NEWS: Pippa Moore is retiring from Northern Ballet after 23 years

[Jan McNulty]

Pippa Moore is retiring from Northern Ballet at the end of the Spring 2019 season after an incredible 23 years with the Company.

 

Although she will be performing throughout the season her valedictory performance will be in front of the company's home crowd in Leeds on 16th March 2019 at 19:30.

 

This really is the end of an era as Pippa is the last dancer still dancing with the company from the Christopher Gable era (although Daniel de Andrade and Hiro Takahashi both graduated to the ballet staff).  Pippa was a stalwart from her earliest days with the company, always there in the corps and soloist roles.  Her real breakthrough came with her gloriously comic creation of Helena in David Nixon's A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Other memorable roles were Juliet (with Hiro as her Romeo) in the Gable/Morricone production of Romeo and Juliet, both Suzuki and Butterfly in Madame Butterfly and her glorious Giselle in Yoko Ichino's fabulous production as well as creating the roles of Clara in David Nixon's The Nutcracker and Wendy in Peter Pan.

 

Over the last couple of years Pippa has also worked with the Education Department and has done the commentary for audio-described performances as well as coaching younger dancers and continuing to dance leading and character roles.  Her stage performances will be very much missed and I sincerely hope that she will still be sharing her experience and knowledge with the company.

 

Very best wishes to Pippa for the future.

 

[SheilaC]

She will be greatly missed, she has made a huge contribution to the company. I have a ticket for the Linbury that night but will have to return it so that I can go to Pippa's last Leeds performance. I hope she has an appropriate role in Victoria so that she can go out with a flourish.

[blackdove]

Seen her dance many times. Beautiful dancer who will be greatly missed.

[Jan McNulty]

Pippa talks about her new role at Northern Ballet:

 

https://northernballet.com/blogs/learning/19-10-01/former-premier-dancer-pippa-moore-takes-on-new-role

[maryrosesatonapin]

I had the impression she enjoyed dancing Princess Beatrice very much when I saw her at Milton Keynes, so I hope her final performance is a happy one for her.  She has certainly been loyal to the company.

[Jan McNulty]

46 minutes ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

I had the impression she enjoyed dancing Princess Beatrice very much when I saw her at Milton Keynes, so I hope her final performance is a happy one for her.  She has certainly been loyal to the company.

 

Her valedictory performance was in Leeds on 16 March (her last in Northern Ballet's home city) and her final performance was in Belfast at the end of the tour of Victoria.

 

I had the good fortune to have a long chat with Pippa in Norwich last year and she was saying how much she was enjoying doing the audio descriptions and hoped she would be carrying on to do them in the future.

 

I think what is particularly good about NB at the moment is that David Nixon obviously values the experience of the company and a number of ex-dancers are involved in the Academy and on the ballet staff.  I'm so glad Pippa is staying on.

[maryrosesatonapin]

Oh I didn't look at the date of the post about her valedictory performance!  It's good she continues to work with NB.  She has a lot to offer.