CONTEMPORARY CUTS 2021 London Sadler’s Wells 11 & 12 June 2021 CHOREOGRAPHY BY AMAURY LEBRUN | DEMIS VOLPI | JONATHAN WATKINS CATHY MARSTON | KENNETH TINDALL Welcome David Nixon OBE Artistic Director David Nixon OBE. Photo Simon Lawson. Cover: Northern Ballet dancers. Photos Emma Kauldhar. Dear audiences, we heartily welcome you back to our tour. As I write this, following one of the most challenging years our industry has ever faced, there is a palpable sense of optimism and excitement that the light is finally at the end of the tunnel and better days are just around the corner. Indeed, it feels like a victory to be writing this note knowing it will be read by audiences attending our first tour since autumn 2019. Through the darkest days of lockdown, at Northern Ballet we have found opportunities to let our creativity shine a light. Without the tour demanding most of our time and resources, our programme of digital films has grown exponentially in unexpected and wonderful ways. However, performing live in front of an audience is in our blood; at the very core of why we do the job we do. We are still limited in terms of the productions we are able to rehearse and perform whilst adhering to the safety measures we have in place to protect our company. In Salford and London, we will perform an adapted version of Dangerous Liaisons which was a big success when we were able to revive it for a brief number of performances at Leeds Playhouse in October 2020. Contemporary Cuts 2021, which will be performed in London only, is a fantastic programme of our most popular contemporary short works and excerpts from full-length productions. This programme includes Kenneth Tindall’s States of Mind which was our first stage production to be created entirely during lockdown. Finally, we return to Leeds Grand Theatre, one of our home venues, with our unique interpretation of Swan Lake. Although the tour this season will only reach three venues, we are just thrilled that even this short tour has been possible. We have bigger plans afoot for another tour later in 2021 that will see us return to more towns and cities that we have missed visiting a great deal. I do hope that circumstances for us all will continue to improve in the coming weeks and months. Once again, I would like to thank each and every one of our supporters, audience members, staff and freelancers for all you have done over this difficult period. Continue to stay safe everyone. Enjoy these performances and we will be back again soon. 2CONTEMPORARY CUTS 2021 For an Instant by Amaury Lebrun (London Première) Little Monsters by Demis Volpi 1984 (Countryside Pas de Deux) by Jonathan Watkins Jane Eyre (Proposal Pas de Deux) by Cathy Marston States of Mind by Kenneth Tindall (London Première) Production supported by Antoinette Brooks-Daw in For an Instant. Photo Emma Kauldhar. 3FOR AN INSTANT For an instant...I live For an instant... I breathe For an instant... I die For an instant... I dance This work intends to picture fleeting aspects of life and humanity. The title in itself allows me to have a lot of room and freedom for expressing emotions without having a narrative guideline. I would describe this ballet as a poetical work or poetry in motion. The amazing music of Heinrich Biber and Henry Purcell enhance the movements of the dancers guiding them through this journey. Amaury Lebrun Northern Ballet dancers in For an Instant. Photo Emma Kauldhar. Amaury Lebrun CHOREOGRAPHER Amaury trained at the School of Ballet du Nord and School of American Ballet in New York. He has worked in various European countries as a soloist and in 2000 joined Compañía Nacional de Danza as a principal. He is in demand to teach workshops and masterclasses worldwide and as a choreographer, Amaury has created many award- winning works including the acclaimed Left Unseen (2018) for Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Phoenix Dance Theatre. 4LITTLE MONSTERS In Little Monsters a love story is told from the beginning to its end based on the scenarios expressed through the lyrics and emotional landscapes created in three songs by Elvis Presley. The songs, Love Me Tender; I Want You, I Need You, I Love You; and Are You Lonesome Tonight?, tell the story from the first meeting and the ecstatic passionate joy of new love, to the conflict and despair of separation as the lovers grow apart and go their separate ways. Joseph Taylor and Dreda Blow in Little Monsters. Photo Emma Kauldhar. Demis Volpi CHOREOGRAPHER Demis is from Argentina and trained at the Escuela de Danza del Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colón, the National Ballet School of Canada and the John Cranko Schule in Stuttgart before joining the Stuttgart Ballet. He has created numerous successful works across the world and in 2020 was appointed Artistic Director and Chief Choreographer of Ballett am Rhein. Little Monsters was created in 2011 for the Erik Bruhn competition where it won the choreographic prize. 51984 (Countryside Pas de Deux) Winston and Julia plan a secret meeting away from the omnipresent eyes of Big Brother. They travel to the countryside where they give in to their lust and begin a passionate love affair. Jonathan Watkins CHOREOGRAPHER Jonathan trained at The Royal Ballet School and previously performed with The Royal Ballet. He began choreographing at a young age and has since gone on to create work worldwide. Most recently he directed a stage adaptation of Matt Haig’s Reasons to Stay Alive, and his adaptation of Kes, based on Barry Hines’ A Kestrel for a Knave achieved huge success on stage and screen. Tobias Batley and Martha Leebolt in 1984. Photo Emma Kauldhar. 6JANE EYRE (Proposal Pas de Deux) Mr Rochester attempts to revive the intimacy with a hesitant Jane who believes he is engaged to another. He gently mocks her, encouraging her to unleash her jealousy and passion before proposing marriage. Cathy Marston CHOREOGRAPHER Cathy Marston is a choreographer, Artistic Director and Clore Cultural Leadership Fellow. After education in Cambridge, she spent two years at The Royal Ballet School before launching a successful international career. She has a long history of working with Northern Ballet, previously creating Dividing Silence (2004) and A Tale of Two Cities (2008) before Jane Eyre (2016). Her most recent creation for Northern Ballet, Victoria (2019), was the winner of the 2020 South Bank Sky Arts Award for Dance. Joseph Taylor and Hannah Bateman in Jane Eyre. Photo Emma Kauldhar. 7STATES OF MIND Created in 2020 and inspired by a collection of thoughts, feelings and news headlines, this work is an abstract response through movement to a selection of situations experienced during the global pandemic. Kenneth Tindall CHOREOGRAPHER Kenneth trained at Central School of Ballet and performed with The Israel Ballet and K Ballet before joining Northern Ballet in 2003, becoming a Premier Dancer before retiring in 2015. He has created numerous successful works for Northern Ballet as well as directed many dance films for the Company’s digital dance platform. Kenneth is increasingly in demand as a choreographer worldwide and most recently created work for Cape Town City Ballet and Milwaukee Ballet. For a full biography visit northernballet.com/our-people Lorenzo Trossello and Minju Kang in States of Mind. Photo Emma Kauldhar. 8Production credits For an Instant Little Monsters 1984 (Countryside Pas de Deux) Jane Eyre (Proposal Pas de Deux) States of Mind Production Manager Steve Wilkins Costume Supervisors Kim Brassley Julie Anderson Carley Marsh Costumes cut and made by Julie Anderson Carley Marsh Assisted by Northern Ballet Wardrobe staff Printed fabric by L&S Prints, Keighley Hair & Make-UpHarriet Rogers Pointe shoes by Freed of London Choreography & Costume Design Amaury Lebrun Music Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber Henry Purcell Lighting DesignAlastair West ChoreographyDemis Volpi MusicElvis Presley Costume DesignKatharina Schlipf Staged byDaniel de Andrade ChoreographyJonathan Watkins MusicAlex Baranowski Costume DesignSimon Daw Staged byDaniel de Andrade ChoreographyCathy Marston MusicPhilip Feeney Costume DesignPatrick Kinmonth Solo PianoAndrew Dunlop ChoreographyKenneth Tindall AssistantChristelle Horna Music Johann Sebastian Bach Jacob Ter Veldhuis Aretha Franklin Sound DesignNeil Rigg Costume DesignHannah Bateman Lighting Design Alastair West 9Next >