Leeds based Northern Ballet releases series of performances to watch at home

A selection of ballets from Northern Ballet’s repertoire plus a new original dance film will be available to watch online or on television as part of the Company’s Pay As You Feel Digital Season.

It comes after the Leeds based company had to cancel many of its forthcoming planned productions this year due to the outbreak of coronavirus, with many more still in doubt.

The company, marking its 50th anniversary in 2020, has said that it is set to experience "significant financial hardship" due to the loss of income from not doing live performances and it could struggle to pay its workforce, many of which are freelancers, and so is asking for donations from dance fans who tune into the screenings.

Over the next few weeks people will be able to tune into 1984, Little Red Riding Hood and Dracula from the comfort of their home. The Company will also release a new dance film, Kenneth Tindall and Dan Lowenstein’s EGO plus the extended highlights of their 50th Anniversary Celebration Gala which took place at Leeds Grand Theatre at the beginning of the year.

EGO kicks off the season and was made available on Friday at northernballet.com/ego. It explores parallel versions of one couple's relationship, asking ‘How much does your ego control your behaviour?’

First premièred in 2015 to critical acclaim, Jonathan Watkins’ award-winning 1984 will be available to watch from Friday April 3 at northernballet.com/1984 and is based on George Orwell's masterpiece.

CBeebies will screen their special version of Mariana Rodrigues’ Little Red Riding Hood on Friday April 10 at 9.30am. Created especially for children, Little Red Riding Hood retells the classic fairytale with a Northern Ballet twist.

From Friday April 17, extended highlights from Northern Ballet’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Gala will be available to watch at northernballet.com. The sell-out performance featured excerpts from Northern Ballet’s history and brought together dancers from The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Scottish Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre alongside Northern Ballet’s dancers.

David Nixon OBE’s ballet version of Dracula will make its television debut as part of the BBC’s Culture in Quarantine Season in the coming weeks on BBC Four and iPlayer.

Those who wish to support the Company can donate at northernballet.com/pay-as-you-feel.