The Emerging Dancer Competition 2013

The Emerging Dancer Competition 2013 was held on 4 March at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall and was a resounding success, both for the company and it's dancers. English National Ballet announced Nancy Osbaldeston, aged 22, as the winner of the Emerging Dancer Competition for 2013, with Laurretta Summerscales winning the People’s Choice Award, voted for by members of the public. Both dancers are former pupils of English National Ballet School which naturally feeds into the prestigious Company. The Competition was hosted by the BalletBoyz ® and the judging panel included former Prima Ballerina Darcey Bussell CBE, Tommy Franzén of So You Think You Can Dance fame, Luke Jennings the Dance Critic of The Observer, Jude Kelly OBE founder of a number of arts organisations and English National Ballet’s new and successful artistic director Tamara Rojo, who has been fantastically successful as a ballerina in her own right. As well as the coveted title, the Emerging Dancer winner receives £2,500, the People’s Choice Award winner receives £1,000 and all nominees receive £500 each. The competition encourages excellence and potential within the Company and throughout the summer English National Ballet’s artistic, music, administrative staff and Principal dancers have been voting for their favourite Emerging Dancer. Culminating at the Southbank Centre, the evening always presents the company in strong form, and is an important event that enables the Company to connect with its audience and help them to get to know the dancers and their tremendous talent. The Competition, artistically directed by Associate Artist George Williamson, is an annual opportunity for English National Ballet to recognise and nurture the phenomenal talent of its up-and-coming dancers and the2013 finalists were: Alison McWhinney, Guilherme Menezes, Nancy Osbaldeston, Ken Saruhashi, Laurretta Summerscales, and Nathan Young.