Press Release: Northern Ballet returns to the Royal Opera House with a Mixed Programme featuring two London premières

[Jan McNulty]

Northern Ballet returns to the Royal Opera House with a Mixed Programme featuring two London premières
 
Northern Ballet is returning to the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Studio Theatre following its sell-out inaugural visit in 2014. The Leeds-based company, who were recently awarded Best Company at the Taglioni European Ballet Awards, will perform a Mixed Programme of five works, including the London premières of Kenneth Tindall’s The Architect and Jonathan Watkins’ A Northern Trilogy, from 12 – 14 May 2015.
 
Specialising in performing full-length classical narrative works, Northern Ballet’s annual Mixed Programme provides the opportunity for audiences to experience the athleticism, passion and technical prowess of the Company in a more intimate setting as the dancers rise superbly to realise the visions of each choreographer. This year the Mixed Programme will feature London premières by two of Britain’s most exciting emerging choreographers as the Company performs Kenneth Tindall’s The Architect and Jonathan Watkins’ A Northern Trilogy. The programme will also include Mark Godden’s Angels in the Architecture, Demis Volpi’s Little Monsters and Christopher Hampson’s Perpetuum Mobile.
 
Opening the programme, Mark Godden’s Angels in the Architecture is set to Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring and is inspired by the beauty and simplicity of the lives of the Shaker people.
 
A Northern Trilogy was created by former Royal Ballet dancer Jonathan Watkins for Northern Ballet’s 45^th anniversarySapphire Gala in March 2014. Set to a soundtrack of voice recordings by Stanley Cooper; Yorkshire Pudden, One-Each-A-Piece-All-Round and The Lion and Albert; A Northern Trilogy is a light-hearted and witty piece capturing the spirit and humour of the North. This is Watkins’ first creation for Northern Ballet for whom he will create a full-length adaptation of1984 to première this September in Leeds.
 
Northern Ballet first performed Demis Volpi’s Little Monsters at their 45^th anniversary Sapphire Gala in March 2014. Choreographed by Stuttgart Ballet’s resident choreographer, Little Monsters tells a love story from the passionate beginning to the despair of its end expressed through the lyrics of Elvis Presley songs Love Me Tender, I Want You, I Need You, I Love You and Are You Lonesome Tonight?
 
Perpetuum Mobile, was one of Christopher Hampson’s first creations for English National Ballet with whom he danced until 1999. Now Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet, Hampson’s Perpetuum Mobile is a challenging classic piece inspired by, and set to, Bach’s Violin Concerto in E Major.
 
Closing the programme, The Architect premièred in Leeds in June 2014 and is created by Northern Ballet’s Premier Dancer, Kenneth Tindall, who retires at the end of the season to pursue a full-time career as a choreographer. Taking inspiration from the story of Adam and Eve, The Architect explores the creation and temptations of mankind in an intensely physical performance with music by Zoe Keating, Olafur Arnalds, Kerry Muzzey and Balanescu Quartet and sets and costumes designed by Christopher Giles.
 
Artistic Director of Northern Ballet, David Nixon OBE, said: ‘I am delighted that Northern Ballet is returning to perform in Covent Garden for the second time after receiving such a positive response to our inaugural visit in 2014.
 
Northern Ballet is a company that possesses some of the most talented and emotionally engaging dancers in the world. Through our Mixed Programme we are able to showcase their versatility performing in any genre and the Linbury Studio Theatre is the ideal setting for audiences to experience our company up close and at their most physical. I would like to thank Kevin O’Hare for welcoming us back once more and for his continuing support of our company.’
 
Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, said: ‘It is a pleasure to welcome back Northern Ballet to our Linbury Studio Theatre. There will be something for audiences of all ages in this year’s performances of their Mixed Programme and Elves & the Shoemaker and it’s especially exciting to see one of the latest works by former Royal Ballet First Artist Jonathan Watkins with the London première of his A Northern Trilogy.’
 
Tickets for Northern Ballet’s Mixed Programme at the Linbury Studio Theatre are still available and can be booked online atroh.org.uk or by calling the box office on 0207 304 4000.
 
Northern Ballet will also perform its children’s ballet, Elves & the Shoemaker, at the Linbury Studio Theatre from 15 – 16 May 2015. All performances are sold out but call the box office on 0207 304 4000 to enquire about returns.
 
-ENDS-
 

Notes to Editors
For more details of Northern Ballet's tour, on sale dates and booking information, please visit northernballet.com/whatson.
 
Voted Best Company at the 2014 Taglioni European Ballet Awards, Northern Ballet is one of the UK’s five large ballet companies. Based in Leeds it performs throughout the UK as well as overseas. Northern Ballet’s productions mix classical dance and theatre, embracing popular culture and taking inspiration from literature, opera, or giving a unique interpretation of popular classical ballets.
 
Northern Ballet is the busiest touring ballet company in the UK and is typically on the road for around 32 weeks of the year. The Company of 48 dancers tours a combination of full-length new work and established repertoire to cities throughout the UK. Northern Ballet will introduce a new strand of touring in 2015, widening the Company’s already extensive reach. The new mid-scale tour will see the Company perform in nine additional venues.
 
Northern Ballet tours widely with its ballets for children, the first three of which were adapted for TV by CBeebies, and also performs a mixed programme showcasing the versatility of its dancers.
 
Visit northernballet.com for more information on the Company and tour. 
 
Mixed Programme – Tour Dates
Leeds, Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre     
6 – 9 May 2015                                                                         
Box Office 0113 220 8008                            
theatreleeds.com      
                                    
London, Linbury Studio Theatre   
12 – 14 May 2015      
Box Office 0207 304 4000     
roh.org.uk          
 
Elves & the Shoemaker – Tour Dates
London, Linbury Studio Theatre
15 – 16 May 2015                              
Box Office 0207 304 4000
roh.org.uk                    
 
Also touring nationally. See northernballet.com/Elves for more information.
 
The Royal Ballet Studio Programme
The Linbury Studio Theatre is programmed by The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera as part of the Royal Opera House Season. The Royal Ballet’s Studio Programme aims to build coherence across dance performances on the main stage, in the Linbury and other spaces. The studio also includes a variety of choreographic projects involving both young and established choreographers and dancers from inside the Company and from the wider dance community. 

[Jan McNulty]

The evening performances of the mixed programme are heavily booked although there are some tickets left.  There is plenty of availability for the Thursday matinee.