Press Release: Northern Ballet announce new children’s ballet

[Jan McNulty]

	For immediate release  30 April 2024     Northern Ballet announce new children’s ballet Hansel & Gretel to première in Leeds next year

	Northern Ballet presents Hansel & Gretel   Leeds Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre 15-22 February 2025  National tour dates to be announced

	Northern Ballet have announced a new addition to their award-winning series of ballets for children, Hansel & Gretel. The ballet will première next year at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre in Leeds from 15-22 February before embarking on a national tour.    In an environmental reimagining of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel take a trip into the forest, unaware of the damage they leave behind. When they get lost, the siblings meet a host of spirited friends who teach them how we can all better look after the planet - and have some fun along the way!    The 40-minute ballet is designed for children age three plus and their families to experience live dance, music and theatre together. There are also relaxed and audio described performances available, ensuring the production remains accessible for as many people as possible.   Northern Ballet have been touring their award-winning ballets for children across the UK for over a decade, with their latest show Tortoise & the Hare touring until the end of May. Their other ballets include the hugely successful Three Little Pigs, Elves & the Shoemaker, Ugly Duckling and Goldilocks & the Three Bears, some having been shown in cinemas across the UK and all of which were adapted for TV by CBeebies.      Hansel & Gretel will be choreographed by Northern Ballet Company Dancers George Liang and Harris Beattie. The two have starred in various named roles in many of Northern Ballet’s recent productions and have choreographed for the Company previously in Northern Ballet’s Sketches, a programme that showcases new choreographic talent. The ballet will be performed to live music which will be composed by Colin Scott, Northern Ballet’s Company Pianist. Designing sets and costumes is Ali Allen. To coincide with the ballet’s environmental message, a majority of the materials for sets and costumes are going to be sustainably created with reused materials.    Northern Ballet will also be organising a Family Fun Day themed around Hansel & Gretel, where children aged five to seven will be able to take part in a day of dancing, crafting and learning, followed by a chance to watch the new children’s ballet.     Tickets are on sale now, with dates for the forthcoming tour to be announced. For more information and details on how to book, please visit northernballet.com/theatre/hansel-and-gretel

Notes to Editors   Hansel & Gretel Listings  Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre  15 - 22 February 2025  Sat 15/02: 11am, 2pm, 4pm  Mon 17/02, Tue 18/02, Wed 19/02, Thu 20/02: 11am, 1pm, 3pm  Fri 21/02, Sat 22/02: 11am*, 2pm**, 4pm  *Relaxed performance  **Audio Described performance  Box Office 0113 220 8008  northernballet.com/theatre      Northern Ballet   Bold and innovative in its approach, Northern Ballet is one of the UK’s leading and widest touring ballet companies, dedicated to creating stories that connect.    A champion for the cultural exports of the North, the Leeds-based Company is committed to bringing ballet to as many people and places as possible, under the leadership of Artistic Director Federico Bonelli. Northern Ballet’s Company of dancers performs a combination of its full-length ballets and specially created ballets for children at more than thirty venues annually.      Audiences can also enjoy Northern Ballet’s work on screen through their digital dance platform. Visit northernballet.com/digital-dance to discover more.    In addition to Hansel & Gretel, Northern Ballet will be touring Romeo & Juliet and A Christmas Carol to theatres across the UK this autumn, as well as Jane Eyre in the spring of 2025. To find out more visit northernballet.com/whats-on     Illustration by Emily Nuttall.