entertainment
INTERVIEW WITHDAVID NIXON OBE, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF NORTHERN BALLET
To celebrate Northern Ballet’s 50th Anniversary, Surrey Magazine was delighted to be invited to the company’s studio headquarter in Leeds to watch the final rehearsals of their forthcoming show Cinderella and see all the amazing costumes and goings on behind-the-scenes that allow these incredible dance productions to come on tour.
Q: What makes Northern Ballet Company’s productions so great?
A: Northern Ballet is the widest touring ballet company in the UK. We offer something different to traditional ballet. Our passion is to create, invent and inspire work that is innovative and high energy with as much focus on theatre as ballet. Our dancers have strong technical skills that are combined with outstanding performance and acting to tell the story. I’ve been with the company since 2001 and to survive 50 years, we’ve had to be creative and adapt with the times to overcome so much, so it’s a huge achievement.
Q: Why should we go to the theatre to see a ballet?
A: Theatre is a special place so it’s important to support your theatres which carry the best touring shows. In the world, today so much is not personal that taking your kids to the theatre where it’s live, they have to sit and concentrate is great. It’s a really important experience with an exchange of energies across floodlight planes. Every performance is different and a unique moment in time. It’s unlike a film that repeats itself. It’s a great escapism...and
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we all need to escape the world that is not always the world we would like it to be. In some ways, there’s a truth to what they say in Chorus Line ‘Cos everything is beautiful at the ballet!’ However, ballet is not only beautiful but emotional and it has become more and more physical and athletic today like contemporary dance. We are opening our tour at The New Victoria Theatre in Woking from Wednesday 18th - Saturday 21st September with a fan favourite performance of CINDERELLA returning to the stage.
Q. How long does it take to become a professional dancer?
A. It takes 8 years - it’s a long training process and to achieve the flexibility and physical form required young people need to start ballet as young as possible. Our Academy is based in an amazing purpose-built five floor building offering a unique and priceless experience where world-class dancers cross in the hallways with academy students who get to watch rehearsals and get a first-hand taste of what a professional dancer is. As the company draws closer to a performance dancers are working full days in our studios, with 1 1/2 hours training and up to six hours of rehearsals!
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