It was wonderful to see so many Cecchetti students and teachers from across Europe attending Cecchetti Day this year at The Royal Ballet School on Sunday 21 April.

The day began with Lucy Pohl teaching a fun class with lots of exciting and creative ideas, showing the importance of imagination, musicality and creativity when teaching young children.

Following this inspiring class, Competition and Award winners took to the stage. It was impressive to see the high standard of the Cecchetti Award winners from 2022 and 2023, each performing their solos with ease and grace.

We were then treated to two contrasting performances by the Cecchetti scholars. The junior dance Echoes, choreographed by Katie Kelly and the senior dance Valse Classique, choreographed by Carolyn Parker.

After a scrumptious lunch, which gave us all a chance to catch up with fellow teachers, we were pleased to be informed by Gillian Hurst and Kate Simmons that the 2024 inaugural CICB Outstanding International Contribution and Dedication Award had been awarded to Richard Glasstone MBE.

In the afternoon, we were all delighted to watch Jessica Clarke coaching RBS Upper students in a demonstration, focusing on rotation through the shoulders and a sense of opposition through the torso.

To end what had been an incredible day, Bethany Kingsley-Garner coached dancers of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in David Dawson’s modern take on the classic Swan Lake.

Congratulations to all who took part in this important day in the Cecchetti calendar.

Written by: Jacqueline Lewis, ISTD Cecchetti Classical Ballet Faculty Committee member