Ursula Moreton Choreographic Award

The annual Ursula Moreton Choreographic Award was held at the Upper School on Friday 25 March, following a preview for Friends the evening before.

The event is produced by 2nd Year students as part of the assessment process for their BTEC National Award in Performing Arts, and the competition is open to 1st and 2nd Year students at the Upper School. Ten pieces of original choreography were selected for entry.

This year’s judges were Composer and Broadcaster Michael Berkeley, Viviana Durante former Principal Dancer with The Royal Ballet and Wayne Eagling, Artistic Director of English National Ballet

The judges’ results were as follows:

1st Prize: Sebastian Goffin - Ana B140601, B140602, B140603
2nd Prize: Marcelino Sambé - M' ca cre sabi
3rd Prize: Romain di Fazio - Les Ailes du Temps

Ursula Moreton was a key figure in the development of British choreography, having encouraged Kenneth MacMillan and John Cranko in the 1940s. She became Ballet Principal of The Royal Ballet School and lectured extensively on mime and choreography. Many of her original notes are held in The Royal Ballet School Collections. The Ursula Moreton Choreographic Award was established in her memory when she died in 1973 and to this day it remains an integral part of the Upper School curriculum.

Previous winners of the Award include David Bintley, Adam Cooper, William Tuckett, Christopher Hampson, Matthew Hart, Cathy Marston and Christopher Wheeldon and more recently Liam Scarlett and Jonathan Watkins, who both premiered new works on the Royal Opera House main stage in 2010.

Pictured: Choreographers and Judges
Photo: Marius Arnold-Clarke