New Youth Ballet from Six Dance Collective to premiere at Belfast International Ballet Festival this August

Commissioned by Belfast International Ballet Festival for High Points Youth Ballet The Clearing

Six Dance Collective and Belfast International Ballet Festival are proud to announce the premiere of a new dance work, The Clearing, which will debut at the 2025 Belfast Ballet Festival at The MAC. The piece will be performed as part of the Rising Stars Gala on 1st-2nd August 2025 within a programme celebrating both classical and contemporary ballet.

The Clearing is the latest collaboration from choreographer Ruaidhrí Maguire and composer Amelia Clarkson, the team behind Six Dance Collective works White Doves (The MAC, 2023) and The View from Mars (Lyric Theatre, 2025). Created especially for a cast of pre-professional dancers from High Points Youth Ballet, this new work showcases the island’s most exciting emerging dance talent. Set in the half-light between endings and beginnings, The Clearing draws from the rhythm of ritual and the shifting energy of the seasons. Ruaidhri Maguire, Artistic Director of SDC, said: “We are excited to return to Belfast Ballet Festival with this new youth company work for High Points Youth Ballet. Following the energy and passion the dancers brought to White Doves, we are shaping this new piece around them and challenging them to push themselves into discovering the wild and weathered world of The Clearing.”

White Doves (The MAC, 2023). Image by Gareth Heron.

This marks the second collaboration between High Points Youth Ballet and Six Dance Collective, following the success of White Doves in 2023. That production brought 28 aspiring dancers from eight counties across Ireland together on stage with two professional dancers, set to a brand-new score performed live. The two-act work became Belfast’s first newly created full-length ballet.

Reflecting on the festival, Maguire added: “It’s a real highlight of the ballet calendar in Northern Ireland and an incredible spotlight on the form, with such an eclectic programme of dancers, choreographers, and artists performing alongside students.”

Choreographer Ruaidhrí Maguire researching the new work with dancers in Summer Dance Lab 2024. Image by Amelia Clarkson.

This will also be Six Dance Collective’s second appearance at the festival, following performances at the inaugural performances in 2024. Running from 28th July to 2nd August 2025, Belfast International Ballet Festival welcomes dancers from across the world, with over 100 students and professionals training across multiple venues, culminating in performances at The MAC that celebrate both local and international dance.

The Clearing continues Six Dance Collective’s mission to create bold, collaborative new work that supports the next generation of dance artists. Rooted in process and driven by experimentation, the piece reflects SDC’s ongoing commitment to expanding the possibilities of ballet in Ireland today.

The work performed by High Points Youth Ballet as a part of the Rising Stars Gala on Friday 1st August 2025 and Saturday 2nd August at The MAC Belfast. Tickets are available now:

Tickets