The Creatives
The Ballet Central Company is supported by a team of industry experts and creatives who help to deliver a professional touring experience for the students and a superb display of skills, artistry and theatrical performances for audiences.
Kate Coyne, Artistic Director and Professional Training Lead
Born in London, Kate graduated from The Royal Ballet School and studied for a further year at London Contemporary Dance School; joining London Contemporary Dance Theatre under the directorship of Robert Cohan. Later she joined Rambert Dance Company at the appointment of Christopher Bruce. Following this she pursued a freelance career and worked with several companies including Michael Clark Company, DV8 and Mark Baldwin Dance Company.
In 2009 she won the Critics Circle Award for Best Female Dancer Modern, and was the joint winner of an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. Kate retired from performing in 2012 and has since worked as Producer for Frieze Projects and as Programme Director at Siobhan Davies Dance.
Kate Coyne was appointed Artistic Director and Professional Training Lead at Central School of Ballet in October 2021. Kate joined Central from Michael Clark Company where she was Associate Director.
Ben Warbis, Ballet Central Lead
Ben is a contemporary dancer who has spent the most of part of his career as a member of Michael Clark Company, with whom he has performed extensively across Europe, Australia, and America, as well as at London’s Barbican (2009-2021). Also for stage, Ben has worked with choreographers including Robert Cohan, Hubert Essakow, and Yolande Yorke-Edgell, and for film with the likes of Alex Reynolds (World War Z), Lea Anderson (How To Talk To Girls At Parties), and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (Anna Karenina). Ben has modelled with fashion photographers Nick Knight (Arena Homme+, AnOther), Elliot Kennedy (Jocks & Nerds), Jake Walters, Cecilie Harris, Sarah Brimley, and Philip Riches. In 2017, as a solo performer, Ben collaborated with artist Wolfgang Tillmans in an immersive residency at Tate Modern. In 2019, he performed on the Barbican stage for the Merce Cunningham Trust’s Night Of 100 Solos, staged by Daniel Squire. More recently, in 2023, he was cast in a new screen adaptation of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Sea of Troubles, which was created and produced by Yorke Dance Project.
Ben graduated from London Studio Centre in 2009 with a BA Hons in Theatre Dance, achieved a Level 6 Diploma in Dance Teaching with the BBO in 2016, and completed an MA in Dance Technique Pedagogy through Middlesex University in 2022. Ben arrived at Ballet Central after having taught on the Contemporary Technique faculty at Trinity Laban Conservatoire since 2018 (he is now a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy) and he continues his role as a lead tutor on the BBO’s teaching qualifications programme.
Philip Feeney, Tabor Music Director
Philip Feeney studied composition at Cambridge, and at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He has composed extensively for dance, collaborating with many different and varied choreographers including Cathy Marston, Michael Pink, Didy Veldman, David Nixon, Sharon Watson, Alexei Ratmansky and Dani Rowe for companies as diverse as Northern Ballet, Rambert, Ballet Black, Cullberg Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, Fabulous Beast, Scottish Dance Theatre, Milwaukee Ballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadien de Montréal.
Feeney’s compositions range from full-length orchestral ballet scores to electro-acoustic soundscapes, jazz and hip hop scores. An enduring collaboration with choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan for Fabulous Beast resulted in Giselle and the award winning The Bull, and a long-standing association with Northern Ballet has produced eight full-length ballets, including two versions of Cinderella. His full collection of works include an impressive catalogue of full-length narrative ballets with choreographer Michael Pink, as well as collaborations with companies such as Northern Ballet, Ballet Black, San Fransico Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadien and American Ballet Theater.
He continues to work as composer in residence with Ballet Central, having composed up to fifty scores for the company. Philip’s role at Central is generously supported by the Tabor Foundation.
Chloe Ivey-Ray, Costume Production Manager / Designer
Chloe studied at South Essex University in collaboration with The Royal Opera House, gaining a first-class BA Hons in Costume Construction, specialising in ballet, movement, and opera.
Most recent work includes Swan Lake and Triple Bill 2022 at The Royal Opera House; Legally Blonde, 101 Dalmatians, La Cage au Folles, Twelfth Night, Secret Garden and Fiddler on the Roof at Regents Park Open Air Theatre; Cold War and 24 Day at The Almeida; Dead Man Walking at Guildhall and Gone Too Far for National Youth Theatre. Chloe also worked on the West End production of Birmingham Rep’s The Snowman, with Ian Hislop and Nick Newman on their Spike UK tour, and with the BBC’s UK Boxing Championships.
Chloe’s focus for her designs is movement, exploration of shapes and athleticism. She joined the Ballet Central tour in 2023 as Head of Wardrobe, becoming resident designer for the 2024 and 2025 tours. Chloe also designs for sport, including for Sky Sports Woman’s World Boxing Championships 2022. Chloe’s extensive understanding of the athlete’s body and their art forms directly influences her designs.
Having got her first certificate in pointe shoe fitting with Grisko aged just 17, Chloe continued to explore fitting other brands, becoming an established pointe shoe fitter alongside working in costume, supporting many dancers over the last 11 years.
Andrew Ellis, Lighting Design & Technical Manager
This is Andrew’s fourth season with Ballet Central as Technical Manager, and his third as Lighting Designer.
As lighting designer for BalletBoyz, his designs for England on Fire, Deluxe, Young Men, Them / Us, The Kama Sutra, Void, B-Banned & Alpha have been seen at venues from Sadler’s Wells, The Vaudeville Theatre & Wilton’s Music Hall in the UK to Sydney Opera House, and The Joyce & City Center in New York, as well as on Sky Arts.
His designs at The London Coliseum include Alexei Ratmansky’s Giselle, the annual Ballet Icons Galas (also at Dubai Opera), the All England Dance Centenary Gala, 2023’s acclaimed spectacle The Mongol Khan, and State Ballet of Georgia’s Swan Lake.
At the Royal Opera House, he has designed for New English Ballet Theatre & The McNicol Ballet Collective at the Linbury Theatre, and Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan on the main stage.
As Lighting Designer and Technical Director for National Youth Ballet since 2007, his designs have been seen at Sadler’s Wells, The London Palladium, Theatre Royal Drury Lane and Birmingham Hippodrome.
Other credits include Lviv Opera Ballet’s Giselle (Taiwan Tour), West End Eurovision (Adelphi), The Distance You Have Come (Apollo), Darcy Bussell’s British Ballet Gala (Royal Albert Hall), Eugenius! (The Other Palace), Flashdance the Musical (UK, Europe & South Korea Tours), Carmen for Agudo Dance Company (International Tour), TEN for ACE Dance & Music (International Tour), HIM (Royal Festival Hall & UK Tour) & Murmur for Aakash Odedra Company (International tour).
Claire Wilmore, Company Stage Manager
Claire has been working in Stage Management for over a decade since graduating from Guildford School of Acting.
Ballet is where she has settled in recent years first serving as Company Manager for Ballet Central in 2016/17 when they were based at Herbal Hill. She has worked for New Adventures on Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, London Children’s Ballet, English National Ballet, New English Ballet Theatre amongst others, and worked in the West End and on tour, before being enticed back to the all-new Central at The Countess of Wessex Studios in 2023.
She enjoys working with the students in the different theatrical departments (Lighting, Costume, Stage Management), and hopes that the experience gives them some insight into the work it takes for the shows, beyond the considerable amount they already do in rehearsals and on the stage, to come to fruition.
Discover more…
About Ballet Central
Find out more about the history of Ballet Central and its mission to provide Central’s graduating students the opportunity of professional performing experience to ticket-buying audiences.
Book Tickets
Our diverse repertoire appeals to first-time audiences and makes us a firm favourite amongst dance enthusiasts. Find out where to book tickets for a show near you here.
2025 Programme
The 2025 Ballet Central repertoire promises to deliver a revitalising programme of classical ballet and contemporary dance. Find out more here.
The Company
Meet the 2025 Ballet Central Company involving final year students at the Central School of Ballet.
Support Us
By supporting the critically-acclaimed Ballet Central Company, you can give Central School of Ballet’s final year students a unique touring experience. Find out how you can help to make this a reality.
On Film
Here you will be able to see excerpts of selected repertoire from Ballet Central, Central’s graduate touring company, and trailers and special dance performances captured on film.