In the glow of a streetlight, two dancers dressed plainly show their love through dance

Impact Report 2024-25

Our Impact in Numbers

In 2024–25, Northern Ballet continued to inspire, innovate and reach communities across the UK and beyond — on stage, in schools and through inclusive, transformative dance experiences.

Creating Stories That Connect

This year, our productions reached greater numbers of people, sparking imagination and emotion through the power of ballet.

4
Full-length Ballets Revived and Toured
 
2
Children's Ballets Toured
 
3
Short Ballets Performed

In Leeds and London, featuring two exciting new commissions:

Fools, a response to Romeo & Juliet, by Mthuthuzeli November
Victory Dance, an inclusive celebration choreographed by Kristen McNally

 
214
Performances across
35
Venues
 
135,994
Audience members reached
While Scrooge looks on, his younger self in white shirt and waistcoat dances with Belle who is wearing a white dress
Two dancers on the edge of the sofa playing video games

We are proud to generate not only artistic excellence but also tangible economic and cultural value:

£4.29 million
In ticket sales
 
£6,155,708
Gross value added to the UK economy
 
107
FTE jobs and
268
Freelancers employed
 

Installation of LED lighting, supported by The Linbury Trust, reducing our energy usage by

29%
 
£1,291,130
Fundraised income
Juliet dressed in a white shift ands en pointe against a dramatically lit set
Developing and Championing New Voices

We are passionate about nurturing talent and providing a platform for diverse, bold new dance.

3
New Short Ballets Commissioned
 
4
New Choreographers Supported

Including company dancers Harris Beattie and George Liang – supporting career development in the Company.

 
7
Emerging Choreographers

Showcased in Sketches, our platform for experimental and original work

Four dancers in a row, half-turned towards the camera, each leaning lower than the woman in front of her and each holding hands with the person behind
Two dancers on the studio floor rehearsing a role following the movements of the choreographer
Three dancers in the rehearsal studio following the movements of the choreographer in front of them
Expanding Inclusive Dance

Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. This year, we made meaningful strides toward a more accessible future for dance:

Commissioned
Victory Dance,
a new short ballet featuring disabled dancer, Joe Powell-Main
 
Curated and hosted the
Expressions
Festival, a celebration of disabled dancers and inclusive companies
 
Dancers from our Ability programme performed in
A Christmas Carol
and
Sketches
 
299 Participants
engaged in our inclusive dance programmes
Dancer in a wheelchair in profile with another dancer, hands on his shoulders jumping with one leg pointed down and the other pointed up
Two dancers from the Ability Class stand on stage wearing life guard uniforms of yellow t-shirt and red shorts
Highlights of 2024–25
Romeo & Juliet
performed at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
 
Olivier Award nomination for Sarah Chun in
Fools
at the Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House
 
International return to touring with
Beauty & the Beast
in Ghent and our version of
Casanova
captivating American audiences
 
Announcement of our first new ballet under Artistic Director Federico Bonelli:
Gentleman Jack
– coming to theatres in 2026!
Woman with dark hair tied back stands under a streetlight in the gloom
Academy of Northern Ballet

Our world-class training continues to shape the next generation of dancers.

416

Students trained through our Graduate, Centre for Advanced Training, and Associate programmes.

 
892
Ballet classes delivered throughout the year
A young dancer with curly dark hair stands in a white t-shirt
Dancers on the Over 55s class stand at the barre with one had resting on it and the other above their head
Sharing the Joy of Dance

Our learning and engagement programmes continue to open up the world of dance to thousands.

3,549
People participated in our open programme, offering dance for all ages and abilities
 
3,444
young people took part in creative dance workshops delivered in schools across the UK
School children all dancing on a school hall floor, barefoot
With Heartfelt Thanks

None of this would be possible without you — our audiences, supporters, partners and communities. Your belief in the power of dance fuels everything we do; from commissioning new work to nurturing emerging talent, from making ballet more inclusive, to sharing our stories with audiences near and far. Together, we’re building a future where ballet belongs to everyone.

Thank you for being part of our journey.

The cast of A Christmas Carol stand on set looking out with Scrooge at the centre and the set of Victorian London visible behind them

Header photo: Sarah Chun and Harris Beattie in Fools taken by Emily Nuttall. Photos top to bottom: Dominique Larose and George Liang in A Christmas Carol, Archie Sherman and Julie Nunès in Hansel & Gretel, Saeka Shirai in Romeo & Juliet, Gemma Coutts, Alessia Petrosino, Julie Nunès and Mayuko Iwanaga reheasing Sketches taken by Emily Nuttall. Aerys Merrill and Harris Beattie with choreographer George Liang; Jun Ishii, Kaho Masumoto and Yu Wakizuka; both taken by Colleen Mair. Kevin Poeung and Joseph Powell-Main in Victory Dance taken by Emily Nuttall. Ability dancers in Expressions, taken by Ant Robling. Sarah Chun in Fools taken by Emily Nuttall. CAT Students on the 2024 Summer Intensive taken by Emily Nuttall. Academy Over 55s class taken by Colleen Mair. Rise project taken by Gavin Joynt Photography. Northern Ballet dancers in A Christmas Carol taken by Emily Nuttall.

Abigail Prudames's Little Mermaid is lifted by an ocean of dancers. Photo Emma Kauldhar.

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Northern Ballet is the UK’s widest-touring ballet company, bringing the joy of the arts to hundreds of thousands of people every year who otherwise would have limited opportunities
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Wearing a black top hat and pointe shoes, the character of Gentleman Jack looks directly at the camera hands on a cane, a woman in pink hold onto her and leans back suggestively

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Joseph Taylor and Antoinette Brooks Daw in Dangerous Liaisons.

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