National Dance Awards for Desmond Kelly, Marion Tait and Carol-Anne Millar

23 January 2008

Birmingham Royal Ballet gained two awards at yesterday's 2007 Critics' Circle National Dance Awards.

Desmond Kelly and Marion Tait were recognised in a special award for their involvement in the Channel 4 series Ballet Changed My Life: Ballet Hoo! and First Soloist Carol-Anne Millar picked up the Female Classical Spotlight Award.

Assistant Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Desmond Kelly, and Ballet Mistress Marion Tait were honoured to receive the National Dance Awards Special Award for leading the Company throughout the Ballet Hoo! project.

Speaking at the award ceremony yesterday Desmond said:

'Marion and I are very proud to receive this award and want it to be known that it was an absolute privilege to have been involved in Ballet Hoo! I loved every minute of my time with the young people and enjoyed watching them progress over the 18 months that we spent with them.

'The project not only enabled the young people to meet their full potential and in some cases turn their lives around, but it changed our lives too. So much so that Marion and I would love the opportunity to repeat this project so that other young people across Britain could benefit.'

Carol-Anne Millar was presented with the Female Classical Spotlight Award and beat off competition from The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet.

Canadian-born Carol-Anne Millar was brought up in Scotland and trained at the Royal Ballet School. Since joining Birmingham Royal Ballet she has danced with success a wide range of roles, encompassing ballets by, among others, Ashton, MacMillan and several works by Company Director David Bintley.

The aim of the Critics' Circle National Dance Awards is the celebration of dance and dancers in Britain. Founded just eight years ago in 1999 the awards have rapidly become the dance event of the year drawing together the entire industry in sharing the very best of dance and ballet in the UK. The awards ceremony at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden was hosted by dance fan Angela Rippon.

ENDS

For further press information please contact:
Simon Harper, Media and PR Manager, on 0121 245 3562; Email: SimonHarper@brb.org.uk
or Claire Lishman, Media and PR Officer, on 0121 245 3549 Email: ClaireLishman@brb.org.uk

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