INSIDE
The magazine from Northern Ballet
Issue 19, autumn 2016
Celebrating Hiro
Hironao Takahashi on 25
years with the Company
plus
Creating Jane Eyre
Cathy Marston shares
her inspiration
Upcoming Events
Our work with schools
and much more
INSIDE
Welcome
Issue 19, autumn 2016
We rounded off our spring 2016 season with the
première of Cathy Marston’s evocative Jane Eyre
and the final performances of Jonathan Watkins'
critically acclaimed 1984.
4
Interview
Celebrating 25 years of
Hironao Takahashi
8
Creating Jane Eyre
10News in brief and
upcoming events
12
Academy update
13
Learning update
14Other ways to support
Northern Ballet
Jane Eyre was received with great enthusiasm by
audiences and critics, and Javier Torres, Dreda Blow,
Hannah Bateman, Mlindi Kulashe and Abigail Prudames
excelled in the leading roles as Rochester and Jane. I
was absolutely delighted with the praise received for
our dancers from across the country. On page eight,
Cathy shares some of her thoughts on creating the work,
alongside photographs of the production.
Our tour of 1984 came to a close with a fabulous run of
shows at Sadler’s Wells in May, before winning the Dance
Award at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards in early June.
This award is fantastic recognition of the quality of our
work, adding to the accolades and rave reviews it received
in 2015. I am so proud that 1984 has now been seen by
over 150,000 people through live performances and its
broadcast on BBC Four, an incredible achievement for a
Northern Ballet première.
We started our new season in September with another
Brontë masterpiece and the revival of my first original
work for Northern Ballet, Wuthering Heights. Giving
performances in Leeds to packed audiences at the West
Yorkshire Playhouse, I was especially thrilled that so
many of you were able to join us on the Saturday night
to celebrate the incredible career of Northern Ballet
Senior Artist Hironao Takahashi. Hiro has danced with the
Company for 25 years in many key roles, and you can read
a fascinating insight into his career with us on page four.
David Nixon OBE
Photo Simon Lawson.
I hope you were also able to join us as we finished touring
our final performances of Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Romeo
and Juliet. This sleek and elegant production beautifully
showcased the many talents of our magnificent dancers to
Prokofiev’s famous score, superbly played by our Sinfonia,
and was a fine example of the versatility Northern Ballet has
become famous for.
We close the year with the revival of Beauty & the Beast
in Norwich, Nottingham, Newcastle, Southampton and
finishing in our home town of Leeds over the Christmas
period. After taking it to West Australian Ballet in Perth
earlier in the year, where it was rapturously received, I am
very excited to bring it back to audiences here in the UK.
It has been an enormous pleasure to return to this magical
production and I hope you enjoy my take on this classic
fairytale as much as we have enjoyed preparing it.
As ever, thank you for your continued and generous support
of Northern Ballet, your dedication makes a great difference
to the success of our work. I very much hope to welcome
you at one of our upcoming performances.
David Nixon OBE
Artistic Director
2
Welcome to the autumn 2016 edition of
Inside magazine.
We hit the ground running by launching our autumn
season with the return of audience favourite Wuthering
Heights. In particular, we celebrated the magnificent
achievements of Senior Artist Hironao Takahashi, dancing
with Northern Ballet for the 25th year. I hope you will join
me in congratulating Hiro on this achievement, and that
you enjoy reading his in-depth interview in this issue.
There are plenty of opportunities to watch the dancers in
action by attending Company Class on Saturdays whilst
we are on tour. Class is free to attend for all Friends and
Patrons, and you can find the dates up until May 2017 on
page 11.
Alex Wright
Photo Kamilla Vinter.
At the end of the summer, we welcomed Zoë Connell
to the Development Team as Development Manager:
Individuals and Corporates. As a child, Zoë took part in
workshops with Northern Ballet and has followed the
Company ever since. After working in London for a number
of years, at Wigmore Hall and most recently at The Old Vic
Theatre, she has now moved back to Yorkshire and will be
overseeing the individual giving and corporate aspects of
our fundraising. Do say hello to Zoë should you see her at
performances in the coming season.
2017 sees us première a record-breaking three new
ballets: Casanova, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and
The Little Mermaid. To gain an insight into how Northern
Ballet creates new works, we will be holding a Casanova
Unmasked event on Wednesday 15 February 2017 with
choreographer Kenneth Tindall and members of the
creative team. This event will contain a limited number
of free places for Friends and Patrons, with booking
information circulated before the end of the year.
Zoë Connell
Finally, Northern Ballet’s Christmas Appeal for 2016
is raising funds for our START Schools project, which
engages children with live theatre and ballet who would
otherwise not have access to the arts. You can find out
more about the importance of our work with school
children on page 13, followed by details of how you can
support the appeal.
I will sadly be moving on from Northern Ballet to join NMC
Recordings in London this month. I've very much enjoyed
my time here and it has been a pleasure getting to know
so many of you. Your enthusiastic support for our work
has made a great deal of difference during an extremely
successful and busy year for the Company, and I look
forward to following Northern Ballet's exciting plans for
2017.
Alex Wright
Development Officer: Friends, Patrons & Legacies
3
CELEBRATING
25 YEARS
WITH HIRO
On Saturday 10 September, Hironao Takahashi celebrated 25 years with Northern Ballet
with a very special performance as Edgar in David Nixon’s Wuthering Heights, a role which
was originally created for him. After more than two decades dancing with the Company
and having starred in countless productions, Hiro’s incredible career has been remarkable
for its longevity and the consistency of his performances. He is now the longest serving
dancer in Northern Ballet’s history and in recent years has played an increasingly
supportive role in helping to prepare the Company for productions, whilst still playing a
number of key characters on stage.
As well as Edgar, other notable roles for Hiro have included Bob Cratchit (A Christmas
Carol); Prince and Beast (Beauty & the Beast); Oberon (A Midsummer Night’s Dream);
Romeo and Mercutio (Romeo & Juliet); and Count Serbrenska (Cinderella).
As he embarks on the next phase of his career and continues to work with Northern Ballet
in new ways, we caught up with Hiro to find out what he has enjoyed most about his long
association with the Company and what his future plans may hold.
4
Celebrating 25 years of Hironao Takahashi
"The production
was so good, and
over the years
the atmosphere
I felt in that
first week has
continued."
How does it feel to be celebrating the phenomenal
achievement of your 25th year dancing with
Northern Ballet?
Northern Ballet tours for many weeks each year. How has
touring life changed over the years, and do you have a
favourite theatre?
I feel very honoured to have danced for so long and in all
the shows I have done. It doesn’t feel like it’s been such
a long time until I sit and think about it, maybe because
my time here has been quite split up. I started out when
the Company was in Spring Hall in Halifax. We moved on
to West Park and were there for about 10 years, before
moving to Quarry Hill in 2010. So much has happened,
and it’s almost split into three in my mind, rather than one
big chunk.
I think it has got better. When I started with the Company,
some of the places we went to only had one toilet for
dancers, technicians and musicians to share. So before
the shows there was always quite a big queue! Facilities
are generally better at the theatres now, so we don’t have
that problem so much. I feel like I can rely on lots of the
theatres we go to, but I think Norwich is my favourite. It’s
a nice, small place, very clean, and the city is good... I like
Norwich. I don’t really like the journey from Leeds, but
once you get there it’s very good!
Why did you choose Northern Ballet?
The way I joined the Company made a lasting impression
on me and is one of the reasons why I’ve stayed for so
long. The Artistic Director at the time, Christopher Gable,
needed to know if he was going to take me on or not, so
he called me up to join the Company for a week for Romeo
& Juliet. The production was so good, and over the years
the atmosphere I felt in that first week has continued and
that has made me want to stay. We are all friends here,
which is a nice thing.
Do you have any memorable or funny moments from the
rehearsal room or on stage that you would like to share?
There have been so many. There are always funny
moments, like if you fall over or crash into the set.
Especially in the early days, when we performed in smaller
spaces, dodging sets could be tricky. Now it’s not so bad.
You have danced numerous roles in your time here. What
are your favourite Northern Ballet roles or productions you
have been involved in?
That’s a very hard question! Every role and production is so
different, and I try to think that every role I perform is my
favourite. Playing Romeo and Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet
was good, but also being able to do both Christopher
and David’s Draculas was also really interesting. If I had to
pick one role, the Magician from David’s Cinderella was
good because it was a character that I don’t normally
play - it was quite challenging but also quite a strong role.
Thinking about it, Edgar is also one of my favourite roles.
Wuthering Heights was the first production that David
created on the Company, and the role was created 14
years ago. It’s probably one of the characters I’ve played
the most over the years, so I have a lot of fond memories.
Photos Brian Slater, Bill Cooper and Merlin Hendy.
5
Celebrating 25 years of Hironao Takahashi
What has been the biggest challenge during
your career?
One of the most challenging productions for me
to get my head around was Beauty & the Beast,
because I played Beast and also the Prince in
different casts. One particular week I had to swap
between them a lot. I think that was the first
time I felt really, really tired. It’s funny because
we always do lots of different roles in each
production, and I can usually switch between
them quite easily. But the Prince and Beast was
challenging because they are the same person,
in two different expressions. So when I switched
between them, I wasn’t really doing a completely
different role, which was quite strange. It wore
me out, but I’d never had that experience before
so it was really interesting.
What are your other plans for the future –
do you want to continue dancing, move in
to choreography, or help to train the next
generation of dancers?
I want to try to keep dancing, but I imagine this
is probably going to be my last season dancing.
I began working as Ballet Staff for Northern
Ballet a few years ago, alongside dancing, and
last year I took on the role of Assistant Rehearsal
Director. This year, I’m looking forward to trying
to improve, but I also want to be able to have
a bit more fun with it, and take the pressure off
myself a little. I want to think ahead, plan better
and be more calm. That’s one of my goals.
If, after I stop dancing, I could stay here as Ballet
Staff that would be great. If not, I will probably
go back to Japan to teach dance. We will see
what happens!
6
"I imagine this is
probably going
to be my last
season dancing."
Celebrating 25 years of Hironao Takahashi
As one of the most experienced dancers in the
Company, do you have any tips for aspiring
dancers about coping with the rigorous touring
schedule?
I would say have fun with it. It is pressured on
tour because you have to get it right, but think of
that as an exciting thing. In a way, touring is less
tiring than rehearsals where you hear ‘Do that bit
again’ a lot. You can only do it once when you’re
on stage!
Some advice I would give is, if you can, watch
the show from the wings. Try to register what
other people are doing and think to yourself
- what would I have done in that situation? So
when you get to doing more dancing roles, you
can plan them better and will have more ideas. It
will make you feel inspired and more self-aware.
It is hard sometimes but the earlier you start
doing it, the quicker you will improve.
And finally, what is the key to maintaining such a
long and successful dancing career?
Keep happy! Try not to give up and don’t wear
yourself out too much. Keep it fresh. Always try
to improve.
Hironao Takahashi is a Senior Artist with
Northern Ballet after first joining in 1992.
He took on the role of Assistant Rehearsal
Director in 2015 and in 2016 he became
Assistant Artistic Director of Short Ballets for
Small People.
Photos Justin Slee, Brian Slater, Merlin Hendy, and Emma Kauldhar
7
★★★★
The Guardian
★★★★
The Telegraph
★★★★
Financial Times
★★★★
The Times
LOOKING BACK
AT JANE EYRE
Cathy Marston’s Jane Eyre
received rave reviews from
audiences and critics alike
following its première in
Doncaster and subsequent tour.
Here, we’re pleased to give you
Cathy’s thoughts on creating her
latest work for Northern Ballet,
alongside a collection of images
from the stunning production.
8
Victoria Sibson and Javier Torres in Cathy Marston's Jane Eyre. Photo Emma Kauldhar.
Abigail Prudames and Gavin McCaig in rehearsal with Cathy Marston for Jane Eyre. Photo Justin Slee.
Looking back at Jane Eyre
David approached me and asked if I would
be interested in creating a Jane Eyre for the
Company. I don’t know why we hadn’t thought of
it before actually, as it’s such an obvious choice
for me and also a great fit for Northern Ballet!
Jane Eyre and Rochester are both narrative
characters and full of human detail, but also
archetypal – almost mythological in Rochester’s
case. It was an idea very much up my street and I
was thrilled with the offer.
There were so many ballets that one could make
on Jane Eyre. I wasn’t so much interested in the
social or religious reading, rather the story of
Jane herself and her love story with Rochester,
while also touching on the feminist reading too.
I started by creating the scenario, then bringing
in the rest of the team such as the designer
and composer, and together we slowly started
finding the language for the piece both musically
and visually.
In terms of choreography in the studio, I had
around seven weeks from the first steps to
getting it on stage. It always feels like not quite
enough time, as there’s often more you want to
do! The dancers at Northern Ballet are fantastic
and what’s wonderful is that they’re so used to
telling stories. During rehearsals, I could sketch
a scene dramatically and then dig deeper to find
the actual choreography, but I got a sense from
the dancers straight away of when it was saying
the right thing.
I wanted to use music from the time of the novel
but there wasn’t much written for the size of
ensemble we were working with. Composer
Philip Feeney and I began by sourcing piano
pieces by Fanny Mendelssohn, who was a
near-contemporary of Jane Eyre. It felt very
appropriate to use a female composer to provide
the main themes for the piece. We also brought
in music by Schubert, who is slightly earlier than
the time of the novel, as that felt appropriate for
the scenes with Rochester where he’s perhaps a
bit stuck in the past. Philip Feeney orchestrated
this music superbly and also wrote some new
pieces as well.
We took a similar approach with the designs.
There are certainly period references in the cuts
but the fabrics are more sheer, you can see the
body move in a way which you wouldn’t be able
to if they had been done precisely to historical
detail. Our aim with the production was to
reference the period in time that Jane Eyre was
written, but retaining a contemporary feel for the
audience as well.
Dreda Blow and Javier Torres in Jane Eyre.
Photos Caroline Holden.
9
News in brief
New production – The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
New Corporate Partner
We are thrilled to announce that our new ballet for our mid scale
tour in 2017 will be based on John Boyne's novel The Boy in
the Striped Pyjamas. Choreography will be by Northern Ballet’s
Artistic Associate Daniel de Andrade, and the work will tour to
Doncaster, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Richmond, Aylesbury,
Stoke, Bromley, Leeds and Hull from May 2017. Tickets are on
sale for a number of tour dates already and further details can be
found on our website.
We are delighted to announce a new corporate partnership with
Leeds-based wealth management and legal advice company The
Progeny Group. As well as sponsorship playing a vital role in
helping us achieve our artistic vision, this pairing will enable
Progeny to share its services with our audiences and offer
its customers opportunities to enjoy exclusive hospitality at
Northern Ballet performances.
New Production – The Little Mermaid
After premièring Casanova and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
in the first half of 2017, our Christmas ballet will be another new
ballet, based on the much loved fairytale The Little Mermaid.
Choreographed by Artistic Director David Nixon, his first
new work for Northern Ballet since 2013, it will première in
Southampton in September 2017 before touring the UK and
reaching Leeds Grand Theatre in December.
More information on the production and on sale dates for tickets
can be found on our website.
Awards and Nominations
Back in June 2016, we were thrilled to win The South Bank
Sky Arts Dance Award for 1984. Now, the nominations for
the 17th UK Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards have been
released and we're delighted that Northern Ballet have been
nominated for several awards including the Stef Stafanou Award
for Outstanding Company. Jane Eyre and 1984 have received
nominations for their classical choreography, Martha Leebolt
and Tobias Batley for their performances as Julia and Winston in
1984 and Tobias has also been nominated for Best Male Dancer.
Winners will be announced at a ceremony in February 2017, so
watch this space!
We are delighted to have won the Achievement in Marketing
Award at this year’s UK Theatre Awards for our 2015/16 campaign
for 1984. Congratulations to our Communications team on this
fantastic achievement. Here in the Development department
we’re very pleased to have been shortlisted for the Achates
Philanthropy Prize celebrating new philanthropy in the arts.
New staff
The last few months have seen us welcome a number of new staff
to the Northern Ballet team.
After a year away on maternity leave, Development’s Research
and Data Officer Rebecca Cheung returned to the team in early
September. We have also recently been joined by Beth McNaboe
who has come from the charity Shelter to take up the role of
Development Manager: Trusts and Foundations. Our Reception
team welcomed Will Dawson, Rachel Clarke and Dena Marsh in
August. Daniel Parkinson joins our music staff for the autumn
season as Conducting Fellow and Tobias Perkins starts as the
new Planning Manager, joining us from The Barbican.
The Learning team also restructured over the summer, with
Leanne Kirkham promoted to Director of Learning after 5 years
as Dance Education Officer. Sophie Alder has been promoted
to Artistic Learning Manager and Jo Dean has been promoted
to Head of Learning. Both Sophie and Jo recently celebrated 10
years with the Company.
Former Apprentice Keisha Hamilton re-joined Northern Ballet as
Dance Education Officer, and having worked in a pastoral role
with the Academy while studying for a degree in dance, Ebony
Godridge has joined the team as Dance Education Apprentice for
the next year. 10
Neil Moles, Managing Director of The Progeny Group, said:
‘The decision to partner with Northern Ballet was an easy one.
Both companies have deep-seated roots in Leeds but also have
a history of exporting their expertise to the rest of the UK and
beyond. We have been incredibly impressed with Northern
Ballet’s professionalism, evolutionary drive and desire to be
a beacon of excellence in its field – ideals very much shared
by The Progeny Group across our wealth, legal and asset
management capabilities’.
Partnerships with companies provide crucial financial support for
Northern Ballet, allowing us to reach new audiences and create
ground-breaking, exciting new work. For further information
about how your company could work in partnership with
Northern Ballet, please contact Zoë Connell at:
[email protected].
New dancers
Northern Ballet welcomed ten new dancers this season. Joining
the corps de ballet are Naomi Bottomer, Sarah Chun, Abigail
Cockrell, Jonathan Hanks, Minju Kang, Jesse Milligan, Liam
Morris, and Lorenzo Trossello. Former Academy of Northern
Ballet Centre for Advanced Training student Dale Rhodes also
joins the corps de ballet, and Darragh Hourrides joins as an
Apprentice from the Academy of Northern Ballet’s Professional
Graduate Programme.
Dancer promotions
A number of Northern Ballet’s existing dancers have been
promoted over the summer. Antoinette Brooks-Daw and
Giuliano Contadini are now Leading Soloists; with Jeremy
Curnier, Rachael Gillespie and Joseph Taylor moving up to
Soloists. Ayami Miyata, Kevin Poeung and Abigail Prudames
are promoted to Junior Soloists; and Sean Bates, Mlindi Kulashe
and Matthew Topliss are promoted to Coryphée. Finally, former
Apprentice Harriet Marden is promoted to the corps de ballet.
Congratulations to all of you!
Waving goodbye
We said fond farewells to a number of dancers over the summer,
who are all moving on from Northern Ballet to pastures new. We
wish all of them the very best in their future endeavours: Jessica
Morgan, Alice Bayston, Kaylee Marko, Archie Sullivan, Diogo
Barbosa, Paris Fitzpatrick, Genevieve Heron and Grace Robinson.
Friends and Patrons Events
Casanova Unmasked
Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds
Wednesday 15 February 2017
6.00pm – 7.30pm
Followed by post-event drinks until 8pm
Tickets: Free for Friends & Patrons,
booking details to follow
Join us for this exclusive first look behind-thescenes at the creation of Casanova, including
talks by members of the creative team and the
chance to see our dancers bring the story to life
during rehearsal.
Company Class on tour
Tickets: Free for Friends & Patrons, booking required
Watch the dancers perform their daily warm-up on stage at your local venue whilst the Company is on tour.
Date
Venue
Time
Saturday 3 December 2016
Southampton Mayflower Theatre
11.00am – 12.15pm
Saturday 17 December 2016
Leeds Grand Theatre
11.00am – 12.15pm
Saturday 31 December 2016
Leeds Grand Theatre
11.00am – 12.15pm
Saturday 18 March 2017
Leeds Grand Theatre
11.30am – 12.45pm
Saturday 25 March 2017
Edinburgh Festival Theatre
11.30am – 12.45pm
Saturday 1 April 2017
Sheffield Lyceum Theatre
12.00pm – 1.15pm
Saturday 8 April 2017
Norwich Theatre Royal
11.30am – 12.45pm
Saturday 22 April 2017
Milton Keynes Theatre
11.30am – 12.45pm
Saturday 29 April 2017
Cardiff New Theatre
11.30am – 12.45pm
Saturday 6 May 2017
Salford The Lowry
11.00am – 12.15pm
Saturday 13 May 2017
London Sadler’s Wells
11.30am – 12.45pm
To attend Company Class on tour, please contact Zoë Connell either by email:
[email protected] or calling 0113 220 8000.
Booking for Casanova Unmasked will open shortly and you will be contacted with further
information on how to reserve your tickets in due course.
Keep up to date with forthcoming events and current ticket discounts for supporters by
visiting the Friends section of our website at northernballet.com/forfriends
11
Academy Update
End of Year Shows
Farewell to Academy Graduates
Our Academy celebrated their students’ success
with the annual End of Year Show performances
at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre. These
took place over two days in June and July,
collectively seeing more than 400 students of all
ages performing.
We are delighted that students graduating from
our CAT programme this year have secured
places for their onward training at full time
vocational schools. We bid farewell to graduates
who are going on to schools all over the UK
and abroad including: The School of Hamburg
Ballet, Elmhurst School for Dance, Royal
Conservatoire of Scotland, Central School of
Ballet and Northern Ballet School. The students
have worked incredibly hard during their prevocational training with us, and we are very
proud of their achievements.
On 25 June, the Academy’s Centre for Advanced
Training (CAT) programme was joined by
fellow CAT students from Northern School of
Contemporary Dance (NSCD). Together over
100 students shared the stage, showcasing the
high standard of ballet and contemporary talent
in the North of England. The mixed programme
saw highlights from both centres, with NSCD’s
upper level students performing a contemporary
mixed bill, including Datum choreographed
by Studio Wayne McGregor. The Academy of
Northern Ballet reimagined their emotive work
Small Steps, choreographed by Cara O’Shea,
for their home stage. This moving piece was
commissioned by Leeds City Council and
premièred earlier in the year at Leeds Town Hall
for Holocaust Memorial Day.
On 2 July the Academy welcomed audiences
to a performance showcasing all Academy
programmes. This day was a wonderful
celebration of the hard work and dedication that
our students, parents and teachers show each
year. We also said a proud farewell to graduating
students as they took their next steps in
vocational training and continued their journey
to becoming professional dancers.
12
Our CAT alumni also grows year on year and we
are thrilled to see some of our graduates securing
contracts with professional companies including
The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and The
National Ballet of Canada.
To find out more about the exciting work our
Academy does training ballet lovers of all
ages and abilities, please visit our website
northernballet.com/academy
Learning Update
Our work in schools
START Schools
A lot of the Learning Department's
work involves schools both locally
and on tour. By going into schools, we
are able to introduce young people
to the joy of ballet through practical
workshops and live performances.
One benefit of this is to instil a passion
for ballet from a young age - building
future audiences for the Company. By
developing young people’s creativity,
we also see improvements in their
personal skills such as communication
and team working.
Now in its eighth year the START
Schools project epitomises the work
that we do. By working with young
people who wouldn’t normally have
access to the arts due to their social,
cultural or economic background,
we introduce young people to dance
through workshops in school and trips
to watch Northern Ballet performances
in their local theatre.
Many of the young people we work
with have not seen ballet before,
or even participated in a class, so
our work often changes how they
feel about ballet. It also provides
inspirational experiences that can
have a deeper impact on other areas
of their lives. We want to support
creativity in schools in as many ways
as we can, which is why we offer
a variety of ways that schools can
engage with us, be that a workshop
based on a production, linked to a
topic on the National Curriculum or
tackling social issues.
Introducing young people to their
local theatre allows them to see it as
a place that they can access in the
future. The electrifying atmosphere of
over 800 excited children cheering as
the curtains rise shows the power of
live performance.
‘My own practice
has benefitted from
the opportunity
to work alongside
dance professionals
and by having
access to their
planning, which
had more of a focus
on dance skills than
mine would have
done.’
Herringthorpe Primary
School, Rotherham
SLiCE at Herringthorpe Primary
School
This action research project explored
the impact of dance on listening and
speaking skills and on behaviour for
learning in the classroom. Working
with pupils from Herringthorpe
Primary School, Rotherham, we used
different teaching methodologies
to see how structure, creativity and
performance influenced pupils’
confidence and increased their role
in their own learning. 64% of children
felt more confident in performing
their own compositions, meeting
National Curriculum targets for
speaking and listening.
Discover more about Northern Ballet’s
vibrant Learning Department and how
you can get involved on our website:
northernballet.com/join-in
13
Other ways to support Northern Ballet
Northern Ballet’s Christmas Appeal 2016
A Gift in your will
Northern Ballet is pleased to announce the
return of our annual Christmas Appeal. Here at
Northern Ballet, we want everyone to have the
chance to experience live performance, so in the
lead up to the festive period we are raising funds
for our START Schools project. START introduces
disadvantaged young people to live theatre and
ballet. For many it will be the first time they have
stepped foot inside a theatre and we need your
help to make this happen.
Remembering Northern Ballet in your will is a
very special way to support the future of dance
for generations to come. Leaving a legacy
enables us to mount new productions, revive
old favourites, and train the next generation of
exceptional dancers for audiences to enjoy in
years to come.
Donate now
You may also donate by texting NBCA16 £X to
70070, replacing X with your desired amount
between £1 and £10.
'START broadens pupils' horizons
and it all reflects back into their core
subjects. The project was absolutely
inspirational. Every child should
have experiences like this.'
Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, Leeds
Since 2008, Northern Ballet has been working
in partnership with schools across Yorkshire,
exciting and inspiring more than 5000 children
through dance workshops, and connecting with
new audiences to break down preconceptions
about who can access high quality dance.
As the UK’s widest touring ballet company,
Northern Ballet reaches a diverse range of people
every year through passionate story-telling, a
mastery of classical dance technique and an
absolute commitment to our leading role as an
international ambassador for world-class dance.
As a registered charity (no. 259140), any size
of gift will make a difference to our work,
supporting and contributing to the future
success of the Company.
For more information about remembering
Northern Ballet in your will, or if you wish to let
us know that you’ve already left us a gift, please
contact Zoë Connell, to arrange a confidential
conversation on 0113 220 8000 or
[email protected]
For general information about making a
charitable donation in your will, please visit
rememberacharity.org.uk
With your help and support, Northern Ballet
can offer a highly subsidised programme of
activities and work with schools in areas of least
engagement to inspire pupils who otherwise
wouldn’t be able to afford to go to a theatre.
Help us introduce a child to ballet this Christmas.
northernballet.com/christmasappeal
14
Northern Ballet START project. Photo Brian Slater.
Northern Ballet dancers in Concerto Six Twenty-Two. Photo onEdition.
Northern Ballet Tour
Autumn 2016 / Spring 2017
Beauty & the Beast
Casanova
Southampton Mayflower Theatre
Wed 30 November –
Sat 3 December 2016
02380 711811
mayflower.org.uk
Leeds Grand Theatre
Sat 11 – Sat 18 March
0844 848 2700*
leedsgrandtheatre.com
Leeds Grand Theatre
Thu 15 December 2016 –
Sat 7 January 2017
0844 848 2700*
leedsgrandtheatre.com
Goldilocks & the
Three Bears
Touring nationally in 2016/17.
See northernballet.com/goldilocks
for details.
On sale soon
The Little Mermaid
World Première
Touring 2017
northernballet.com/mermaid
World Première
Edinburgh Festival Theatre
Thu 23 – Sat 25 March
0131 529 6000
edtheatres.com
Sheffield Lyceum Theatre
Tue 28 March – Sat 1 April
0114 249 6000
sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
The Boy in the
Striped Pyjamas
World Première
Doncaster Cast
Thu 25 – Sat 27 May
01302 303 959
castindoncaster.com
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
Tue 30 & Wed 31 May
01902 429 212
grandtheatre.co.uk
Leicester Curve
Fri 2 & Sat 3 June
0116 242 3595
curveonline.co.uk
Norwich Theatre Royal
Tue 4 – Sat 8 April
01603 63 00 00
theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
Richmond Theatre
Tue 6 & Wed 7 June
0844 871 7651*
atgtickets.com/richmond
Milton Keynes Theatre
Wed 19 – Sat 22 April
0844 871 7652*
atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Fri 9 & Sat 10 June
0844 871 7607*
atgtickets.com/aylesbury
Cardiff New Theatre
Tue 25 – Sat 29 April
029 2087 8889
newtheatrecardiff.co.uk
Salford The Lowry
Wed 3 – Sat 6 May
0843 208 6010*
thelowry.com/dance
Stoke Regent Theatre
Tue 13 & Wed 14 June
0844 871 7649*
atgtickets.com/stoke
Bromley Churchill Theatre
Fri 16 & Sat 17 June
020 3285 6000
churchilltheatre.co.uk
London Sadler’s Wells
Tue 9 – Sat 13 May
020 7863 8000
sadlerswells.com
Audio Described performance.
*Calls cost up to 7p per minute plus your
phone company’s access charge.
northernballet.com
Registered charity no 259140. Company registration no 947096. VAT no 202 0374 70. Northern Ballet Limited registered in
England and Wales. Company limited by guarantee and share capital.
15