Inside Sketches

Company Dancer George Liang is from Taipei in Taiwan, he trained with the New Zealand School of Dance, Canada’s National Ballet School, and I Shin Dance Studio. He previously danced with The National Ballet of Canada and joined Northern Ballet in 2018.

Alongside a busy schedule of rehearsals and performances, this spring George choreographed two pas de deux for Sketches. We caught up with him to hear more about his experience, and, in a Northern Ballet Insider exclusive, you can watch the full performance of Two Souls below.
 

Interview with George

How did you get involved with Sketches?

In February 2024, we all received an email from Federico inviting us to participate in this year’s Sketches. Since I had such a great experience creating for Sketches last year, I decided to join again.

Can you explain what the pieces were about and what inspired your work?

This year, Federico asked us to think outside the box and explore the concept of pas de deux (the ballet term for dance for two). I decided to challenge myself by creating a pas de deux for two women. The idea behind this duet is two souls searching for each other.

How much time did you spend in rehearsals?

For this work I was given two weeks to create the final piece.

Which dancers did you work with?

In this work, Two Souls, I collaborated with Saeka Shirai and Julie Nunès. I have long admired their pointe work and their unique movement qualities. Saeka brings a precision and grace to her movements that is truly captivating, while Julie's expressive and fluid style adds a wonderful dynamic to the piece. Working with both of them allowed us to create a duet that is both technically impressive and deeply emotive. Their dedication and creativity were essential in bringing the concept of two souls searching for each other to life on stage.

The music was beautiful, who composed it?

I had the pleasure of collaborating with a talented music production student ZhouHan Du from Leeds Conservatoire on this new score. Although he had never composed anything classical before, he found the process both interesting and rewarding. I especially loved the way he composed the violin solo, which added an emotional depth and richness to the piece. His fresh perspective and innovative approach brought a unique and beautiful dimension to the work.

It sounds like an excellent opportunity; how do you think it will benefit your career going forward?

It really is a wonderful opportunity for us dancers to develop additional skills as artists. I hope to continue refining my choreographic voice with future opportunities. There aren’t many Asian choreographers in the ballet world, and I feel I could contribute a unique perspective to the community. This experience is helping me grow as a choreographer, and I'm grateful for the chance to learn and share my ideas.

George is sponsored by Paul & Diane Cusworth.