Friday, 3 July 2009

Birmingham Royal Ballet - Natasha Oughtred becomes a Principal dancer

Regular readers will know that last month I interviewed Natasha, then a First Soloist with Birmingham Royal Ballet, for my "Cupcakes" series, and I'm delighted to be able to report that she has been promoted to the highest rank of Principal.

Here is the full Press Release :

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS & NEW DANCERS

At the end of the 2008/2009 Season, Birmingham Royal Ballet is able to announce the following:

Principal Dancer Dominic Antonucci has been appointed Ballet Master

Promotions:
Jamie Bond, Natasha Oughtred, Gaylene Cummerfield and Carol-Anne Millar are promoted from First Soloists to Principals.

Joseph Caley and Alex Campbell are promoted from Soloists to First Soloists

Céline Gittens and Tom Rogers are promoted to Artists to First Artists

And the following dancers will join the Company:

Jade Heusen will join as Artist from Elmhurst School for Dance

Benjamin Soerel will join as an Artist from the Royal Ballet School

11 comments:

  1. thank you for keeping us up to speed on developments, especially with dancers that you have featured here on your site

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  2. Great update! Thank you for your kind comments on my blog - you have never been anything other than sincere, helpful and very much appreciated! S

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  3. massive congrats to Natasha who is much missed in London.

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  4. Yes I agree with the earlier comment. Why couldn't the RB see Natasha's potential ? Why did she had to uproot to Birmingham before her true talent was recognised ? It's not the first example of dancers having to leave a company because they are not getting the chances. Must be tough in a large co to get the roles you really want though

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  5. Thanks Sarah - phew !

    To the Anon's - thank you too for your comments. It is indeed a great loss to no longer see Natasha with the RB - but I can see why she felt the need to go. Look at what has happened since. I recall seeing her as the Lead Shade in La Bayadere and also as the White Cat in The Sleeping Beauty. She was brilliant in both but they hardly tested her as a dancer. And now she has that, justifiably so.

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  6. Natasha deserves this promotion - well done to her and thank you for telling us about it

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  7. Thank you Anon. I agree with your sentiment - Natasha has a well-deserved promotion so moving to BRB was the right move for her - and a brave one too. That's not to say that she isn't missed in London though !

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  8. congrats on the promo Nats. Well deserved. Loved this interview - and hi to Tamara too

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  9. I loved your interview with Natasha and I agree with everyone else, promotion was well deserved and long overdue.

    I hear that the RB have only just seen sense and promoted Stephen McRae - maybe they knew they were about to lose him too ?

    All good stuff and I love your website.

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  10. Natasha really deserves this promotion. Shame she never got it at the RB - but it's not the first time someone missed out there.

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