A NEWPORT based ballet organisation is among the contenders for a national award.

Ballet Cymru have been operating out of Rogerstone since 2014 and has won a range of awards in the past.

They have now been nominated for the Best Mid-Scale Company award at the National Dance Awards.

The ceremony is due to take place in Central London on Monday, June 13.

Ballet Cymru toured in 2021 and performed their rendition of the popular romantic ballet Giselle.

In November saw Ballet Cymru perform a triple bill at The Riverfront in Newport and at Sadler's Wells in London to a sold-out audience.

Called ‘Made in Wales’, the performance featured a variety of work from Welsh artists and performers.

Cerys Matthews recited some of Dylan Thomas' most notable works live, accompanied by music from Arun Gosh.

The three pieces comprised of Poems and Tiger Eggs by Ballet Cymru’s artistic directors, Darius James OBE and Amy Doughty, Murmuration's by Liam Riddick and Isolated Pulses by Ballet Cymru’s resident choreographer, Marcus Jarrel Willis.

Chair of the National Dance Awards, Graham Watts, said: "The 2021 dance year was reduced to around seven months’ of live performances and so there was less scope for thecritics to make nominations.

"However, what we lacked in quantity was more than compensated by the outstanding quality of the work presented and the choices in all categories were closely contested withat least 20 on the long list for each award.

"The Company awards have been traditionally difficult to judge with the mid-scale companies often being squeezed out of consideration and so, in response to requests from the sector itself, we have introduced a new company award for companies that receive NPO funding or equivalent, which will sit between the Outstanding Company and Best Independent Company awards.

"This has enabled companies from across the sector, from the largest to the smallest project-based freelancers, to be recognised."

Nominees for Best Mid-Scale Company:

  • Ballet Black
  • Ballet Cymru
  • Hofesh Shechter Company
  • Motionhouse
  • Scottish Dance Theatre