Dame Monica Mason launches education project at The Royal Ballet School

On Friday, 2 December Director of The Royal Ballet, Dame Monica Mason DBE came to the Upper School to talk with 2nd Year students about the ballet Les Noces. She was joined by Christopher Newton who, like her, was a member of the original 1966 cast of the ballet.

Mr Newton will be recreating the ballet as part of a triple bill by The Royal Ballet next June/July. The students heard stories about the recreation of Les Noces for The Royal Ballet in 1966 by Bronislava Nijinska. Students quizzed Dame Monica and Mr Newton and were particularly taken by tales of Nijinska’s relentless rehearsal schedules.

The students will be studying the ballet in the New Year as part of the Dance Appreciation unit of their BTEC National Diploma in Dance and will have the opportunity of following the creative process at close quarters in the lead up to its first performance on 20 June 2012.

The scheme of work is also being used to launch a new Dance Partnership and Access aDvANCE programme, enabling 2nd Year students from The Royal Ballet School and students from state schools throughout England to discuss and share creative ideas about Les Noces (as well as The Nutcacker) through a specially created internet forum.

Pictured: Members of The Royal Ballet in Les Noces

Photo: Dee Conway, courtesy of The Royal Ballet

For information about Les Noces and to book tickets, visit: www.roh.org.uk