Audiences have been enjoying Sir Matthew Bourne’s iconic versions of classic ballets for 30 years now. This year he revisits Nutcracker!, the show that launched his stellar career as a choreographer. 

Enrique Ngbokota is one of the artists performing in the new staging which shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from 8 to 12 February. Enrique joined the Company in 2021 as its first ever Emerging Artist Apprentice. An alumni of Elmhurst Ballet School, Enrique was first identified by Sir Matthew in 2014 while performing as part of the Lord of the Flies young cast at Birmingham Hippodrome.

What's On recently caught up with Enrique to find out about their story so far...

What was your first experience of dance, and what made you want to begin training?
When I was very young, my Mum put me into dance classes. At the time I didn’t think about whether or not that was where I wanted to find my career but as I got older I really fell in love with dance. I loved watching DVDs of performers like Carlos Acosta. Seeing them perform really confirmed to me that I wanted to dance. 

When did you first begin working with New Adventures? 
Amazingly, it was way back when I was 11 years old. I was lucky enough to be part of Lord of the Flies during my first year at Elmhurst. I didn’t realise at the time how incredible an experience that was. I didn’t know that much about the dance world at that stage. I just knew I wanted to dance. Then when I was in 16, I auditioned for Romeo and Juliet and ended up performing as part of the young cast of that at the beginning of my second year. By that point I had seen a lot of Matthew Bourne’s productions and had realised that New Adventures were my absolute dream company to work with. 

What made you want to be part of the New Adventures Emerging Artists programme, and how did the programme support your development as a performer? 
I have followed the company since Lord of the Flies and really wanted to be a part of it. So when this opportunity came up I was so excited. I love that New Adventures involves so much theatrical performance in the dance, and how different each production is from what you might expect. The company has a really wide and beautiful range of productions. There is also a really welcoming atmosphere in the company which has been wonderful for me as a someone learning whilst being part of this. 

I’ve had immense amounts of support from the people running the programme as well as the people on tour with me - whether that’s advice on integrating into the company or exactly what is going on and when, it’s all been so helpful. Training prepares you so much for dancing, but actually being here in the company and on tour is a completely new experience. It’s a real privilege to have the help from everyone here. I’m really enjoying being out on tour now and it’s insane to think of the venues we are able to perform in. 

Are you excited to be returning to Birmingham with Nutcracker!?
I am so excited to be coming back to Birmingham. For one, it will be so lovely to be visiting a city and a theatre that I am familiar with.

What are some of your fondest memories of training in Birmingham? 
I have a lot of very fond memories of Birmingham. Having trained there for eight years I have made some of my absolute closest friends so it’s a special place for me. There are two parks close to Elmhurst that I spent quite a bit of time in - especially in my graduate year. They’re really lovely places and I remember them as being the places we would go to and chill out and revel in the excitement of training. The final two years of my training took place during lockdowns so the parks were a really lovely space for us all to enjoy whilst trying to tackle the challenges of dance classes via Zoom! 

Which piece of advice have you received that has really stuck with you? 
I’ve received many pieces of really excellent advice over the years.Throughout my life I’ve been fortunate enough to have a series of figures that have guided me and offered great advice and support. 

Enrique stars at Cupid in Nutcracker which shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tues 8 to Sat 12 February.