August 2012 eNewsletter

Try before you buy
Introducing our new dancers
Classical Fantasia
60 Seconds with Kevin Poeung
Dance at the Stanley & Audrey
    Burton Theatre
Something else you might like
What's On

After a well-earned holiday in July, our sun-kissed dancers are now back in the studio rehearsing our new production Ondine. With ten new dancers joining the Company this season, we thought we’d introduce them to you.

Don't forget that you can catch the dancers in rehearsal for Ondine with our 'Try before you Buy' events on 23 & 30 August. Tickets are just £5 with lunch or an evening drink included. If you like what you see you can then claim £5 back off the price of your ticket for the full performance at West Yorkshire Playhouse in September.

Born and raised in British Columbia, Canada, Mark trained with the country's National Ballet School. After graduating in 2006 he joined the National Ballet of Canada and then Alberta Ballet, where he danced several works by Jean Grand-Maitre including The Scared Grove for the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Mark joins Northern Ballet from West Australian Ballet, where he has been since 2010.

San Franciscan Jessica becomes our second California girl at Northern Ballet, alongside Premier Dancer Martha Leebolt.

After training with the San Francisco Ballet School she moved to London to train with English National Ballet School. Jessica joins Northern Ballet after graduating this summer.

Foodie Isaac is one of three graduates from the Royal Ballet School to join Northern Ballet this summer.

Born and raised in London, he’s moving up to Yorkshire for the first time.

Luisa was born and raised in Brazil, where she began her dance training before moving to Europe to graduate in Monte Carlo.

Luisa danced for Scottish Ballet and the Royal Swedish Ballet before coming to Northern Ballet.

Milton Keynes-born Sean trained at the Royal Ballet School in London and joins the Corps de Ballet after graduating this summer.

Olivia, from Bath, trained at Royal Ballet Lower School and Elmhurst School for Dance and recently danced with the Royal Ballet of Flanders. She was inspired to join Northern Ballet after taking part in our Summer Course last summer.

Skegness-born Joseph started out wanting to be a gymnast. His love of performing on stage eventually took over however, and he graduated from Elmhurst School for Dance this summer.

Parisian Shanti joins our French contingent of dancers having trained at National Ballet School of Opera de Paris. She recently performed with the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp.

Originally from Boston in Lincs, Matt has lived in Yorkshire for the past 11 years and considers himself a Yorkshireman. He is a graduate of our Northern Ballet Academy CAT scheme and recently finished his training at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Yoga fan Mariana is from Lisbon, Portugal. She is a graduate of the Royal Ballet School and dreams of performing the role of Cleopatra.

Northern Ballet Sinfonia will light up Leeds on Saturday 1 September with their annual Classical Fantasia performance, the hugely popular open-air classical music concert set in the grounds of Kirkstall Abbey.

The event will once again feature a popular repertoire of fantasy-inspired music conducted by Northern Ballet Music Director John Pryce-Jones and accompanied by the nowfamous spectacular illumination of the ruins and electrifying fireworks.

The main performance is scheduled to start from 8pm with gates open from 6pm (all times subject to alteration).

Tickets are £10 general admission or £35 for four. Book online, over the phone (0113&nbps;224 3801) or in person at Leeds Visitor Centre at Leeds Train Station or the gift shop at Abbey House.

Dancer of the Month Kevin has been called 'the new Wayne Sleep' in the press. We've put a new video together with clips from his live performance of I Got Rhythm back in May.

We're thrilled to be bringing some of the country's finest dance to Leeds this autumn. As well as our first ever ballet for children Ugly Duckling in October, we'll also be welcoming the acclaimed Ballet Black to perform a mixed bill featuring Storyville by renowned choreographer and new Scottish Ballet Artistic Director Christopher Hampson.

Our contemporary season will be opened by HeadSpace Dance, the exciting new company from former Northern Ballet dancers Christopher Akrill and Charlotte Broom. State of Flux (pictured) will perform Forgetting Natasha in September, a fascinating piece that was selected as the Times Critics' choice at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2011. Shobana Jeyasingh Dance will celebrate 25 years of creative working with a fierce double-bill Classic Cut.

Hear the next generation of young international concert pianists at the Seventeenth Leeds International Piano Competition, beginning later this month.

The competition opens on Wed 29 August, with the finals taking place on Fri 14 & Sat 15 September at Leeds Town Hall. A special winners' Gala Recital will take place at the Great Hall, University of Leeds on Sun 16 September.