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Francesca Velicu

Soloist
The company Dancers Francesca Velicu
Image of Francesca Velicu

Birthplace
Bucharest, Romania

Training
Choreography High School Floria Capsali, Bucharest; Bolshoi Ballet Academy

English National Ballet
Joined 2016, promoted to First Artist 2017, Junior Soloist 2022, Soloist 2024.

Previous company 
Romanian National Ballet

Repertoire
Notable roles and ballets include Giselle in Akram Khan’s Giselle; Clara/Sugar Plum Fairy, Chinese and Spanish in Wayne Eagling’s Nutcracker; Odalisque in Le Corsaire; Pas de Trois in Derek Deane’s Swan Lake; The Boy in Johan Inger’s Carmen, Princess Florine (Bluebird) in MacMillan’s Sleeping Beauty; third principal couple in Liam Scarlett’s No Man’s Land; The Chosen One in Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre du Printemps. Created roles include Arielle Smith’s Jolly Folly.

Other info
Winner of 2018 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for her performance as The Chosen One in Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre du printemps.
2013 – Second Place YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix) Junior category, 2013 Finalist YAGP, New York and 2012 Gold Medal – World Ballet Competition.
Francesca was named in Pointe Magazine’s ‘Stars of the Corps’ list following her performances as the Chosen One in Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) in 2017.
Finalist at the 2018 Emerging Dancer Competition.

Upcoming performances

Explore

Katja Khaniukova and Aitor Arrieta in Mary Skeaping's Giselle Image © Laurent Liotardo
In Pictures: Mary Skeaping's Giselle
In Pictures: Andrea Miller's Les Noces
Rhys Antoni Yeomans and Georgia Bould in Arielle Smith's Joly Folly as part of ENB's Reunion © Laurent Liotardo
On Stage: Reunion at Sadler's Wells
Emma Hawes & Aitor Arrieta in Blake Works I for The Forsythe Evening © Laurent Liotardo
In Pictures: THE FORSYTHE EVENING
English National Ballet dancers in Tamara Rojo's Raymonda © Johan Persson
In Pictures: Raymonda
Don Quixote pas de deux: Daniel McCormick and Francesca Velicu | English National Ballet
Daniel McCormick, winner of Emerging Dancer 2018, performing the pas de deux from Don Quixote with Francesca Velicu.
Daniel McCormick and Francesca Velicu: Don Quixote pas de deux
Francesca Velicu: Toccata | English National Ballet
Francesca Velicu performing Toccata, choreographed by Nancy Obaldeston, at Emerging Dancer 2018.
Francesca Velicu: Toccata
Le Corsaire pas de deux: Francesca Velicu & Daniel McCormick | English National Ballet
Daniel McCormick and Francesca Velicu performing the pas de deux from Le Corsaire for Emerging Dancer 2018.
Daniel McCormick and Francesca Velicu: Le Corsaire pas de deux
She Persisted: the power of Le Sacre du printemps | English National Ballet
Associate Conductor Orlando Jopling and dancers Giorgio Garrett and Francesca Velicu on the power of Le Sacre du printemps.
On the power of Le Sacre du printemps
She Persisted: Francesca Velicu in Le Sacre du printemps (extract) | English National Ballet
Francesca Velicu as the Chosen One in Pina Bausch's Le Sacre du printemps (a role she won the 2018 Olivier Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Dance).
Extract of Francesca Velicu in Le Sacre du printemps
She Persisted: A look at female choreographers | English National Ballet
She Persisted: A look at female choreographers
Erik Woolhouse and English National Ballet in Pina Bausch's Le Sacre du printemps © Laurent Liotardo.
Le Sacre du printemps production images
English National Ballet in rehearsals for Liam Scarlett's No Man's Land © Laurent Liotardo.
Lest We Forget in rehearsals
Francesca Velicu and Daniel McCormick performing Le Corsaire pas de deux for Emerging Dancer 2018 © Laurent Liotardo
Emerging Dancer 2018 production images
Francesca Velicu: Emerging Dancer 2018 Finalist | English National Ballet
Francesca Velicu: Emerging Dancer 2018 Finalist
Emerging Dancer 2018 Finalists © Photography Laurent Liotardo, post-production Nik Pate.
Emerging Dancer 2018 Finalists
Meet the Female Finalists of Emerging Dancer 2018 | English National Ballet
Meet the female finalists of Emerging Dancer 2018
Emerging Dancer 2018: Trailer | English National Ballet
Emerging Dancer 2018 Trailer
Kenneth Macmillan's Song of the Earth: Insight | English National Ballet
Song of the Earth: Insight for World Ballet Day
Mary Skeaping's Giselle - January 2024 - Production Photography