Tag: Royal Ballet

Blackhall boy Charlie selected by internationally renowned ballet school

Edinburgh Dance Academy (EDA) performer Charlie Waller is about to follow in the footsteps of his elder sister after being offered a place at one of the world’s leading ballet training institutions, The Royal Ballet School in London.

The P6 pupil from Blackhall celebrates his 11th birthday later this month. From September, he will enter Year 7 at the Royal Ballet’s Lower School at White Lodge, in London’s Richmond Park.

With around 1400 people applying to join The Royal Ballet School every year, Charlie has secured one of only 10-12 places available to new Year 7 boys. He will become the only Scottish male currently at the School joining his 12-year-old sister Emily, who was invited to attend last year. The pair will also become the only Scottish siblings amongst the international student ranks.

Admission to The Royal Ballet School, which attracts the highest calibre young dancers from across the globe, is based purely on talent and potential. Its alumni include Margot Fonteyn, Anthony Dowell, Antoinette Sibley, Wayne Sleep, and Darcey Bussell. Along with a daily routine of classical ballet training, the Lower School also provides a strong focus on academic qualifications with its students studying core GCSE subjects.

A pupil of the highly-regarded EDA since the age of three, Charlie currently attends 14 classes with the Edinburgh-based school every week participating in ballet and other styles of dance. He is also a Junior Associate with Scottish Ballet and was recently cast as Young Cinders in its production of Cinders.

Commenting on his forthcoming move to London to take up his place at The Royal Ballet School, Charlie said: “I’m so excited to be going to such a great school with so many other boys and girls who love dancing.

“I’ll miss my mum and dad and especially my little brother, Arty (3), but I’m looking forward to being at school with Emily, doing ballet in a class full of boys every day and hopefully getting to perform with The Royal Ballet company at some point.”

Charlie’s mum, Morag, said: “We’re so pleased that Charlie has been given this opportunity to follow his dream of becoming a professional dancer.

“Since he was a toddler, he has always loved dance and EDA has been crucial in helping him progress to this current level.  Joining The Royal Ballet School will now enable Charlie to further develop and maximise his talent.

“While it will feel very strange not having him here under our roof and we will, of course, miss him terribly, we know how much this means to him. We’re also reassured that he and Emily will be together in London.”

Julie Mitchell, Principal and Founder at EDA, said: “Charlie is a lovely boy who has been with EDA for most of his young life.

“He’s got incredible drive and real talent as a dancer so we couldn’t be more pleased about him securing a place at The Royal Ballet School.

“We are very proud of his progress to date and we look forward to seeing him further develop his dance skills through this new and exciting chapter.”

Start 2023 with the best of  Royal Opera House Stream

  • 6 new recordings launched between January and April
  • The Royal Ballet: The Cellist, Romeo and Juliet and Sylvia
  • The Royal Opera: La traviata, Fidelio and Madama Butterfly

This New Year, the Royal Opera House will add six new performances to Royal Opera House Stream for audiences around the world to enjoy: The Cellist, Romeo and Juliet and Sylvia from The Royal Ballet; and La traviata, Fidelio and Madama Butterfly from The Royal Opera.

The new titles join a library of over 50 beloved productions and over 100 behind-the-scenes videos, giving audiences an opportunity to discover more by the artists they love, and watch world-class art wherever they are.

The year kicks off with a recording of Cathy Marston’s extraordinary one-act ballet The Cellist (2020).

The production – the choreographer’s first work for the Royal Opera House’s Main Stage – is a lyrical memoir of the momentous life of the cellist Jacqueline du Pré, whose brilliant career was cut short by the onset of multiple sclerosis at the age of 28.

Composer Philip Feeney incorporates music by Elgar, Beethoven, Fauré, Mendelssohn, Piatti, Rachmaninoff and Schubert into an exquisite score that is itself an homage to the cello. This multi award-winning production stars Royal Ballet Principals Lauren Cuthbertson, Marcelino Sambé and Matthew Ball.

On Thursday 19 January 2023, our latest revival of Verdi’s ever popular La traviata arrives on Royal Opera House Stream.

Richard Eyre’s production, with sumptuous belle époque-inspired designs by Bob Crowley, has long been a Royal Opera favourite, winning critical acclaim for its exquisite sets, lavish costumes, and unforgettably dramatic staging.

The performance (recorded in 2022) is sung by a truly international cast that includes Pretty Yende as Violetta Valéry, Stephen Costello as Alfredo Germont and Dimitri Platanias as Giorgio Germont.

February begins with the release of Tobias Kratzer’s production of Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio (2020), with Music Director of The Royal Opera Antonio Pappano conducting a spectacular cast led by Lise Davidsen and David Butt Philip.

Then, on Valentine’s Day 2023, Romeo and Juliet will be made available. Kenneth MacMillan’s classic adaptation of Shakespeare’s play – set to Prokofiev’s iconic score and featuring evocative designs by Nicholas Georgiadis – has remained a firm favourite of The Royal Ballet’s repertory since its premiere in 1965, which was danced by Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn.

The production offers dancers in the lead roles a wealth of opportunity for differing interpretations of the star-crossed lovers.

Two further new productions will be available from March: Frederick Ashon’s ballet Sylvia (2005), starring former Royal Ballet Principal Darcey Bussell and Guest Artist Roberto Bolle; and Puccini’s devastating opera Madama Butterfly (2022), conducted by Nicola Luisotti and sung by a stunning cast that includes acclaimed Italian soprano Maria Agresta as Cio-Cio-San, American tenor Joshua Guerrero as Lieutenant B.F Pinkerton, Spanish Baritone Carlos Álvarez as Sharpless, and English mezzo-soprano Christine Rice as Suzuki.

All Royal Opera House Stream productions come complete with extra wraparound material – interviews, masterclasses, rehearsal footage and more – giving audiences a unique behind the scenes insight into one of the world’s leading theatres.

Royal Opera House Stream currently hosts over 50 stunning works from The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera, with highlights including Wayne McGregor’s The Dante Project, Katie Mitchell’s production of Handel’s Theodora, Frederick Ashton’s La fille mal gardée, Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale and Puccini’s Tosca.

In addition to the 100+ pieces of behind-the-scenes content already online, further features – ranging from rehearsal footage to interviews and masterclasses – will be made available across 2023 for subscribers to enjoy.

Join today to watch the world’s greatest performers, emerging talent, leading choreographers and trailblazing creative teams from the comfort of your own home. From family favourites and modern masterpieces to heartbreaking arias and passionate pas-de-deux, Royal Opera House Stream offers it all: truly transformative experiences for only £9.99 a month or £99 annually.

Whatever your interest – whether classical or contemporary – there’s a breadth of content for you.

New productions from March 2023 will be announced over the coming months.