Royal Ballet stars perform in charity gala supporting struggling arts and displaced Ukraine dancers

Kintbury Ballet School teacher Alex Foley will again be taking a number of her dance students to the Athelhampton Charity Ballet Gala in Dorset, on September 10 and 11, when dancers from The Royal Ballet are raising funds for the performing arts - one of the worst affected sectors by the pandemic.

One of her former students, Matthew Ball, is Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet at the gala.

Ballet students are invited to attend class and the performance on the Sunday. Alex is also bringing the Ukrainian family who are living with her which is particularly pertinant as this year they are also supporting displaced Ukrainian dancers.

This will be Meaghan Grace Hinkis and Fredstep Fundraising's third annual Ballet at Athelhampton Charity Gala at Athelhampton House. 2020 and 2021’s hugely successful galas collectively raised more than £100K to support the performing arts in the UK.

Hinkis, who has been a First Soloist at The Royal Ballet since 2021 and whose performances include The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty, took action to support her industry through the creation of a charity gala at the height of lockdown as a response to the closures of all performing arts venues for almost two years.

The inaugural gala, in 2020, went from conception to launch in just under a month - raising over £45K, and in 2021 successfully raising a further £60k which was shared across a mix of dance charities supporting those who were overlooked and out of work during the pandemicThis year, in light of the conflict in Ukraine, they were also determined to show support by donating a percentage of this year's ticket sales to help displaced dancers impacted by the war in Ukraine via the Youth America Grand Prix.

“With so many amazing Ukrainian artists and performers displaced from the ongoing conflict, this was an opportunity to work with that talent to show the schools in attendance how ballet transcends different cultures,” said Hinkis. “We’re excited to perform without a single Covid-19 restriction this year; with new faces and more schools participating. And to see how the arts are flourishing once again!”

Another first for this year’s gala includes inviting more than 80 children from local schools to watch the rehearsals and the performance. For many this will be their first experience of a live performance and a few lucky students will have the opportunity to watch ballet class and present gifts to the dancers at the end of the event.

This year’s charity ballet gala will once again be held in the grounds of Athelhampton House. Attendees can picnic in the gardens before enjoying a late afternoon outdoor performance under covered seating.

Meaghan Grace Hinkis continued: “Last year’s magical weekend of live music and dance was a huge success. The funds raised have helped keep our cherished theatres afloat during one of the most challenging times in our history. This year’s donations will not only aid our arts communities but support others from Ukraine. The Youth America Grand Prix has already been able to support over 100 Ukrainian dancers placing them safely in schools across the world and we hope to improve on that figure with further ticket sales from this year's charity gala.”

Tickets can be purchased at www.athelhampton.com/ballet Proceeds will support the recovery funds of the Royal Ballet companies and other dance charities.

From The Royal Ballet unless otherwise specified:

● Meaghan Grace Hinkis - First Soloist

● Matthew Ball - Principal

● Mayara Magri - Principal

● Ryoichi Hirano - Principal

● Sarah Lamb - Principal

● Laura Morera - Principal

● Momoko Hirata - Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal

● Cesar Morales Anderson - Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal

● Melissa Hamilton - First Soloist

● Luca Acri - First Soloist

● Lukas Brændsrød - Newly Promoted Soloist

● Mariko Sasaki - Newly Promoted Soloist

● David Donnelly - Newly Promoted Soloist

● Joseph Sissens - Newly Promoted First Soloist

● Marianna Tsembenhoi - Newly Promoted Artist - Ukrainian

● Daichi Ikarashi - Newly Promoted Artist

2022 Repertoire

Excerpts from George Balanchine's Diamonds, Frederick Ashton's The Dream and Les Patineurs, Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, Vicente Nebrada's Our Waltzes, Liam Scarlett's Jubilee Pas de deux, a pas de deux from Valentino Zuchetti's award-winning Anemoi, an excerpt rom Wayne McGregor's Infra, a new creation by Kristen McNally by Ukrainian composer, Myroslav Skoryk, for Ukrainian dancer Marianna Tsembenhoi, and pieces by Christopher Wheeldon, Kenneth MacMillan, and Ben Stevenson - among others.

There will be an auction on the Saturday and raffle on the Sunday. Net proceeds will be donated to the Royal Opera House Benevolent Fund, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and displaced Ukrainian ballet students via the Youth America Grand Prix, who have placed over 100 Ukrainian students in ballet schools across the world.

First image: Sarah Lamb and Matthew Ball in Frederick Ashton’s Medit