INSIDE The magazine from Northern Ballet Issue 23, autumn 2018
Nurturing creative talent with David Nixon OBE Plus The chronology of costume making News, upcoming events and much more
INSIDE
Welcome
Issue 23, autumn 2018 4
Nurturing creative talent
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The chronology of costume making
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News
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Supporter update
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The joy of dancing
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Dance for Parkinson’s
As many of you enjoyed the glorious summer weather outside our building was alive with activity!
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Tour dates
We welcomed ten new dancers to the Company, both Kenneth Tindall and I taught classes at this year’s International Senior Summer School run by the Academy of Northern Ballet, and the final preparations were made to our brand-new Mixed Programme which premièred at Quarry Hill in September.
David Nixon OBE
Photo Simon Lawson.
It was also a great personal honour to be awarded the Canada National Ballet School’s Ken McCarter Award for Distinguished National Ballet School (NBS) Alumni. This award celebrates the accomplishments of NBS alumni, and recognises the powerful impact of an NBS education, and I am proud to be amongst its recipients. In this edition of Inside magazine, I talk about nurturing creative talent both from within and outside of our Company. We also learn about the chronology of costume making as our Wardrobe department share more about the creative process behind Victoria. I hope you enjoy taking a read! David Nixon OBE Artistic Director
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Front: Northern Ballet dancers in The Shape of Sound. Photo Emma Kauldhar.
Hello and welcome to the autumn 2018 edition of Inside magazine A family trip to the theatre during the festive season is something that many of us may take for granted, but for some families the logistics involved can mean it is simply too much to consider.
Rebecca Crowther, Individual Giving Executive
At Northern Ballet, we believe that ballet and the arts should be accessible to everyone, everywhere — which is why this Christmas we would like to raise funds for children and families from Martin House Children and Young People's Hospice to enjoy a Christmas lunch together and a relaxed performance of The Nutcracker. To find out more and discover how you can be involved, please visit northernballet.com/makingmemories We'd also like to take this opportunity to welcome our new Director of Development Jennifer Young, who joined the Company in May. Jennifer joins us from the Senior Management Team of Leeds City Council where she was Head of Visitor Economy and Inward Investment. Jennifer says, ‘I’m excited to be given the opportunity to work with a first-class team, and I’m very much looking forward to extending our reach and engagement with key partners and individuals.’
Jennifer Young Director of Development
We are also delighted that Rachel Green has joined the team as our new Development Research and Support Officer. Thank you for your support. If you do have any questions, feedback or would like to say hello, please contact us. With best wishes Rebecca Crowther and Zoë Walker Individual Giving Team rebecca.crowther@northernballet.com zoe.walker@northernballet.com
Zoë Walker Head of Development
0113 220 8000
Rachel Green Development Research & Support Officer 3
Nurturing creative talent
Nurturing creative talent We spoke to our Artistic Director David Nixon OBE, who has created an incredible 17 new ballets for Northern Ballet during his 18 years in the Company so far, about nurturing talent both within and outside our Company of dancers.
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Nurturing creative talent
I’m ecstatic about the result, not just that the choreographers all grew relative to where they were in their career, but also that they were able to work with our Company in such a way that the dancers weren’t just tools, but the dancers also grew.’ Explaining what keeps him motivated in his role as Artistic Director, David says, ‘It’s the dancers, it really is. A good example right now is Kevin Poeung who has always been this unique and extraordinarily talented young man. But I think, because he’s not as tall has had some confidence issues over that and has not always felt comfortable in really fulfilling his potential.
‘At the moment I feel that this is a really good place for me to be as Artistic Director. I’ve loved having the ability to offer as much creative work as we’ve been able to give to young choreographers, seeing how well they’re doing it and how well the Company’s responding. Right now, the emphasis is on developing younger choreographers. A key aspect of this is in Kenneth Tindall’s relationship with the Company as our Choreographer in Residence.’ Looking back as our 2018 Mixed Programme was being created, David explains, ‘Kenneth created an amazing full-length ballet with Casanova last year, but The Shape of Sound [Kenneth’s new ballet for the Mixed Programme, based on Max Richter’s recomposition of Vivaldi’s iconic The Four Seasons] has been a huge step for him in his personal evolution as a choreographer and that’s what these programmes should be about.
I made the decision that I wanted Kevin to be first cast as d’Artagnan [in The Three Musketeers] opposite Antoinette Brooks-Daw as Constance. Just seeing his evolution as a man and then as a partner; his consideration towards Antoinette and his immediate presence in rehearsals has been so enjoyable. You can’t fail to be inspired watching somebody taking their talent and growing it to where it can go. There are many things you can achieve as Artistic Director but when you enable others to achieve something, there’s less ego in it. It’s not “I’ve done that” but “isn’t it great what they’ve done?”.’ You can see the mixed programme in Northern Ballet’s first ever visit to Northern Stage in Newcastle next April. Tickets now on sale. For a full list of tour dates visit: northernballet.com/whats-on
Mlindi Kulashe is another choreographer from inside our Company of dancers who contributed to our Mixed Programme. It’s really important to me that our dancers, who are so imaginative and creative, can be given the opportunity to collaborate with our Company on that level. Likewise, for Northern Ballet to be able to use our resources to nurture choreographers from outside the Company is fantastic. I was thrilled to be able to offer Morgann Runacre-Temple an opportunity for this Mixed Programme. When we held our Choreographic Laboratory in 2016, in which Morgann was a participant, part of the process was trying to develop a chemistry with our Company that would work and Morgann definitely had that.
Left page: Northern Ballet dancers in The Shape of Sound. This page: Kevin Poeung in The Three Musketeers. Mlindi Kulashe, Javier Torres and Antoinette BrooksDaw in The Kingdom of Back. Photos Emma Kauldhar.
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The chronology of costume making
In May 2018 we announced that our next world première production would be Victoria, a ballet by Cathy Marston. Since then, our Wardrobe department has been busy preparing the many costumes required to create a visually inspiring masterpiece that will withstand Northern Ballet’s intensive touring schedule. With the opening night taking place in March, we find out exactly what is involved from the moment the production is chosen until it opens on stage.
The
chronology — of costume making
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The chronology of costume making
February 2018 Initial costume designs received from Set & Costume Designer Steffen Aarfing
September 2018 A mixture of twelve male and female prototypes are created November 2018 The Wardrobe team begin full-time work on the production costumes December 2018 Costumes to be fitted, with Steffen Aarfing’s input, and design details added
March 2018 Three costumes created for the Victoria publicity photoshoot May 2018 Victoria announced, and Wardrobe meet with Steffen Aarfing at Quarry Hill June 2018 Fabrics purchased
January 2019 Cathy Marston to arrive at Quarry Hill to choreograph the piece and Wardrobe to make costume amends to work with the dance February 2019 Full run-through in costume March 2019 World Première at Leeds Grand Theatre
Abigail Prudames in Victoria costume. Photo Justin Slee. Sketches by Steffen Aarfing.
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The chronology of costume making
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News
Victoria to be co-produced with The National Ballet of Canada We’re delighted to be working for the first time with The National Ballet of Canada — one of the world’s most prestigious ballet companies — to co-produce Cathy Marston's Victoria. This new ballet will make its world première at Leeds Grand Theatre on Saturday 9 March 2019.
Ballets for children in cinema We’re delighted that our ballets for children will be screened in cinemas worldwide from January 2019. Tortoise & the Hare and Elves & the Shoemaker have delighted millions of children on stage and TV in recent years and we’re delighted they’ll be our first venture onto the big screen.
2019 tour As well as a world première tour for Victoria, 2019 will see us make our full Company debut at Newcastle’s Northern Stage with a mixed programme in April. We will also tour with The Great Gatsby, Dracula, Cinderella and Puss in Boots, whilst a new mixed programme and ballet for children will both debut in Leeds in the autumn. For a full list of tour dates visit northernballet.com/whats-on
World Ballet Day On Tuesday 2 October we celebrated World Ballet Day with Leading Soloist Hannah Bateman interviewing our Artistic Director David Nixon on the official World Ballet Day stream. Later in the day Hannah was joined by First Soloist Mlindi Kulashe to share a new dance film recreating a sword-fighting scene from The Three Musketeers at the breathtaking Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds. We also saw an exclusive interview with Cathy Marston, choreographer of Victoria, and rehearsals of Kenneth Tindall’s The Shape of Sound. Watch again at northernballet.com/world-ballet-day-2018
Northern Ballet dancers in The Shape of Sound. Photo Emma Kauldhar. Northern Ballet dancers in Tortoise & the Hare and Elves & the Shoemaker Photos Brian Slater.
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News
Kenneth Tindall appointed to artistic staff We are delighted to announce that former Northern Ballet Premier Dancer Kenneth Tindall has been appointed as Artistic Director of Digital and Choreographer in Residence. The role will see Kenneth guide Northern Ballet in our ambition to produce more work for digital platforms. He will also help nurture choreographic talent and will take on new choreographic commissions for the Company.
New dancers This season we welcomed ten new dancers to the Company including Ayça Anil (Central School of Ballet); Adam Ashcroft (Estonian National Ballet); Harris Beattie (Central School of Ballet); Helen Bogatch (Estonian National Ballet); Kyungka Kwak (Universal Ballet, Korea); George Liang (The National Ballet of Canada) and Nina Queiroz da Silva (Ballet Nacional Sodre, Uruguay).
Matthew Morrell joined as an Apprentice from the Academy of Northern Ballet’s Professional Graduate Programme, alongside former Professional Graduate student Julie Nunès who joined from the corps de ballet at The Phantom of the Opera, Stockholm, and Oscar Ainscough from Tring Park School for the Performing Arts.
Departing dancers Earlier this year we said goodbye to 13 dancers including Leading Soloists Dreda Blow and Giuliano Contadini and First Soloist Victoria Sibson, who had collectively been with the Company for over 35 years.
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Dreda returned to her native Canada to study physical theatre and pursue acting, teaching and creating her own work, whilst Giuliano and Victoria retired from the stage. Victoria has now joined the teaching faculty at the Academy of Northern Ballet.
We also said goodbye to dancers Kiara Flavin, Mathilde Lambert, Jesse Milligan, Liam Morris, Alexander Yap, Archie James, Thomas Holdsworth, Darragh Hourrides, Carlotta Pini and Ailen Ramos Betancourt. We wish all dancers the best for the future.
Dame Gillian Lynne (1926 – 2018) In July we were saddened to learn that Dame Gillian Lynne had passed away. Her first creation for Northern Ballet was A Simple Man, based on the life and works of the renowned painter L S Lowry. The piece first premièred in 1987
and introduced the Company to Christopher Gable CBE who created the role of Lowry and went on to become Artistic Director of Northern Ballet. A Simple Man was a great success. The piece was shown on TV with the adaptation winning a BAFTA. It was performed live by the Company on the Royal Variety stage in 1989, where Dame Gillian performed with Christopher Gable as Lowry’s mother.
Gillian returned to Northern Ballet to choreograph other works including Lipizzaner, and in 1995 created The Brontës: her only full-length work for the Company. In 2009 she returned to create On Such a Night for our 40th anniversary celebrations.
Remembering Christopher Gable CBE 1940 – 1998 October marked the 20th anniversary of the death of former Artistic Director Christopher Gable, a charismatic and inspirational man. A dancer and actor, he was the co-founder of Central School of Ballet. In Spring 1987 he performed the role of the painter L.S. Lowry as a lonely and emotionally insecure middle-aged man with Northern Ballet in the television ballet A Simple Man which later toured. At this time Robert de Warren was planning to move to La Scala, Milan and the future of the Company was uncertain, however with the support of Robert and the dancers Christopher became Artistic Director in July 1987. In 1989 a report on dance in the 1990's proposed that the Arts Council funding should be withdrawn. Every night after the performance had finished Christopher would go on stage and speak passionately about the Company, appealing to audiences for their support. As a result, the Arts Council was inundated with 20,000 letters and cards and it was agreed that the demise of Northern Ballet would create a significant gap in British ballet. Other issues were finding a new home in Halifax for the Company in 1990, the move to Leeds and the negative reviews by some critics especially of Left page: Kenneth Tindall. Photo Justin Slee. Dreda Blow and Giuliano Contadini in Casanova. Victoria Sibson in Jane Eyre. Photos Emma Kauldhar.
ballets different from traditional versions such as his full-length ballet of Cinderella after the Grimm's fairy tale and Michael Pink's wartime 'Giselle'. Christopher believed in dance drama often working as director alongside choreographers, in ballets that were narrative, theatrical and dramatic and that ballet should be accessible to all especially in the North. As well as a strong technique he expected the dancers to have a creative imagination and understand and portray any character and advocated the use of exercise to help avoid injuries. In 1991 he staged the awardwinning production of Romeo and Juliet, choreographed by Massimo Moricone, which was a turning point in the Company's history with acclaimed performances in London and elsewhere. Christopher was awarded a C.B.E. in 1996 for Services to British Dance. A long-standing ambition for the Company was to perform a ballet by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, and this was recently fulfilled. Christopher would have been very proud. Pauline Cope — Patron of Northern Ballet 11
News
Awards & Nominations We were thrilled to have won the UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Dance for our ‘bold and varied programming, particularly The Little Mermaid and Kenneth MacMillan tribute’ at a ceremony in London on Sunday 14 October. We were also proud to have been nominated in the Promotion of Diversity category and for The Renee Stepham Award for Best Presentation of Touring Theatre.
In June our Artistic Director David Nixon was awarded the Canada National Ballet School’s Ken McCarter Award for Distinguished National Ballet School Alumni. The award was designed to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of National Ballet School alumni and recognise the powerful impact of their education. David graduated from the school in
We were also delighted to have won the BroadwayWorld UK award for Outstanding Achievement in a New Dance Production. This award was given to David Nixon OBE's The Little Mermaid and was recieved after an overwhelming public vote. Thank you for all of your votes!
1976 and has gone on to pursue a highly successful career as a dancer, choreographer and artistic director. David joined as Artistic Director of Northern Ballet in 2001 and, under his leadership, the Company has flourished because of his deep commitment to his dancers, his efforts to expand the repertoire through his own critically acclaimed choreography and commissioning of new work
by other choreographers. During this time he has established an extensive touring programme that has expanded the audience for dance in the UK. Through the development of Northern Ballet’s classical training programmes, he has also worked tirelessly to ensure the next generation of dancers. We extend our warmest congratulations to David on this well-deserved award.
We were thrilled that our Learning team and Expressions, our festival of accessible dance, were both nominated in the 'Making a Difference' category of the Tenfold Awards, which recognise and celebrate achievement in the learning-disabled sector. Expressions is an accessible dance platform which brings together inclusive community dance groups, giving talented disabled dancers the chance to showcase their skills to an audience on a professional stage. Hosted by Northern Ballet, it is the only event of its kind in Leeds and the wider region which celebrates accessible dance. In July over 200 performers took part in Expressions 2018 including Casson & Friends, Opening Doors from Malta, TIN Arts and an array of talented local groups. With full auditoriums, lots of new audience members and three jam-packed performances, it was our most successful to date.
This page: Abigail Prudames in The Little Mermaid. Photo Emma Kauldhar. Casson & Friends in Expressions. Photo Brian Slater.
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Right page: Matthew Koon and Rachael Gillespie in costume for The Nutcracker, pictured with the first direct bank branded lorry. Photo David Lindsay.
News
Corporate partnerships This summer, dancers Rachael Gillespie and Matthew Koon headed down to first direct's HQ in Leeds to unveil a new look for our tour lorries. The latest step in our ongoing partnership with first direct bank, our National Tour Sponsor, the three lorries now feature images from The Nutcracker, The Three Musketeers and Victoria. The lorries will travel the length and breadth of the UK, taking our sets, costumes and essential equipment to all our venues on tour. Our sponsors Fazenda Rodizio Bar and Grill spent a day with us whilst the Company were rehearsing in August, seeing behind the scenes and experiencing a day in the life of a dancer. Fazenda will be sharing their insights from the day in their blog and on social media in the autumn.
Academy In July and August, we welcomed over 71 external students, in addition to our CAT students, to our Intermediate and Senior Level International Summer Schools which are designed to strengthen and improve young dancers’ classical technique, enhancing their training by providing varied dance-style classes in a professional environment. This year we were delighted to offer two exclusive classes to our senior students taught by David Nixon OBE and Kenneth Tindall.
New staff We’ve recently welcomed five new members to our team. Ben Williamson as an Apprentice in our Finance department, Heather Newstead joined as a Project Coordiantor, Nicola Phillips as Learning Project Manager, Hari Jonkers as Archive Manager and Rachel Green as our new Development Research and Support Officer.
Achates Philanthropy Prize We were delighted to be shortlisted for the Achates Philanthropy Prize Individual Award which celebrates the fantastic generosity of our supporters. Selected alongside other leading arts organisations, we celebrated at a ceremony in London in October.
Pioneering arts education We are excited to be part of a new 4-year project funded by the Burberry Foundation and managed by the Ideas Foundation. Our Learning team will be working with all Year 7 – 9 pupils from eight schools across Leeds, Castleford and Keighley. Pupils will have access to arts and cultural experiences, helping to widen their horizons and develop and realise their aspirations, nurturing and retaining talent in the North.
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Supporter update
Supporter update Ballet Benefactors In October we celebrated the launch of our new Ballet Benefactors individual giving programme. Our Benefactors play a vital role in supporting our dancers through training and performing, nurturing the next generation of talent through our worldclass Academy training, and inspiring and engaging people form all walks of life to take part in our outreach work.
To say thank you, we offer a range of unique benefits, so our Benefactors can enjoy every step of the creative process. If you are interested in uplifting your support to become a Benefactor visit northernballet.com/support-us/benefactors or contact Zoë Walker, Head of Development. zoe.walker@northernballet.com | 0113 220 8000
Mixed Programme Appeal Thank you to the supporters who helped to bring to life the work of Northern Ballet’s very own First Soloist Mlindi Kulashe in his choreographic debut for the Company. To find out more about Mlindi’s journey visit northernballet.com/mlindi-kulashe-a-journey
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The Academy of Northern Ballet CAT student. Photo David Lindsay. Mlindi Kulashe in Mamela... rehearsals. Photo Justin Slee.
The joy of dancing
dancing The joy of
Discovering the Academy of Northern Ballet’s over 55s ballet classes has been an absolute joy! Recently retired, three years ago, I saw an advert in the Northern Ballet Newsletter for this drop-in age specific class. As a Patron, I satisfy my love of watching ballet but never imagined there would be a chance to participate and seized the opportunity. No previous experience is required and as a novice I very quickly felt comfortable to join in with absolutely no sense of judgement regarding ability, body type or age. All the participants feel the same as reflected by the happy faces during the class which speaks volumes - and the increasing numbers of dedicated regulars. As soon as the beautiful live piano music starts, and we begin our warm up routine, I get a feeling of elation. This lasts for the entire lesson which flashes by every time. The class is a mixture of barre exercises and floor sequences led by the fabulous professional teacher, Annemarie. She gently encourages us, keeps it fun, but is very thoughtful and skilled with the programme to ensure we can safely be challenged – physically and mentally if we choose. Strength, coordination and balance are key themes.
All participants (whose ages range through at least three decades) clearly share my passion, and there’s always someone to grab a coffee with afterwards. I plan to continue with this hobby going forward because it ticks all my boxes – trying something new and challenging, exercising regularly and appropriately for my age and having fun and socialising. As a drop-in class, it’s very flexible. Written by Elizabeth Joyce – Patron of Northern Ballet. The Academy of Northern Ballet has something for everyone with classes at our state-of-the-art studios at Quarry Hill, Leeds. To find out more visit northernballet.com/academy or contact our Academy. academy@northernballet.com 0113 220 8000
Over 55 open class. Photo Justin Slee.
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Dance for Parkinson's
Dance for
Parkinson’s
Northern Ballet is passionate about making dance accessible to everyone. Through the Learning team’s inclusive and varied programme of work, we often witness the transformative effect that dance can have on physical and mental wellbeing. We are delighted to introduce our new Dance for Parkinson’s classes with support from Dance for Parkinson’s UK and the Evan Cornish Foundation. Around 1 in 500 people are affected by Parkinson's, and there are an estimated 127,000 people in the UK living with the condition. Evidence shows that dancing can significantly improve the quality of life for those living with Parkinson’s, helping to develop confidence and strength, providing opportunities for creativity and self-expression and temporarily relieving some individuals of their symptoms in everyday life. Earlier this year, staff from Northern Ballet’s Learning and Academy teams attended an intensive training course led by English National Ballet delivered at Yorkshire Dance. The course included a live-class with a fantastic group from the Leeds Branch of Parkinson’s UK:
‘The course was a fantastic opportunity for us to learn how to apply our skills in a different setting. The workshop leaders gave practical advice on not only how a Dance for Parkinson’s session could look, but also why certain exercises are effective.’ Philippa Ranger, Dance Education Officer
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Photos Sara Teresa.
Following some successful taster sessions, we’re excited to begin a year-long pilot project, offering regular classes in Garforth on Wednesday afternoons. We will cover basic techniques to improve posture, strength and coordination, followed by the opportunity to explore movement from some of our best-known productions, such as The Nutcracker and Romeo & Juliet, all taught by our expert dance teachers and accompanied by a live musician.
Dance for Parkinson's
‘Having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease over five years ago, I’m always on the lookout for new activities which might improve my condition . . . on the day of the taster session it was not without a little trepidation that my wife and I went along . . . not really knowing what to expect and fearing being a little out of our comfort zone. We needn’t have worried as the Northern Ballet team were very friendly and made us feel comfortable and not at all silly. The taster session flew by and was very useful both physically and cognitively, whilst also being a lot of fun. On the back of our experience, we have signed up for the classes which start in September and are looking forward to learning more about a world we knew little about before, whilst also doing something which I hope will be useful in managing my condition.’ Taster session participant
For more information about our Dance for Parkinson’s classes please visit northernballet.com/parkinsons or contact our Learning team for a friendly chat. learning@northernballet.com 0113 220 8000
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Northern Ballet Tour Victoria - World Première
Cinderella
Leeds Grand Theatre Sat 9 – Sat 16 March 2019
Woking New Victoria Theatre Wed 18 – Sat 21 September 2019
Sheffield Lyceum Theatre Tue 19 – Sat 23 March 2019
Sheffield Lyceum Theatre Tue 24 – Sat 28 September 2019
London Sadler’s Wells Tue 26 – Sat 30 March 2019
Hull New Theatre Tue 15 – Sat 19 October 2019
Leicester Curve Tue 2 – Sat 6 April 2019
Newcastle Theatre Royal Tue 12 – Sat 16 Nov 2019
Edinburgh Festival Theatre Wed 10 – Sat 13 April 2019
Nottingham Theatre Royal Tue 19 – Sat 23 Nov 2019
Milton Keynes Theatre Tue 30 April – Sat 4 May 2019
Norwich Theatre Royal Tue 26 – Sat 30 Nov 2019
Cardiff New Theatre Tue 21 – Sat 25 May 2019
Leeds Grand Theatre Tue 17 Dec 2019 – Thu 2 Jan 2020
Belfast Grand Opera House Wed 29 May – Sat 1 June 2019
northernballet.com/cinderella
northernballet.com/victoria
Dracula
Northern Ballet at Northern Stage
Canterbury Marlowe Theatre Wed 9 – Sat 12 October 2019
Newcastle Northern Stage Tue 16 – Thu 18 April 2019
Leeds Playhouse Tue 29 Oct – Sat 2 Nov 2019
northernballet.com/mixed-programme
northernballet.com/dracula
The Great Gatsby
Puss in Boots - A ballet for children
Salford The Lowry Wed 8 – Sat 11 May 2019
Touring nationally in 2019 northernballet.com/boots
Southampton Mayflower Theatre Wed 15 – Sat 18 May 2019 northernballet.com/gatsby
northernballet.com
Audio Described performance.
northernballet.com
National Tour Sponsor
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. The information contained in this programme is correct at the time of printing. Northern Ballet reserves the right to make alterations where necessary without prior notice.
If you’re feeling inspired by what you have read in our latest edition of Inside magazine and wish to make a donation to support our artistic and outreach work you can donate online today at northernballet.com/donate