Sky Arts and English National Ballet

English National Ballet celebrates 60 years in 2010. The Company was formerly known as London Festival Ballet and renamed English National Ballet to highlight its role as the Nation’s touring classical ballet company. It now boasts 67 dancers, a full live orchestra and an enviable dance repertoire.

English National Ballet performs Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo & Juliet this autumn in Manchester, Southampton and for the first time, Milton Keynes. This award-winning production was created for English National Ballet as their contribution to the festival marking the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. It has subsequently been performed by other international companies.

Nureyev’s production is notably faithful to Shakespeare’s play, rich in symbolism of fate and mortality. It was the second of five versions danced by English National Ballet, it was also Nureyev’s second production for English National Ballet after he mounted his Sleeping Beauty two years earlier. These productions inaugurated a period when Nureyev was very closely involved with the Company.

English National Ballet has been sponsored by Sky since 2003 and Sky Arts has been National Tour sponsor since 2007. English National Ballet tours across the UK throughout the year, with major tours taking place in spring and autumn. The Company tours across England and Wales including Manchester, Southampton, Oxford, Bristol with a Christmas Season at the London Coliseum.

Sky Arts' investment in the National Tour supports the very core of English National Ballet's work. It enables them to plan a tour that touches as wide an audience as possible and at a price that people can afford. We are proud that by supporting them we are helping the company in its original mission.

To find out more about English National Ballet, and to book tickets visit ballet.org.uk

Bookmark this page...