Press Release: Royal Opera House to host London Première of Northern Ballet’s enchanting ballet for children

[Jan McNulty]

Royal Opera House to host London Première of Northern Ballet’s enchanting ballet for children
 
Following sell-out performances during its extensive national tour and the recent CBeebies television adaptation,Northern Ballet’s latest ballet for children, Elves & the Shoemaker, will have its London Première at The Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House on Saturday 16 May. To book tickets visit northernballet.com/elves.
 
This is the first time one of the Company’s ballets for children has been performed in Covent Garden.Choreographed by Northern Ballet’s Ballet Master Daniel de Andrade, Elves & the Shoemaker is the latest in Northern Ballet’s award-winning series of Short Ballets for Small People which already includes the hugely popular Ugly Duckling and Three Little Pigs. The short ballets have been seen live by more than 30,000 people and on TV by more than 1.4 million people in the CBeebies TV adaptations, for which Ugly Duckling received a Children’s BAFTA and Three Little Pigs has received a Children’s BAFTA nomination. 
 
Northern Ballet is committed to bringing new audiences to dance and reaching more people in more cities around the UK who may have not experienced dance before. The pioneering series of original ballets have been specially created to introduce families and young children across the UK to live dance, music and theatre. Nine children from St. Anthony’s Primary School in Leeds were involved in the creation of Elves & the Shoemaker and attended rehearsals at Northern Ballet’s headquarters, working with Daniel de Andrade to give their feedback on the ballet. 
 
Masters in storytelling, Northern Ballet has re-imagined the famous Brothers Grimm story about a poor and hard-working shoemaker who receives some much-needed help from two elves. This enchanting, entertaining and heart-warming production will last approximately 40 minutes. Elves & the Shoemaker is set to an original score composed by Philip Feeney and played live by an ensemble of musicians from Northern Ballet Sinfonia, with set designs by Ali Allen.  
 
Daniel de Andrade, Choreographer of Elves & the Shoemaker and Artistic Director of Short Ballets for Small People, said, ‘We are absolutely delighted to be giving young children and their families the opportunity to experience our latest children’s ballet. The children’s ballets are classic tales beautifully retold through dance and are a perfect introduction to ballet. We hope to inspire children and their families through these entertaining and enchanting performances to develop a love for live dance, music and theatre. I’m really pleased that this time we are bringing our ballet for children to the Royal Opera House and we look forward to giving even more audiences the chance to experience this truly magical production.’
 
Tickets for Elves & the Shoemaker at The Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House are currently sold out but please contact the box office on 0207 304 4000 to enquire about returns. 
 
Northern Ballet will also perform a Mixed Programme at the Linbury Studio Theatre from Tue 12 – Thu 14 May 2015. Tickets can be booked online at roh.org.uk or by calling the box office on 0207 304 4000.
 

Notes to Editors
Voted Best European 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 24 weeks of the year. The Company of 46 dancers tours a combination of new works and established repertoire to cities throughout the UK and is the only large scale ballet company to do so. 
 
Visit northernballet.com for more information on the Company and tour. Production images and information are available via the online media centre.
 
Royal Opera House - Linbury Studio Dance 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.
 
Elves & the Shoemaker 2015 Tour Listings
 
Milton Keynes Theatre 
Fri 1 May 
12pm & 2pm 
Box Office 0844 871 7652 
atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes 
 
London Linbury 
Studio Theatre 
at Royal Opera House 
Sat 16 May 
1pm, 3pm & 5pm 
Box Office 020 7304 4000 
roh.org.uk 
 
Doncaster The Cast
Sat 23 May
12.30pm & 2.15pm
Box Office 01302 303 959
castindoncaster.com
 
Blackpool Grand Theatre
Wed 27 May
12.30pm & 2.15pm
Box Office 01253 290 190
blackpoolgrand.co.uk
 
Liverpool Playhouse
Sat 30 May
12.30pm & 2.15pm
Box Office 0151 709 4776
everymanplayhouse.com
 
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
Wed 3 June
12.30pm & 2.15pm
Box Office 01902 429 212
grandtheatre.co.uk
 
Leicester Curve Theatre
Sat 6 June
12.30pm & 2.15pm
Box Office 0116 242 3595
curveonline.co.uk
 
Richmond Theatre
Wed 10 June
12.30pm & 2.15pm
Box Office 0844 871 7651
atgtickets.com/richmond-theatre
 
Bromley The Churchill Theatre
Sat 13 June
12.30pm & 2.15pm
Box Office 08448 817 620
atgtickets.com/the-churchill-theatre-bromley
 
Stoke-on-Trent Regent Theatre
Wed 17 June
12.30pm & 2.15pm
Box Office 0844 871 7627
atgtickets.com/regent-theatre
 
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Sat 20 June
12.30pm & 2.15pm
Box Office 0844 871 7607
atgtickets.com/aylesbury-waterside-theatre
 

[alison]

And for Londoners who can't make that date, Bromley is only about 15 minutes on the train from Victoria.