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.
I
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.”
