Our 2023 graduates: where are they now?
In 2023, our graduating students achieved remarkable success, with all 24 receiving contracts. After completing their first year in professional roles at companies worldwide, we reached out to some of our 2023 graduates to celebrate their accomplishments.
Ariana Allen
Ariana joined White Lodge in Year 7 from Buckinghamshire and earned the Audrey Harman Ballet History Prize. She is now dancing with Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB2) and has performed in The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty, as well as a number of pieces as part of BRB2’s Classical Selection Tour.
Bethany Bartlett
Bethany, a Junior Associate before joining White Lodge in Year 7, placed 3rd in the Lynn Seymour Award for Expressive Dance. She has completed her first season with The Royal Ballet as an Aud Jebsen Young Dancer and performed with the Company in ballets including Don Quixote, Manon, Swan Lake and The Cellist.
Guillem Cabrera Espinach
Guillem joined White Lodge Year 7 from Spain and choreographed Eccentric Pulses for the 2022 Ursula Moreton Emerging Choreographer performance. He is now with Joffrey Ballet’s Studio Company and will be joining as an Artist for the 2024/25 season.
George Edwards
George joined White Lodge in Year 10 from Chester and created his own choreography for the 2022 Ursula Moreton Emerging Choreographer performance and won the Valerie Adams Award for Exceptional Musicality. He is currently with the Finnish National Ballet’s Youth Company and has performed in Swan Lake, A Christmas Carol and Dracula.
Sierra Glasheen
Sierra, from the United States, joined the School’s Pre-professional Year, performing leading roles in Don Quixote and Within the Golden Hour while with the School. She is now an Aud Jebsen Young Dancer with The Royal Ballet and recently performed in Swan Lake and Don Quixote.
Tom Hazelby
Tom joined White Lodge in Year 8 from Doncaster. While at the School, he won The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers Award for Outstanding Progression and The April Olrich Award. Tom is now with Birmingham Royal Ballet’s junior company, BRB2, and has performed in Black Sabbath – The Ballet, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty.
Chaeyeon Kang
Chaeyeon joined Upper School in 2020 from South Korea. While at the School, Chaeyeon created her own choreography, Entangled, for the 2022 Ursula Moreton Emerging Choreographer performance. She is now a member of the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, and has performed in ballets including The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Brief Fling and Don Quixote.
Taeryeong Kim
Taeryeong joined Upper School from South Korea. During her time at the School, she performed roles in Don Quixote, Yondering, Within the Golden Hour and Sechs Tänze. Taeryeong is now with Norwegian National Ballet 2, and has recently performed in Swan Lake, Diamonds and The Nutcracker.
Alexander Larsson
Alexander joined the Upper School in 2020 from Sweden. During his time at the School, he placed 3rd at the 2021 Lynn Seymour Award for Expressive Dance. Alexander now dances with The Royal Danish Ballet and has performed in productions such as Etudes, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and The Dante Project.
Caspar Lench
Caspar joined White Lodge in Year 7 from Bristol and won several awards, including the London Ballet Circle Dame Ninette Award. He is now dancing with The Royal Ballet as an Aud Jebsen Young Dancer, making his debut as Puck in The Dream.
Milda Luckute
Milda joined Upper School from Lithuania in 2020 and won the Dame Ninette Award for the most outstanding female graduate. She is now dancing with Semperoper Ballett Dresden and has debuted in several soloist roles.
Sasha Manuel
Sasha joined the School in Year 10 from the United States. She won multiple awards, including The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers Award. Sasha is now with Birmingham Royal Ballet’s junior company, BRB2, and recently performed in The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, and Black Sabbath – The Ballet.
Kaito Matsuoka
Kaito joined Upper School from Japan in 2020, performing in The Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia, Fast Blue and Sechs Tänze while with the School. Kaito has since joined Houston Ballet as an Artist, following a year with Houston Ballet II.
Alfie Shacklock
Alfie joined Upper School from Australia in 2020 and won the 2023 David Norman Award. Last season, Alfie performed in The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty and Black Sabbath – The Ballet with Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB2). Since finishing the season with BRB2, Alfie joined Queensland Ballet.
Isabella Shaker
Isabella, an International Scholar before joining Upper School, performed leading roles in Don Quixote and Raymonda with the School. Isabella is now an Aud Jebsen Young Dancer with The Royal Ballet and has performed in productions including The Nutcracker, The Dream and Swan Lake.
Blake Smith
Blake, a Junior Associate before joining in Year 7, created a choreography for the 2016 Ninette de Valois Emerging Choreographer performance. He is now an Aud Jebsen Young Dancer with The Royal Ballet and has performed in ballets including Swan Lake, For What it’s Worth and The Winter’s Tale.
Vincent Vivet
Vincent joined the Pre-professional Year from France. While with the School, Vincent performed in Maurice Béjart’s Bolero and Firebird with Paris Opera Ballet. He is now dancing with Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company, and has performed in Giselle and Raymonda.
