Lucille Briance '75 founded the London Children's Ballet in 1994. Here, dancers rehearse for an upcoming production.
Smith alumna Lucille Briance ’75, founded the London Children’s Ballet (LCB) in 1994 “to give talented young dancers… a unique opportunity to perform as part of a professional ballet production.” The company’s next show is a production of A Little Princess which will run at Sadler’s Wells’ Peacock Theatre in London’s West End from April 19 through April 22, 2012.
The idea for starting the London Children’s Ballet came to Lucille when her daughter fell in love with ballet and couldn’t find opportunities to perform as a youngster. In addition to founding LCB, Lucille is the company’s artistic director and chief fundraiser.
Since LCB began, more than 10,000 children have auditioned to be in the company and 800 have been chosen to perform. Children audition from throughout the UK; those who are chosen are provided with training, encouragement, and a chance to perform. Many of the children come from low-income backgrounds and Lucille believes in the transformative power of the arts to lift children out of difficult situations and become recognized for their talents.
After the main performance each spring, a second team of dancers becomes a touring company, performing the show at venues such as special-needs schools, homes for the elderly, and hospices. An additional 500 or so children have performed in these touring companies, which were established in 2001.
Tickets to upcoming performances of A Little Princess can be purchased online.
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