David Nixon OBE’s Dracula will be shown on BBC Four on Sunday 31 May and BBC iPlayer throughout June as part of their popular Pay As You Feel Digital Season.
After sell-out live performances and an international livestream last October, this adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic will make its television debut at 10pm.
When theatres closed in March Northern Ballet, along with the rest of the theatre industry, was severely impacted and had to cut their spring tour after just one performance. In response, the Company pledged to keep bringing world-class ballet to their audiences through a new Pay As You Feel Digital Season. To date the season has been watched by over 200,000 people and attracted donations of over £20,000.
The Company is set to face a loss of over £1M in box office income due to COVID-19 which may impact their ability to pay their workforce, many of whom are freelancers, as well as their ability to present new ballets. Whilst theatres remain dark, the Company aims to continue making their performances available online and on TV, encouraging audiences to donate when they watch, if they are able. Those who wish to support the Company can donate at northernballet.com/pay-as-you-feel
Dracula was recorded at Leeds Playhouse on Halloween 2019 and streamed live to over 10,000 viewers in cinemas across Europe. Choreographed by David Nixon OBE, it stars Premier Dancer Javier Torres in the lead role.
Northern Ballet’s Pay As You Feel Digital Season also includesAmaury Lebrun’s For An Instant; Kenneth Tindall’s original dance film EGO, Mariana Rodrigues’ Little Red Riding Hood; highlights from Northern Ballet’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Gala and extended scenes from across the Northern Ballet repertoire including Kenneth Tindall’s Geisha.
Premièred in 2019, Amaury Lebrun’s For An Instant was part of Northern Ballet’s Three Short Ballets programme and had just 7 performances across Leeds and Doncaster. The full ballet created, by the award-winning contemporary dance maker with Northern Ballet’s versatile performers, is available to watch online until 7 June.
Highlights from their 50th Anniversary Celebration Gala, which was performed at Leeds Grand Theatre in January include scenes from Kenneth Tindall’s Casanova, with music by Kerry Muzzey,and David Nixon OBE’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. More will be released from this one-night only spectacular which, alongside Northern Ballet, featured dancers from The Royal Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Phoenix Dance Theatre and Scottish Ballet.
To find out more about Northern Ballet’s Pay As You Feel Digital Season, please visit northernballet.com/pay-as-you-feel
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