Ursula Moreton Emerging Choreographer Performance 2019
On Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 May, eight 2nd Year students presented their choreographic creations as part of the Ursula Moreton Emerging Choreographer programme.
The choreographers had been preparing their work alongside their mentors; Mikaela Polley, Andrew McNicol and Patricia Okenwa with the choreographic supervision of Kate Flatt and Elisabetta D’Aloia.
Each student benefits, throughout the creative process, from improvisation classes, workshops with guest choreographers, collaborations with musicians, as well as regular discussions and meetings to reflect on their piece. The process means students are able to experience working as a professional choreographer, encompassing all the elements that make a production successful including; staging, props, lighting and costumes.
This year, the Ursula Moreton has been developed from a choreographic competition to a choreographic development programme aimed at fostering creative experiment and expression in students. The students get all the benefits of mentoring without the final judgement of a competition.
After the performance, the mentors along with special guest Christopher Bruce CBE, former Artistic Director of Rambert Dance Company and pre-eminent contemporary choreographer selected three works to be developed further to be performed at our performances at the Royal Opera House and Opera Holland Park.
Those selected to be further developed are:
Denilson Almeida The Middle of Nowhere
 ‘This piece is inspired by the people of northern Brazil who live in extreme poverty. Despite this hardship they persevere and support each other within their communities encompassing a love of expressive arts, music and sport.’
Sacha Genet Les Ames Malades
‘Does freedom really exist? This is the open question that Les Ames Malades tries to answer.’
James Large Missing Pieces
‘Missing Pieces explores the journey of dementia, its effects on the sufferer and those close to them.’
The Ursula Moreton Emerging Choreographer programme, generously supported by Peter Wilson, was created in 1973 to encourage choreographic talent.
A huge congratulations to all those who took part and our grateful thanks to those who support the programme.
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