Agnes Oaks | |
|---|---|
 Oaks in 2013 | |
| Born | Age Oks 29 May 1970 Vändra, Estonia |
| Spouse | Thomas Edur |
| Children | 1 |
| Career | |
| Former groups | English National Ballet Birmingham Royal Ballet Estonian National Ballet |
Age Oks CBE (born 29 May 1970) [1] known professionally as Agnes Oaks, is an Estonian former ballet dancer, who was a principal dancer with English National Ballet.
Age Oks was born in Vändra to an Estonian father, Juhan Oks, and a Russian mother, Valentina Georgevna Trofimova Oks. [1] She started ballet at age 10, and her mother sent her to audition for the Estonian State Ballet School, and started training there. She later entered the Bolshoi Ballet School. [2]
Oks first danced with the Estonian National Ballet. In 1990, after winning the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi with her on-and-off-stage partner Thomas Edur, Ivan Nagy, then-artistic director of English National Ballet invited the two to move to London to join the company as principal dancers, and she anglicised her stage name. [3] [4] The two then danced with the Birmingham Royal Ballet between 1996 and 1997, then went freelance but remained with the English National Ballet as principal guest artists. [1]
For Wayne McGregor's 2 Human, Oaks was nominated for the Prix Benois de la Danse, [5] and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance with Edur. [6]
In 2009, Oaks retired from dancing. She said she delayed her retirement after she learned ENB would debut Kenneth MacMillan's Manon . She then relocated to Tallinn, as Edur was named artistic director of the Estonian National Ballet. [7] [8]
Oaks is a recipient Order of the White Star, 3rd Class. [9] In 2010, she was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire. [10]
Oaks was married to Thomas Edur, a fellow Estonian principal at ENB and later the artistic director of Estonian National Ballet. [7] They have a daughter, born in 2010. [10]
Alina Cojocaru is a Romanian ballet dancer. She was previously a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet and a lead principal with the English National Ballet.
English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin as London Festival Ballet and based in London, England. Along with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scottish Ballet, it is one of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain. English National Ballet is one of the foremost touring companies in Europe, performing in theatres throughout the UK as well as conducting international tours and performing at special events. The Company employs approximately 67 dancers and a symphony orchestra,. In 1984 Peter Schaufuss became director and changed the name to English National Ballet and founded the school English National Ballet School, which is independent from the ballet company but joining the company premises in the new building. The Company regularly performs seasons at the London Coliseum and has been noted for specially staged performances at the Royal Albert Hall. In 2014 English National Ballet became an Associate Company of Sadler's Wells.
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Jean-Marc Puissant is a stage and costume designer. curator and consultant for live arts and exhibitions. Based in London, Puissant collaborates with international brands, directors, choreographers and curators in the UK, USA, Europe, Australia and Japan.
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