Cecchetti Society Trust News

Welcome to The Cecchetti Society Trust Newsletter.

The Cecchetti Society Trust, a charity registered in England and Wales, promotes and supports the art of classical ballet and in particular, the Cecchetti Method of training in classical ballet created by Maestro Enrico Cecchetti. The Trust provides a wide range of study awards and scholarships for teachers and students as well as supporting Cecchetti events and heritage projects. This first newsletter outlines the work the Trust has undertaken since September 2021. We hope you enjoy learning more about Cecchetti and the work of the Trust in this newsletter and from exploring our website www.cecchettisocietytrust.org

Cecchetti Society Centenary Celebrations

2022 is an important year for the Trust as The Cecchetti Society was founded in London in 1922. It is a tribute to Maestro Enrico Cecchetti and the strength and beauty of the Cecchetti Method he created that his work is flourishing and developing 100 years later. The Centenary is being celebrated by the founding society (now the Cecchetti Society Classical Ballet Faculty, ISTD) along with other Cecchetti societies in Australia, Canada, Italy, South Africa and the USA that make up Cecchetti International Classical Ballet (CICB). The Trust is delighted to contribute to the CICB celebrations to mark this special anniversary - to find out more about CICB visit here

Cecchetti Society Centenary Gala

24th October 2022 - 7.00pm - Save the Date!
The Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

A Cecchetti Society Centenary Gala organised by the Trust will take place at the Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on Monday 24th October 2022 at 7.00pm. The programme will celebrate the range and beauty of the Cecchetti work and feature performances from vocational students through to professional dancers from The Royal Ballet and invited companies. Any funds raised from the Gala will go to support the work of the Trust in providing scholarships and bursaries for young dancers and teachers training in the Cecchetti Method.

Book Tickets - Advance tickets are available from 12pm (noon) on Tuesday 6th September. To book your tickets online on the Royal Opera House website please click on this link
If you already have an online account with the Royal Opera House, please ensure that you are signed out before you click on the link above. You will be asked to sign in or register during checkout. If you have any accessibility requirements or experience any issues booking your tickets, please email the Royal Opera House Box Office. General booking opens at 12pm (noon) on Thursday 8th September.

CICB Centenary Medal

The Cecchetti Society Trust is proud to support the Cecchetti International Classical Ballet Award inaugurated in 2022 to mark the Cecchetti Society Centenary year. The award is given by the delegates of CICB for ‘Outstanding International Contribution and Dedication’ – having benefitted all CICB member organisations, and the wider Cecchetti International community. The Trust supported the design and production of a medal featuring the CICB logo and a special presentation box. The Trust is delighted to congratulate Sheila Kennedy the first recipient of the CICB Award.

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Cecchetti Day 2022

The Cecchetti Society Trust was delighted to support Cecchetti Day held on 22nd May 2022 at The Royal Ballet School, Covent Garden. Organised by the Cecchetti Society Classical Ballet Faculty, ISTD this annual event is a professional development opportunity for Cecchetti teachers to enjoy and learn from a varied programme of Cecchetti work. It was particularly special this year as part of the Cecchetti Society Centenary celebrations. The programme for the day included inspirational classes for vocational students, performances from Trust award winners and Scholars, faculty presentations and a wonderful lecture demonstration by Lesley Collier and members of The Royal Ballet.

If you missed this special day, or want to relive it, visit here
View a vivid gallery of photos by Elaine Mayson go to gallery

Awards for Teachers & Students

In the academic year 2021-22 the Cecchetti Society Trust has continued to support a range of awards and scholarships for teachers and students including Study Support Awards for Teachers, Summer Study Scholarships for Students, Trust Bursaries for vocational school students, the Cyril Beaumont Scholarship and the Tanya Bayona Award. The 25 recipients this year were from the UK, Malta, Italy, Japan, Singapore and the Trust wishes them all well in their study of the Cecchetti work.

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Cecchetti Scholars

The Cecchetti Society Trust has continued to support the Cecchetti Scholars in the academic year 2021-22, providing funding for the staffing and venue costs for Scholars weekly classes. After a difficult year in 2020-21 with participation restricted to online sessions due to Covid, it was wonderful that students and teachers could finally return to the studio this year working under the directorship of Gillian Toogood. Scholars also had the opportunity to perform on Cecchetti Day once again and their pleasure and joy in performing was plain to see. Auditions for entry for 2022-23 took place in June and the Scholars year finished in July with an opportunity for parents to watch classes and the Scholars cup presentations.

Donate

The work of the Cecchetti Society Trust can only be sustained and continued through the generosity of donors. Every donation counts, and every donor makes a difference. The Trustees are extremely grateful to all who support the Trust. Ways in which a gift can support different aspects of the Trust’s work and information about how to give can be found on our website.

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Image credits: Elaine Mayson, Andrej Uspenski ©2022 Cecchetti Society Trust, All rights reserved Registered trademarks of The Cecchetti Society Trust Nos UK 0000338372 & 0000338373 Registered Charity in England & Wales No 1197857