16 minute read
Northern Ballet Announces New Artistic
Northern Ballet Announces
Northern Ballet has announced Federico Bonelli as the Company’s new Artistic Director.
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Federico is currently a Principal dancer at The Royal Ballet where he has enjoyed a career at the highest level, dancing the company’s leading roles. He trained at the Turin Dance Academy and danced with Zürich Ballet and Dutch National Ballet before joining The Royal Ballet in 2003. He has performed as a guest dancer with many leading companies around the world and has received several awards.
In 2019 Federico graduated from the Clore Leadership Programme (The Clore Fellowship) and he is a non-executive director and member of the Board of Parents and Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA). He curated the programme for The Royal Ballet activities in Doncaster as part of the Doncaster Creates festival, prior to its pandemic postponement and has coached Royal Ballet repertory, helping to nurture and develop the high standards of the company’s dancers. He co-facilitates The Royal Ballet’s Inclusivity Focus Group and is a member of the external steering group of Chance to Dance, The Royal Ballet’s outreach talent development programme that aims to remove the barriers to a diverse talent pipeline into vocational training and the ballet and dance profession.
On announcing the appointment Sir David Wootton, Chairman of Northern Ballet, said:
‘The Board of Northern Ballet is delighted that Federico Bonelli is joining us as Artistic Director. Succession to David Nixon OBE, after the massive achievements of David’s 21 years as Artistic Director, has required and received a prolonged, thorough, wide-ranging and diverse search, supported by the best advice, which has resulted in an appointment of the highest quality.
Federico joins us at the height of his career as a dancer with The Royal Ballet and he will bring to us the benefit of his experience there and at his previous companies, his manifest wish to establish a career with us in artistic leadership and a clear vision for the artistic future of Northern Ballet, enhancing and building on its classical foundations and taking us forward with new perspectives and new ideas.
New Artistic Director
I am grateful to those of my Board colleagues who have worked hard on this search, to the Northern Ballet dancers and staff who have also been involved, to our advisers and to Arts Council England for their engagement in the process. We are all very pleased with this appointment, which will do so much to set the direction for the brightest of futures for Northern Ballet.’
Federico himself said:
‘I am thrilled to be joining Northern Ballet as its new Artistic Director and I can’t wait to begin working with this exceptional group of dancers and creatives. Through its history and most recently under David Nixon’s distinguished directorship, Northern Ballet has rightly been renowned for its bold approach to narrative ballet, and it is an honour to build on this legacy.
We are at an exciting moment for the Company, which is based in Leeds and across the north, yet rooted in the whole of England and the UK. I cannot wait to leverage its wide-ranging touring to connect with wider audiences and bring outstanding ballet to as many people as possible.
I have been very impressed by the Board and team’s vision and I am excited to lead on how best to bring a diversity of perspectives and experiences represented in the stories we tell on stage. I can’t wait to bring my ideas and contribution to the Company’s vibrant offering and propel it to its future successes.’
Mark Skipper, DL, Chief Executive of Northern Ballet, added:
‘I could not be happier with the appointment of Federico Bonelli as Northern Ballet’s new Artistic Director. I am delighted that an artist of his calibre will be joining us in this role and look forward to working with him to take Northern Ballet to even greater heights over the coming years.’
Last year Northern Ballet announced that Artistic Director David Nixon OBE would be stepping down after more than 20 years at the helm. Federico will now begin to work closely with colleagues at Northern Ballet on vital future planning alongside fulfilling his existing commitments with The Royal Ballet. His tenure will begin formally on 1 May.
Hi I am Janet and I am your resident Positive Change Coach bringing you techniques and insights to help you navigate the changes in your life positively. I have 15 years experience and now work globally from Costa Rica to New Zealand and everywhere in-between.
All these and many more describe how we feel about different situations in terms of our bodies. We do actually experience pain in the neck, aching shoulders, sickliness etc.
Many times, in my yoga classes students will ask for exercises for certain aches and pains, and my first question is “When did this start?” My second question is “What was going wrong in your life at the time?” Cue light bulb moment!
We are so good at Carrying on or Battling on and other such descriptions. But all we are doing is pushing down the emotions in order to deal with the practicalities of our situation. You either experience the aches/pains/ sickness at the time or after the crisis is over.
This is called Somatic Theory, that our bodies reflect how we are feeling, treatments that work on this principle are called Somatic Therapies.
I refer to your body as your barometer, it is an indication as to how you are feeling, the longer you ignore it the worse it will get as it is saying “Houston we have a problem!” You may think that it is the physical issue that is causing stress, however, this is another layer on top of the original issue. You have a stressful situation; your body reacts then you get stressed over the problems with your body.
The first time I knowingly experienced this I had spent four years running my own catering business and I lived alone in the flat above. I was between a pub and a chip shop, and a bus stop was placed outside my door shortly after moving there. As a young woman on my own, I became a target as they rolled out of the pub got their fish and chips and waited for the bus, causing damage, and threatening me.
I was open six days a week, on a Sunday I was always ill and back up and running on a Monday. When I sold my business I experienced violent headaches, constant heartburn, aching joints, and exhaustion. Eventually, I went to the doctors and explained the symptoms and brought her up to date with the last four years. The doctor informed me I was suffering from stress. I was taken aback, I thought stress was having a breakdown – this was 1990 and we were not as knowledgeable as we are now about emotional/mental/physical connections and another eight years before I found yoga.
When I am working with clients with the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT/Tapping), they have not mentioned any physical problems but as we remove their negative emotions, they often tell me that they normally have a stiff – neck, shoulder, back etc and now they can move. We become so used to the physical issues we accept them as part of who we are. People say “Just old age”.
Make friends with your body, get to know it, and listen to it.
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SOUTHPORT
By Megha Seth
Southport is the eleventh most populous settlement and a large seaside town in Merseyside. It lies on the Irish Sea coast and is one of the most popular seaside resorts.
From award-winning actress, Miranda Richardson to author David Mitchell, this town is the home to many celebrities, as well. It has gained a reputation for leisure and recreation and is a hotspot for tourists from different locations who come here for a relaxing visit and a happy fulfilling time with family.
The town wasn’t always this famous. In the late 18th century, Southport was covered with sand dunes, making it a relatively unpopulated area. As the 19th century approached and canals were built, the area became populous and grew in popularity rapidly.
Its growth was during the same time as the Industrial Revolution and Victorian Era. The era’s effect is evident in the architecture of the town as there are many examples of Victorian architecture on the town, along with town planning examples. Before the land was made available for development in the 19th century, the Hesketh family put a condition of extensive tree planting in the town. Today, this is observed as a special feature of the town.
Some of the country’s best golf courses can be found in the northwest of England. From the Wirral right up
to Blackpool, there are so many golf courses in the area that it has been dubbed “England’s golf coast.” The Southport area is close to four golf courses including Royal Birkdale, which has hosted the British Open Championship among other championships.
A short distance away from Royal Birkdale is Hillside Golf Course, while Southport & Ainsdale Golf Course lies further down towards Formby. A short drive north of Southport Station brings you to Hesketh Golf Club, a local fixture since as early as 1885. HISTORY OF SOUTHPORT
Southport is a historically rich town. Mesolithic hunters hunted red deer and elk were recorded as the earliest human activity of this period.
The seaside town of Southport grew rapidly in the 19th century as it gained a reputation as a more sophisticated resort than its coastal neighbour, Blackpool. With its easier access to the canal system, Southport already had an upper hand over other coasts on Lancashire. As the Leeds and Liverpool canals were built, people
Woodvale and Birkdale, the southernmost part of the town, are surrounded by extensive sand dunes. Sand dunes in Ainsdale are a Ramsar site as well as a national nature reserve.
The Southport Pier has gained the reputation of being the first “pleasure pier” built with the usage of Iron. But the port of Southport has had its share of unfortunate accidents, as well.
As the year 1886 was just going to end, on 9th December, the country’s worst lifeboat disaster happened on its shore. Mexico, a cargo ship, ran into difficulty while sailing towards South America. Lifeboats from not only Southport but also neighbouring coasts like Lytham, St. Annes were sent to rescue Mexico. Unfortunately, even after struggling with the raging winds, they couldn’t save Mexico. Along with the St. Anne crew, the Southport crew became the victims, as well.
In total, 28 lifeboatmen were lost on the night. A memorial was built for them in Duke Street Cemetery. The sad part is, Mexico was amongst the many shipwrecks of Southport.
LORD STREET, THE INSPIRATION BEHIND PARIS’ BOULEVARDS
The celebrated Lord Street of Southport shows an excellent and intricate Victorian architectural style. But the same can be seen on the streets of Paris, mesmerizing neoclassical architecture standing tall.
If you take a short walk on the boulevards of Paris, you’ll see striking similarities between the famous Lord Street of Southport and the boulevards.
The story goes as Prince Louis Napoleon of France spent extensive time in Southport in 1838 during a short break. He was in awe of Southport’s town planning, its long and straight roads. Upon returning to France and becoming the emperor, he tried to replicate the street design across the city.
To get a closer look at this culturally rich place, one must visit this town during summers for its annual events. The Southport Flower Show and Southport Air Show have been going on for a long time. The former involves flower displays, cookery demos, music. The latter include flying helicopters, civilian and military aircraft. Both these events involve fun family activities honouring age-old traditions and a perfect treat to the eyes as well:
SOUTHPORT FLOWER SHOW
If you are visiting this town during summers, then you’re in for a perfect treat to the eyes with this Flower Show which is held annually in Victoria Park, Southport. It’s 94 years old! This event attracts tourists and even celebrities. It features live music, dinners, cookery demos and more. This show includes spectacular show gardens and floral displays.
SOUTHPORT AIR SHOW
This is also a great tourist attraction held annually here during summers and is hailed as North West’s largest air show. This was started by Mark Brammar, an employee of Tourism & Attractions. It is a day where you can come with your family and have fun with the various activities that take place. You can get early bird tickets at discounted rates and enjoy the fun on the beach. The flying involves helicopters, civilian and military aircraft, aerobatics by Red Arrows and many more. There are simulators and interesting children’s activities as well. PLACES WORTH A VISIT IN SOUTHPORT
Being a seaside town, Southport has many beaches you can visit, according to your taste:
SOUTHPORT BEACH
This is a pristine and clean beach here with long stretches of clean white sands. You can visit the place early in the morning to witness the sunrise or even in the evening for the beautiful sunsets. You can also come here for a swim and even get your kids as it is an ideal place for young children as well. It offers snorkelling, scuba diving and surfing opportunities ideal for the adventurous ones. You can witness the serene views of the clear blue sea meeting the white sands in perfect harmony. The beach is usually not overcrowded and is litter-free. The wind in your hair and the feeling of sand touching your feet will surely make you feel relaxed without burning a hole in your pocket.
FORMBY BEACH
This beach is one of the coastal gems in Merseyside. There are no charges for entering this picturesque beach with high sand dunes that give an amazing view of the Irish Sea. It is an ideal place where you can go with your family, friends and loved ones for a picnic or a serene walk. If lucky, you can even spot the different habitats found here as well like the native red squirrel, butterflies, birds and even the Natterjack Toad which is a nationally endangered amphibian. On a clear day, you can also get a glimpse of the mountains of Cumbria. You can also walk through the woodland surrounded by bushes and pinewood trees. A visit to this clean beach will be a perfect breather after a hectic week.
AINSDALE BEACH
The town is surely full of some stunning beaches and Ainsdale beach is one of them. It has been recognised with the Blue Flag certification on multiple occasions which tells a lot about the management of the beach which is of high quality. It is one of the premier beaches that offer facilities like kite activities, kitesurfing and more. The Ainsdale & Birkdale Sandhills Local Nature Reserve provides a venue for various events and provides free cycle hire. You can even bring your dog here for a lovely walk - don’t forget to check out the shell collection which is added to daily by members of the public and learn about the flora and fauna here of the coast.
SOUTHPORT PLEASURELAND
This is a famous amusement park which is everyone’s favourite and a must-visit when in town. The park
offers different rides like ‘The Rocket’, ‘Grand Canyon’ which are some of the roller coasters; there are other thrill rides as well like ‘Devastator’, ‘Speed Buzz’ and more. It is perfect to get that adrenaline rush. There are different food and drink outlets here to cater to your needs.
BRITISH LAWNMOWER MUSEUM
If you want to visit a place that’s a bit away from the seaside, the British Lawnmower Museum will be a great fit. The British Lawnmower Museum, which has been based in Southport since 1987, is a museum with a niche focus, but it is by no means limited in what it can offer. One of the most eyecatching exhibits is Prince Charles and Diana’s ride-on lawnmower, which commemorates the continuing history of the lawnmower. You don’t need to be fascinated with the art of grass cutting to visit this place. BEST PLACES TO STAY
THE VINCENT
It’s a four star chic hotel with contemporary style rooms and bathrooms and good lighting. It has a classic exterior and is within the reach of good restaurants and shopping areas. The rooms are spacious and well lit up with clean linen sheets. The hotel also has its own restaurant which is rated well. It provides gym facilities as well. The Modern Railway Village is situated nearby and makes a fun visit
N’ISTA BOUTIQUE ROOMS
Situated in Birkdale, this boutique hotel is situated above the Cafe Bar N’ista. It is a perfect place to stay for couples especially due to the romantic ambience of this place and the rooms. It gives off that country vibe and is an escape from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan cities. It has a restaurant as well and is child friendly. Pets are not allowed here. It is a perfect hideaway from the daily stresses, and you can even go for long walks along the Southport beach. The rooms here are very aesthetic providing you with the authentic feel of the place.
LORD STREET HOTEL
With simple modern furniture and plush headboards, this hotel provides contemporary and stylish rooms with serene views of the surroundings. Despite not having any restaurants available, they have three bars that host a variety of events. The hotel is positioned in a way that many attractions are within a walking distance. Wi-fi, room service and various other amenities are available. You can even go paddleboarding on Marine Lake for some water sports activity. WINE AND DINE
PREZZO ITALIAN RESTAURANT
As the name suggests, this place is a must for all Italian cuisine lovers. The place has a very contemporary decor with gorgeous lighting. The service here is top-notch. They also provide vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options on their menu. You can try the spaghetti carbonara, variety of pizzas, lobster and crab ravioli, sea bass fillet, deep-fried calamari strips, honeycomb cheesecake for dessert. You can also choose from a variety of soft and hard drinks available on their menu.
BISTRO BAR MED
For all Mediterranean food lovers, this is a must-visit. The place also hosts belly dancing evenings. The place is lit with subtle lights and wall paintings. Reservations are accepted. Tea lovers can select from a variety of tea selections. The place also offers wine and alcohol and healthy options. They offer a variety of Greek, Turkish and Spanish tapas. The prices are also very reasonable here. The food is made fresh. The mashed aubergine, meatballs, chorizo, goat cheese fried balls with caramelised onions and stuffed peppers minced is a must-try. Also, don’t forget to try out the Turkish coffee and the baklava for desserts.
With so many places to explore, activities and things to experience, Southport is the perfect destination for a rejuvenating getaway. Treat yourself by planning a trip here to feel closer to nature and away from the everdynamic city space. You absolutely deserve it. Bon Voyage!
