Northern Ballet Theatre
Encyclopedia
Northern Ballet, formerly Northern Ballet Theatre, is a dance company based in Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, England, with a strong repertoire in theatrical dance productions where the emphasis is on story telling as well as classical ballet
. It tours widely across the United Kingdom.
, with the orchestra being supplied by musicians of the Royal Northern College of Music.
Robert de Warren was appointed as Artistic Director in 1976. A classically trained dancer, he had previously worked with the Royal Ballet, as well some of the larger West German ballet companies. He renamed them Northern Ballet Theatre and began to work on scaled down full length classical ballets, rediscovered works and brand new creations.
In 1987, he left after 11 years as Artistic Director, during which time he had seen the company expand to more than 20 dancers and put on works by such diverse choreographers as August Bournonville, Michael Fokine, Walter Gore, John Cranko and Royston Maldoom.
De Warren had also managed to enticed Rudolf Nureyev to become Artistic Laureate and to dance as a regular guest artist, and had secured HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, as the company's Royal Patron.
CBE
as NBT's third Artistic Director in 1987 resulted in a partnership which saw the company gain a reputation for imaginative new works and for impressive revivals of old classics. His appointment owed much to chance. In 1987, the centenary of the birth of the painter L S Lowry, Salford
City Council commissioned Gillian Lynne
to create a new ballet for the company which would celebrate the life and work of this Salford-born artist.
Lynne was determined in her choice of dancer for the role of Lowry, enticing ex Royal Ballet star Christopher Gable back to the dance stage for the first time in more than 20 years.
Gable's appointment as Artistic Director was a popular choice with the company. It soon became clear that he would focus as much on the theatre as the ballet in the company's title. With the emphasis on classical dance drama, the popular success of A Simple Man was followed by full length productions of Swan Lake
, Romeo & Juliet, A Christmas Carol, The Brontes, The Amazing Adventure of Don Quixote
, Dracula, Giselle
and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Throughout his 11 years with NBT Gable remained Artistic Director of the Central School of Ballet
, a school he co-founded with Ann Stannard in London in 1982. His untimely death, in 1998. from cancer at the age of only 58, left the company reeling but firmly secure with a reputation that was gaining steadily on the worldwide dance stage. Northern Ballet Theatre productions had been requested and performed by other companies including Norwegian National Ballet, Atlanta Ballet
and the Royal New Zealand Ballet
.
and Deutsche Oper Ballet. His first work was an adaptation of Charles Dickens
' Great Expectations
. However, he was to leave the company after only a year. The fifth, and current, appointment to the role of Artistic Director was given to former National Ballet of Canada
principal dancer
David Nixon
in August 2001.
In February 2002 he presented his revised version of Madame Butterfly. That was followed by his tribute to the music of George and Ira Gershwin, I Got Rhythm. Nixon's first full length new work for the company was Wuthering Heights, a collaboration with composer Claude-Michel Schönberg
. It premiered at the Bradford Alhambra
Theatre in September 2002.
The company followed this original work with a production of Birgit Scherzer's Requiem!! and Nixon's a new production of A Midsummer Night's Dream
, which also saw Northern Ballet perform at the West Yorkshire Playhouse
for the first time. This was followed by new productions of Swan Lake, Peter Pan, The Three Musketeers, A Sleeping Beauty Tale, The Nutcracker and Hamlet. Autumn 2008 saw the company tour with another new ballet from Cathy Marston telling the classic Dickens story A Tale of Two Cities.
2009 was the company's 40th anniversary; on Monday, 6 September 2010, the company announced that it was changing its name to "Northern Ballet", dropping "theatre" from its title.
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England, with a strong repertoire in theatrical dance productions where the emphasis is on story telling as well as classical ballet
Classical ballet
Classical Ballet is the most formal of the ballet styles, it adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet, British ballet and Italian ballet...
. It tours widely across the United Kingdom.
Early history
Northern Dance Theatre (NBT), the name by which the company was originally known, was founded in 1969 by Canadian-born Laverne Meyer; a dramatic dancer whose formative years were spent with Bristol based, Western Theatre Ballet, the first ever British dance company to be based outside London. The company's first performance was on 28 November 1969 at the University Theatre, ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, with the orchestra being supplied by musicians of the Royal Northern College of Music.
Robert de Warren was appointed as Artistic Director in 1976. A classically trained dancer, he had previously worked with the Royal Ballet, as well some of the larger West German ballet companies. He renamed them Northern Ballet Theatre and began to work on scaled down full length classical ballets, rediscovered works and brand new creations.
In 1987, he left after 11 years as Artistic Director, during which time he had seen the company expand to more than 20 dancers and put on works by such diverse choreographers as August Bournonville, Michael Fokine, Walter Gore, John Cranko and Royston Maldoom.
De Warren had also managed to enticed Rudolf Nureyev to become Artistic Laureate and to dance as a regular guest artist, and had secured HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, as the company's Royal Patron.
Christopher Gable
The appointment of Christopher GableChristopher Gable
Christopher Gable, CBE was an English ballet dancer, choreographer, and actor.Born in London, Gable studied at the Royal Ballet School, joining the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet in 1957...
CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
as NBT's third Artistic Director in 1987 resulted in a partnership which saw the company gain a reputation for imaginative new works and for impressive revivals of old classics. His appointment owed much to chance. In 1987, the centenary of the birth of the painter L S Lowry, Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
City Council commissioned Gillian Lynne
Gillian Lynne
Gillian Barbara Lynne , CBE, born , is a British ballerina, dancer, actor, theatre director, television director and choreographer noted for her popular theatre choreography associated with the iconic musicals Cats and the current longest running show in Broadway history, The Phantom of the Opera.-...
to create a new ballet for the company which would celebrate the life and work of this Salford-born artist.
Lynne was determined in her choice of dancer for the role of Lowry, enticing ex Royal Ballet star Christopher Gable back to the dance stage for the first time in more than 20 years.
Gable's appointment as Artistic Director was a popular choice with the company. It soon became clear that he would focus as much on the theatre as the ballet in the company's title. With the emphasis on classical dance drama, the popular success of A Simple Man was followed by full length productions of Swan Lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
, Romeo & Juliet, A Christmas Carol, The Brontes, The Amazing Adventure of Don Quixote
Don Quixote (ballet)
Don Quixote is a ballet originally staged in four acts and eight scenes, based on an episode taken from the famous novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. It was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus and was first presented by the Ballet of the...
, Dracula, Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Throughout his 11 years with NBT Gable remained Artistic Director of the Central School of Ballet
Central School of Ballet
Central School of Ballet is a classical ballet school based in London, with students from countries all over the world.The school was established in 1982 by Ann Stannard and Christopher Gable. It established a touring company, Ballet Central, in 1984...
, a school he co-founded with Ann Stannard in London in 1982. His untimely death, in 1998. from cancer at the age of only 58, left the company reeling but firmly secure with a reputation that was gaining steadily on the worldwide dance stage. Northern Ballet Theatre productions had been requested and performed by other companies including Norwegian National Ballet, Atlanta Ballet
Atlanta Ballet
Atlanta Ballet is a ballet company, located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the nation’s longest continuously performing ballet company and the State Ballet of Georgia.- History :...
and the Royal New Zealand Ballet
Royal New Zealand Ballet
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is based in Wellington, New Zealand.The Royal New Zealand Ballet is a company of 32 dynamic dancers, performing an eclectic repertoire of outstanding dance, for national and international audiences, whilst continuing to build a style that is ultimately unique to the...
.
1999 to present
Stefano Giannetti became fourth Artistic Director after a career including dancing and creating principal roles at English National BalletEnglish National Ballet
English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin and based at Markova House in South Kensington, London, England. Along with the Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet, it is one of the four major ballet companies in Great...
and Deutsche Oper Ballet. His first work was an adaptation of Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
' Great Expectations
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens. It was first published in serial form in the publication All the Year Round from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. It has been adapted for stage and screen over 250 times....
. However, he was to leave the company after only a year. The fifth, and current, appointment to the role of Artistic Director was given to former National Ballet of Canada
National Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada is Canada's largest ballet troupe. It was founded by Celia Franca in 1951 and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Based upon the unity of Canadian trained dancers in the tradition and style of England's Royal Ballet, The National is regarded as one of the premier classical...
principal dancer
Principal dancer
A principal dancer is a dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company....
David Nixon
David Nixon (choreographer)
David Nixon OBE is a dance choreographer. Born in Chatham, Ontario, Nixon trained at the National Ballet School of Canada and danced with the National Ballet of Canada. He joined the Deutsche Oper Ballet, in Berlin, in 1985 as a principal dancer where he won the Critics Award for Best Male...
in August 2001.
In February 2002 he presented his revised version of Madame Butterfly. That was followed by his tribute to the music of George and Ira Gershwin, I Got Rhythm. Nixon's first full length new work for the company was Wuthering Heights, a collaboration with composer Claude-Michel Schönberg
Claude-Michel Schönberg
Claude-Michel Schönberg is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with the lyricist Alain Boublil.These include the musicals:...
. It premiered at the Bradford Alhambra
Bradford Alhambra
The Bradford Alhambra is a theatre in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1913 at a cost of £20,000 for theatre impresario Francis Laidler, and opened on Wednesday 18 March 1914. In 1964 Bradford City Council bought the Alhambra for £78,900. In 1974 it was designated a Grade II...
Theatre in September 2002.
The company followed this original work with a production of Birgit Scherzer's Requiem!! and Nixon's a new production of A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
, which also saw Northern Ballet perform at the West Yorkshire Playhouse
West Yorkshire Playhouse
The West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, England is a theatre which opened in March 1990 as part of the regeneration of the Quarry Hill area of the city...
for the first time. This was followed by new productions of Swan Lake, Peter Pan, The Three Musketeers, A Sleeping Beauty Tale, The Nutcracker and Hamlet. Autumn 2008 saw the company tour with another new ballet from Cathy Marston telling the classic Dickens story A Tale of Two Cities.
2009 was the company's 40th anniversary; on Monday, 6 September 2010, the company announced that it was changing its name to "Northern Ballet", dropping "theatre" from its title.
Balletmasters
- Daniel de Andrade, balletmaster
- Yoko Ichino, balletmistress
Leading artists
- Hannah Bateman
- Tobias Batley
- Darren Goldsmith
- Martha Leebolt
- Georgina May
- Pippa Moore
- Hironao Takahashi
- Kenneth Tindall
- Javier Torres
Soloists and coryphées
- Martin Bell
- Julie Charlet
- Ashley Dixon
- Christie Duncan
- John Hull
- Ayana Kanda
- Michela Paolacci
- Ginnie Ray
- Victoria Sibson
- Yi Song
- David Ward
Corps de ballet (dancers)
- Thomas Aragones
- Yoshihisa Arai
- Michael Berkin
- Dreda Blow
- Antoinette Brooks-Daw
- Giuliano Contadini
- Jeremy Curnier
- Isabella Gasparini
- Lori Gilchrist
- Rachael Gillespie
- Graham Kotowich
- Sebastian Loe
- Ben Mitchell
- Ayami Miyata
- Jessica Morgan