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
A Midsummer Night’s Dream reviewed in Culture Northern Ireland
“Graeme Stewart slips on his dancing shoes for an extraordinary night at the Grand Opera House
Northern Ballet Theatre have achieved something extraordinary with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. They have taken one of English literature’s best-loved plays, changing nothing and everything at the same time.
With a creative team including artistic director David Nixon, set designer Duncan Hayler and music director John Pryce-Jones, the production is a stunning display of visual and musical delights, and certainly one of the best contemporary interpretations of Shakespeare’s masterpiece…”
Read the rest of the review here.
New Hamlet Trailer
NBT have produced a new trailer for their production of Hamlet, in the run-up to taking the ballet to Sadler’s Wells in London. The advert features new pictures of the production and exclusive music by Philip Feeney.
Dream vision leaves train passengers all aflutter
Edinburgh Evening News (Published Date: 05 March 2008):
“Three fairies appeared at the platform at Waverley station today to promote a performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The Northern Ballet Theatre is performing the play at the Capital’s Festival Theatre, from tonight until Saturday.”
Hamlet – What’s On Stage review
“Northern Ballet Theatre’s inventive and immersive take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet tragedy is set in Nazi-occupied Paris where Hamlet attempts to come to terms with his father’s death. In the dizzying intro scenes of ghostly visions…”
Read the whole review here
Exclusive Hamlet Music Preview
Go to the Hamlet Website to hear exclusive excerpts of Philip Feeney’s new score for David Nixon’s latest ballet. Here you can also find the full Scenario for the ballet.
Keep checking for more updates in the run up to Hamlet’s Premiere on the 16th February in Leeds.
Hamlet Trailer
Hamlet – Coming soon!
Click here for more information, tour dates and to get the new Hamlet desktop background.
Hamlet Preview!
Click here to see some of Chris Giles’ costume designs for NBT’s forthcoming production of Hamlet.
Watch this space for more exclusive previews…
November E-Newsletter
NBT have just sent out their monthly E-Newsletter.
“We are currently conducting a survey of our audiences to find out about what you think of Northern Ballet Theatre. Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win 4 tickets to any production next season…”
NBT says farewell to Chiaki Nagao
On Saturday night NBT said an emotional farewell to Principal Artist Chiaki Nagao, who gave her final UK performance in the role of Juliet in NBT’s Romeo & Juliet at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford.
Prior to the performance NBT’s Artistic Director, David Nixon, addressed the audience that included Friends of NBT, Chiaki’s current NBT colleagues as well as many past dancers and collaborators who had returned especially for this very special occassion. Setting the tone for evening he said, “Parting is such sweet sorrow. 20 years ago a young woman arrived in the UK with a dream. She worked hard and followed her dream and today we pay tribute to an extraordinary career that has lasted more than a decade and a half.” He continued, “Tonight we are joined by three very special ladies, Carole Gable (the wife of the late Christopher Gable, NBT Artistc Director from 1987-1998), Ann Stannard (who founded the Central School of Ballet with Christopher Gable in 1982), and Chiaki’s mother who has flown from Japan to be here this evening.” David then spoke directly to Chiaki’s mother in Japanese, thanking her for sharing her daughter with us for so many years. He recognised the sacrifice that Chiaki’s family made in supporting her throughout her career, especially with Chiaki so far away from home.
Romeo & Juliet was performed beautifully by the cast and the orchestra of NBT and as it neared it’s tragic and dramatic climax there was a heightened sense of emtion as everyone knew this would be the last time we would see Chiaki in the limelight. In every sense the death of Juliet on stage was more poignant than ever, the tears of the audience even more so. As the curtain fell the venue errupted into applause, saving the standing ovation for one very special lady.
NBT Chief Executive, Mark Skipper and NBT’s Deputy Stage Manager Chun-Yen Chia, who is also Chiaki’s husband, each presented Chiaki with a bouquet of flowers. Dancers, technicians, and representatives from the Orchestra and each administrative department at NBT then filed on stage to present Chiaki with a rose, to join the flowers that littered the stage thrown on by the audience. David Nixon introduced long-standing Friend and Patron of NBT, Janet McNulty who presented Chiaki with a framed poster of Madame Butterfly on behalf of the Friends. He then paid tribute to Chiaki, “When I first came to Northern Ballet Theatre I recreated Madame Butterfly for the Company. It was a ballet that I had first created for my wife in the role of Butterfly. Chiaki took on that role, she worked so incredibly hard, so many hours in the studio, weekends and evenings, she did all that I asked of her and more. My wife did this for me out of love, Chiaki did this because she is dedicated to her craft, and because she is so generous as a dancer. Every member of the Company and the audience here tonight will have such fond memories of Chiaki, but for me she will always be my Butterfly.”
Self-effacing and modest as ever, Chiaki was reluctant to step forward to receive the applause of the audience that was so rightly hers for the evening. As the curtain fell on a very special event Chiaki’s colleagues continued the applause and plaudits backstage and afterwards at a party held in her honour. Chiaki said, “It has been an emotional evening and I am very grateful that I was able to celebrate my final performance with friends and family.” Everyone at the Alhambra on Saturday felt equally grateful to have been there to thank Chiaki for sharing her extraordinary gift with us.
T&A – “A Fairy Tale Recreated”
A feature on NBT’s Cottingley Faires is in today’s Telegraph & Argus.
Click the link below to read more:
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/display.var.1787890.0.fairy_tale_recreated.php
Romeo & Juliet on T&A TV
Yesterday at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, T&A TV interviewed David Nixon (NBT’s Artistic Director) and filmed Company Class, in the run-up to Saturday night’s Gala performance, where Principal dancer Chiaki Nagao will perform as Juliet for the last time.
See the interview on their website
Read T&A’s review of Romeo & Juliet here
Cottingley Fairies recreation
To mark the revival of David Nixon’s dance version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, NBT, in conjunction with the National Media Museum (NMM) in Bradford, recreated the famous Cottingley Fairies photograph. Dancers Lori Gilchrist and David Ward posed for the photographs which were edited onto an image of Jenny Layton (from NBT’s Centre for Advanced Training) by NBT’s Graphic Designer, Michael Schofield. On Wednesday 24 October at 2pm, Lori Gilchrist will present an enlarged and mounted version of NBT’s photograph to the NMM. The image will then be included in talks and presentations about the Cottingley Fairies at the NMM. For information on when these will be visit the NMM website
http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/
NBT Press Release for more info.
“Parting is such sweet sorrow…”
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Chiaki Nagao’s final performance:
This week marks the final week of Chiaki Nagao’s 15 year career with Northern Ballet Theatre. She will perform as Juliet for the last time on Saturday 27 October in Bradford. She will be greatly missed by the Company and the many thousands of audience members she has performed to over the years. Artistic Director, David Nixon, pays tribute;
“Chiaki is an incredibly gifted dancer who has shown total commitment and dedication to each role she has performed with NBT. Someone with such breadth of experience is irreplaceable and we will miss her terribly. We wish Chiaki all the very best for the future and thank her for her invaluable contribution to the life of NBT over these past 15 years.”
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Romeo & Juliet is at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford from 23 – 27 October 2007. .
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October E-Newsletter
- Northern Ballet Theatre have just sent out their October E-Newsletter.The newsletter contains information on upcoming performances this season including The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo & Juliet, plus a preview of next season, including David Nixon’s latest production, Hamlet.
- You can read NBT’s October E-Newsletter by clicking here.
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. - Click here to purchase tickets and see tour dates for this season, and next…
Romeo & Juliet Casting (Nottingham)
Tues 18
Juliet – Chiaki Nagao
Romeo – Hiro Takahashi
Weds 19
Juliet – Pippa Moore
Romeo – Darren Goldsmith
Thur 20 matinee
Juliet – Chiaki Nagao
Romeo – Hiro Takahashi
Thurs 20 evening
Juliet – Hannah Bateman
Romeo – Toby Batley
Fri 21
Juliet – Pippa Moore
Romeo – Darren Goldsmith
Sat 22 matinee
Juliet – Hannah Bateman
Romeo – Toby Batley
Sat 22 evening
Juliet – Chiaki Nagao
Romeo – Hiro Takahashi
A Midsummer Night’s Dream opens THIS WEEK at the West Yorkshire Playhouse
Northern Ballet Theatre’s Autumn/Winter season starts on Thursday 6 September with A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Tickets are still available at all performances so don’t miss a chance to see this Olivier Award nominated production.
Find out more about David Nixon’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream