From Studio to Stage 2025 - Review
Hosted by the Cecchetti Society Trust and held at The Royal Ballet Upper School on Sunday 11th May, this well-attended event was not only a celebration of the Cecchetti Method but a celebration of the lives and work of Barbara Fewster OBE and Richard Glasstone MBE.
After a warm welcome from Chair of the Trust Elisabeth Swan, the day began with a thoughtfully prepared pointe class of Cecchetti Scholars taught by Jessica Clarke from the Royal Ballet School, inspired by Barbara Fewster’s well-known work on the teaching of pointe work. With excellent support from accompanist Ross Alley, Ms Clarke’s clear direction and purposeful encouragement gave the students the opportunity to grow their understanding and visibly improve their posture, balance, precision and control; which of course allowed the musicality and artistry to flow more easily.
This was followed by an illuminating presentation from Diane van Schoor on the Cecchetti principles. The students stood in a semi-circle with one student placed front and centre and for each exercise the students rotated around so that everyone had a turn in the centre. Apparently, Maestro Cecchetti often used this pattern in class, which was a revelation but of course makes sense given his focus on preparing his students for the theatre. Ms van Schoor showed us that even after having studied the Method for years, there is still deeper understanding and fresh inspiration to be drawn from returning to the principles – something Richard Glasstone also excelled at of course, distilling his wealth of knowledge into the very essence of technique and artistry.
Two contrasting performances from the Junior and Senior Cecchetti Scholars choreographed by former Scholars Emily Yong and Alice Smith challenged these young dancers to demonstrate different dance qualities and styles, which was good to see. We were then treated to a performance of classical solos by winners of the CST Vocational Awards and CICB scholarships. Afternoon tea provided a much-relished opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues.
We are still coming to terms with the losses of Barbara Fewster and Richard Glasstone, but it was heart-warming to listen to the recollections of Dame Monica Mason, Ruth Brill, Matthew Hawkins, Christopher Saunders and Lynn Wallis OBE. There was much that made us smile and it was moving to remember how they both cared so deeply about ballet, the Cecchetti work and most of all of course, their students. How fortunate we were to benefit from their wisdom, passion and dedication to this extraordinary art form. Matthew Hawkins then danced an excerpt from his piece Ready which was genuinely captivating.
The last part of the programme was truly inspirational; former Royal Ballet accompanist Philip Gammon played for a coaching session and performance of the pas de deux from Rhapsody by Sir Frederick Ashton. Rebecca Myles Stewart and Ravi Cannonier-Watson, dancers of the Aud Jebsen Young Dancers Programme, appeared with kind permission of Kevin O’Hare, Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet. They were coached with great perception, humour and insight by Christopher Saunders and it was lovely to hear about Mr Gammon’s time with The Royal Ballet in discussion with Dame Monica Mason. The final performance was ravishing and the perfect end to a delightful day.
Many thanks to the members of the Cecchetti Society Trust for all their hard work on this event and for providing us with such a varied, interesting and inspiring day.
Lisa Hunter FISTD ARAD Dip RBS (TTC)