BBC Young Dancer 2017 - ballet winner announced
Eighteen-year old Rhys Antoni Yeomans, has been announced as the winner of the Ballet Final of BBC Young Dancer 2017 and will go on to represent the category at the Grand Final.
Published: 31 March 2017
I am extremely overwhelmed that I was crowned the winner of the Ballet Final. Being able to represent classical ballet in the Grand Final is a huge honour.
Rhys, who grew up in Manchester and is now studying in London, will join Jodelle Douglas Winner of the Street Dance Final and the other category winners, (to be announced over the coming weeks) on stage at Sadler’s Wells in the Grand Final.
The Ballet Finalists were: Ryan Felix, 16 (West Midlands), Uyu Hiromoto, 19 (Argyll), Jade Wallace, 19 (Derbyshire), Oscar Ward, 18 (Nottingham) and Rhys Antoni Yeomans, 18 (London).
All five category finalists performed three works - two solos and a pas de deux - in front of a judging panel made up of leading experts from the dance sector. The judges were; Former Royal Ballet Principal and Royal Opera House Creative Director - Deborah Bull; former Principal Dancer and Artistic Director of English National Ballet - Matz Skoog; and award-winning choreographer - Shobana Jeyasingh, who is the chair of the judging panel across all four category finals.
In the lead up to the Ballet Final, the five category finalists had the opportunity to take part in workshops with two mentors; former Royal Ballet Principal - Viviana Durante, and Artistic Director of Northern Ballet - David Nixon.
Highlights from the Ballet Final were broadcast on BBC Four this evening (Friday 31 March) and are available to watch again on BBC iPlayer for 30 days.
Rhys Antoni Yeomans, winner of the Ballet Final says: “I am extremely overwhelmed that I was crowned the winner of the Ballet Final. Being able to represent classical ballet in the Grand Final is a huge honour. I am very grateful and excited to have been given the chance to perform at Sadler’s Wells Theatre.”
Rhys will join the winners from Street Dance, South Asian Dance and Contemporary in the Grand Final at Sadler’s Wells. The four category winners, and up to two wild cards, will perform in front of a panel of some of the most distinguished figures from UK dance; Marc Brew, Artistic Director, Marc Brew Company, Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, Kate Prince, Artistic Director of ZooNation Dance Company, Nahid Siddiqui, Dancer and Choreographer, Kenneth Tharp, choreographer, director and former Chief Executive of The Place, and Jasmin Vardimon, Artistic Director of Jasmin Vardimon Company.
The Grand Final of BBC Young Dancer 2017 will be broadcast live on BBC Two on Saturday 22 April.
BBC Young Dancer is managed and produced by BBC Cymru Wales. The Series Editor is Paul Bullock and the Commissioning Editor Jan Younghusband (Head of Commissions, Music and Events TV) Editor of BBC Two, Patrick Holland and Editor of BBC Four, Cassian Harrison.
KH3
Rhys Antoni Yeomans biography
Rhys started ballet when he was 10, having been inspired by watching Billy Elliot The Musical live in London. Just under two years later, he was performing the lead role in the show, and it was then that his passion for ballet began to blossom. After finishing with the musical, he went back to Centre Pointe, his dance school in Manchester. He slowly saw the progression within his ballet technique and was constantly motivated to keep on improving, and eventually to audition for vocational ballet schools. Since starting full-time training with English National Ballet School, Rhys has enjoyed learning many styles of dance and improving his classical technique. His ultimate dream is to be part of a professional ballet company and perform the works of established choreographers.
TV broadcast information
- Friday 24 March, BBC Four - Street Dance Final
- Friday 31 March, BBC Four - Ballet Final
- Friday 7 April, BBC Four - South Asian Final
- Friday 14 April, BBC Four - Contemporary Final
- Saturday 22 April, BBC Two - Grand Final (live)
