Chelmsford's Next Ballet - How Come The Essex Girls (and Boys) Get All The Fun?

Teniel's White Rabbit

Source Wikipedia

Chelmsford Ballet Company, of which I am proud to be a non-dancing associate, describes itself as an amateur company with professional standards for all its work, involving professionals in its productions, courses, teaching and workshops. It is based in Chelmsford but its dancers come from all over Essex and beyond and its associates such as I and far like Gita come from as far away as Yorkshire.

The company's Artistic Director is Annette Potter of The Classical Ballet & Theatre Dance School. She has staged some wonderful productions since I have been following the company namely The Nutcracker (see The Nutcracker as it really should be danced - No Gimmicks but with Love and Joy 20 March 2014), Pineapple Poll and Carnival of the Animals double bill (see A Delight Indeed 22 March 2015) and The Sleeping Beauty (see A Real Beauty: Chelmsford Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty 25 March 2016).

This year Annette is creating a new ballet for the company to be called Alice's Adventures based on Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.   This will be quite different from Christopher Wheeldon's Alice in Wonderland.   As Annette has kindly agreed to give me an interview I shall be writing a feature on it shortly. The company has published the following information in its blog:

“Alice” has not been performed in any guise by The Company since 1994. This version, choreographed by our Artistic Director Annette Potter, will bring a fresh look at the characters and story; bringing with it a different slant on an age old favourite. Dancing members will be able to audition for a part in this new production in October. Many have already indicated that they wish to participate and we’re sure that those candidates successful at audition in June will also be keen to audition again for a role in the show."

A workshop will take place on 25 Sept 2016 for any dancing members who wants to take part in the show and it is necessary to audition to become a dancing member.  The show will be performed at the Civic Theatre between 22 and 25 March 2017,

Another important event in Chelmsford's calendar is Let's Make A Ballet for children and young persons aged between 7 and 14. That will take place on 16 Oct 2017 at The Sandon School. How Come The Essex Girls (and Boys) Get All The Fun?

Looking forward to a great year at Chelmsford

Marion Pettet as Britannia, Pineapple Poll 2015

Photo Amelia Potter
Copyright Chelmsford Ballet Company 2015, All rights reserved

Reproduced with kind permission of the company

I am very proud to be an associate member of the Chelmsford Ballet Company. It is one of the oldest ballet companies in the United Kingdom and has launched the careers of some of the country's most talented artists and teachers. I travel half way across the country to attend its events and I have never been disappointed.

The reason I am thinking of that company today is that members' subs are due for renewal this month. Associates like me who have the excuse of distance to mask our lack of talent are asked to pay only £14, Dancing members have to pay £27 unless they are in full time education in which case they get a a £5 discount. That is hardly going to break anybody's bank.

A lot of activities are promised for the next 12 months.   A Sleeping Beauty workshop on the 27 September and company classes on the first Sunday of most months for dancing members. A Let's Make a Ballet workshop for students between the ages of 7 and 14 on the 18 Oct 2015. The AGM before the end of October. There is usually a Christmas concert in conjunction with the Brentwood Choral Society. And finally the piece de resistance which is the annual performance in The Chelmsford Civic Theatre,

This year the company will dance Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty, This is one of the most ambitious ballets that any company can undertake. It is probably the best known and best loved ballet in the modern repertoire, particularly in England where it will always be associated with the reopening of Covent Garden on 20 Feb 1946. The score is riddled with earworms and there are so many lovely dances. Not just the pas de deux of the Prince and Aurora but also such favourites as the Bluebird and Puss in Boots. The performance will take place between the 16 and 19 March 2016.

There is one important link with Northern Ballet. One of our most popular teachers Cara O'Shea danced Aurora in a previous production of The Sleeping Beauty. I was lucky enough to take one of her classes last year (see A Treat for us old Ladies 27 Feb 2014) and I saw how she coaxed every ounce of effort from her children's class at the Northern Ballet Open Day 15 Feb 2014.

I think we can all look forward to a great year at Chelmsford,

News from Chelmsford

Chelmsford Shire Hall

Source Wikipedia

I am very proud to be a non-dancing associate of the Chelmsford Ballet Company. As I noted in The Chelmsford Ballet  16 Dec 2013 it is one of the oldest ballet companies in the UK tracing its history to 1947 which is well before Festival, Scottish, Northern and just about everybody except Rambert and the London and Birmingham Royal Ballet companies. I saw a wonderful production of The Nutcracker in March. The company's patrons are my favourite living British choreographer Christopher Marney and one of my all time favourite dancers, Doreen Wells, or perhaps more properly The Marchioness of Londonderry.

I have just received the company's newsletter and they are in jubilant mood as well they might. They had an excellent run at The Chelmsford Civic Theatre when they danced to packed house at every performance. They can now look forward to dancing in their own Marney ballet between 18 and 21 March as well as John Cranko's Pineapple Poll. Before then they can look forward to the Lets Make a Ballet workshop for young dancers on 19 Oct 2014 and the annual Music for Christmas concert of the Hutton and Shenfield Choral Society at the Brentwood Centre on 20 Dec 2014.   I might also add that they have yet another treat from my part of the world in that Northern Ballet Academy's Cara O'Shea will take the next company class. I have been lucky enough to take a class with Cara and I learned a lot from her.

The company has just stated to market its own merchandise which includes ladies and gents' dance wear at very reasonable prices, I think I may get myself some of that.