Principal Casting for English National Ballet ‘s 2025-2026 autumn and winter productions is announced today.
The season opens at Sadler’s Wells Theatre with R:Evolution (1-11 October), bringing together works from George Balanchine, Martha Graham, William Forsythe and David Dawson. Balanchine’s Theme and Variationsfeatures guest performances from Alice Mariani, Prima Ballerina with Teatro alla Scala, and Ricardo Castellanos, Principal with Norwegian National Ballet. First Soloist Haruhi Otani and Soloists Miguel Angel Maidana and Paulo Rodrigues will also make their debuts.
Martha Graham’s visceral duet Errand into the Maze sees performances by First Soloists Emily Suzuki, Erik Woolhouse and Rentaro Nakaaki, Soloists Alice Bellini, Minju Kang and Henry Dowden, First Artist Jose María Lorca Menchón and Artist of the Company Anna Ciriano.
Later in the autumn, Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s The Sleeping Beauty tours to Liverpool Empire (23-25 October), Manchester’s Palace Theatre (19-22 November), and Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre (26-29 November). Debuts in the leading roles include Lead Principals Emma Hawes and Sangeun Lee, and First Soloists Ivana Bueno, Julia Conway and Anna Nevzorova in the role of Aurora; Lead Principal Gareth Haw, First Soloist Lorenzo Trossello, and Soloists Paulo Rodrigues and Elvis Nudo performing Prince Désiré.
Festive family favourite, Nutcracker, choreographed by Aaron S. Watkin and Arielle Smith, returns to the London Coliseum from 11 December – 11 January. First Artists Ashley Coupal and Chloe Keneally make their debuts as Clara whilst the role of Nutcracker Prince will be danced for the first time by Soloists Paulo Rodrigues and Rodrigo Pinto, and Artist of the Company Martinho Santos.
To close the Company’s winter residency at the London Coliseum, Akram Khan’s Giselle celebrates its 10-year anniversary.
Principal casting for spring productions will be announced in due course.
Full Principal Casting:
R:EVOLUTION, Sadler’s Wells Theatre:
Theme & Variations, George Balanchine
Principal Woman / Principal Man
Alice Mariani** / Ricardo Castellanos**
1 October 7.30pm
Emma Hawes / Aitor Arrieta
2 October 7.30pm, 4 October 7.30pm, 9 October 7.30pm
Sangeun Lee / Gareth Haw
3 October 7.30pm, 10 October 7.30pm
Katja Khaniukova / Miguel Angel Maidana*
4 October 2.30pm, 7 October 7.30pm
Julia Conway / Daniel McCormick
8 October 7.30pm, 11 October 2.30pm
Haruhi Otani* / Paulo Rodrigues*
9 October 2.30pm, 11 October 7.30pm
Errand Into the Maze, Martha Graham
(Ariadne / Minotaur)
Emily Suzuki* / Erik Woolhouse*
1 October 7.30pm, 3 October 7.30pm, 9 October 7.30pm, 11 October 7.30pm
Minju Kang* / Rentaro Nakaaki*
2 October 7.30pm, 4 October 7.30pm, 7 October 7.30pm
Anna Ciriano* / Jose María Lorca Menchón*
4 October 2.30pm, 8 October 7.30pm, 10 October 7.30pm
Alice Bellini* / Henry Dowden*
9 October 2.30pm, 11 October 2.30pm
Herman Schmerman (Quintet), William Forsythe
Alice Bellini / Aitor Arrieta / Ivana Bueno / Rhys Antoni Yeomans / Swanice Luong
1 October 7.30pm, 3 October 7.30pm, 10 October 7.30pm
Anna Nevzorova / Anri Sugiura / Daniel McCormick / Julia Conway / Noam Durand
2 October 7.30pm, 4 October 7.30pm, 9 October 7.30pm
Eireen Evrard* / Georgia Bould / Haruhi Otani / Nathaniel Ritter-Magot / Thiago Silva
4 October 2.30pm, 7 October 7.30pm
Anna Ciriano* / Carolyne Galvao / Minju Kang / Rodrigo Pinto* /Shunhei Fuchiyama
9 October 2.30pm, 11 October 7.30pm
Ashley Coupal / Eric Snyder / Martinho Santos* / Precious Adams / Shiori Kase
8 October 7.30pm, 11 October 2.30pm
Casting for David Dawson’s Four Last Songs will be announced soon.
The Sleeping Beauty, Sir Kenneth MacMillan
(Aurora / Prince Désiré / Lilac Fairy / Carabosse)
Liverpool Empire:
Emma Hawes* / Aitor Arrieta / Anna Nevzorova* / James Streeter
23 October 7pm, 25 October 7pm
Sangeun Lee* / Gareth Haw* / Anri Sugiura* / Fabian Reimair
24 October 7pm
Julia Conway* / Lorenzo Trossello* / Angela Wood* / Eireen Evrard*
25 October 1.30pm
Palace Theatre, Manchester:
Emma Hawes / Aitor Arrieta / Angela Wood / James Streeter
19 November 7.30pm, 21 November 7.30pm
Ivana Bueno* / Paulo Rodrigues* / Emily Suzuki* / Junor Souza*
20 November 1.30pm, 22 November 1.30pm
Sangeun Lee / Gareth Haw / Anri Sugiura / Fabian Reimair
20 November 7.30pm, 22 November 7.30pm
Mayflower Theatre, Southampton:
Ivana Bueno / Paulo Rodrigues / Emily Suzuki / Junor Souza
26 November 7pm
Anna Nevzorova* / Elvis Nudo* / Taela Graff* / Junor Souza
27 November 1.30pm, 29 November 7pm
Julia Conway / Lorenzo Trossello / Angela Wood / Eireen Evrard
27 November 7pm, 29 November 1.30pm
Sangeun Lee / Gareth Haw / Anri Sugiura / Fabian Reimair
28 November 7pm
Nutcracker, Aaron S. Watkin and Arielle Smith
(Clara / Drosselmeyer / Nutcracker Prince / Sugar Plum Fairy / Sugar Plum Cavalier)
London Coliseum:
Ivana Bueno / Junor Souza / Paulo Rodrigues* / Sangeun Lee / Gareth Haw
11 December 7.30pm, 13 December 7.30pm, 17 December 7pm, 19 December 7.30pm,
22 December 7.30pm
Katja Khaniukova / Ken Saruhashi / Miguel Angel Maidana / Emma Hawes / Aitor Arrieta
12 December 7.30pm, 14 December 2.30pm, 18 December 7.30pm, 20 December 7.30pm,
23 December 7.30pm
Francesca Velicu / James Streeter* / Noam Durand / Shiori Kase / Erik Woolhouse*
13 December 2.30pm, 16 December 7pm, 19 December 2.30pm, 24 December 1.30pm,
27 December 2.30pm
Haruhi Otani / Fabian Reimair / Rentaro Nakaaki / Julia Conway / Daniel McCormick
17 December 1pm, 20 December 2.30pm, 23 December 2.30pm, 27 December 7.30pm
Carolyne Galvao / Henry Dowden / Shunhei Fuchiyama / Fernanda Oliveira / Lorenzo Trossello
18 December 2.30pm, 22 December 2.30pm, 26 December 4pm, 28 December 2.30pm
Chloe Keneally* / James Streeter / Martinho Santos* / Emily Suzuki* / Eric Snyder*
29 December 2.30pm
Georgia Bould / Jose María Lorca Menchón* / Rhys Antoni Yeomans / Katja Khaniukova / Ken Saruhashi
29 December 7.30pm, 2 January 7.30pm, 7 January 7pm, 10 January 2.30pm
Ashley Coupal* / Fabian Reimair / Rodrigo Pinto* / Precious Adams / Gareth Haw
30 December 2.30pm, 6 January 7.30pm, 9 January 7.30pm
Swanice Luong / Junor Souza / Thiago Silva / Ivana Bueno / Paulo Rodrigues*
30 December 7.30pm, 3 January 7.30pm, 8 January 7pm, 10 January 7.30pm
Carolyne Galvao / Henry Dowden / Shunhei Fuchiyama / Emily Suzuki / Eric Snyder
31 December 1.30pm
Chloe Keneally / James Streeter / Martinho Santos / Anna Nevzorova* / Elvis Nudo*
3 January 2.30pm, 8 January 1pm, 11 January 1.30pm
Ashley Coupal / Fabian Reimair / Rodrigo Pinto / Emily Suzuki / Eric Snyder
4 January 2.30pm
Akram Khan’s Giselle
(Giselle / Albrecht / Hilarion / Myrtha)
London Coliseum:
Emily Suzuki / James Streeter / Ken Saruhashi / Emma Hawes
15 January 7.30pm, 17 January 7.30pm
Francesca Velicu / Henry Dowden / Daniel McCormick / Angela Wood
16 January 2pm, 17 January 2.30pm
Fernanda Oliveira / Aitor Arrieta / Erik Woolhouse / Sangeun Lee
16 January 7.30pm, 18 January 1.30pm
*Debut
** Guest Artist
Please note, casting is subject to change
