New English Ballet Theatre's founder and artistic director says she is delighted with the progress the group have made in the past three years.

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Stunning: The New English Ballet are in Richmond on July 7

Karen Pilkington-Miksa, who founded NEBT in 2012, brings a popular programme of five outstanding new ballets to Richmond Theatre next week.

And with music for two of the pieces to be performed live on stage, she admits she is excited about the strides being made by her team of 14 dancers.

She says: "The pieces in our summer programme have been made by five distinctive choreographic voices.

"I’m delighted to be working with these fast rising young people and to have dancing for New English Ballet Theatre a superb cast of dancers.

"It’s been my dream for a long time to create opportunities for new professionals to practise their craft and I’m thrilled to be working with extremely creative dancers, choreographers, musicians, and designers."

One of the company's aims is to showcase new and emerging talent in the dance, music and stage design worlds.

She adds: "I can’t wait to reach audiences around the country and I think these three dates will be perfect for our programme.

"Our mission is to present exciting new work to a wide audience and we’re similarly committed to the continual reinvention of classical ballet.

"What makes us different is how we work with talented young people from a variety of disciplines - dance, choreography, music, design and visual art.

"I’m particularly keen to promote the collaboration between all those art forms to commission work and to give solo opportunities to performers."

  • New English Ballet Theatre; Richmond Theatre, Little Green, Richmond; July 7, 7.30pm; tickets £11.90-£38.90; for more information, visit atgtickets/richmond.