with the people of Doncaster, particularly those young people who have been taking part, will be a very special moment for Cast.'

Kevin O'Hare, Royal Ballet Director, said:

'We are delighted to be taking our hugely successful partnership with Doncaster to the next level this year. After the trials of the pandemic, it feels great to plan for in-person performances in Doncaster once again, and the whole Company is excited to bring the best of The Royal Ballet to Cast.'

Jillian Barker, Director of Learning and Participation at the Royal Opera House, said:

'It's wonderful to see our partnership with Doncaster go from strength to strength and witness the transformative power of dance and ballet in action. I'm proud that we are on track to reach most schools in Doncaster before next Summer, and in particular to see so many enthusiastic children and young people thrive and enjoy all that the performing arts have to offer.'

Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster, said:

'We are delighted to welcome The Royal Ballet to Doncaster and this will be a wonderful opportunity for our residents, and particularly our young people, to have the chance to see this world-famous ballet company right here on our doorstep. We, along with our partners, are determined to raise our cultural offer across the borough and we are setting the bar high with these very special events.'

Tickets will go on priority sale on Tuesday 24 May 2022 at 9am to Cast and Royal Opera House members, and on general sale on Friday 27 May 2022 at 9am. There will also be 50 tickets reserved for Doncaster residents at a reduced £10 rate on Friday evening.

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