Cecchetti Society Trust News

Welcome to the Cecchetti Society Trust Newsletter
Last month the Cecchetti community lost a much loved friend and colleague Susan Lucas. Please find details of the Memorial Service for Susan and a way to donate to a fund set up in her memory.

The application deadline for CST Small & General Grants is 10th July 2026. If you are considering a special Cecchetti project or event, please take the opportunity to find out how a grant could support you.

Lastly, please look at our News Bulletin section to learn about some exciting developments the Trust is currently working on to support students and teachers.

Memorial Service - Susan Lucas Higgins
Monday 29th June 2026 - 2.30pm
Birmingham Cathedral, Cathedral Square
Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2QB

A Memorial Service will be held at Birmingham Cathedral (the Cathedral Church of St Philip) on Monday 29th June 2026 at 2.30pm to celebrate Susan’s life. All are very welcome to attend. Information about how to travel to the Cathedral can be found at:- https://birminghamcathedral.com/

The Cecchetti Society Trust is very honoured that Susan’s family has invited donations to be made in her name to the Trust in lieu of flowers, to facilitate the continuation of her support for young dancers in the future.   Following her retirement from the stage, Susan dedicated herself to teaching and coaching the next generation of dancers and teachers. Her kindness and passion will be sorely missed. Susan was a great proponent of the Cecchetti Method and The Trust is privileged to host this fund that will perpetuate the support of a number of awards, bursaries, scholarships and competitions for young dancers and teachers.

Donations are welcomed from both from those able to attend the service and those who are unable to be present.  If you would like to donate to the Trust in memory of Susan, please use the link button below. Every donation counts and will help us continue this valuable work.

Cecchetti Society Trust
Small & General Grants 2026/27

Application Deadline -10th July 2026!

The Cecchetti Society Trust is inviting applications for Small Grants (up to £1,000) and General Grants (over £1,000) for the academic year 2026/27.  The Grants are to support events, activities or projects that will extend opportunities for Cecchetti learners beyond an individual school/teacher/student. 

Examples of projects the Trust has recently supported include
the Southern Area Awards Competition UK, an International Cecchetti Conference in Italy, short courses for teachers & students in Devon and the staging of the photographic exhibition the The Life and Legacy of Enrico Cecchetti in Malta. So if you are considering organising a special Cecchetti project or event, in the new academic year a grant could help you realise this.

Further information about applying for a Grant including Terms & Conditions, Application Forms and deadlines can be found on our website using the button link below. The application deadline is Friday 10th July 2026.

News Bulletin - Coming Soon!

2026/27 CST Vocational Classical Ballet Awards.
The Trust is planning ahead for the 2026/27 CST Vocational Classical Ballet Awards. The Awards this year will be broadened to include pre-professional students who are not yet in full time training, but are studying for Cecchetti vocational exams.

The Cecchetti Method App
The Trust has commissioned the development of The Cecchetti Method App which will initially  contain a digital version of the Enrico Cecchetti Diploma syllabus content, with the potential for further resources in the future. Users will be able to download or stream the DVD video content as 4 In-App purchases and free content. You will be able to study, teach or engage with this important Diploma work at home, in the studio and on the go. Watch this space.

Further information about both these exciting developments will be published in our Newsletters.

Keep Spreading the News!

We would like to share our news as widely as possible across the Cecchetti community of teachers, students and ballet lovers.
If you know of others who would be interested to receive the Newsletter, please invite them to sign up as we need their permission to add them to our mailing list. The Cecchetti Society Trust can be contacted through our website at Contact Us or by email: chair@cecchettisocietytrust.org