Ballet company resurrected after 30 years

A ballet company that went on "hiatus" almost 30 years ago will tour the UK again after securing private subsidy.

Formerly the resident company of Sadler’s Wells, London City Ballet closed its doors in 1996 due to accumulated debts following 18 years of operations under its Director and Founder, Harold King.

Today (30 October), the company announced its return to British stages under the direction of Christopher Marney, a former dancer and director of the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company of Chicago.

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LCB plans to begin touring in the UK and internationally in the summer of 2024, including a week of performances at Sadler’s Wells in the autumn. For an initial three-year period, it will operate a touring model of six months per year but will have a permanent, purpose-built dance studio and office space in Angel, Islington.

Its repertoire is expected to include a commitment to producing one new work each year alongside revivals of “influential choreographers which may have fallen out of the repertoire of mainstream companies”.

Marney has worked alongside London City Ballet’s former Administrative Director, Heather Knight, to construct the renewed company. He said: “With immense respect for Harold King and the lives he changed, I felt that London City Ballet’s rich history was too important to be forgotten.

“The company informed my own career, and seeing them as a young child provided me with my first experience of dance, spurring my enthusiasm for the art form.

“The world has changed since its closure in 1996, and I am committed to creating a diverse and progressive company of dancers that speaks to a new generation and one that honours the leaders who paved its way. [While] new work is important, an ethos of the company will be across ‘resurrection’."

He added that he is “extremely grateful” to Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Sadler's Wells, for “providing a platform for the company and believing in my vision for reaching audiences regionally who may not always have access to the repertoire I am enthusiastic to share”.

Private subsidy

Speaking to the New York Times, Marney said that an unnamed Japanese sponsor would fund the 12-dancer company, providing around £500,000 per season with an additional “smaller group of donors” committed to making an annual contribution for three years to supplement operating costs.

The announcement of the new company comes at a time when other UK dance companies are struggling to contend with funding challenges and the rising cost of living. Last week, Greenwich Dance, founded 30 years ago, announced it will cease operations at the end of the year following the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s decision to remove its longstanding funding and an unsuccessful application to Arts Council England’s National Portfolio.

Meanwhile, Northern Ballet is in talks to replace its live orchestra with pre-recorded music for some performances to save money.

The Leeds-based company said that due to rising costs, it had “become clear that we can no longer continue with our traditional touring model” and needed to “explore different options if we are to continue to bring world-class narrative ballets to audiences throughout the country”.