McNicol Ballet Collective announces AWAKENINGS

The McNicol Ballet Collective has announced that it will be holding four world premieres under the name ‘Awakenings’.

The show which will be held at The Bloomsbury Theatre in London on 13 & 14 November and at Hull New Theatre on 21 November, will provide opportunities for freelance artists to come together and perform.

Starring in the programme of bold new ballets will be Kristen McGarrity, who is a former a dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet, Winnie Dias who was a former dancer with Hamburg Ballet and Marina Fraser who has performed with Joffrey Ballet, Viviana Durante Company and KVN Dance Company.

Joining them will be identical twins Laurie and Josh McSherry-Gray, Laurie a previous member of Royal Ballet of Flanders and Josh having been part of the English National Ballet. Fellow English National Ballet Alumni Shevelle Dynott will be taking to the stage as well as Isaac Lee-Baker a former dancer with Nothern Ballet and Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. The stellar cast will be joined in the studio by former Royal Ballet dancer David Peden.

‘Awakenings’ will consist of four pieces; ‘Firebird Reimagined’ will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Stravinsky’s death. ‘In Ecstasy’ which is set to a newly commissioned score by Nicholas Thayer and Setareh Nafisi. ‘Bates Beats’ is an energetic piece set to the music of composer Mason Bates and ‘Of Silence’ a yet to be performed piece due to Covid-19 focuses on hope, connection and belonging.

McNicol Ballet Collective is also launching a city-wide dance initiative across Hull titled ‘Unbound’, the initiative will see dance artist and choreographer Bim Malcolmson creating new work with dance schools in and around the Hull area and these will then perform as a curtain raiser for the performance of ‘Awakenings’ at Hull New Theatre. The programme is in conjunction with Hull New Theatre and Hull City Hall.