L&A August update
As the weather improves and the summer finally begins, we look forward to the summer projects that we will be delivering throughout August.
We kick things off with Get Creative, a week long project combining music, movement and masks. Delivered in collaboration with Opera North, 17 young people aged 12 – 13 will have the opportunity to create their own masks and develop movement and songs to create a piece to be performed to family and friends at the end of the week.
Read the rest of the update here.
A Tale of Two Cities wallpaper
Give your desktop background a lift with our new A Tale of Two Cities wallpaper…
August eNewsletter
Public art for our new dance centre
The search is on for an artist to create an artwork especially for our new building.
An exciting part of the plans for NBT’s capital project is the commissioning of a piece or pieces of Public Art to be incorporated within the building. The commission forms part of Leeds City Councils ambitious Public Art plans and, along with the exhibition space, extends even further what the new building will have to offer the communities of Leeds and the north of England.
There is a broad brief for the Public Art commission, it could be anything and use any medium, other than water. There are three potential locations identified by the design team for the public art: the entrance area, the glazing to the south façade, and the projecting balconies to the south façade.
Leeds City Council has started the procurement process and an artist should be appointed in October. For artists wishing to enter the procurement process the deadline for expressions of interest is 5pm on Monday 11 August, visit:
http://scms.alito.co.uk to sign up.
Enquiries about the tender website/process to Julie Brennen, Procurement Unit, email julie.brennen@leeds.gov.uk tel: 0113 24 74088
For more information on the planned building, and to find out how to help us realise it visit
New Nutcracker Stuff!
Northern Ballet Theatre’s Autumn/Winter Tour sees the return of David Nixon’s sparkling festive favourite, The Nutcracker
The production will be visiting the following theatres around the UK:
Hull, New Theatre - 4-8 November 08
Woking, New Victoria Theatre - 11-15 November 08
Milton Keynes Theatre - 25-29 November 08
Bath, Theatre Royal - 2-6 December 08
Leeds, Grand Theatre - 17-31 December 08
To book tickets and to see the new gallery visit the recently renovated Nutcracker production pages
A Tale of Two Cities – Costume & Set Preview!
Exclusive galleries of Northern Ballet Theatre’s forthcoming production, A Tale of Two Cities, by Cathy Marston. To see some more of Jon Bausor’s designs and to book tickets etc. have a look at the new pages for the production here.
.
‘Breathing Space’ Project
Learning & Access continue partnership with Pyramid of Arts
We have once more been working with Leeds based organisation Pyramid of Arts on ‘Breathing Space’, a project that is exploring the benefits of dance and physical movement with a group of adults with profound and multiple disabilities. So far four sessions have been held and participants have really enjoyed working with NBT Dance Education Officer Caroline Burn. The project finishes on 21 July.
Julia Piggott, Creative Director at Pyramid of Arts said, “Working with movement and live music will give these adults a chance to be creative and increase their movement skills in a safe environment. It also provides everyone, with and without a disability, an opportunity to communicate and socialise.”
L&A July update
We are now recruiting participants for this summer’s Gallery 37 Plus, a five-week (3 days a week) dance training programme for young people aged 16 to 24 who are not currently in education or employment. Working with professional dance artists Sharon Watson (ex-Phoenix Dancer and Rehearsal Director ) and NBT’s Dance Education Officer, Sophie Alder, participants will learn about dance technique and create their own dance piece for a performance at The Carriageworks on 4th September.
End of season update
Artistic Director news
The National Ballet of Slovenia has invited NBT’s Artistic Director David Nixon to recreate his version of The Nutcracker on the Company, which will première on 7 November 2008. The Estonian National Ballet has invited David to recreate The Three Musketeers, which will première in April 2009. This spring, David returned to BalletMet, Ohio, to oversee the revival of his Romeo & Juliet for the Company’s 30th anniversary celebrations. David was identified as one of BalletMet’s 30 Pearls in recognition of his contribution to the Company as Artistic Director. David also formally opened the Latimer Dance Space in London, choreographed Steps to Bach for Ballet Central, and was a regional judge for the Royal Academy of Dance’s ‘Fonteyn Nureyev Young Dancers Competition’ with NBT Leading Soloist Pippa Moore.
New dancers and departures
Joining NBT this summer are dancers Graham Kotowich from the National Ballet School of Canada; James Pickup from the Ballet de l’Opera National de Bordeaux; and Yoshihisa Arai from the Royal Ballet School. Three new apprentices are also joining NBT: Rym Kechacha, a graduate of the Central School of Ballet, and Antoinette Brooks-Daw and Brice Asnar who are graduates of the Royal Ballet School. Dancers Chantelle Gotobed, Sarah Kundi and Kieran Stoneley are leaving the Company.
Promotions
Victoria Sibson, Martin Bell and Tobias Batley have been promoted to Junior Soloists, Ashley Dixon to Coryphée and, following their apprenticeships, Thomas Aragones, Rachael Gillespie, Ben Mitchell and Jessica Morgan enter the Company as 1st year dancers.
Visit our news pages for the full story: http://www.northernballettheatre.co.uk/news.html
