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Latest Blogs
Cleopatra - Audience Reaction
Cleopatra premiered Saturday 26 February at Leeds Grand Theatre. The atmosphere was electric and the response from the audience phenomenal - here's some of the feedback recieved about the performance on Facebook and Twitter. Absolutely loved cleopatra, it's touring soon, go & watch! Northern Ballet. @LynnThornhill - via Twitter Cleopatra is ASTOUNDING ! Congratulations Northern Ballet - superb. Get a ticket now... @lizgreenlive - via Twitter NORTHERN BALLET'S CLEOPATRA WAS A TRIUMPH...
Cleopatra, the music
This article was originally published in February 2011. It takes no great leap of the imagination to visualise a woman undulating to music on a stage when the character embodied is Cleopatra. In our collective unconscious, she is and will always remain the incarnation of the femme fatale – ‘she from whom there is no escape’: a seductress oozing sensuality; a destroyer at her most spellbinding; a woman of superior intelligence, manipulative but also touching as the mother of her children and of...
Academy Open Days, Extra Date
Over January and February I have been travelling around Yorkshire delivering Open Days to give young enthusiastic dancers a taste of what it is like to train with Northern Ballet Academy. Along with a member of the Academy admin department and a pianist we have been waking up early on Sunday mornings to set off to show the next generation of dancers how they can benefit from our training in relaxed and fun workshops. After registering and quick introductions the hard work begins. The students...
The queen of media - the changing images of an icon
This article was originally published in February 2011. Cleopatra may have been born in 69BCE but she has remained a powerful icon ever since. Arguably no other figure in ancient history has been depicted so widely as this fascinating, and powerful woman. Join us as we take a trip through her most enduring incarnations on stage, in film, fashion, the world of celebrity and, of course, dance. Theatre "Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety" William Shakespeare, Antony and...
Cleopatra Costume Designs
Click on an image for a closer look at Christopher Giles' costume design illustrations for the Cleopatra ballet. The images are a detailed look at the characters from Mark-Antony & Caesar to the gods Wadjyt and Apis. Not all these designs are finalised; they may change a little before you get to see them on stage.
Past Students' Progress
Joanne Thwaite, Associate Graduate Joanne went on to train at Central School of Ballet and then worked for 5 months intensively with Yoko Ichino. She is now dancing with English National Ballet. “When you watch a good dancer on stage, you always notice how easy it all looks. I always looked at their ‘decoration’ and when I moved, I never thought about the effort behind how it all looks easy. But spending a few weeks working on Yoko’s technique has improved how I work, the thoughts behind a...
Valentine's Day Gift Ideas
Need a Valentine's Day gift but stuck for original ideas? We've something to suit every pocket so why not treat that special someone to the Cleopatra Banquet, or give them a Northern Ballet Friends membership? You can even buy them a seat in our studio theatre!
Ballet building hosts Gok Wan’s Clothes Roadshow
Where better for Gok Wan, the nation’s favourite fashionista, to style the women of Leeds than at Northern Ballet’s stunning new home on Quarry Hill? Around 100 excited ladies took over our Studio Theatre when Gok was in town to film a new episode for his Clothes Roadshow. Three women were given a style-overhaul and the battle of highstreet versus designer continued amidst tips on shopping for your shape and how to look good without spending a fortune. The Leeds episode was boradcast on...
My First Ballet Experience
Harvey Pratt, aged 10, gives us his review of Northern Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Grand Theatre, Leeds. Harvey is a first year student on Northern Ballet Academy’s professional training programme. ‘When I got to the theatre I felt really excited but nervous at the same time, it was the first time I have come to see Northern Ballet perform and been to The Grand Theatre. Me and my dance teacher Ian Rodley from DAZL (Dance Action Zone Leeds) knew it would be amazing because Hannah Kirkpatrick...
Gaining Experience with Northern Ballet Learning
RAD graduate Sarah Hearn spent 3 weeks with the Learning team to gain an insight into Dance Education. She tells us about her experience... As a graduate from the Royal Academy of Dance with a degree in Ballet Education, I decided to get experience of dance education in a variety of settings throughout this year as most of my experience so far has been in teaching private ballet lessons. Following a lecture from Northern Ballet’s Director of Learning, Selina McGonagle about the work of...
