Images Ballet Company 2024, Sadler's Wells

The current cohort of final year degree and MA ballet students of London Studio Centre joins forces in Images Ballet Company to show off their talent and proficiency in a tour that ends in June at the Lilian Baylis studio, the second stage of Sadler's Wells theatre.

The 11 young dancers – eight women and three men – will perform an especially created programme that showcases their technical and interpretative range. The first half of the programme is dedicated to pure classicism, and pays homage to Arthur Saint-Léon, ballet master of the St Petersburg Imperial Ballet from 1859 to 1869, some of whose many ballets endure to this day. In particular, this programme marks the 180th anniversary of the London premiere of his La Vivandière.

The second part of the programme flips the coin, with the dancers required to tackle contemporary works especially created by choreographers Caroline Finn and Charlie Brittain. An award-winning dance maker, Caroline Finn was artistic director and subsequently resident choreographer of NDC Wales, where she created highly original and engaging works. She has also choreographed for many international companies.

For Images Dance Company dancer, teacher, choreographer and rehearsal director Charlie Brittain has created Deletion Symphony, a neo-classical piece that promises to put the dancers through their paces.

Images Ballet Company was founded in 1991 to provide classical ballet dancers with invaluable performing experience. It is one of four touring companies made up final year students at the London Studio Centre, the other three focusing on jazz, contemporary dance and music theatre.