Next Generation Festival, Royal Opera House

Few things are more thrilling than to watch young dancers displaying their talent and ever more dazzling technique with confidence and self-belief. So, a three-week-long festival that brings together dancers from junior companies and schools from three continents is certainly something to celebrate.

Get ready then, for the Next Generation Festival, which runs through June in the intimate Linbury Studio of the Royal Opera House. It brings together companies from the UK, continental Europe, Australia and the USA, as well as the Royal Ballet School and Rambert School of Contemporary Dance.

Here's the line-up in chronological order:

Tuesday 31 May & Wednesday 1 June: ZooNation Youth Company


ZooNation Youth Company. Photo: Helen Murray
The youngsters of ZooNation's junior company are more than a match for their elders, with their hip-hop technique and vital commitment to their dance. They will perform Everland, a new work by artistic director Kendra Horsburgh, that explores themes of growing up and the emotional path to adulthood. It is set to a score by DJ Walde.

Saturday 4, Sunday 5 and Monday 6 June: Queensland Ballet Jette Parker Young Artists


Queensland Ballet
The Queensland ensemble presents Southern Lights, a programme of three new contemporary works by Queensland Ballet’s associate choreographer Jack Lister and resident choreographer Natalie Weir, as well as Royal New Zealand Ballet's resident choreographer Loughlan Prior.

Thursday 9 and Friday 10 June: American Ballet Theatre Studio Company (pictured top)

The company performs a mixed programme of original commissions and classical favourites, including ballets by Hope Boykin, Jessica Lang and Yannick Lebrun.

Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 June: An Evening with the Next Generation

This joint programme looks immensely promising. It brings together dancers from The Royal Ballet Aud Jebsen Young Dancers, Rambert School, The Royal Ballet School  and Dutch National Ballet Junior Company in a programme of new work, including Bloom, danced by the Dutch National Ballet Junior company, and choreographed by Milena Sidorova, whose excellent pieces proved the highlight of this festival's 2019 predecessor.

Saturday 18 June (mat & eve): New English Ballet Theatre


NEBT, Summer from The Four Seasons by Jenna Lee. Photo: Deborah Jaffe
The New English Ballet Theatre exists to promote young talent in all sectors of dance, be it performance, design, choreography or music. It also regularly commissions new work. For this Next Generation Festival it's assembled a programme of new pieces and some repertoire favourites.

Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 June: Rambert School


Rambert School in Christopher Bruce's Dancing Day. Photo: Chris Nash
Rambert School’s young dancers will perform works by emerging and established choreographers, including former Rambert artistic director Christopher Bruce, who restages his work Dancing Day, first performed by students of the school in 1981.

There will also be a series of Insights exploring the importance of cultural exchange and a Live at Lunch event. All details here.