Our work
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Ballet Soul’s work is concerned with athleticism and the potential of the human body – exploring the human soul and the body’s capacity for deep physicality. How the body conveys emotion, the extremeness of bodyline articulation and dynamic shifts in energy and flow are all focal points of our work.
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Ballet Soul’s influence in style comes from placing Africanist movement values on the classical ballet and traditional dance vocabularies. Contemporary styles are also merged with traditional African storytelling.
Though our work is often formal in its investigation of pure movement, music plays a very big part in our choreography and the use of bodies in the space. We aim to create work that is accessible to a wider audience and are devoted to dance education, particularly with increasing the representation of diverse dancers.
It is this mixing of the rhythms and the soul of the individual dancer that gives Ballet Soul’s choreography its unique voice - one that celebrates the diversity and vibrancy of British and African culture.
About Ballet Soul
Based in South London, Ballet Soul are proud to work alongside many partner organisations including the Royal Academy of Dance and Theatre Peckham. The company has previously run funded projects with support from Arts Council England and Wandsworth Council.
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Ballet Soul is committed to introducing children and young people to the joys, satisfaction and discipline of learning dance, through a number of tailored initiatives. Find out more.
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There are many ways to become involved with Ballet Soul. If you are a dancer, you can attend classes given by Ben Love, or ask to attend one of the frequent auditions. Find out more.
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You can support Ballet Soul by becoming a Friend or Patron. Find out more.
OUR TRUSTEES
Chairman of Ballet Soul Charity
Colin Mitchell FCCA
Colin is a qualified accountant at board level who specialises in advising organisations on matters relating to mergers, acquisitions and business transformation. His long-term interest in ballet was sparked by his wife and he has been an enthusiastic supporter ever since.
He has been involved in helping to promote a ballet educational enterprise aimed at introducing ballet to young people and is inspired by Ballet Soul’s founder and artistic director Ben Love’ s drive to bring modern ballet to a wider audience.
Colin is privileged to be a trustee of this charity and assist with its future development programme.
David Noble QSO
David was a lawyer in public service in London, Brussels and Wellington. His last full-time role was as chief executive of a New Zealand government department leading it through a major programme of change. He has always been a keen patron of ballet and dance, having supported companies in New Zealand including Black Grace, Footnote New Zealand Dance, as well as the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the New Zealand School of Dance. He is passionate about Ballet Soul’s mission and programme.“As a Trustee of Ballet Soul, I am incredibly honoured to have the opportunity to develop the creativity and future of young choreographers, dancers and technicians.”
Andrea Nash
Andrea is an experienced and caring director across the commercial and charities sector. She has varied commercial experience from International City law firms and Global auction houses, running her own recruitment businesses, through to strategic planning and business transformation.
Andrea takes an active interest in the community around her and through her coaching and mentoring work, has a real understanding of the realities of the business world both today and tomorrow.
She provides a useful counterbalance within the boardroom where her personal perspective is positively portrayed to the development of the specific organisation.
Currently, she is also a mentor for the Prince’s Trust Enterprise programme helping young people turn business ideas into a reality.
Andrea currently lives in London and has varied interests including the arts and enjoying walking her Labradoodle in the countryside.
Saundra Satterlee
Journalist/editor. Financial Times 10 years followed by Guardian, Telegraph & Irish Times freelance commissions. Early 2000s, commenced freelance research and editing for Buz at the Ballet – a live action & animation tv series that tells the stories of the world’s great ballets to the children of the world. (Buz participants have ranged from Carlos Acosta through to the American Ballet Theatre.)
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