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Words: Traci O’dea Photography: Danny Evans

The dancers of Ballet d’Jèrri, Jersey’s startup professional dance company, have arrived on the island from Copenhagen, London, Singapore, Germany, Poland, Dublin, Chile (and one apprentice from Jersey) to put Jersey on the map of the world of contemporary dance. From left to right, Miriam Oliver, Ohad Caspi, Elsa Le Breton, Donovan Delis McCarthy, Anna Daly, Hanna Szychowicz, Reece Hudson, Ombline Noyer and Kamal Singh comprise Jersey’s cuttingedge company.

Miriam

17-year-old Jersey dancer Miriam Oliver has previously called the opportunity to be an apprentice alongside professional dancers in a professional company “a golden ticket.” She says that it’s “a nice change going from after-school training to full day training, but it can be exhausting. The stamina you need is immense. The movement quality is so precise, and there is a lot of mindwork.” She is treated as a part of the company, and she is looking forward to learning from the varied and talented individuals surrounding her.

Ohad

Ohad Caspi loves Jersey. “It’s such an adventure being here. The mix between being so close to nature and doing my art. Living by the sea,” he says. He finds it very different than working in Germany and Austria where he formerly danced. The idea of being a part of a new company is very appealing to Ohad. “We came here as individuals, but everyone who took the ride came here knowing that we are building this thing together. We are here to establish something.”

Elsa

French dancer Elsa Le Breton loves that of Ballet d’Jèrri are starting something new. “Everyone is in the same boat,” she says, “and it’ so nice, and so unique to be the part of the beginning of a new company. It’s going to be lovely to look back in a few years.” Elsa previously danced with the National Ballet of Ireland. Though she is from the South of France, her father’s family comes from Normandy, and she’s topographically closer to them now in Jersey than she was in Marseille, France.

Donovan

Donovan Delis McCarthy performed in Copenhagen and Paris before being selected to dance for Ballet d’Jèrri. Donovan says about the move to Jersey, “I am half English and half French, so I feel like Jersey is perfect for me. Before I came here, I had a good feeling about the island.” He also adds that he had great feeling about Carolyn Rose Ramsay, and he was enthusiastic about coming to work with her.

Anna

Anna Daly, from Southwest London, says having a female who is the director of a ballet company is inspiring. Ballet d’Jèrri artistic director Carolyn Rose Ramsay, Anna says, “is a role model to me.” She adds, “That’s why we are so on board, because of what she’s made. We have a responsibility to push it to make sure it lasts.” She seconds Ohad’s sentiments about Jersey. “In a city,” she says, “everything feels like it’s constantly on the go and like you are always working because it weaves into everything you do, but here, you can finish dancing and breathe, take a break.”

Hanna

Since her arrival from Poland, Hanna Szychowicz has been enjoying our Jersey climate. “It’s beautiful here,” she says, “but the weather is crazy. Sunny, rainbow and dreamy then seconds later, it’s hailing and wild storms.” Also a model, yoga teacher and “So You Think You Can Dance” finalist, Hanna’s social media following is about one quarter the population of Jersey.

Reece

Before coming to Jersey, Reece Hudson lived and worked in Asia. “After dancing in Singapore,” he says, “I was excited to be closer to Bucks” (his home in Buckinghamshire). He says that he is excited by the small size of the group at Ballet d’Jèrri. “Many other companies treat you like a mannequin—you’re interchangeable, but Carolyn made me feel like an actual person.”

Ombline

Ombline Noyer has lived all over the world, including a length of time in Cyprus, so she says, “I know what it is to live on an island,” and she’s found a lot of Cypriot connections here. The range of pieces that the company is learning with Ballet d’Jèrri vary from traditional to contemporary, and Ombline is excited about working with three different choreographers. Of the contemporary piece they are currently working on, she says, “It goes to the floor! It’s animalistic.”

Kamal

Kamal Singh calls Jersey “very welcoming” even though “we have to carry umbrellas.” Kamal is from New Delhi, and he studied in London at the English National Ballet School but calls his successful audition at Ballet d’Jèrri “a dream come true.” He’s thrilled about the challenges of the “dynamic and expressive” pieces that Carolyn has chosen, and he hopes that Ballet d’Jèrri will find the support that it needs to continue.