Interview with Elmhurst Graduate and Birmingham Royal Ballet Apprentice, Alfie-Lee Hall

Interview with Elmhurst Graduate and Birmingham Royal Ballet Apprentice, Alfie-Lee Hall.

The Elmhurst Ballet School and Birmingham Royal Ballet apprenticeship is a one-year traineeship designed to bridge the gap between full-time training and a professional performance career. Each year, one Elmhurst graduate is selected to join Birmingham Royal Ballet for 12 months as part of the scheme, gaining invaluable experience within a world-class company and working towards the possibility of a full-time contract at the end of the programme. 

Past apprentices including Ryan Felix, Olivia Chang-Clarke and Hannah Martin have all gone on to secure permanent positions with the company. 

This year’s recipient is 2025 graduate Alfie-Lee Hall. Born and raised in Warrington, Alfie-Lee was introduced to ballet by his mum, a dance teacher whose love for the art form encouraged him to give it a try. He quickly discovered his own passion for ballet and, in 2017, successfully auditioned for Elmhurst Ballet School, where he progressed through the Lower and Upper Schools. 

During his time at Elmhurst, Alfie-Lee achieved an impressive list of accolades, including the Bronze Medal (2024) and Choreographic Award (2023) at the Margot Fonteyn Competition; the London Ballet Circle Award and a placement with Ballett Zurich at the GradPro Competition; and the Hortons’ Estate Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Elmhurst. 

We caught up with him on a well-earned day off, fresh from his first weekend of performing in The Nutcracker with Birmingham Royal Ballet… 

Elmhurst: How’s everything going, Alfie-Lee? You’re now three months into your apprenticeship, with a full run of Black Sabbath – The Ballet and the opening weekend of The Nutcracker behind you. 

Alfie-Lee Hall: It’s been amazing. I’ve really enjoyed my start with BRB. Black Sabbath was such an exciting production to begin with. I’ve settled into the Company well- everyone has been so welcoming- and performing Black Sabbath as my first official ballet with them was brilliant. It had such incredible energy. 

We’re now performing The Nutcracker. I danced in it last year as a student during my graduate year at Elmhurst, but it’s great to be taking on new roles. This year, in addition to dancing Trepak and Rats, which I did last year, I’m now also performing Cadets, the Chinese dance, Nutcracker Doll, and Drosselmeyer’s Assistant. 

E: How does it feel to be working with Birmingham Royal Ballet? Does it feel real that you’re now an apprentice with them? 

ALH: It’s such an honour. I’ve always dreamt of being in the Company, and throughout my years at Elmhurst I really looked up to the BRB dancers. Joining has always been a dream of mine, so to actually be here now feels incredibly special. I feel so fortunate every day to come in and call this my work. I’m loving it, and I’m very grateful. 

E: Did you always want to dance with BRB? If someone had asked you during your training at Elmhurst which company would be your first choice, would you have said BRB? 

ALH: Yes, absolutely. Especially after working with them on The Nutcracker in my graduate year; that experience really cemented my decision.

E: Do you feel Elmhurst prepared you for joining a professional company? 

ALH: I really do. Coming into the Company, I’ve genuinely felt prepared. Everything I learned at Elmhurst has come into play- not just the training, but also the attitude and work ethic I developed there. It’s all really helped me as I’ve started my journey in the Company.

E: What has the process of settling into BRB been like? Have you found anything particularly difficult or unusual? 

ALH: I think the biggest shift was simply moving on from Elmhurst after so many years. I was so used to being in a place where everyone already knew me, so stepping into a new environment meant taking the time to introduce myself and build new relationships- but that was really exciting too. Performing with BRB in The Nutcracker last year while I was still a student helped a lot. When I joined in August, people already knew me, which made the transition much smoother. I’ve made lots of new friends, and it’s been a very positive start. 

E: What has your first experience of touring been like? Have you enjoyed it? 

ALH: Absolutely, I’ve loved touring. It’s been such a positive experience- even the long coach journeys have been fun! My favourite stops were Edinburgh and Plymouth. In Plymouth, it was amazing to be near the sea- I even managed a quick swim, though it was freezing! I’ve always loved Edinburgh, and going at Halloween was especially exciting, with the city looking its gothic best. 

Learning the different theatre stages has been fantastic, and getting to know the backstage areas too. For Black Sabbath, we did a lot of ‘run arounds,’ so we had to study them carefully before going on stage, or it would have been tricky! Dancing at Sadler’s Wells was incredible- I’d seen performances there before, but being on that stage myself was something else. I even had a solo role, performing alone on stage, which was unforgettable. It was also extra special when my family came to watch me in Salford. 

E: What are you most looking forward to this season? 

ALH: I’m really excited for Don Quixote. It’s an amazing production, and working with Carlos on his version of the ballet will be fantastic. I’m also looking forward to performing The Nutcracker at the Royal Albert Hall over Christmas. I didn’t get the chance to do it there as a student, so it’ll be a completely new experience, especially performing on a stage in the round, which I’ve never done before. 

E: Are you looking forward to the BRB2 tour next spring? 

ALH: Yes, I’m really excited about the BRB2 tour. It’ll be a fantastic opportunity to take on some main roles on a smaller stage, which I’m really looking forward to. I don’t know all the details of what I’ll be doing yet, but I’m sure it will be an amazing experience. Last year, I watched BRB2 at Birmingham Hippodrome with Elmhurst, and the Company also visited the school, so I saw the repertoire we’ll be performing this year. It’s a two-year cycle, so it’s the same show as last year, which I really enjoyed watching- so it’ll be wonderful to get to dance it myself. 

E: Do you have any personal goals for this season? 

ALH: My main goals are to maintain strong relationships within the Company, keep working as hard as I can, and push myself every day to improve my performance. I want to give my best in every show and take things week by week. Long term, my aim is to continue progressing within the Company, and my ultimate goal for this season is to be offered a contract at the end of it.

E: What’s your must-have item for long days in the theatre? 

ALH: Definitely my foam roller. I really like to roll out my muscles- it’s really important for me to stay in good shape.

E: What’s your dream role? 

ALH: My dream role would be Basilio in Don Quixote. It would be absolutely incredible to dance. 

E: What do you miss about Elmhurst? 

ALH: I miss my year group the most. It’s wonderful to see everyone doing so well, but I really miss seeing them every day. I also miss my teachers- the people and the environment were really special. I made some lifelong friends there, and I still keep in touch with people from both the Lower School and Upper School. I’m currently living with Thomas Kujawa, who was in my year and is now a BRB Artist this season, which is great. But some of my other closest friends from my year are now dancing all over Europe- Francis in Italy and Cam in Ireland- so it’s harder to see them

E: What’s the best piece of advice you would give to any current Elmhurst student? 

ALH: Enjoy every moment and take things as they come. Every day will feel different, so it’s important to find your passion and keep going, even on the tough days. The key is to find the love for what you do- it’s 100% worth it in the end, and all the hard work pays off. 

This apprenticeship programme is an amazing opportunity, and I feel very fortunate to have been chosen for it. It’s also inspiring to see previous Elmhurst apprentices still with the Company and to watch how far they’ve progressed- they’re doing incredible things.