From tiny acorns, mighty forests grow

For 20 years, the Covent Garden Dance Company has sought to offer its audiences abroad and in the UK, unique access to watch world class artists and world premières, alongside inspiring new generations of dancers to create and showcase their passion for dance.

In this, our 20th year, and our final performance at Hatch House, we are bringing Étoiles and young dancers together on the same Harlequin stage, in a celebration of the uniquely emotional connections, only dance can encapsulate

Photo credit: Marina Feldman Photography & Amber Dower Hunt

We are therefore delighted to announce the commission of a new piece entitled The statue of affinity created by the celebrated Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance, Bath. We interviewed Annette Hind, third generation Principal of the 100+year old dance school about the piece, its inspiration and the role Covent Garden Dance has played in the school’s annual training programme.

First, about the school…

Born out of an indignance at Mr Whittle’s refusal to let his daughter join the stage with Gracie Fields, Dorothy aged just 14, founded ‘The Dainty Dots’ dance school in a church hall in Portsmouth. A born performer, and a bright and determined young woman, Dorothy married naval man Alan Coleborn in 1934 and after setting up dance schools as far afield as London and Scotland, the family settled in Bath in 1941.  

During the war, Dorothy didn’t let rationing dampen spirits. Home dyed tracing cloth was transformed into eclectic costumes for morale boosting performances, with Dorothy playing the piano whilst instructing her students over the top of her music.

By the time Dorothy reached retirement, both her daughter Annabel and her granddaughter Annette had taken up the running of the school. Ready to take the next grand jeté into expansion, in 1993, Dorothy's daughter, Annabel and Granddaughter, Annette moved the dance school from the family home to the purpose-built, spacious studios at Englishcombe Court. Today, over 100 years after its founding and with her own daughter a member of the Royal Swedish Ballet Company - Annette, continues the family legacy, proudly leading a fantastic team to teach the next generation of students ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary, tap, hip hop and modern.

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n September, the school will have 23 students training as Associates with the Royal Ballet School and is also an affiliate school of English National Ballet’s Ballet Futures programme.

How long have you been coming to Hatch House as audience members and what impact has watching the rehearsals of this local production had upon the children?

As a dance school we have been bringing students to watch the Ballet Under the Stars rehearsals for the past four years. It has been wonderful to watch the children be inspired by some of their dancing idols. Being able to watch the artists warm up, run technical and dress rehearsals on such a personal level is magical. It has become a favourite day in the Dorothy Coleborn calendar.

Dorothy Coleborn dance students watching the rehearsal at Hatch House in 2023

What do you like about the ethos of the Covent Garden Dance Company?

Many ballet galas have traditionally been very exclusive; the high prices mean many families simply cannot afford to take their children to watch artists such as those making up the Covent Garden Dance Company. I think the ethos of CGDC is different; by offering a matinee or rehearsal in exchange for a donation to a sister charity that supports new artists and new works, you are opening up the doors not only to people who already love dance, but to those who may not have accessed that world before.

Children have long memories and being bewitched by the beauty and artistry of a world class
performance lasts a lifetime.

Do you have a favourite memory of bringing the students to the rehearsals?

It has to be when the dancers are in their warm up clothes and then they reappear in their beautiful costumes. The children feel they are part of a process that no one else sees.

Dorothy Coleborn dance students watching the rehearsal at Hatch House in 2024

It is the 20th anniversary of the Company and across the years multiple new works and new artists have been given a spotlight alongside international stars, what does this opportunity to present a new work mean for the students and the school?

This is the second time that we have been commissioned to perform for the Company. Previously our dancers performed an existing piece of our own repertoire for the Dicky Buckle fundraiser. This time, the invitation to create a new piece and share the stage with such world-renowned artists over five days is an incredible honour.

Commissioning new works is vital to the sustainability and longevity of the art. In an era that is witnessing an unprecedented surge of AI, never has there been a bigger reason to innovate, celebrate and nurture new artists and talent.

Ballet Under the Stars is offering our dance school the opportunity to share our creativity and teaching with others, we pride ourselves on the success of our students; not just by the number of successful auditions but on the life skills that performance and craft encourage.

What is the piece about?

To complement the beauty of the location, the ballet is set in a walled garden in the early 1900’s. At its centre stands a mysterious statue while children play happily around it. One curious little girl becomes fascinated by the statue and studies it with wonder and kindness. Gradually through their quiet connection, the statue begins to trust the little girl, and an enchanting friendship starts to blossom.

What inspired the piece?

Over the past four years of watching the Ballet Under the Stars rehearsals in the stunning gardens of Hatch House - both rain and shine (!) we have been inspired by the surroundings, by the wonder of children and by the unique connections that people make when watching a dance performance. My vision was to bring all these aspects together in this piece.  

How excited are the children?

Oh my goodness, can you even imagine how excited they already are? This is an incredible opportunity for them - not just performing at a venue this stunning, and in terms of working really hard together to try and emulate excellence, but also the behind-the-scenes friendships they are forming and will go on to cherish. To dance in front of a garden full of people who love dance will be so exciting for them. They are a passionate and expressive group eager to share the narrative with the audience and each other through the choreography.

What do you hope the audience take away from the piece or feel as it is performed?

I hope that the audience will feel inspired by the children's performances. To witness a future generation of dancers on the same stage as some of the greatest dancers in the world is an emotional concept. Everybody starts somewhere and I hope the audience feels their excitement and love for self expression through dance.

Who knows, this opportunity could lead to a wonderful career in any walk of life; it takes pride, confidence and enthusiasm to put yourself on a stage of this kind, so whether they grow into CEOs, good parents or Prima Ballerinas, it is preparation, hard work and performances like this that plant the seed.

Who are you most looking forward to watching this year?

Zai Calliste - We watched him on the Hatch House stage last year at a time when he had just reached the end of his training at the English National Ballet, and now he is in the ENB Company and has just won an Emerging Dancer Award for technical excellence!

“He is proof of the 20th Anniversary legacy of the Covent Garden Dance Company - it is all about giving a platform to new talent and offering audiences a broad and varied programme of repertoire and new works. That is what keeps ballet and dance alive.”

It’s our 15th anniversary at Hatch House…

Mara Galeazzi & Gabriele Corrado - Macmillan’s Balcony pas de deux, Romeo & Juliet at Hatch House in 2019.

15 years ago, a quick conversation took place in the 17th Century walled Dutch garden at Hatch House. It was between The Covent Garden Dance Company director Matt Brady and the owner of the gardens, Lady Holly Rumbold.  The latter was being asked if she would mind if the former put a ballet on in her garden.   The response was an emphatic:

‘Oh my gawd yes!’.  

Three months later, the first show was presented to a bijou audience of 120 guests who had been rapidly contacted to try to ensure that the eccentric idea of presenting a ballet in a garden could be realised before the summer passed.

15 years on, Ballet Under The Stars has gone from strength to strength. The walled garden Harlequin Stage has played host to the biggest names in ballet and dance such as Carlos Acosta, Lauren Cuthbertson, Vadim Muntagirov, Valentine Colasante, Myriam Oud Brahm, Mara Galeazzi and too many more to mention in this single blog.

Lauren Cuthbertson & Matthew Golding - Christopher Wheeldon’s, After the Rain:
Hatch House 2018.
Photo credit - Alice Pennefather

For those of you who have not been, the 430 seat dinner theatre is created within the two tiered walled garden to form the dinner theatre. The walled garden is completely covered with a giant bespoke roof for the run of the 4 shows.  Guests arrive generally around 5:30pm to enjoy a drink from the newly created Café Folle Speak Easy cocktail bar and a walk in the sunshine around the gardens.  At 7pm everyone is seated at tables with their party to enjoy their first course of gourmet dining ahead of the first half hour section of performance.  Each half hour of performance takes place after each course of dining.  Each performance section has four short works within it with each work lasting around 5-8 mins.

This year, to celebrate the 15-year milestone, the company has in a way in part returned to their beginnings by inviting the stars of the future to perform alongside some of the more established names.  This year we will be treated to performances by Royal Ballet rising super stars Viola Pantuso and Marco Masciari and they will be joined by newly appointed Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal Beatrice Palma and Max Maslan. 

Viola Pantuso & Marco Masciari
Photo credit: @dancersdiary

The cast list does not end there; with performances by internationally renowned names such as Xander Parish and Ksenia Ovsyanick - who will be accompanied by Virtuoso Cellist Arne Christian Pelz - Hatch House 2024 makes this 15 year celebration a must see. The programme includes works from the greatest choreographers from around the world: Balanchine, Ashton, Petipa and many more.

Ksenia Ovsyanick & Timothy Dutson, Hatch House, 2022. Photo credit: Alice Pennefather

Hatch House 2024 is a feast for the senses for anyone and everyone, especially if you have never been to see ballet or dance.  The combination of the performance and three course dining, in the deeply romantic walled garden is truly something unique and brilliant.  If you can get a ticket….GET A TICKET!

Performance dates are: 25th/26th/27th July 2025

To enquire about offers, tables, menu and the programme, get in touch via email events@coventgardendance.com or phone: 01749 81 3313

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The story behind Covent Garden Dance Company

Founded in 2006 and back at Hatch House for it’s twelfth series of performances, we caught up with Matt Brady, Director of Covent Garden Dance, to discover more about the ethos and ambition of this unique dance company.

What inspired you to set up Covent Garden Dance Company?

“Covent Garden Dance happened very gradually over a period of about two years. After being inspired during an utterly incredible performance by Rambert company in Brighton, I found myself on a mission to see absolutely everything and anything to do with ballet and dance.

This developed further as I deep dived into the history of companies and many of its most influential and well known artists and creatives.  Being from a very theatrical and literary family there was without doubt a creative urge that had to be satisfied.” 

“One afternoon I was having lunch with my mum, (a world renowned author in her own right) and we were discussing our favourite short stories. When I told her my choice she paused and said "That would make a beautiful ballet." She was right.” 

“I spent the best part of the next six months putting a production team together, designer, choreographer, producer (one with experience!) Suddenly we had a team and no company. My offices were in a shared office in Covent Garden over what is now the Apple store on the Piazza, thus the name.

Actually the first idea was The Covent Garden Ballet Company and choreographer, Christine Sundt suggested not to use ballet in the name as it was limiting and to use 'dance'.”

How did ballet feature in your childhood?

“My first memory of dance was Gene Kelly.  He is still my complete and utter hero of dance.

“My Godmother was Violetta Elvin who was a Prima Ballerina with The Royal Ballet (when Principals were called Primas). Madame invited her to join to bring some 'Russian technical excellence' into the company which was in its formative years at that time.”

What is ethos of Covent Garden Dance Company?

“The company ethos is to bring world class ballet and dance out of the theatre into stunning locations around the world. We want to present ballet and dance to new and existing audiences in a way that broadens the appeal. We want to share all the things that make it so special with as many people as possible.”

How has CGDC grown over the years?

“It started with grand plans of full balletic productions but life is always there to slap the reality into you.  The first production we did was actually to 78 guests in the round at The Chapel in Bruton in Somerset with two incredible dancers Laura Morera and Ricardo Cervera. We did it in late May and the sun streamed through the beautiful windows and the audience threw flowers from the upstairs.

Magical. To this day it is still one of my favourite shows.”

Lauren Cuthbertson & Xander Parish, Dubai.

“In 2019, pre-Covid we had performed in Dubai in March at His Highness Sheikh Mohammed's property in Jumeirah. We were sold out three nights at Hatch House for the 10th Anniversary, we were developing a venue in the Bahamas with a world renowned blue chip client...and then Covid hit. Everything evaporated for three years. Now we are in year two of the rebuild to get back to that place.” 

Why Hatch House?

“I found Hatch with a friend of mine who came to the garden opening with me to find a costume/fancy dress for a party at Stourhead. He turned to me and exclaimed "This would be perfect for one of your shows." How right he was.  The good thing is I can still blame him if it goes wrong in the future!”

What excites you most about this year’s programme? 

“I am so excited by all of it. I can't talk about to many specifics as we don’t want to give too much away, but to have all these insanely talented artists come to Hatch House to perform is utterly wonderful. I have been trying to put this programme together for a very long time and I hope that finally we will be able to do it this July. Fingers crossed.” 

What can audiences expect from this year’s performances?

“Magic.” 

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What relationship does the Dicky Buckle Charitable Fund have to Covent Garden Dance Company?

“The productions at Hatch House are a Covent Garden Dance Company production. We try very hard to help support The Dicky Buckle Fund anyway we can as it is important to support anything and anyone who supports new work and the creative process. The Dicky Buckle Fund is completely separate to Covent Garden Dance, but they play symbiotic roles.”

“The charity supports young and emerging choreographers and creatives to make new and original work, Covent Garden Dance helps promote these ends and offers a stage (whenever possible) to present these works to an audience.” 

What is next for Covent Garden Dance Company?

“Hatch House 2023!  Don’t ask me to look further until we have safely produced this week of ballet and dance. The dreams and aspirations remain, but you are only as good as your last show and the show is not done until it is done.”