Dégagé

Michaela DePrince in Swan Lake

Photo Angela Sterling
(c) Dutch National Ballet, All rights reserved

First the bad news. Thursday's screening of First Position which I announced on 20 Jan 2015 has had to be postponed. It's too near to Easter and all the Quarry Hill regulars are on holiday.

Now the good news. She's still coming to London on 7 July 2015 (see Dance with DePrince 2 March 2015) and she has is rising in the company so we can see her in Amsterdam whenever we want.

More good news is that the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company is coming to London on 5 and 6 June 2015 and I have my ticket already. DePrince won't be dancing this time. She is about to be promoted to coryphée. But the Junior Company has lots of other good dancers such as Nancy Burer, Emilie Tassinari,Veronika Verterich, Bart Engelen, Cristiano Principato and Thomas van Damme. If you want to see them get your skates on because Arena tickets are selling like hot cakes. Today is the first day of sales for the new booking period for the general public and there was not much left.

Yet more good news is that Ernst Meisner, the artistic coordinator of the Junior Company, is speaking to the London Ballet Circle on 20 July 2015.

And even more good news is that I have an excuse to publish anoher of the great photos of DePrince that Richard Heideman sent me.

Another Beautiful Photo of Michaela DePrince

Michaela DePrince in Swan Lake

Photo Angela Sterling
(c) Dutch National Ballet 2015
All rights reserved

As promised, another beautiful picture of Michaela DePrince in the Dutch National Ballet's recent production of Swan Lake. I am grateful to Richard Heideman of the Dutch National Ballet for sending me this photo and to the company for authorizing its reproduction.

If you are in Leeds on 2 April 2015 you can watch First Position at Cafe 164 (see Cafe 164 to screen "First Position" 20 Jan 2015). If you are intermediate level or above you can take her master class at Danceworks on 7 July 2015 (see Dance with DePrince 2 March 2015).

You can find other articles about DePrince at Michaela DePrince at TEDx Amsterdam 28 Nov 2014,

I shall be reviewing DePrince's autobiography Hope in a Ballet Shoe shortly,

"Taking Flight" in more ways than one

Michaela DePrince, Dutch National Ballet

Photo Robin de Puy

(c) 2014 Dutch National Ballet
All rights reserved

According to Richard Heideman, press manager of the Dutch National Ballet, Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina by Michaela and Elaine DePrince is to be made into a film. He reports that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has acquired the film rights and will make a full length feature film with Alloy Entertainment. Elysa Dutton and Les Morgenstein of Alloy will produce the film with Matt Dines of MGM.

Closer to home, First Position, a film in which DePrince already appears, will be shown at Cafe 164 in Leeds on 2 April 2015 (see Cafe 164 to screen "First Position" 2 March 2015) and she will take a master class at Danceworks on 7 July 2015 (Dance with DePrince 20 Jan 2015).

DePrince joined the Junior Company of the Dutch National Ballet in 2013 and the main company as an apprentice in 2014. She is expected to be promoted to coryphée shortly. One of our best young choreographers told me recently that he hopes to work with her.

I am a great fan of this remarkable young woman for two reasons. First,she is thrilling to watch. Secondly, I also have close connections with Sierra Leone.

If anyone wants to read more about her there is a list of links to my other posts in Michaela DePrince at TEDx Amsterdam 28 Nov 2014,

Cafe 164 to screen "First Position"

After Annemarie's class at Northern Ballet her students slip round the corner for a cup of tea at Café 164 on Duke Street. Their teas are the best I have so far tasted in Leeds though I am told their coffee is even better and their toasted sandwiches are delicious. My favourites are the Moroccan mint and chicken and chorizo  I dance with a remarkable group of ladies all of whom seem to have achieved so much and lived such interesting lives. We chat for hours.

The café is located in Munro House which also contains a gallery. And in this gallery they show films. One of those films is First Position which is where Michaela DePrince came to the public's attention. I've had the pleasure of seeing her dance on two occasions. On the first of those occasions I wrote:

"She is quite simply the most exciting dancer I have seen for quite a while"

(see  The Junior Company of the Dutch National Ballet - Stadsshouwburg Amsterdam 24 Nov 2013 26 Nov 2013).

The film will be shown at 19:00 on 2 April 2015 and tickets cost £5. I am looking forward to it very much.