Ninette de Valois Emerging Choreographer 2019

On Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 March, we saw the return of the annual Ninette de Valois Emerging Choreographer, dedicated to the memory of the School’s founder.

At each of the performances, 12 pieces were showcased by our White Lodge students. Each piece was performed in front of an audience, as well as a panel of experts including Dame Monica Mason, Mikaela Polley and Didy Veldman.

The School’s artistic team will select a few of the pieces to be developed developed further to be performed at our performances at the Royal Opera House and Opera Holland Park.

Those selected to be further developed are:

Grace Donovan In a flick of a switch

Tianie-Finn Grainger Classified

The Emerging Choreographer performances demonstrate the importance of continuing the School’s drive to foster creative experiment and expression in students.

Choreographer and panel member Didy Veldman said: ‘People often don’t realise how difficult it is to create work; to start with an idea, to choose your music, to choose a title and decide how to move people from A to B. Some of the choreographers have had massive groups to manage at young age.

‘I think they’ve done a marvellous job, I’m full of admiration. Congratulations to them.’

Dame Monica Mason added: ‘The choreographic project offers a fantastic opportunity to develop your imagination. That, coupled with the amount of team work, discipline and support the students give one another, helps to prepare them for a professional career.’

‘There’s something about visiting the exceptionally wonderful White Lodge; I always have high expectations and the students always manage to meet them’.