World famous dancer Wayne Sleep stepped up to teach students a masterclass in Harrogate today.
Yorkshire Ballet Seminars, which offers three-week residential summer schools for dance students aged nine to 19, started 46 years ago in Ilkley and moved to York in 1999 but its new home is Harrogate’s Ashville College.
Wayne Sleep taught the very first seminar and went on to become a senior principal at the Royal Ballet and once famously danced with Princess Diana.
Today Mr Sleep returned to his roots to inspire the next generation of dancers. He not only passed on advice to students but also showed a few of his signature moves.
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The seminar is now under the directorship of Iain Mackay, who has guided the students through coronavirus and found them a new base in Harrogate. He told the Stray Ferret:
“It’s been better than we could ever have dreamed of. The talent that comes is exceptional, there are some stars of the future in there.
“The year the students have had as well, they have had a lot of online training. So you can see that they are buzzing to be together, which is great.
“If Ashville College will have us we are going to be coming back for the foreseeable. This is a great venue for us and we love Harrogate.
“Wayne is a legend of the ballet world. The world has changed a lot, the art form has changed a lot but it’s really important that students get to work with the greats.”
The latest three-week course has ended now but it will be back in Harrogate next year. It costs £600 per week for a full residential and there are scholarships on offer as well.
