English National Ballet School is delighted to announce that Viviana Durante will become Artistic Director of the School for the 2020/2021 academic year, following her appointment as Director of Dance in August 2019.
Since joining English National Ballet School Durante has reinvigorated the School’s teaching faculty and introduced guest teachers including Ivan Putrov, Amanda Maxwell and Mavin Khoo from Akram Khan Company to expose students to different dance styles and teaching methods. She has cemented the School’s commitment to developing the dance artists of the future by launching a new Professional Trainee Programme to further prepare graduating students for a career in dance.
Durante initiated World Ballet School Day, an international celebration of dance students that launched in July 2020 and saw English National Ballet School link up with eleven other leading schools. For the 2020 Summer Performance, she commissioned Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Andrew McNicol and Didy Veldman to create new works for the students to perform virtually in a film produced by the BalletBoyz that has gone on to receive critical acclaim and be seen by thousands of people in over 50 countries.
As an internationally celebrated dancer, Durante was a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Teatro alla Scala and K-Ballet. In 2017 she founded the Viviana Durante Company to bring forgotten masterpieces alongside new works to a wider audience and in February 2020 presented Isadora Now at the Barbican. Durante holds diplomas in dance teaching from The Royal Ballet School and Trinity College London and has recently coached for The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.
Viviana Durante said: “I am thrilled to become Artistic Director at English National Ballet School, continuing to help develop the next generation of ballet artists. In the short time I’ve been at the School, we have sought to unleash individual potential by providing our students with a rich, ambitious and supportive environment that inspires them to become their best selves and pioneering artists of the future.
The ongoing pandemic has brought many challenges but has also strengthened bonds, unlocked creativity and attested to the resilience, resourcefulness and dedication of our gifted students. Together with all the School’s staff, I look forward to finding new and innovative ways to ensure that our students remain active, engaged and passionate about our art form. I am more optimistic than ever about its future in their hands.”