The Next Generation Festival, ROH

As in previous years, The Next Generation Festival 2024 showcases the talent of young dancers, whether members of junior companies or graduates from three of the UK's most prestigious dance schools. Junior companies are normally associated with a theatre's main company: they are small select groups of new graduates, who will stay with the company for a maximum of two years before continuing their career elsewhere.

The junior companies performing at this year's festival in the Linbury Theatre are:

---- Ballet NdB 2, connected to Brno National Theatre Ballet in the Czech Republic -- 11 & 12 June art 7 pm
Set up in September 2022, it consists of 12 dancers and performs both the classics with the main company and especially created choreographies. It brings three pieces: Markéta Štofčíková’s joyful Pampúšik; Mário Radačovaský’s response to today's conflicts in Symphony No. 7 Allegretto, set to a movement from Shostakovich's 'Leningrad Symphony'; and Carolina Isach’s Distant Instant, which reflects on changes in today's society. Culture Whisper's review here

--- Norwegian National Ballet 2/New English Ballet Theatre -- 15 & 16 June at 7 pm
Norwegian National Ballet 2, which has been going since 2015, shares a bill with New English Ballet Theatre, which is not exactly a junior company in that it is independent, but gives opportunities to freelance young dancers.
The Norwegians will dance three contemporary pieces: Limerence by Kumiko Hayakawa, Step Lightly by Sol Léon and Paul Lightfoot and a new work created by Anaïs Touret. NEBT perform Daniela Cardim's Baroque Encounters, and Royal Ballet principal Matthew Ball's Acts of Exaltation, set to music by Monteverdi.

--- German National Youth Ballet (Bundesjugendballett) -- 25 & 26 June at 7 pm
Based in Hamburg, this eight-strong company was founded in 2011 by the choreographer and director of Hamburg Ballet, John Neumeier. It'll present two Neumeier pieces: In the Blue Garden, to music by Ravel and BJB Songbook – What We Call Growing Up to songs by the likes of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen.

--- ZooNation Youth Company -- 29 June at 2.30 pm and 7 pm
For a show of committed, highly skilled and exhilarating hip hop, you can do no better than the youngsters of ZooNation. This year they'll perform a brand new work by choreographer Chaldon Williams, creator of Traplord.

The three schools whose final year students participate in this year's Next Generation Festival are:

--- The Royal Ballet School -- 19 & 20 June at 7 pm
The programme, not yet revealed in full, promises a mix of classical and contemporary work, the better to show off the young dancers' talent and technique

--- English National Ballet School -- 4 July at 2 pm and 7 pm
ENB School returns to the festival, this year with a programme which celebrates the cycle of the seasons with pieces that range from the classicism of Ashton's Les Patineurs to the shocking expressionism of PIna Pausch, and includes a commission from the British choreographer Andrew McNicol,

--- Rambert School -- 1 July at 7 pm
The UK's foremost school of contemporary dance, Rambert, turns out versatile graduates much in demand by contemporary companies in the UK and beyond. This year they will perform six especially commissioned pieces from choreographers Arthur Pita, Impermanence, Adrian Look, Naia Bautista, Robbie Ordona and Rambert School alumna Faye Tan.

The festival will dedicate one programme to diverse voices in ballet. Entitled All About Us, it's on 22 June at 2pm and 5pm
and is made up of performers participating in a number of outreach initiatives, among them The Royal Ballet's own Chance to Dance, National Youth Ballet and the wheelchair dancer Joe Powell-Main.