24 full-time dance students from Elmhurst Ballet School, the vocational school in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, began rehearsals for the Opening Ceremony marking the start of the Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022 on Thursday 28 July .

The opening ceremony will be held at the redeveloped Alexander Stadium, Perry Barr, in front of around 30,000 people and broadcast to an estimated global audience of one billion. At the opening ceremony, Birmingham-based ballet students will perform alongside dancers from the Birmingham Royal Ballet, a cast of 2,000 volunteers and a choir of 1,000. The ceremony will feature athletes from nations participating in the Games and will also feature the Queen’s Baton.

The creative team is led by Artistic Director Iqbal Khan and Peaky Blinders writer and creator Steven Knight, and Elmhurst 13th grade and graduate students work with head choreographer Corey Baker, known for his films starring stage the dance in striking and unusual locations, including the award-winning Swan Lake Bath Ballet for BBC Arts. One of the many dance captains working with Corey, Jacob Wye is a critically acclaimed former Ballet Black dancer and keeps the Elmhurst team on track during rehearsals.

Elmhurst students rehearsed at Edgbaston School and in virtual sessions overseen by Corey and Jacob, with Elmhurst artistic director Robert Parker, former principal dancer of Birmingham Royal Ballet. Rehearsals continue in Longbridge – in a mock performance space – ahead of the first Alexander Stadium rehearsal on July 13.

Choreographer and movement director Corey Baker said: “We are delighted to have the students of Elmhurst join the cast of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony. To see them shine alongside the Birmingham Royal Ballet and of our professional contemporary dance cast, alongside our wonderful volunteer Casting is a real treat and an absolute highlight of our show These young artists from Elmhurst have a bright future ahead of them and I’m so excited for them to perform a role in creating our spectacular showcase for Birmingham and the West Midlands which will be broadcast live to around 1 billion people on July 28, 2022.”

On behalf of the Elmhurst Ballet School, Robert Parker, added: “Elmhurst’s participation in the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games is an incredible and unique opportunity for our students. They work with a highly esteemed creative team and will be part of an event that will celebrate and showcase the region’s diversity of creativity and talent. We are honored and excited to participate and thank the creative team for including the school.

Elmhurst class of 2022 students dancing at the opening ceremony are Leah Allen, Olivia Chang-Clarke, Alice Higginbottom, Alyssa Holliday-Smith, Mackenzie Jacob, Shea Linley, Candela Nieto, Holly Slater, Lara Tessier, Isabel Falcon and Zack Pye. They are joined by 13th graders Amelia Cook, William Davolls, Ella Dennehy, Caitlin Edgington, Jack Farren, Florence Fowler, Leo Morad, Kazusa Murayoshi, Benjamin Spiteri, Isabel Tornqvist, Sophie Walters, Heidi Whiting and Samantha Wong.