Press Release: David Nixon OBE steps down as Artistic Director of Northern Ballet after 20 years

[Jan McNulty]

 

 

 

Friday 28 May 2021 For immediate release   David Nixon OBE steps down as  Artistic Director of Northern Ballet after 20 years   David Nixon OBE. Photo Simon Lawson.     Northern Ballet announced today that David Nixon OBE, its longest serving Artistic Director, will step down from his role in December 2021 after 20 hugely successful years of artistic leadership.  Canadian-born David Nixon took up the post of Artistic Director of Northern Ballet in 2001. During his time with the Company, 29 full-length ballets and 23 one-act works have been added to the repertoire, as well as 14 original full-length musical compositions. As a choreographer and designer, David has created 13 original full-length ballets for Northern Ballet, including Wuthering Heights, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Great Gatsby and The Little Mermaid, and has restaged and adapted a further six productions.    Artistic Legacy  Northern Ballet’s reputation as a world-class dance company has grown exponentially during David’s directorship. Multiple Northern Ballet productions have been shown on TV, and the Company made its cinema debut during his tenure, with several works including children’s ballets shown in cinemas nationally and internationally. In October 2019 David Nixon’s Dracula became the first Northern Ballet production to be live-streamed to cinemas.   In 2020, Northern Ballet celebrated its 50th anniversary, a significant milestone marked by a celebratory gala devised by David Nixon to show the history and development of the Company. Senior dancers from all ofthe major UK ballet companies plus Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet performed works from Northern Ballet’s repertoire, testament to the regard in which David is held in the ballet world.  Northern Ballet’s success has been recognised with the Taglioni European Ballet award for Best Company. David has been awarded Dance Europe Director of the Year twice, and in 2010 was awarded an OBE for services to dance.   Abigail Prudames as Marilla and Joseph Taylor as Prince Adair in David Nixon OBE’s The Little Mermaid.  Photo Emma Kauldhar   A new home for Northern Ballet Under David’s leadership, Northern Ballet moved from West Park, Leeds, into its purpose-built headquarters in Quarry Hill in 2010. With seven dance studios, a 230-seat studio theatre and a health suite, the move enabled the Company to grow artistically and physically from 34 dancers to 44 and also furthered the development of the Academy of Northern Ballet.   Talent Development David’s legacy is also in developing talent. He is responsible for nurturing many dancers who have risen through the ranks of Northern Ballet over the course of his leadership.    Supporting the work of young choreographers, David commissioned eight full-length works including first full-length commissions to talents such as Cathy Marston (A Tale of Two Cities, Jane Eyre, Victoria) and Kenneth Tindall (Casanova, Geisha). He has given Northern Ballet’s young dancers opportunities for their choreographic debuts with children’s ballets, mixed programmes and Choreographic Labs. Most recently he has supported Northern Ballet’s growing digital platform, under the directorship of Kenneth Tindall.   Under David’s leadership with the assistance of Academy Associate Director Yoko Ichino, the Academy of Northern Ballet has grown exponentially offering classes for all ages. The Academy’s Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) programme, the only CAT in the country with a focus on classical ballet, has produced several professional dancers across many companies.   David Nixon OBE with students from the Academy of Northern Ballet. Photo Emily Nuttall   David Nixon said: ‘The time afforded for reflection during the Covid-19 pandemic made it clear that the time for me to pass the Company on to new leadership had come. I wish to thank my dancers past and present, all those who work on the artistic side of the Company and all the creative collaborators I have had the privilege to work with over these years for their priceless contribution towards the Company’s many artistic achievements. I wish to thank the Board for the opportunity they have afforded me for over 20 years of directing Northern Ballet and I am grateful to all those who have worked for Northern Ballet, our supporters and audience members, without whose support nothing would have been possible. Finally, my deep gratitude for the extraordinary, never-failing support of my wife, without whom I could never have done any of this.’   Sir David Wootton, Chairman of Northern Ballet, said: ‘David took the legacy of Christopher Gable and built on it to transform Northern Ballet into the internationally-renowned, commercially-thriving company it is, recognised around the world for artistic excellence. David’s talent as an artistic leader and the loyalty and dedication he has created in his dancers is shown by the cohesion and performance levels which the Company has maintained during the pandemic and which will be evident when we return to performing on 1 June.’   Northern Ballet will begin the process to recruit a new Artistic Director shortly. -ENDS-    Notes to Editors   David Nixon OBE Read David Nixon’s full biography here   Northern Ballet Northern Ballet is one of the UK’s leading ballet companies and the widest touring ballet company in the UK. Bold and innovative in its approach, Northern Ballet is prolific at creating new full-length work with a unique blend of strong classical technique and impressive storytelling. Northern Ballet’s repertoire embraces popular culture and takes inspiration from literature, legend, opera and the classics, pushing the boundaries of what stories can be told through dance.   A champion for the cultural exports of the North, Leeds-based Northern Ballet is dedicated to bringing ballet to as many people and places as possible, under the leadership of Artistic Director David Nixon OBE. Northern Ballet’s Company of dancers performs a combination of its full-length ballets and specially created ballets for children at more than 40 venues annually.   For more details of Northern Ballet's tour, on sale dates and booking information, please visit northernballet.com/whats-on

[Bruce Wall]

His silken management style and encouragement of young talent will be hard to beat.  I so hope he continues in a similar vein in the future.  He still has much to offer.  

[Jan McNulty]

Well said Bruce.

 

I knew it had to come some time but it's still a shock and he will be very much missed.  I wonder if Yoko Ichino will also be retiring from the Academy.

 

Very, very best wishes to David for the future.

[Bruce Wall]

I wonder if he is in the running to replace Karen Kain at the National Ballet of Canada.  (Her retirement was announced for January of this year but obviously that has been - like so many other things - waylaid by the pandemic.)  He would make a fine successor I think ... and like Kain herself, is both a graduate of the School and former Company member.  

[SheilaC]

Some of us involved with the company have been wondering for a while if Kenny Tindall was being prepared to take over, eventually, from David Nixon. Javier Torres has been developing a lot of varied experience in arts administration and direction in recent years but would surely need more prolonged experience to take the reins of a company of this size.

 

But there could be an argument, as with any company, to bring in an outsider.

[Jan McNulty]

5 hours ago, Bruce Wall said:

I wonder if he is in the running to replace Karen Kain at the National Ballet of Canada.  (Her retirement was announced for January of this year but obviously that has been - like so many other things - waylaid by the pandemic.)  He would make a fine successor I think ... and like Kain herself, is both a graduate of the School and former Company member.  

 

I think that would be fantastic for NBoC but would David want to take on such a challenge in his more mature years?

[LinMM]

I’ve enjoyed all the works I have seen of his so will be hard to replace as has left Northern Ballet in a very strong position. 
Wishing him every success in his future ventures. 

[NJH]

22 hours ago, SheilaC said:

Some of us involved with the company have been wondering for a while if Kenny Tindall was being prepared to take over, eventually, from David Nixon. Javier Torres has been developing a lot of varied experience in arts administration and direction in recent years but would surely need more prolonged experience to take the reins of a company of this size.

 

But there could be an argument, as with any company, to bring in an outsider.

I think a lot of people  have assumed that Kenny's appointment was to keep him (and Hannah Bateman)  'close to home'  I wouldn't  want to get into in the veracity of that ( and  leave it  for Kenny  and/or David Nixon  to make any  further comment on that topic  as suits them 

those positing Javier Torres  as a future AD  may  very  well have merit but  equally  there are other  Senior Dancers  who have  got experience in  arts leadership and administration as well   e.g. Hannah B ...  Hannah is a savvy person with a  fabulous temprament  and  ability to deliver on the promises  she makes.  ( I am a complete Hannah  Fangirl girl)

one also might wonder  about future AoNB  leaderhip if Yoko Ichino is also stepping down  but  the appointment of  Both Vicky Goldsmith (Sibson) and Pippa Moore to  the Academy  staff on their  retirement as performers  bodes well in that direction for home grown  leadership ...  

[NJH]

18 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

I think that would be fantastic for NBoC but would David want to take on such a challenge in his more mature years?

I  would agree with you  -   as   despite  his boyish good looks  iirc David Nixon is in his mid 60s 

[NJH]

I'm surprised there isn't a thread  here all ready 

 but Northern have officially  started their search of David Nixon's replacement 

https://aeminternational.co.uk/artistic-director-northern-ballet/

Edited June 22, 2021 by NJH

[capybara]

It's interesting that the Artistic Director and Chief Executive "are jointly responsible" for Northern Ballet. It is surely more normal for an AD to have precedence?

[NJH]

11 minutes ago, capybara said:

It's interesting that the Artistic Director and Chief Executive "are jointly responsible" for Northern Ballet. It is surely more normal for an AD to have precedence?

it's all down to the   exact split of things - why should the AD  have the ultimate say    on  things that are not aobut the  activities of the  company  as performers -  a  top 5 company is much more than  the company  

( this is neither  the time or place for me to go one  of my  diatribes  about the way the big companies can, at times. act counter to the winder interests of ballet as an activity ) 

Edited June 22, 2021 by NJH

[Jan McNulty]

12 hours ago, capybara said:

It's interesting that the Artistic Director and Chief Executive "are jointly responsible" for Northern Ballet. It is surely more normal for an AD to have precedence?

 

These days I don't entirely think that is the case Capybara (unless you are Christopher Hampson at Scottish Ballet).  I suspect it is a collaboration between the two posts in the other main companies too.

[capybara]

54 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

These days I don't entirely think that is the case Capybara (unless you are Christopher Hampson at Scottish Ballet).  I suspect it is a collaboration between the two posts in the other main companies too.

 

Yes, it has, indeed, to be a collaboration, but the company infrastructure is surely there to support the artistic vision of the Director and the Board (which, of course, goes wider than the company itself). One only has to look at what emerges from BRB and ENB to see how the 'Executive Directors'  put their ADs forward in everything they say and write.

Christopher Hampson holds both roles at Scottish - phew!

[Jan McNulty]

2 hours ago, capybara said:

 

Yes, it has, indeed, to be a collaboration, but the company infrastructure is surely there to support the artistic vision of the Director and the Board (which, of course, goes wider than the company itself). One only has to look at what emerges from BRB and ENB to see how the 'Executive Directors'  put their ADs forward in everything they say and write.

Christopher Hampson holds both roles at Scottish - phew!

 

The CE at NB has always kept a low public profile but does promote the artistic vision as with ENB & BRB.