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Annual Review 2015/16
2015/16 was a wonderful
year for Northern Ballet
We toured 8 different ballets and 2 mixed
programmes to 53 venues
Our ballets were seen by more than 165,000
people and grossed more than £3 million at the
Box Office
1.308 million people saw a Northern Ballet
production on TV or BBC iPlayer
Our success was celebrated with a number of
nominations:
Nominated for Outstanding Company, Best Male
Dancer (Tobias Batley), Emerging Artist (Kenneth
Tindall) and Best Classical Choreography
(Kenneth Tindall’s The Architect) at the 2015
National Dance Awards
1984 nominated in the Dance Category at the
Manchester Theatre Awards
Nominated for a Children’s BAFTA for the
CBeebies adaptation of Elves & the Shoemaker
(Pre-School Live Action)
Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
Contents
Productions............................................................... 4-11
Short Ballets for Small People.................... 12-13
Tell Tale Steps.......................................................... 14
Collaborations........................................................ 15
Academy of Northern Ballet........................ 16-17
Learning....................................................................... 18-19
Development........................................................... 20-21
Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre............ 22-23
Our home.................................................................... 24
Financial summary.............................................. 25
Find out more.......................................................... 26
Front cover: Tobias Batley and Martha Leebolt
in 1984. Photo Emma Kauldhar.
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Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
David Nixon’s
The Great Gatsby
In 2015 The Great Gatsby’s glittering UK run
came to an end with final performances at
Norwich Theatre Royal.
This blockbuster ballet also made a trip
overseas to China where the production
wowed packed audiences in Shanghai
and Beijing.
★★★★
‘Beautiful to behold’
Yorkshire Post
‘A powerful piece of dance
which grips you with all the
fever of the original book’
Eastern Daily Press
Excerpts from The Great Gatsby
This Page: Tobias Batley and Martha Leebolt in The Great Gatsby.
Photos by Bill Cooper. Opposite: Rachael Gillespie and Jeremy Curnier in
Wuthering Heights. Photo Emma Kauldhar.
Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
David Nixon’s
Wuthering Heights
There was passion, drama and romance aplenty on this
year’s Wuthering Heights tour. Performances took place in
Southampton, Milton Keynes and Canterbury, as well as
Bradford, just miles from Emily Brontë’s original setting.
Excerpts from Wuthering Heights
‘Northern Ballet at its best’
Mail on Sunday
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Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
Mixed Programmes
This year we presented mixed
programmes at the Royal Opera
House’s Linbury Studio Theatre
and the Stanley & Audrey
Burton Theatre in our Leeds HQ.
In London and Leeds
the programme featured
Christopher Hampson’s
Perpetuum Mobile, Demis
Volpi’s Little Monsters, Jonathan
Watkins’ A Northern Trilogy and
Kenneth Tindall’s The Architect.
In London the programme also
included Mark Godden’s Angels
in the Architecture and Leeds
audiences were treated to
Daniel de Andrade’s Fatal Kiss.
‘A dazzling display of humour,
wit and fine dancing’
Sunday Express
Excerpts from our Mixed Programme
This Page: Joseph Taylor and Dreda Blow in Little Monsters.
Opposite: Tobias Batley in Madame Butterfly.
Photos Emma Kauldhar.
David Nixon’s
Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
Madame Butterfly
with Perpetuum Mobile
‘You don’t have to be a ballet expert to enjoy this performance
by Northern Ballet but I guarantee you will enjoy it’
Sheffield Star
In 2015 we embarked on a new strand of touring to widen the
Company’s reach and further our commitment to bringing
ballet to as many people and places as possible. The tour
visited Doncaster, Blackpool, Liverpool, Wolverhampton,
Leicester, Richmond and Bromley and gave thousands of new
audience members the opportunity to experience world-class
ballet on their doorstep.
Audiences were treated to both David Nixon’s Madame Butterfly
and Christopher Hampson’s Perpetuum Mobile in one night.
Excerpts from Madame Butterfly
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Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
Jonathan Watkins’
1984
Big Brother was always
watching this year as our new
full length ballet, created by
Jonathan Watkins, toured to
Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield,
and Manchester.
This acclaimed production
garnered praise from critics and
audiences alike, and was filmed
by The Space in collaboration
with BBC Arts. This was the first
time in over 20 years that one
of our full-length productions
has been broadcast on TV.
1984 premièred on BBC Four
in February before being made
available to watch on iPlayer – it
has been watched by more than
150,000 people.
Excerpts from 1984
Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
1984
Winner of The South Bank
Sky Arts Dance Award, June 2016
★★★★
★★★★
The Guardian
Financial Times
★★★★
★★★★
The Telegraph
The Independent
This Page: Northern Ballet dancers in 1984.
Photo Emma Kauldhar.
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Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
David Nixon’s
The Nutcracker
We had our most sparkling
Christmas ever as we revived The
Nutcracker in Woking, Newcastle,
Norwich and Leeds. This ever
popular festive treat continued to
provide the ultimate entertainment
for all the family and resulted in
our most successful Christmas Box
Office sales of all time.
‘A magical performance’
The Reviews Hub
Excerpts from The Nutcracker
Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
David Nixon’s
Swan Lake
Audiences in Leeds and Sheffield
had the chance to see Swan Lake
like never before as we revived this
reimagined classic.
★★★★
‘This is a very special Swan Lake’
York Press
This timeless ballet was another
smash-hit at the Box Office as our
opening at Leeds Grand Theatre
saw the best non-Christmas sales in
Northern Ballet’s history.
Excerpts from Swan Lake
This Page: Martha Leebolt in Swan Lake.
Opposite: Rachael Gillespie in The Nutcracker.
Photos Emma Kauldhar.
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Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
Short Ballets
for Small
People
Excerpts from Elves & the Shoemaker
Our Short Ballets for
Small People visited 42
venues and were seen
by more than 38,000
people on stage.
On average people paid
just £6.30 per ticket.
Excerpts from Tortoise & the Hare
Elves & the Shoemaker
Tortoise & the Hare
Our third ballet for children Elves
& the Shoemaker, choreographed
by Daniel de Andrade, continued to
sprinkle its magic up and down the
country with performances from
Stirling to Southampton.
Following the success of Ugly
Duckling, Dreda Blow and
Sebastian Loe teamed up again
to create Tortoise & the Hare.
It was ready, steady, go for this
new family friendly ballet which
premièred in Leeds at the Stanley
& Audrey Burton Theatre before
two performances in community
venues and a national tour.
‘Short, sweet and enchanting’
The Stage
‘Delightfully performed’
The Stage
To engage children and young people with Tortoise & the Hare we
delivered 122 workshops in nurseries, children’s centres, schools and
private dance schools, with 5,886 children and their families taking part.
Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
Northern
Ballet and
CBeebies
We were delighted to
continue to work with
CBeebies as both
Elves & the Shoemaker and
Tortoise & the Hare were
broadcast to the delight of
families everywhere.
First up was Elves & the Shoemaker
which was broadcast in April 2015.
Then during 2016 our dancers,
Mr Bloom and the tiddlers were
together once more for the filming
of Tortoise & the Hare which was
broadcast in March 2016.
This meant more people were
able to enjoy these magical
performances from the comfort
of their homes.
This Page: Northern Ballet dancers in Tortoise & the Hare. Opposite:
Kiara Flavin and Filippo di Vilio in Elves & the Shoemaker. Northern Ballet
dancers in Tortoise & the Hare. Photos Brian Slater.
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Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
Tell Tale Steps
Northern Ballet held its inaugural
Choreographic Laboratory, Tell Tale
Steps this year. Taking place at our
home on Quarry Hill, in partnership
with The Royal Ballet and Scottish
Ballet, Tell Tale Steps demonstrated
our commitment to nurturing new
choreographic talent.
Four choreographers were selected and had the
opportunity to work with Northern Ballet’s dancers to
explore narrative dance. The Laboratory culminated
in a presentation of ideas and a panel discussion.
2015 Laboratory choreographers:
Kenneth Tindall
Ludovic Ondiviela
Constant Vigier
Andrew McNicol
Tell Tale Steps also gave us the opportunity to live
stream for the first time. Three different rehearsals
were streamed, and in total 2,056 people have seen
those recordings either live or on demand.
About Tell Tale Steps 2015
Opposite top: Miki Akuta in Nicola Gervasi’s In Absentia. Photo Lauren Godfrey.
Opposite bottom: Hannah Bateman in Children of the Mantic Stain. Photo Justin Slee.
Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
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Ballet at the Gallery
Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate
Taking inspiration from an exhibition
by Yorkshire artist Tom Wood, six
of our dancers created short dance
pieces in response to his portraits,
which were performed live at
Mercer Art Gallery.
This sell-out event was our first
collaboration with the innovative
Mercer Art Gallery and described
as ‘one of the best artistic events
Harrogate has seen in the last 25
years’ (Harrogate Advertiser).
Collaborations
Children of the
Mantic Stain
Linder Sterling and
Kenneth Tindall
A new ballet by visual artist Linder
Sterling and Kenneth Tindall was
premièred as part of the British
Art Show 8. The piece featured
eight Company dancers and has so
far been performed in Leeds and
Edinburgh, with performances in
London and Norwich in summer 2016.
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Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
The
Academy
of Northern
Ballet
Centre for Advanced
Training (CAT)
The 2015/16 CAT programme graduates
achieved places at vocational schools
including Elmhurst School for Dance, Royal
Conservatoire of Scotland and Rambert
School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.
Pupils were given the opportunity to
perform in the Company’s performances
of The Nutcracker at Leeds Grand Theatre
and a new work Small Steps at the
Leeds Annual Holocaust Memorial Day
Remembrance Service.
Professional Graduate
Programme
The Professional Graduate Programme
continued to act as a finishing course for
trained classical ballet dancers transitioning
into a professional career. We were delighted
that Harriet Marden joined Northern Ballet
on completion of the programme.
Open Classes
The Academy’s Open Classes welcomed
over 600 people into the studios with
students enjoying a range of weekly classes
over three terms.
Find out more about The Academy
Opposite: Northern Ballet classes at The Academy of Northern Ballet.
Photos Justin Slee.
Northern Ballet Annual Review 2014/15
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Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
Learning
During the year, our Learning team
continued to deliver a wide range
of activities, engaging over 13,000
people of all ages and abilities in
dance, through participatory activity
and watching live dance.
Working in schools
877 young people from schools and youth
centres took part in our START education
programme involving workshops in school
and visiting the theatre to see ballet for the
first time.
Developing skills
‘The children loved the workshops
and were all thoroughly engaged,
enjoying the opportunity to learn
how to use and move their bodies
in different ways’
Early Years Teacher,
Long Meadow Primary School
We worked with 134 teachers and nursery
staff to develop their skills in delivering
dance. 35 work placements, student
placements and volunteering opportunities
took place.
Courses
40 children took part in our annual Easter
Course. 41 children took part in our annual
Summer Course, creating a dance film and
achieving their Discover Arts Award.
Children’s Centre project
30 children from 3 local children’s centres
took part in our project, exploring the stories
of Going on a Bear Hunt and Where the Wild
Things Are through creative movement play.
Photos Gavin Joynt, Lauren Godfrey, Tony O’Connell and Jo Dean.
Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
Diversity
Work with Green Lane Primary School,
Bradford led to a greater understanding of
the barriers to accessing ballet for families
from an Asian heritage.
In Leeds, one of our community
performances of Tortoise & the Hare
attracted an audience that was 90%
from an Asian background.
Accessible performances
7 audio descriptions were delivered
nationally with 74 visually impaired
patrons accessing performances. 2 relaxed
performances of our Short Ballets for Small
People were held, enabling young people
with autism or communication disorders
to access live theatre in a supportive
environment.
Ability
9 adults with learning disabilities attended
weekly classes to train, create and perform.
Expressions
Disabled people from 9 northern dance
groups performed in an accessible dance
sharing at the Stanley & Audrey Burton
Theatre, including participants from our In
Motion project for young wheelchair users.
Children’s Hospice project
5 families took part in our START hospice
project which enabled children with a life
limiting condition and their families to visit
the theatre and take part in photography
and dance sessions.
Find out more about Learning
‘Our young people were
completely engaged by the
performance and left pirouetting
their way through City Park on the
way home! For lots of the group
it was their first time in a theatre
and it was the first experience of
watching ballet for everyone’
Project Coordinator,
Dance United Yorkshire
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Development
Building on the success of the previous
12 months, 2015/16 was another year of
substantial growth for our Development
team, generating more than £850,000
through generous donations from
individuals, trusts and corporate
organisations. Successes include:
>
The launch of the Future Builders’ individual giving
programme, celebrated in June 2015 with the
inaugural annual Future Builders’ Dinner
>
The Emerald Foundation continued their generous
support, providing funding for our first mid-scale
tour and our new production of 1984
>
2015/16 was the second year of a five year pledge
by the Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation, generously
supporting the work of the Company across our
artistic and outreach activities
>
A successful partnership with Hammerson and the
Victoria Quarter saw the first ever Northern Ballet
Christmas Tree unveiled at Leeds Railway Station,
promoting The Nutcracker and providing invaluable
support for the Company
>
First Direct increased their ongoing support,
sponsoring the national tour of Swan Lake, in
addition to their longstanding Platinum partnership
>
The launch of our first Christmas Appeal, raising
funds for our joint project with Martin’s House
Children’s Hospice, bringing the wonder of dance
to children with life-limiting illnesses
>
The John Ellerman Foundation pledged significant
support for our second and third mid-scale tours in
2016 and 2017, helping to build secure income for
our future Support us now
Opposite top: Northern Ballet dancers in 1984. Opposite bottom: Giuliano Contadini,
Martha Leebolt and Javier Torres in Swan Lake. Photos Emma Kauldhar.
Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
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Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
Stanley &
Audrey Burton
Theatre
The Stanley & Audrey Burton
Theatre seats up to 230 people
and is located in the heart
of Leeds’ cultural quarter.
In 2015/16, this unique venue offered audiences
the opportunity to see performances from worldclass companies including Northern Ballet, Ballet
Black, Royal New Zealand Ballet and Phoenix Dance
Theatre. The theatre also hosted showcases from
dance schools such as Flex Dance and Ballet Central
and family performances including the world
première of our Short Ballets for Small People –
this year Tortoise & the Hare.
More than 12,000 people attended performances at
the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre in 2015/16.
Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16 23
This Page: Phoenix Dance Theatre. Photo Richard Moran.
Ballet Black. Photo Bill Cooper. Opposite: Royal New Zealand
Ballet dancers in The Anatomy of a Passing Cloud. Photo Evan Li.
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Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
Our Home
The home of Northern
Ballet offers unique,
creative and flexible
facilities for meetings,
conferences and events.
Northern Ballet welcomed clients
and delegates from NHS England,
Yorkshire Water, Your Consortium,
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation,
Disability Rights UK, The Royal Town
Planning Institute and many more.
In 2015/16 we welcomed a total
of 3,931 delegates through the
doors across a total of 97 meetings,
conferences and events.
Hire our venue
Northern Ballet Annual Review 2015/16
Financial
Summary
Download the 2015/16
Financial Statement
Key facts
Revenue generated
from touring:
£2,521,000
Donations received
through fundraising:
£862,000
External funding received:
£3,701,000
Cost of artistic product
and touring:
£6,363,000
Opposite: Northern Ballet at night. Photo Karl Andre.
Back Page: Dreda Blow and Joseph Taylor in Little Monsters.
Photo Emma Kauldhar.
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Artistic Director
David Nixon OBE
Chief Executive
Mark Skipper DL
Find us online
northernballet.com
2016/17 will be another
exciting year for
Northern Ballet.
Click here to see
what’s coming up
Click here to join
Northern Ballet’s e-list
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Northern Ballet Limited registered in England and Wales. Company
limited by guarantee and share capital.