Celebrating 25 years of Ballet West

BALLET West celebrates the 25th anniversary of its first Oban Nutcracker performance with the opening performance of a new touring production

Ballet West’s exciting young company opens its tour of a largely new production of The Nutcracker at the Corran Halls, Oban on January 22 and 23.

Two of the original cast, Sara-Maria Barton and Jonathan Barton, will be dancing starring roles, and leading a company of more than 60 dancers, in these performances. At the time of the first performance, Ballet West was a fledging local dance school.

Now there are more than 70 students from all parts of the world studying for HND and BA Hons degrees at

the highly acclaimed professional training school in Taynuilt, Argyll.

The Nutcracker is a largely new production by Ballet West’s Choreographer and Artistic Adviser, Daniel F Job, with new costumes and sets.

The company will number up to 100 in the larger venues, with Ballet West’s Associates in Edinburgh and Glasgow taking part.

The star roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince will be danced by Guest Principals, Sara-Maria Barton and Andreas Battaggia. Sara-Maria is also Ballet West’s Creative Director and Assistant Director of the performing company.

Italian-born dancer, Andreas Battaggia, danced the role of Paris opposite Sara-Maria in Ballet West’s Romeo

and Juliet in 2015. He trained at La Scala in Milan and currently dances with Ballet Cymru.

The Snow King and Queen will be danced by Ballet West Senior Principal Dancer and Vice Principal, Jonathan Barton and Ballet West graduate Natasha Watson, an award-winning dancer and actress, who achieved her Royal Academy of Dance Solo Seal this year and is now a performer with the company and lecturer/ teacher on the HND courses.

Uyu Hiromoto, a Japanese 2015 Genée finalist, will be joining the school in January and is to dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in four performances, and the Dew Drop Fairy in the remaining performances. Clara and the Nutcracker will be danced by second year students, Emily Corbitt and Oscar Ward. Third year student, Owen Morris takes the role of the Rat King, with Joey Wright as Drosselmeyer, Clara’s eccentric uncle.

After Oban The Nutcracker will tour to nine venues across Scotland in the New Year, including debut performances at the Tower Digital Arts Centre, Helensburgh on 30 January and the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on February 20.

The company returns to the Clyde Auditorium at Glasgow’s Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC).

Other tour venues include: Paisley, Livingston, Stirling, Inverness and Greenock.