David Nixon Archives - North West End UK

Northern Ballet: Beauty & The Beast – Leeds Grand Theatre

5Jun

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Northern Ballet: Beauty & The Beast – Leeds Grand Theatre

There have been countless versions of Beauty & The Beast over the years in film and the theatre, but David Nixon’s version for Northern Ballet is a million miles away from the saccharine Disney version delving deep into the darker elements of this love story that has its origins in Ancient Greece. Northern Ballet’s former artistic director looks to Cocteau’s classic 1946 movie for his inspiration, which offers the dancers a much more challenging understanding of how if we fail to look beyond exteriors we will miss things like love, compassion and the inner demons that make us all human. Although this is a far more subtle reading of this fable it retains all the key elements as a vain prince who is cursed by his narcissism to become a beast until he can find true love when someone...

30Nov

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Nutcracker – Leeds Grand Theatre

After enduring endless plays of Merry Xmas Everyone trundling round the shops you know the festive season is finally here when Northern Ballet stage their annual extravaganza. This year The Nutcracker is back, and once again you have that feeling they’ve run into the props store and gone a bit mad to produce a lavish winter wonderland. David Nixon’s colourful and stylish costumes probably caused a national shortage of sequins and taffeta. It’s a wonderfully bonkers fairy tale as a mysterious magician sends ingénue Clara off on a surreal journey where she survives a battle between giant mice and life size toy soldiers, before being magically transported to a wintery wonderland where meets her Nutcracker Prince. It’s all beautifully realised by designer Charles Cusick Smith who works h...

Federico Bonelli is Northern Ballet’s new Artistic Director

21Feb

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Federico Bonelli is Northern Ballet’s new Artistic Director

Royal Ballet principal dancer Federico Bonelli is Northern Ballet’s new Artistic Director succeeding long serving predecessor David Nixon. Bonelli has danced the Royal Ballet’s leading roles since joining in 2003 after training at the Turin Dance Academy and dancing with Zürich Ballet and Dutch National Ballet. In 2019 he graduated from the Clore Leadership Programme and he is a non-executive director and member of the Board of Parents and Carers in Performing Arts. He has curated the programme for The Royal Ballet activities in Doncaster as part of the Doncaster Creates festival, prior to its pandemic postponement and has coached Royal Ballet repertory, helping to nurture and develop the high standards of the company’s dancers. Federico Bonelli Bonelli who tak...

Northern Ballet announce 10 city autumn tour

24Jan

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Northern Ballet announce 10 city autumn tour

Northern Ballet have announced a 10 city autumn tour will visit 10 cities revising The Little Mermaid and The Nutcracker, plus a première of new work Three Short Ballets 2022. The season will open with performances of Three Short Ballets 2022 at Leeds Playhouse featuring three world premières by choreographers Dickson Mbi, Stina Quagebeur and Mthuthuzeli November. This new work will also be performed at the Linbury Theatre in London in October / November. Throughout September and October, The Little Mermaid will tour to Sheffield, Belfast, Southampton and Newcastle. This timeless classic fairy tale was David Nixon's last full-length work for the Company before announcing his retirement as Artistic Director in 2020. Photo: Emma Kauldhar It’s set to a Celtic-inspired score...

3Sep

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Dangerous Liaisons – Leeds Playhouse

Sexual power, cruelty and deceit. There surely can’t be a better mix for a ballet, and Northern Ballet’s artistic director David Nixon’s dynamic choreography makes the most of the antics of two French aristocratic sociopaths playing games with people’s minds and bodies because they can. This is Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ timeless tale of upper class amorality as the cunning Marquise de Mertueil sets her sparring partner Vicomte de Valmont the task to seduce the godly Madame de Tiourvel just for sport. But Valmont’s head is turned by de Tourvel with deadly results. Unlike some of their sumptuous productions Northern have gone for a stark stage with minimal period furniture that allows the eye to focus on Nixon’s sensitive and emotional choreography which manfully resists going ove...

Northern Ballet are back with three Yorkshire shows

22Aug

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Northern Ballet are back with three Yorkshire shows

Northern Ballet are back with a trio of shows including a brand-new production of Merlin, the return of David Nixon’s bodice ripping Dangerous Liaisons and the world première of a new children's ballet Pinocchio. Merlin will be one of the first productions created during the pandemic to visit theatres across the country. Following its world première in Nottingham in September, Merlin tours to Hull New Theatre, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre, Leeds Grand Theatre. Created by the British choreographer Drew McOnie, Merlin tells the tale of a young and inexperienced sorcerer mastering his magic to unite a warring kingdom. The ballet explores Merlin’s teenage impulses and his quest for acceptance set against a backdrop of conflict and divide. For Olivier winner...