Latest news with #BirminghamRoyalBallet
BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Birmingham orchestra perform Black Sabbath at station in Ozzy Osbourne tribute
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) has said it was "delighted" to pay tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne and create a "really special moment" for the city. A classical ensemble performed at Birmingham New Street train station as part of the CBSO in the City programme, which included Black Sabbath pieces. CEO Emma Stenning described the last-minute preparations as a "true Birmingham effort". She said: "Music can be there in moments of celebration but also moments of reflection, and it somehow brings us together." Discussing how the orchestra prepared, she said: "When we heard that incredibly sad news the evening before, suddenly the messages started pinging across everybody's phones with my team saying, 'Can we build something into the concert?'."Our friends at Birmingham Royal Ballet had a fabulous ballet called Black Sabbath which celebrated the great band. "So we were on the phone saying, 'Hey ballet friends, can you send us some music?' "And they did. Yesterday morning the team jumped to it and just put in a quick rehearsal, and we built it into the set." She added: "These players are among the best in the world so they can just sit down and do it and it sounds pretty fabulous."We were delighted to bring what was a really special moment to Birmingham." Ms Stenning said a variety of people watched on, including some Black Sabbath fans who found their performance moving. "We did two concerts yesterday and by the time the second one came around, I think word was out that we were playing a bit of Black Sabbath," she said."There were clearly some fans in the audience and for whom it was a really emotional moment, and that's something music can do for the city." 'Over 600 messages' An exhibition about Osbourne's life in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery - which opened to coincide with the farewell gig - became another destination for fans to remember him.A queue soon formed for a book of condolence at the attraction, with Toby Watley, from the museum saying they saw four times as many visitors as they would normally have expected. "It was like a big community that had come together," he said."We had about 4,000 people through our doors yesterday, which is about four times what we would normally get on a Wednesday."They were all there to reminisce and share stories. Once they realised there was a book of condolence, everyone wanted to leave a message."I think we had over 600 messages in the book by the end of the day." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Carlos Acosta receives honorary University of Birmingham degree
Acclaimed Cuban ballet star Carlos Acosta has received an honorary degree from the University of accolade, which is the highest honour awarded by the university, was for the retired dancer's "outstanding" contribution to the city and for positioning it as a "globally renowned centre for arts and culture".During his five years as director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, he has celebrated the city's cultural heritage through works such as On Your Marks for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Black Sabbath - The said to be recognised "by this prestigious institution, in a city that has become so dear to me, is an immense privilege". He added: "I feel strongly that this honour from the university in its 125th year also pays tribute to the company I direct, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and to the world-class creative industries of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands."We serve with pride and represent to the world this extraordinary second city of the UK." The university marked its anniversary by co-hosting a reception with the Birmingham Royal Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC ahead of a performance of the heavy metal retired ballet dancer was also praised for his commitment to supporting talent through his Acosta Dance Foundation and Acosta Danza Academy in Havana, Cuba, which provides free education for young dancers and and principal, professor Adam Tickell said Acosta was "one of the most influential and innovative figures in the arts today". "Through his work and achievements, Carlos Acosta embodies our university's values of ambition, innovation and collaboration, and we're incredibly proud to award him an honorary degree." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
BRB2 review — a homage to the Ballet Russes from Birmingham's finest
Young talent claims the spotlight in BRB2, Birmingham Royal Ballet's ensemble of recent dance graduates. Don't go expecting to see Carlos Acosta in action. Now in his sixth year as BRB's high-profile director, the Cuban-born ballet superstar is an overseer of the company's junior group. The youth company's touring showcase this year, optimistically titled Carlos Acosta's Ballet Celebration, pays tribute to modern ballet history. The touring programme launched at the Birmingham Hippodrome consists of excerpts from five classic dance works, all first seen more than a hundred years ago thanks to the artistic nous of the impresario Sergei Diaghilev and the famed Ballets Russes. All but one of the dances on view were choreographed by Mikhail Fokine. Les Sylphides, dating from 1909, is
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
King postpones visit after temporary side effects of cancer treatment
King Charles III has cancelled his public engagements for Friday after experiencing temporary side effects during ongoing cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace says. The side effects required a short period of observation in hospital, it added. The King has now returned to Clarence House, where he is continuing to work on state papers and make calls from his study. Charles, 76, had planned to travel to Birmingham for a busy schedule of engagements on Friday, which included a tour of the city's Royal Ballet. The palace first announced the King's cancer diagnosis in February 2024. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said meetings with three ambassadors on Thursday were also affected. "Tomorrow, he was due to undertake four public engagements in Birmingham and is greatly disappointed to be missing them on this occasion," the palace's statement added. "He very much hopes that they can be rescheduled in due course and offers his deepest apologies to all those who had worked so hard to make the planned visit possible." A palace source described it as a "most minor bump in a road that is very much heading in the right direction". The palace did not provide further information over what his side effects were. As well as a visit to the Birmingham Royal Ballet, the King was due to tour the Oratory of St Philip Neri, open the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital and tour the Sikh place of worship, the Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha Gurdwara. The palace has never disclosed what type of cancer the King has. He returned to public duties last April after a period of treatment and recuperation.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
First look as top ballerina tries out Alton Towers' record-breaking new ride
A top ballerina has become the first person to experience Alton Towers' new ride. Karla Doorbar, a soloist with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, was chosen to test the record-breaking ride, Toxicator, before its official opening on March 15. The ride is the only topspin attraction of its kind in the UK, putting thrill-seekers through 'extreme spin patterns and intense centrifugal forces'. Ms Doorbar, who estimates she has completed 'nearly half a million' pirouettes in her career, was selected to test the ride due to her expertise in mastering spins. Karla as Cinderella and Lachlan Monaghan as the Prince (Image: Johan Persson) The mother-of-one said: "Throughout my training and career, I've devoted countless hours to perfecting the pirouette - whether performing on world-renowned stages or in the studio. "It has taken immense levels of focus over many years to develop the strength and power that this entails. "So when Alton Towers invited me to be the first to take on the unrivalled spinning power of Toxicator, I jumped at the chance. "Riding it is an incredible experience and will give riders an unrivalled sense of the intense power of spin." The 32-year-old, who grew up in Stoke-on-Trent, has a lifelong love for Alton Towers Resort and is looking forward to future visits with her 10-month-old daughter. Karla enrolled at The Royal Ballet School in London at the age of 11 (Image: Alton Towers) Bianca Sammut, vice president of Alton Towers Resort, said: "Toxicator is the latest example of how Alton Towers continues to set new standards for heart-pounding attractions. "As one of Britain's most accomplished ballerinas, there are few people who know more about spins and pirouettes than Karla - which is why we are so delighted that she is amongst the first to experience the head-spinning thrills of Toxicator." The ride will officially open on March 15, with guests able to experience it for the first time in the dark as part of the Alton After Dark event.
