A massive congratulations to Cunard who, in partnership with English National Ballet (ENB), were crowned winners at the UK Sponsorship Awards for their ‘Dance the Atlantic’ Event Voyage on board Queen Mary 2 in August 2019. They were also Highly Commended for the Arts & Culture Award.
The UK Sponsorship Awards have been celebrating Excellence and Effectiveness in Sponsorship, Partnerships and Brand Activation for the past 25 years. Cunard and ENB came out on top in the ‘Live Entertainment & Event Sponsorship’ category, beating the likes of Carlsberg & Live Nation’s Festival Programme 2019 and Huawei & All Points East!
In the event booklet the UK Sponsorship awards said: “Bringing ballet to cruise ships proved to be an inspirational idea for both partners. In the competitive cruise industry, it gave Cunard a competitive point of difference from rivals. Through a shared marketing programme, both iconic brands managed to reach audiences that they wouldn’t usually.”
The collaboration to create ‘Dance the Atlantic’ was the first of its kind and marked the start of what we are sure will be an exciting and long-standing partnership both on board and on land. It was an honour to be the stage at sea for English National Ballet and to welcome such an exceptional group of talented dancers, to be recognised with this award makes it even more special. We are extremely proud and thankful to everyone at Cunard and ENB for making this unforgettable experience possible. We look forward to welcoming the company on board in the not too distant future!
Cristina Muñoz, Senior Manager, Brand Partnerships, Cunard
Everyone at English National Ballet is thrilled to have won Best Live Entertainment at the UK Sponsorship Awards. Since our partnership started, Cunard has trusted us to create experiences for their guests onboard which had never been done before, and they continue to support English National Ballet productions on land as well as at sea. We value their constant enthusiasm for everything we do and look forward to working with them for many years to come.
Patrick Harrison, Executive Director, English National Ballet
A bit about our partnership
Cunard and ENB have been in partnership since 2019, delivering the first ever special event voyage ‘Dance the Atlantic’. On land, Cunard sponsors some of the company’s most critically acclaimed productions, such as She Persisted in 2019 and the much anticipated new collaboration between Akram Khan and ENB, Creature, premiering this September and the brand new version of the classic ballet Raymonda Explored coming to Southampton in 2022.
Enjoy the ballet yourself…
English National Ballet offers a range of events you can get involved in:
- Reunion: an Evening with English National Ballet (17-30 May 2021) – Reunion features the five critically-acclaimed works ENB originally premiered as dance films in their Digital Season in 2020. This is your chance to experience them live for the first time. Find out more here.
- ENB at home – The next best thing is to enjoy one of ENB’s productions from the comfort of your home. Head to Ballet on Demand to rent timeless productions like La Sylphide and Manon or modern masterpieces such as Akram Khan’s Giselle. Their latest release is My First Ballet: Swan Lake – a specially adapted version for children aged 3+. Gift options are available for all titles!
- Saturday Session: try out a BalletActive class with one of ENB’s Ballet Masters – This Saturday at 10:00 a pre-recorded special Technique class will be shared on ENB’s Facebook and Youtube, with Ballet Master Renato Paroni de Castro focussing on first position. He offers breakdown exercises and tips that all dancers will find useful, whether you’re just starting ballet or are at an advanced level. You can also find over 125 great classes, including more by Renato Paroni de Castro, on ENB’s platform BalletActive.
Congratulations again to everyone involved from Cunard!