Annual Review 2015/16

We toured 8 different ballets and 2 mixed programmes to 53 venuesOur ballets were seen by more than 165,000 people and grossed more than £3 million at the Box Office1.308 million people saw a Northern Ballet production on TV or BBC iPlayer

Our success was celebrated with a number of nominations:Nominated for Outstanding Company, Best Male Dancer (Tobias Batley), Emerging Artist (Kenneth Tindall) and Best Classical Choreography (Kenneth Tindall’s The Architect) at the 2015 National Dance Awards1984 nominated in the Dance Category at the Manchester Theatre Awards Nominated for a Children’s BAFTA for the CBeebies adaptation of Elves & the Shoemaker (Pre-School Live Action)

2015/16 was a wonderful year for Northern Ballet

Productions .............................................................. 4-11

Short Ballets for Small People ................... 12-13

Tell Tale Steps ......................................................... 14

Collaborations ....................................................... 15

Academy of Northern Ballet ....................... 16-17

Learning ...................................................................... 18-19

Development .......................................................... 20-21

Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre ........... 22-23

Our home ................................................................... 24

Financial summary ............................................. 25

Find out more ......................................................... 26

Contents

Front cover: Tobias Batley and Martha Leebolt in 1984. Photo Emma Kauldhar.

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David Nixon’s

The Great GatsbyIn 2015 The Great Gatsby’s glittering UK run came to an end with final performances at Norwich Theatre Royal.

This blockbuster ballet also made a trip overseas to China where the production wowed packed audiences in Shanghai and Beijing.

This Page: Tobias Batley and Martha Leebolt in The Great Gatsby. Photos by Bill Cooper. Opposite: Rachael Gillespie and Jeremy Curnier in Wuthering Heights. Photo Emma Kauldhar.

★★★★‘Beautiful to behold’ Yorkshire Post

‘A powerful piece of dance which grips you with all the fever of the original book’ Eastern Daily Press

Excerpts from The Great Gatsby

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David Nixon’s

Wuthering Heights‘Northern Ballet at its best’ Mail on Sunday

There was passion, drama and romance aplenty on this year’s Wuthering Heights tour. Performances took place in Southampton, Milton Keynes and Canterbury, as well as Bradford, just miles from Emily Brontë’s original setting.

Excerpts from Wuthering Heights

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Mixed ProgrammesThis year we presented mixed programmes at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Studio Theatre and the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre in our Leeds HQ.

In London and Leeds the programme featured Christopher Hampson’s Perpetuum Mobile, Demis Volpi’s Little Monsters, Jonathan Watkins’ A Northern Trilogy and Kenneth Tindall’s The Architect. In London the programme also included Mark Godden’s Angels in the Architecture and Leeds audiences were treated to Daniel de Andrade’s Fatal Kiss.

This Page: Joseph Taylor and Dreda Blow in Little Monsters. Opposite: Tobias Batley in Madame Butterfly. Photos Emma Kauldhar.

‘A dazzling display of humour, wit and fine dancing’ Sunday Express

Excerpts from our Mixed Programme

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David Nixon’s

Madame Butterfly with Perpetuum Mobile

In 2015 we embarked on a new strand of touring to widen the Company’s reach and further our commitment to bringing ballet to as many people and places as possible. The tour visited Doncaster, Blackpool, Liverpool, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Richmond and Bromley and gave thousands of new audience members the opportunity to experience world-class ballet on their doorstep.

Audiences were treated to both David Nixon’s Madame Butterfly and Christopher Hampson’s Perpetuum Mobile in one night.

‘You don’t have to be a ballet expert to enjoy this performance by Northern Ballet but I guarantee you will enjoy it’ Sheffield Star

Excerpts from Madame Butterfly

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Jonathan Watkins’

1984Big Brother was always watching this year as our new full length ballet, created by Jonathan Watkins, toured to Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield, and Manchester.

This acclaimed production garnered praise from critics and audiences alike, and was filmed by The Space in collaboration with BBC Arts. This was the first time in over 20 years that one of our full-length productions has been broadcast on TV. 1984 premièred on BBC Four in February before being made available to watch on iPlayer – it has been watched by more than 150,000 people.

Excerpts from 1984

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This Page: Northern Ballet dancers in 1984. Photo Emma Kauldhar.

★★★★Financial Times

★★★★The Independent

★★★★The Guardian

★★★★The Telegraph

1984Winner of The South Bank

Sky Arts Dance Award, June 2016

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David Nixon’s

The NutcrackerWe had our most sparkling Christmas ever as we revived The Nutcracker in Woking, Newcastle, Norwich and Leeds. This ever popular festive treat continued to provide the ultimate entertainment for all the family and resulted in our most successful Christmas Box Office sales of all time.

‘A magical performance’ The Reviews Hub

Excerpts from The Nutcracker

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David Nixon’s

Swan LakeAudiences in Leeds and Sheffield had the chance to see Swan Lake like never before as we revived this reimagined classic.

This timeless ballet was another smash-hit at the Box Office as our opening at Leeds Grand Theatre saw the best non-Christmas sales in Northern Ballet’s history.

This Page: Martha Leebolt in Swan Lake. Opposite: Rachael Gillespie in The Nutcracker. Photos Emma Kauldhar.

★★★★ ‘This is a very special Swan Lake’ York Press

Excerpts from Swan Lake

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Elves & the ShoemakerOur third ballet for children Elves & the Shoemaker, choreographed by Daniel de Andrade, continued to sprinkle its magic up and down the country with performances from Stirling to Southampton.

Tortoise & the HareFollowing the success of Ugly Duckling, Dreda Blow and Sebastian Loe teamed up again to create Tortoise & the Hare. It was ready, steady, go for this new family friendly ballet which premièred in Leeds at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre before two performances in community venues and a national tour.

Short Ballets for Small People

Our Short Ballets for Small People visited 42 venues and were seen by more than 38,000 people on stage.On average people paid just £6.30 per ticket.

‘Short, sweet and enchanting’ The Stage

‘Delightfully performed’ The Stage

To engage children and young people with Tortoise & the Hare we delivered 122 workshops in nurseries, children’s centres, schools and private dance schools, with 5,886 children and their families taking part.

Excerpts from Elves & the Shoemaker Excerpts from Tortoise & the Hare

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We were delighted to continue to work with CBeebies as both Elves & the Shoemaker and Tortoise & the Hare were broadcast to the delight of families everywhere.

First up was Elves & the Shoemaker which was broadcast in April 2015. Then during 2016 our dancers, Mr Bloom and the tiddlers were together once more for the filming of Tortoise & the Hare which was broadcast in March 2016.

This meant more people were able to enjoy these magical performances from the comfort of their homes.

Northern Ballet and CBeebies

This Page: Northern Ballet dancers in Tortoise & the Hare. Opposite: Kiara Flavin and Filippo di Vilio in Elves & the Shoemaker. Northern Ballet dancers in Tortoise & the Hare. Photos Brian Slater.

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Northern Ballet held its inaugural Choreographic Laboratory, Tell Tale Steps this year. Taking place at our home on Quarry Hill, in partnership with The Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet, Tell Tale Steps demonstrated our commitment to nurturing new choreographic talent. Four choreographers were selected and had the opportunity to work with Northern Ballet’s dancers to explore narrative dance. The Laboratory culminated in a presentation of ideas and a panel discussion.

2015 Laboratory choreographers:Kenneth TindallLudovic OndivielaConstant VigierAndrew McNicol

Tell Tale Steps also gave us the opportunity to live stream for the first time. Three different rehearsals were streamed, and in total 2,056 people have seen those recordings either live or on demand.

Tell Tale Steps

Opposite top: Miki Akuta in Nicola Gervasi’s In Absentia. Photo Lauren Godfrey. Opposite bottom: Hannah Bateman in Children of the Mantic Stain. Photo Justin Slee.

About Tell Tale Steps 2015

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Collaborations

Children of the Mantic Stain Linder Sterling and Kenneth Tindall

A new ballet by visual artist Linder Sterling and Kenneth Tindall was premièred as part of the British Art Show 8. The piece featured eight Company dancers and has so far been performed in Leeds and Edinburgh, with performances in London and Norwich in summer 2016.

Ballet at the Gallery Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate

Taking inspiration from an exhibition by Yorkshire artist Tom Wood, six of our dancers created short dance pieces in response to his portraits, which were performed live at Mercer Art Gallery.

This sell-out event was our first collaboration with the innovative Mercer Art Gallery and described as ‘one of the best artistic events Harrogate has seen in the last 25 years’ (Harrogate Advertiser).

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Centre for Advanced Training (CAT)The 2015/16 CAT programme graduates achieved places at vocational schools including Elmhurst School for Dance, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.

Pupils were given the opportunity to perform in the Company’s performances of The Nutcracker at Leeds Grand Theatre and a new work Small Steps at the Leeds Annual Holocaust Memorial Day Remembrance Service.

Professional Graduate ProgrammeThe Professional Graduate Programme continued to act as a finishing course for trained classical ballet dancers transitioning into a professional career. We were delighted that Harriet Marden joined Northern Ballet on completion of the programme.

Open ClassesThe Academy’s Open Classes welcomed over 600 people into the studios with students enjoying a range of weekly classes over three terms.

Find out more about The Academy

The Academy

of Northern Ballet

Opposite: Northern Ballet classes at The Academy of Northern Ballet. Photos Justin Slee.

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LearningDuring the year, our Learning team continued to deliver a wide range of activities, engaging over 13,000 people of all ages and abilities in dance, through participatory activity and watching live dance.

Working in schools

877 young people from schools and youth centres took part in our START education programme involving workshops in school and visiting the theatre to see ballet for the first time.

Developing skillsWe worked with 134 teachers and nursery staff to develop their skills in delivering dance. 35 work placements, student placements and volunteering opportunities took place.

Courses40 children took part in our annual Easter Course. 41 children took part in our annual Summer Course, creating a dance film and achieving their Discover Arts Award.

Children’s Centre project30 children from 3 local children’s centres took part in our project, exploring the stories of Going on a Bear Hunt and Where the Wild Things Are through creative movement play.

Photos Gavin Joynt, Lauren Godfrey, Tony O’Connell and Jo Dean.

‘The children loved the workshops and were all thoroughly engaged, enjoying the opportunity to learn how to use and move their bodies in different ways’

Early Years Teacher, Long Meadow Primary School

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DiversityWork with Green Lane Primary School, Bradford led to a greater understanding of the barriers to accessing ballet for families from an Asian heritage.

In Leeds, one of our community performances of Tortoise & the Hare attracted an audience that was 90% from an Asian background.

Accessible performances7 audio descriptions were delivered nationally with 74 visually impaired patrons accessing performances. 2 relaxed performances of our Short Ballets for Small People were held, enabling young people with autism or communication disorders to access live theatre in a supportive environment.

Ability9 adults with learning disabilities attended weekly classes to train, create and perform.

ExpressionsDisabled people from 9 northern dance groups performed in an accessible dance sharing at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, including participants from our In Motion project for young wheelchair users.

Children’s Hospice project5 families took part in our START hospice project which enabled children with a life limiting condition and their families to visit the theatre and take part in photography and dance sessions.

Find out more about Learning

‘Our young people were completely engaged by the performance and left pirouetting their way through City Park on the way home! For lots of the group it was their first time in a theatre and it was the first experience of watching ballet for everyone’

Project Coordinator, Dance United Yorkshire

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Building on the success of the previous 12 months, 2015/16 was another year of substantial growth for our Development team, generating more than £850,000 through generous donations from individuals, trusts and corporate organisations. Successes include:

> The launch of the Future Builders’ individual giving programme, celebrated in June 2015 with the inaugural annual Future Builders’ Dinner

> The Emerald Foundation continued their generous support, providing funding for our first mid-scale tour and our new production of 1984

> 2015/16 was the second year of a five year pledge by the Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation, generously supporting the work of the Company across our artistic and outreach activities

> A successful partnership with Hammerson and the Victoria Quarter saw the first ever Northern Ballet Christmas Tree unveiled at Leeds Railway Station, promoting The Nutcracker and providing invaluable support for the Company

> First Direct increased their ongoing support, sponsoring the national tour of Swan Lake, in addition to their longstanding Platinum partnership

> The launch of our first Christmas Appeal, raising funds for our joint project with Martin’s House Children’s Hospice, bringing the wonder of dance to children with life-limiting illnesses

> The John Ellerman Foundation pledged significant support for our second and third mid-scale tours in 2016 and 2017, helping to build secure income for our future 

Support us now

Development

Opposite top: Northern Ballet dancers in 1984. Opposite bottom: Giuliano Contadini, Martha Leebolt and Javier Torres in Swan Lake. Photos Emma Kauldhar.

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The Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre seats up to 230 people and is located in the heart of Leeds’ cultural quarter. In 2015/16, this unique venue offered audiences the opportunity to see performances from world-class companies including Northern Ballet, Ballet Black, Royal New Zealand Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre. The theatre also hosted showcases from dance schools such as Flex Dance and Ballet Central and family performances including the world première of our Short Ballets for Small People – this year Tortoise & the Hare.

More than 12,000 people attended performances at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre in 2015/16.

Stanley & Audrey Burton

Theatre

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This Page: Phoenix Dance Theatre. Photo Richard Moran. Ballet Black. Photo Bill Cooper. Opposite: Royal New Zealand Ballet dancers in The Anatomy of a Passing Cloud. Photo Evan Li.

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The home of Northern Ballet offers unique, creative and flexible facilities for meetings, conferences and events.Northern Ballet welcomed clients and delegates from NHS England, Yorkshire Water, Your Consortium, The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Disability Rights UK, The Royal Town Planning Institute and many more.

In 2015/16 we welcomed a total of 3,931 delegates through the doors across a total of 97 meetings, conferences and events.

Hire our venue

Our Home

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Download the 2015/16 Financial Statement

FinancialSummary

Key facts

Revenue generated from touring:

£2,521,000Donations received through fundraising:

£862,000External funding received:

£3,701,000Cost of artistic product and touring:

£6,363,000

Opposite: Northern Ballet at night. Photo Karl Andre. Back Page: Dreda Blow and Joseph Taylor in Little Monsters. Photo Emma Kauldhar.

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Find us online northernballet.com

Artistic Director David Nixon OBE

Chief Executive Mark Skipper DL

Click here to join Northern Ballet’s e-list

Registered charity no. 259140. Company registration no. 947096. Northern Ballet Limited registered in England and Wales. Company limited by guarantee and share capital.

2016/17 will be another exciting year for Northern Ballet.

Click here to see what’s coming up