English National Ballet School is a specialist classical ballet school based in London in the United Kingdom. The School was founded in 1988 by Peter Schaufuss as the official school of English National Ballet.[1] The School's current artistic director is Lynne Charles.
Overview
English National Ballet School is a specialist training centre for young ballet dancers aged 16 to 19. Many graduates become dancers with English National Ballet as well as with other international ballet companies.[2]
History
The School was founded in 1988 by then director Peter Schaufuss of English National Ballet as a feeder school for the company. It began with just 12 students, sharing premises with the company.[3] The School grew rapidly, and in 1995 Diana, Princess of Wales opened its new premises in Chelsea, enabling it to train many more dancers.[4]
Today the School exists as a separate entity but maintains strong links with its parent company, around a third of whose dancers are graduates of the School.[5] Students perform in ENB's touring productions of My First Ballet[6] as well as in the company's main stage productions and those of other leading UK companies.[7] The School's own performances are widely noted, with Dance Europe describing the Winter 2019 performance as 'a terrific show...both entertaining and thoughtful.'[8]
English National Ballet School has an associate programme, ENBS Juniors, for girls and boys aged 3 and up.[9] In 2020, the School initiated a Graduate Trainee Programme as a response to the global pandemic.
