Our students perform in Unite for Ukraine
On Sunday 15 May, Sadler’s Wells hosted a special gala performance, Unite for Ukraine. The gala was staged to raise funds and awareness for those impacted by the terrible ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with funds going to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. We were extremely proud to take part alongside five other UK ballet schools.
Our repertoire
Our students performed a variety of both classical and contemporary repertoire at the gala. 1st Year students danced the pas de douze from Swan Lake Act I. 2nd Year student Milda Luckute performed the Bridesmaid solo from Don Quixote and Pre-professional student Takumi Miyake danced Franz’s solo from Coppélia Act lll. Jack Easton, also a Pre-professional Year student, performed his own choreographic solo Fremd, set to the music of Byetone.
Praise for our students
Vera Liber from the British Theatre Guide wrote of our students’ performances:
RBS’s precise Takumi Miyake leaps his way through Franz’s act III solo from Coppélia; the tall Milda Luckute, also from RBS, is an elegant firecracker in her very brief but showy Don Quixote Bridesmaid solo.RBS not only excels in its pristine classical training in Petipa and Ivanov’s (additional choreography by Ashton) masterpiece with its Swan Lake Pas de Douze waltz, but also shows off its choreographic opportunities for students in Jack Easton’s acrobatic Fremd solo (electronic music Olaf Bender, German vocals Jan Kummer) choreographed on himself. Fremd is something else: barefoot and bare-chested in tiny shorts Easton’s body takes on hip hop’s pops and locks in classical elegant style but what control, what timing. He is electrifying, a current running though him.
Maggie Foyer from Seeing Dance also reviewed the performances:
Fremd (German for ‘foreign’ or ‘outsider’) by Jack Easton from the Royal Ballet School was intelligently structured with smartly paced dynamics in a dance language absolutely of now. A powerful dancer, he punctuated the text in moves that punched home with the shock of an electric short circuit. Easton is certainly a name to watch.
Two classical solos from the Royal Ballet School looked Prix de Lausanne ready. Takumi Miyake soared through Franz’s variation from Coppélia, displaying cut-glass batterie, a fine classical line and oodles of charm. Tall and elegant, Milda Luckute, dancing the Bridesmaid Solo from Don Quixote, was absolutely secure in every technical detail and so confident that it all looked as easy as a walk in the park. The Royal Ballet School’s ‘Pas de Douze’ from Act One of Swan Lake was beautifully danced, costumed and rehearsed by an outstanding Royal Ballet School dozen.
Coming together
We were glad to join with students from other top ballet schools for the event: Central School of Ballet, Elmhurst Ballet School, English National Ballet School, Northern Ballet School and Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. It was a wonderful opportunity for all six schools to show solidarity and for students to join together in support of this vital cause. Students also enjoyed taking class together, getting to know each other and sharing experiences throughout the day before the gala took place.
Words from our director
Artistic Director Christopher Powney attended the gala along with several other members of The Royal Ballet School team. He said:
I am immensely proud of our students for their drive to use their art form to raise awareness and funds for such an important cause. The impact of the terrible conflict in Ukraine has been deeply felt across our industry, and we’re grateful to Viviana Durante for organising this gala and inviting us to contribute. Our thoughts continue to be with Ukraine and with all those affected by the devastating situation.
Browse photographs from the performance below.
