< PreviousUPDATING OUR STUDIOS Our studios are where Northern Ballet productions are brought to life. From daily training class to rehearsals and even performances in our studio theatre, they are where the magic happens. As well as providing a safe footing for Company dancers, our specialist studios are used for elite training and open dance classes for all. Throughout the pandemic, we worked hard to protect every dancer using our studios, but increased cleaning measures that helped us do this have left our floors needing to be replaced much earlier than planned. Thanks to the generous donations we have received from our supporters, we have begun replacing the floors, with the first studios now ready for use by the dancers! We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported our Studio Floor Fund, your donation will help all our dancers continue to train and rehearse. Here is a sneak peek of one of our studios being updated. There is still time to support our Studio Floor Fund and to help us replace the specialist floors in the remaining studios. Donate online now at northernballet.com/support-us/floor-fund Northern Ballet Studios. Photos Richard Barrelle. Studio 7 before Studio 7 during installation Studio 7 after Timelapse of the new Studio Theatre floor 10Benefactor open rehearsal plus drinks with the Artistic Director and dancers Tuesday 26 July 2022 5.00pm - 7.30pm Northern Ballet, Quarry Hill, Leeds To RSVP for this event, please contact Richard Cross at richard.cross@northernballet.com Patron open rehearsal day Tuesday 23 August 2022 9.45am - 6.30pm Northern Ballet, Quarry Hill, Leeds Patrons are welcome to book one free place for this event, plus one guest ticket at a cost of £15. To book, please visit northernballet.com/patron-open-rehearsal-day-2022 Benefactor theatre events 10 September 2022 Three Short Ballets Opening Night Leeds Playhouse 14 September 2022 Three Short Ballets Benefactor Event Leeds Playhouse 22 September 2022 The Little Mermaid Opening Night Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 1 November 2022 Three Short Ballets Opening Night Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House, London 20 December 2022 The Nutcracker Opening Night and Benefactor Event Leeds Grand Theatre To RSVP for any of these events, please contact Richard Cross at richard.cross@northernballet.com Alternatively, the full performance dates are available on our website. We have Benefactor tickets on hold for every performance and can happily book your tickets for a date of your choice. Company class dates We will be hosting Company classes across our autumn tour and will be in touch soon with full dates and booking details. As a working ballet Company, all events and timings remain subject to change. UPCOMING EVENTS 11Behind every Northern Ballet production, many different teams (such as stage management, lighting and sound) work closely together backstage, unseen by audiences, to help bring our magical stories to life and ensure the smooth running of the performance. Staging a ballet is a complex process and these teams need to be able to communicate clearly and discreetly during the performance from different parts of the theatre. Until recently, we had to rely on a mix of our own radios combined with communication systems that were already in place at the theatres we visit. However, thanks to the generosity of trusts, we have been able to upgrade our systems and now have a state of the art Clear-Com Helix-Net communications system. Our crew couldn’t wait to try this system out on our spring tour and wanted to share an insight into what goes on behind-the- scenes during a live performance. For every production, our Senior Deputy Stage Manager (SDSM) Chun-Yen Chia creates a binder detailing every cue for each element of the production. This includes everything from lighting, to sets and music. These instructions are agreed with the creative team in advance and help make sure that the ballet runs the same way for audiences every night. During a live performance, the SDSM verbally cues the team over the communications system. As the old system did not provide separate communication channels for each team, instructions could be missed or accidentally interrupted by other system users. Our new system provides multiple communications rings for the team backstage, so they can select which channel they need to listen to: and tune out other people’s chatter when needed! Alongside verbal cues, a Cue Light System (a visual signalling system) is used which uses lights to cue set changes, lighting and music. This helps with complex sequences and acts as a back-up in case the verbal communications system fails. With our new system, the show can be pre-programmed into the desk to help performances run smoothly. Here are some photos of our new system in action during performance of Casanova at London’s Sadler’s Wells. THE CUES BEHIND THE COMPANY Top left: Base Station – we have twelve base stations positioned around the theatre for members of each team. These stations enable the crew to listen to a choice of five communications channels. Top right: Northern Ballet Lighting Technician Sam Day in the control room operating the lighting desk, wearing one of the new headsets. Bottom left: Digital Main Station – this is the main communications desk that is positioned in Prompt Corner at the side of the stage. It is the heart of the system, used by the Deputy Stage Manager to ensure the show runs smoothly. Bottom right: Cue Light for the Music Director, used in the orchestra pit. 12Premier Dancer Javier Torres retired in May after an incredible 22-year career as a professional ballet dancer. Having joined Northern Ballet as a Premier Dancer in 2010, his twelve-year tenure with the Company has seen him perform countless leading roles in productions such as The Nutcracker, Casanova, Dracula, Swan Lake, Ondine, Beauty & the Beast, Hamlet, Madame Butterfly, Wuthering Heights, Peter Pan, Cleopatra, A Christmas Carol, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas , Jane Eyre , 1984, and Romeo & Juliet. As our spring season came to an end, we were sad to say goodbye to some of our incredible dancers who have all made fantastic contributions to Northern Ballet and will be greatly missed. After 8 years with Northern Ballet, Leading Soloist Riku Ito is leaving to join Birmingham Royal Ballet. LEAVERS AND STARTERS Javier Torres, Riku Ito, Minju Kang, Lorenzo Trossello and Greig Matthews. Photos Justin Slee and Lisa Stonehouse. After six years with Northern Ballet, at the end of September 2022, following Three Short Ballets, Principal Soloist Minju Kang will leave the Company to join English National Ballet. We also say goodbye to First Soloist Lorenzo Trossello who is leaving the Company after six years to join English National Ballet. Following the end of our autumn season, we were sad to say goodbye to First Soloist Greig Matthews. We would also like to wish a very happy retirement to Orchestra Manager Barry Collarbone. 13We are delighted to have welcomed two new dancers this season; First Soloist Saeka Shirai has joined us from Poznań Opera Ballet in Poland, and Dancer Harry Skoupas has joined us from Opera Wrocławska in Poland. We hope you had the chance to see Saeka and Harry perform this spring. We also look forward to welcoming a further five new dancers this summer ahead of the autumn season. Amber Lewis and Jackson Dwyer will join us from Hong Kong Ballet, as Leading Soloist and First Soloist respectively, and we will also be joined by Dancers Stefano Varalta, Kaho Matsumoto and Jun Ishii. Saeka Shirai and Harry Skoupas. Photos Justin Slee. Saeka Shirai in Casanova. Photo Emma Kauldhar. Jonathan Hanks, Rachael Gillespie and Harry Skoupas in The Great Gatsby. Photo Riku Ito. 14Can you tell us a little about your background and experience? After graduating from music college, I worked for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow. I moved down to Leeds in 2017 to work for Opera North and subsequently took on their role of Orchestra Transport Manager in which I looked after logistics for all the orchestra’s work. I was lucky to have the opportunity to branch out into more of a planning capacity which involved looking after the orchestra, and scheduling and liaising with venues and external partners for national tours and concerts. What made you decide to pursue a career in arts management? Playing in an orchestra is a highly demanding and stressful line of work, and part of what made me want to work in arts management was the people who I was lucky enough to interact with when I was studying and working in Glasgow. The orchestra manager is key to taking as much of that stress as possible away on a day-to-day basis. I think the most important attribute is how you deal with people, which we can all get wrong from time to time, but the knowledge and understanding of what it is like to be "in their shoes" is key in shaping how I approach my work. What does the role of Orchestra and Concerts Manager at Northern Ballet involve? In the run-up to each season, I liaise with the Technical and Planning departments to create a performance schedule for the Sinfonia and to arrange any rehearsals required in advance. Once I know what's required, I then work to book the freelance Sinfonia members for these rehearsals and performances. Where members of the Sinfonia are not available, I arrange to bring in extras or deputies. As well as managing the Sinfonia for rehearsals and Northern Ballet performances, I am also responsible for looking at other avenues in which the Sinfonia can perform outside of the Company's regular performance schedule. Another part of the role is to oversee and manage the recruitment and trial process. As part of this process, multiple shortlisted musicians are invited to join the Sinfonia over a period of time, a panel assesses their performance and consequently appoints a new member. I also look after the library and Northern Ballet's collection of parts and scores for all productions. What are you most looking forward to in your role as Orchestra and Concerts Manager with Northern Ballet? This role presents a much bigger challenge than my previous roles. Having come from a large department where everyone has their own responsibilities, I find the requirement to be on top of everything really stimulating. Do you play any musical instruments yourself? Yes, I play percussion and timpani, which is what I initially studied when leaving school. Jonathan Lo with Northern Ballet Sinfonia. Photo Amy Kelly. MEET OUR NEW ORCHESTRA & CONCERTS MANAGER Ciarán Campbell has joined the Company as our new Orchestra & Concerts Manager. We spoke with Ciarán to find out more about his role with the Northern Ballet Sinfonia. 15IN CONVERSATION WITH ASHLEY DIXON In April, Ashley Dixon took to the stage for the last time in a lead role as Principal Soloist at Northern Ballet before taking up his new position of Principal Character Artist and Assistant Rehearsal Director. Former Premier Dancer Antoinette Brooks-Daw came out of retirement for this special occasion to dance the role of Daisy Buchanan opposite Ashley’s Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. We caught up with Ashley as he transitioned into his new role with the Company. Northern Ballet dancers in the curtain call for The Great Gatsby. Photo Riku Ito. 16Do you have any favourite roles you have performed whilst dancing with Northern Ballet? Over my time at Northern Ballet there have been so many wonderful productions filled with many rewarding experiences, and others that have provided a specific learning curve for me at the time. Stand out roles over the years include Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, the title roles in The Nutcracker and Hamlet, and, of course, the Beast in Beauty & the Beast. How do you think your experience as a dancer with the Company has helped prepare you for this new role? I think for most aspects of this new role, my time and experiences with the Company have prepared me very well. Being able to pick up lots of work quickly, attention to detail, and understanding the ethos and forward vision of the Company. Of course, you never stop learning and there will still be a lot for me to learn going forward, so I look forward to the challenges ahead. Are there any aspects of your new role as Assistant Rehearsal Director you are particularly excited about? At the moment I’m enjoying every aspect of the role. I think the part I’m most excited about is getting to rehearse the dancers in a production from first rehearsal to final performance. To see the journey and progression, and to help perfect it along the way, is something I find very rewarding. If you could pick one Northern Ballet production to be revived and work on in rehearsals, which would it be? It’s hard to think of just one, but I think it would probably be Wuthering Heights. It’s a ballet that has always been very special to me, as it’s the ballet that made me work even harder to be a part of this Company. Having danced pretty much every male role in this ballet, I feel I have a good understanding of both the choreography and the intentions to pass on to the next generation. It’s a great production to really get into, with so much depth in every single character that I feel it would be very rewarding to rehearse. And finally, do you have any advice for young dancers who dream of having such a long and successful ballet career? My main piece of advice would be to realise that you never stop learning and not to be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes happen, it’s what you learn from those mistakes, so they don’t happen again that is all part of the learning process. My other piece of advice would be to listen to your body. Dancers overall are very hard-working and will sometimes push through the pain to do their job. To push a little is OK, but not to the point where you could seriously hurt yourself. Believe me, I learnt the hard way! Ashley Dixon and Rachael Gillespie The Nutcracker. Antoinette Brooks-Daw and Ashley Dixon in The Great Gatsby. Dreda Blow and Ashley Dixon in Beauty & the Beast. Photos Emma Kauldhar. 17In May, Academy students joined us at our Celebration Dinners and started the events off with a bang with a fabulous performance. 25 students aged 10 to 17 from the Academy’s Centre for Advanced Training programme took to the stage with a celebratory piece set to music by composer John Philip Sousa. The piece was choreographed by Academy tutors Cara O’Shea and Nicola Gervasi for a special performance to celebrate David Nixon CBE’s time as Director of the Academy before he stepped down. The students loved having the opportunity to perform to a live audience and for more people to enjoy a piece they had worked so hard to bring to life. The performances went down a storm with the audience. During the dinners our Artistic Director Federico Bonelli reflected on how wonderful it was to be able to open with a performance from young people who are still at the start of their dancing journey, followed by Company dancers, who are so inspirational to many of the students aspiring to a professional ballet career. The funds raised at the Celebration Dinners will support all aspects of Northern Ballet’s work, including the Academy, so it was wonderful to be able to showcase the fantastic talents of the next generation of dancers. ACADEMY UPDATE 'I was one of the CAT students who performed at the Celebration Dinners, and it was a wonderful experience. Having the opportunity to perform after so long was so special as we had missed the rush of performing in front of an audience! It was made extra special by being in the same programme as the Company.' IZZY, CAT STUDENT Academy of Northern Ballet CATs. Photos Emily Nuttall. 18LEARNING UPDATE It’s been another busy year for the Learning team with projects happening in schools, community settings and at Northern Ballet’s Quarry Hill home in Leeds. In 2021/22, we delivered 1,207 classes and workshops reaching over 25,000 people of all ages and backgrounds. It is our passion to break down barriers to world class ballet, and we use Northern Ballet repertoire to engage with people wherever they are on their dancing journey, from total beginners to those who have been dancing for years and know our work well. Rise In 2019 we launched Rise, a project which uses dance inspired by Northern Ballet productions to improve mental and physical wellbeing for pupils in schools in West Yorkshire. Pupils in Year 5 (aged 9-10) take part in 10 workshops with a Dance Artist at school and also get to visit a theatre to see the Company perform. In November 2021, 231 children and 28 teachers were blown away by the Company’s incredible performance of Merlin at Leeds Grand Theatre. Now approaching its fourth year of delivery, we are incredibly proud of the project and the impact it has made within our community. Children’s ballet outreach This spring saw a welcome return to outreach workshops to support the tour of our children’s ballet, Pinocchio. Our Dance Artists travelled the length and breadth of the country to deliver fun- filled dance workshops to introduce the characters and story of Pinocchio. Between January and April 2022, we delivered a whopping 160 workshops reaching 2,673 children, with 327 children working towards achieving an Arts Award (a qualification which inspires young people to grow their arts and leadership talents). This year, we have also been delivering an exciting project in Middlesbrough, in partnership with the North East and Cumbria NHS Child Health and Wellbeing Network. The project saw over 175 pupils take part in weekly sessions throughout the entire academic year, building their confidence and physical and emotional wellbeing through creative dance activities. A real highlight of the project was the children, along with their parents, siblings and teachers attending a performance of Pinocchio in Middlesbrough, where they themselves will be performing later this year, demonstrating their achievements and sharing their newfound dance skills with their families, friends and peers. Ahead of their performances, our very own Artistic Associate Daniel de Andrade will be visiting the pupils to share top tips for performing in front of a live audience – we wish them all the very best! We would like to thank everyone who supported our Pinocchio Appeal for helping us to continue to share the joy of ballet with children and families around the country. 19Next >