chrysalis: UK

Our finale video takes the theme of Chrysalis and superimposes it on human life, following the development from boyhood to manhood. Set among the spires and catacombs of Oxford, it traces the journey from the innocence of childhood, to the turbulence of youth, to the emergence of the fully formed man. Set to the uplifting music of Carol Jones, the musicians and dancers interact for the first time in this video, and after five videos where the music and dance is separated by thousands of miles, this video represents all being brought to a unity - the music and the dance are one, and there is hope to evolve into something more beautiful and more whole. 

Ruth Brill is a Choreographer, Artistic Director and former dancer based in the UK. She trained at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts and English National Ballet School. She danced with English National Ballet (2007-2012) and Birmingham Royal Ballet (First Artist, 2012-2019). Ruth retired from performing in 2019 to pursue her freelance choreographic career.

Birmingham Royal Ballet commissioned Ruth to create four new choreographic works for the company - Rhapsody in Blue (2014), Matryoshka (2015), Arcadia (2017) and Peter and The Wolf (2019). 

Ruth has also created work for English National Ballet (2020), New English Ballet Theatre (2019/20), Grand Opera House Belfast (2019), Future Dreams at The London Palladium (2018), Birmingham Weekender Festival (2017, 2016) and The Rugby World Cup Welcoming Ceremony for England (2015). Ruth has a strong interest in outreach work and has delivered development programmes internationally.

Ruth is the Artistic Director of London Children’s Ballet. She re-staged Cathy Marston’s production of Ballet Shoes (2019) and is currently directing a brand new full length production of ‘Anne Of Green Gables’ (2020/21) for the company.

Current/recent projects include the choreography and movement direction for a documentary about Dame Gillian Lynne and the dramaturgy for lockdown dance film ‘BODIES’, starring Brandon Lawrence. Ruth also led the recent performance protest in London’s Trafalgar Square to raise the plight of freelancers in the Arts during Covid’19.

Carol J Jones is a composer of contemporary classical music, writing orchestral, chamber and choral work. Using scientific methods, her work deconstructs the sounds of nature, from the inner rumbling of trees to firing neurons, to create complex, layered compositions. 

She has worked with ensembles and artists including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Psappha, Heath Quartet, Joby Burgess, Fenella Humphreys, in venues across the UK including Westminster Abbey, Hoddinott Hall and St Magnus Cathedral. Her choral music has been performed by the BBC Singers, Deutscher Chor London, Worcester College Chapel Choir and Scholar Cantorum of Oxford. Her music has been performed at festivals including Dartington International Summer School, Cheltenham Music Festival Composer Academy, St Magnus International Music Festival, and has been broadcast on BBC One, BBC Radio 3 and BBC World Service.