A Tale of Two Cities continues at the West Yorkshire Playhouse...

This weeks provisional castings:

On the Friday of the third week we had a costume parade. With only a week to go until opening night, the whole of our wonderful wardrobe team had their fingers crossed. It is a trying time. If all the costumes fit then the wardrobe girls have an easy week but if they don't they have only seven days to get it fixed and two of those days are days off, Sunday and the bank holiday. As everyone puts their costumes on, in order of appearance and stand with their partners or dancing groups you can hear the silent pleading of the wardrobe girls. 'Please let the guys be able to lift their arms about their heads in those jackets', 'Please let the jackets do up across the chest and still allow the dancer to breath', 'Please don't let there be an indecent exposure as that girl does a back bend in an over head lift' and the classic 'Please let that seam be strong enough in those trousers so we aren't subjected to any, bright white checks' !!! As it happens the complaints came in thick and fast and all the wardrobe ladies jotted down every needed alterations and of course achieved the impossible and come opening night everyone was in a costumes and nearly 100 % happy!!! Costumes are a funny thing. You know how good you feel, when you first slip on a brand new pair of shoes (well I do) a costume can do exactly that and it can really boost your confidence and performance. If you look the part, you feel the part. Our wardrobe team are great and really bend over backwards for all our funny requests, 'please can I have really tight elastic on my pants around my left leg more than the right leg' or 'please can I have that style of dress cause I have broad shoulders and wide arm pits', believe me I have heard these things being asked for. Lucky for me, Kim, Laura and Micky all know about my large head and always pick out the biggest hat for me or at least put a big chin elastic on!

On Friday afternoon we had all the little and young Lucie’s in and it was time to teach them their steps for the show, you have to be patience and calm but working with children  is very rewarding and to be around children and their energy and excitement for dancing is really special. The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol are great shows for that. 
By the end of Saturday we were ready for our rest days of Sunday and Monday and of course the weeks run up to 30 August.

Tuesday was a rehearsal day at West Park, it was busy, with rehearsals for A Tale of Two Cities, Miami, Milan and The Nutcracker. Wednesday was slow, a whole day and night in the theatre for light plotting. This is vital as lighting is so important. But it is a funny experience to be all made up and in costume and then just stand in different places on the stage as the production team organise different shades of light on you. It is a very quiet time, as the team are all sat at a desk in the middle of the auditorium discussing and we as dancers stand on the stage and occasionally move from spot to spot, scene to scene. It’s the first day in the theatre and you are eager to get going. We normally work out all our marks on the stage and where to put props and spacing, basically ground work to make the coming runs, go as smoothly as possible. By Thursday night we had run the ballet even if it was 2nd act first then 1st act and we had done it with the Orchestra for the first time too. Friday was 2nd casts go at a run in the afternoon and of course Friday night was the offical Dress rehearsal for our Friends. This is really exciting for us dancers. It’s the first time we get any feed back from the public, and a time when a lot of our questions are answered. Will the Friends find that bit funny, will they laugh ? Will they applaud after that section? Will they like it? Saturday afternoon was for Cathy to do last minute changes and after an excellent, enthusiastic class from our boss we felt ready for the Première.

The show went really well, of course there were a couple of hiccups but nothing major. Everyone had given their best and it was a great example of NBT team work. This show really relies on 100% commitment from every dancer and everyone back stage and it all came together. It feels like we can go even further with it and as we do more shows I am sure we will find new areas of the piece to explore. We are lucky as artists that we have that artistic freedom given to us by David to do this. I was yet again proud to be a dancer at NBT. But one of the best bits was seeing Mr Nixon really enjoy an opening night, the stress of the night belonged to Cathy! She seemed very pleased with the performance and I know she was proud. I hope NBT's path and Cathy’s cross again, if only to see her another beautiful opening night outfit of hers!  Next week we meet Mark Godden for a piece for the upcoming triple bill, the excitement just keeps coming, 

Till next time, 
love Hannah xoxo

Northern Ballet Theatre's latest production, A Tale of Two Cities
by Cathy Marston, premières this Saturday (30th August), at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds.
The following cast list is for the Première night only and is provisional, Northern Ballet Theatre reserves the right to make alterations without notice.

LUCIE - Keiko Amemori
MdM DEFARGE - Victoria Sibson
THERESE - Michela Paolacci
PROSS - Ginnie Ray
VENGENCE - Martha Leebolt
AGNES - Pippa Moore

CHARLES - Tobias Batley
SYDNEY - Kenneth Tindall
MANETTE - Hironao Takahashi
LORRY - John Hull
DEFARGE - Darren Goldsmith
GABELLE - Michael Berkin
MARQUIS - Steven Wheeler
YOUNG MANETTE - David Ward
DENIS - Thomas Aragones
YOUNG CHARLES - Ben Mitchell

It really is a tale of two cities for Cathy Marston at the moment. Last week she was putting the finishing touches to A Tale of Two Cities with NBT in Leeds and this week she is back in Bern for the start of the new season with Bern Ballet, of which she is Artistic Director.

Hear an interview with Cathy as well as Principal Dancer Keiko Amemori and Soloist Kenneth Tindall, and watch exclusive rehearsal footage on the Yorkshire Post TV website: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/video/Sneak-preview-A-Tale-of.4397133.jp

Talking about the production in an interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post Cathy says, "Purely from a dance point of view this love story offers plenty of opportunities for pas de deux. But even though it might not seem as obvious a choice to many people it makes a fantastic story to tell through any medium." On working with NBT she says, "They're an absolute delight to work with, not just in terms of ability but also because they don't just wait for you to dictate steps to them they actually work with you making suggestions, developing the choreography and characters which is why the finished product is so special."

Cathy will return to Leeds next week for the run-up to the world premiere of A Tale of Two Cities at the West Yorkshire Playhouse on Saturday 30 August. If you haven't got your tickets yet, time is running out so book now.

To further whet your appetite here are some images of Cathy working with the Company. Photos by Merlin Hendy.

As the second week of our rehearsal period draws to a close I thought it was a good time to keep all you readers up to date! We weren't quite sure how pushed for time we would feel for this ballet (A Tale of Two Cities). On paper it looked like we had plenty of time, two weeks in January and four weeks at the end of the last season in June and four weeks (just) after the summer break until opening on 30th of August. But Cathy's work is a very different style to David's and you never know how quickly you can adapt and give the choreographer what she needs, until you get in the studio.

We were all very excited about the prospect of this new ballet and keen to get into it. Cathy managed to get a lot of work done in January mainly focusing on the pas de deux and a few pieces in the corp. This gave us a head start for when we came back to it at the end of last season. Daniel (our ballet master) kept us in check as we revisited these bits of work whilst touring Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo & Juliet, before Cathy's return in June.

In the four weeks before our summer break we managed to finish the ballet and left for the holidays with a couple of full runs under our belts. The first week back was a teaching week where we all helped to pass on our knowledge of the piece to our second and third casts. Due to injuries we have two main casts not the normal three and then a lot of 'just in case' or understudies. We completed another run today of first cast and it is starting to feel real. It sometimes takes a little while to build up a cohesive feel in the corp and because of the style of this piece it has taken time to get on top of the steps and the counts! But today felt like a real step forward. It feels good to be at the point of run through, we now have had time to clean it and we can concentrate on ironing out the few remaining creases. We have section of the ballet that we have nicknamed Shidoko! It is a real test for the eight or so corp dancers that have to dance it as it relies heavily on counts and counting, counting, counting! I am not involved in this section but every time I watch it I am amazed at my colleagues. There is beautiful umbrellas pas de deux to look out for which is complete contrast to the pas de deux that follows that is incredible powerful and transports me to another place every time I watch it. I have to admit it brings tear to my eye. But I am quite good at getting carried away with how powerful dance can be!

Today was also the first rehearsal for our trip to Milan! Well actually it was Jon and Julie's first rehearsal for the pas de deux from The Nutcracker, which they will showcase in Milan. They were both superb. I think it is a real testament to David (Nixon, Artistic Director) and Yoko (Ichino, Ballet Mistress) that two corp de ballet members (all be it extremely talented ones) can run from start to finish the full Nutcracker pas de deux and look as great as they did today. They haven't danced it since December last year and they remembered every count and were very technically accurate. I love that I work with a group a people that constantly impress me; I feel truly privileged at times.

We are also very excited (if not a little jealous) that Kenny (Tindall) and Keiko (Amemori) will be representing NBT at the International Ballet Festival in Miami. This is a massive achievement for the company. It really feels like things are on the up for NBT, and as we look ahead to Christmas and all the work we have to get are teeth into, it’s a great foundation to build on for our 40th anniversary year in 2009.

It’s our last week in the studio next week. There are a couple more run throughs to finish off this week, and this will really make a Sunday off feel deserved. The lighting designer is in today, so fingers crossed we do Cathy proud.

Next week the costumes arrive and the excitement really begins to build as we pack up our skips (our personal belongings) and set our sights on the West Yorkshire Playhouse. You always get a real kick of adrenalin the first time you see the set and that just builds and builds especially when we get to hear the orchestra for the first time.

All my digs are booked for the season and I feel ready and organised just have to think about “Chukkas” and of course all of those steps. For those of you not in the know “Chukkas” is NBT's way for saying good luck. We all exchange cards and gifts on opening night (think mini Christmas) and before the curtain goes up we run round wishing everyone “Chukkas” for their first show. When ever we première a new ballet we do this and even mid season if someone premières a new role everyone remembers to get them a “chukkas” gift and wish them “chukkas”. There will be a couple of individual premières to look out for this season as well as the whole Company’s première in A Tale of Two Cities. We normally give themed gifts and I have to say I am finding this ballet a bit difficult to buy for; it doesn't seem right to give someone a good luck guillotine! Maybe wine will suffice seen as it's set partly in France (any excuse!).

Well I will draw to a close now. I hope to see some of you at the 'dancing with Cathy' event next week and of course, all of you at A Tale of Two Cities. Seriously, your support is invaluable and we as dancers are nothing without an audience to perform to, so thank you in advance, I am sure you will really enjoy this ballet and just a hint, bring a tissue!

Till next week,

Love Hannah.

x

Composer and pianist David Maric has created a full evening orchestral score for Northern Ballet Theatre’s (NBT) forthcoming production of A Tale of Two Cities. Here he talks to us about composing for ballet.

You were keen for some time to compose for dance. Why?

From about the age of 22 I became rather obsessed with the works of Igor Stravinsky. Through picking up various books about his life and work, I began to encounter images taken from various staged works of his that were created within the first seven decades of the 20th century and included set designs, dancers, costume designs etc. This excited me and I longed to see these productions live.

Finally in 1999 I watched my first ballet which was The Rite of Spring; ENO's production of the Kenneth MacMillan version. Naturally it blew my head off. I loved the choreography, costume and lighting. Adored the orchestra's ridiculously intense enthusiasm for the score. A year later I saw a triple bill of Firebird, Agon, and Les Noces all in their original forms and all with brilliantly performed live music. This left me utterly astonished and inspired; particularly the work of Nijinska and Balanchine. In between I witnessed Michael Clark's company performing to loud distorted rock musicians, which turned me on so much I had to go again the following night.

All this took place before Cathy Marston had by chance found a piece of music of mine which inspired her to choreograph a duet to, and since then we've collaborated on a number of far more ambitious projects. Also since then I’ve spent far too much money on tickets for various dance events and have found myself in recent years much more deeply acquainted with this intriguing art form that inspires me and fills me with a desire to contribute something towards a resurrection of original music with dance that attempts to somehow aspire to the monumentally high standards that were set almost a century ago now.

What are the main challenges working on a ballet such as A Tale of Two Cities?

Apart from the usual challenge of coming up with interesting material when writing any music, an additional challenge when writing a 90 minute orchestral narrative ballet score is to ensure that a sense of flow and the impression of a coherent whole is maintained through such a fragmented and episodic structure (a structure which A Tale of Two Cities certainly has).

Whilst it may help maintain the audience's attention by having shorter "movements" I felt that the weight of Dickens' epic novel should also be captured  - especially its deeply moving sacrificial ending, but without ever over-doing the potentially heavy and portentous mood that long winded and lugubrious approaches would evoke.

The rich tapestry of the novel has been concisely captured within the scenario, and the structure of the music is essentially dictated by it. The novel also has a number of features that help to inspire musical ideas. One is the persistent theme of duality, which often manifests itself in the novel as contrasting imagery (and in the score is symbolized in a number of different ways). Another feature is the late 18th century period itself, which is referred to stylistically within the classical and folk idioms. The famous "Carmagnole" revolution song mentioned in the novel appears in the score on many occasions in various forms and its slightly unorthodox structure helps to underpin and inform many scenes. So the real challenge is to contend with all this information whilst simultaneously creating evocative and "danceable" music, and it is one that I immensely enjoyed tackling.

Exclusive galleries of Northern Ballet Theatre's forthcoming production, A Tale of Two Cities, by Cathy Marston. To see some more of Jon Bausor's designs and to book tickets etc. have a look at the new pages for the production here.

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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

Here is a provisional casting for the production:

Tues 27
Theseus - Martin Bell
Hippolyta - Martha Leebolt
Hermia - Georgina May
Helena - Pippa Moore
Lysander - Kenneth Tindall
Demetrius - Christopher Hinton-Lewis
Puck - Ashley Dixon

Wed 28
Theseus - Hiro Takahashi
Hippolyta - Keiko Amemori
Hermia - Georgina May
Helena - Christie Duncan
Lysander - Kenneth Tindall
Demetrius - Toby Batley
Puck - Victoria Sibson

Thurs 29 matinee
Theseus - Martin Bell
Hippolyta - Martha Leebolt
Hermia - Hannah Bateman
Helena - Christie Duncan
Lysander - Kenneth Tindall
Demetrius - Christopher Hinton-Lewis
Puck - Kieran Stoneley

Thurs 29 eve
Theseus - Darren Goldsmith
Hippolyta - Pippa Moore
Hermia - Lori Gilchrist
Helena - Michela Paolacci
Lysander - Yi Song
Demetrius - David Ward
Puck - Victoria Sibson

Fri 30
Theseus - Hiro Takahashi
Hippolyta - Keiko Amemori
Hermia - Georgina May
Helena - Michela Paolacci
Lysander - Kenneth Tindall
Demetrius - David Ward
Puck - Kieran Stonley

Sat 31 matinee
Theseus - Hiro Takahashi
Hippolyta - Keiko Amemori
Hermia - Lori Gilchrist
Helena - Christie Duncan
Lysander - Yi Song
Demetrius - Toby Batley
Puck - Victoria Sibson

Sat 31 eve
Theseus - Martin Bell
Hippolyta - Martha Leebolt
Hermia - Georgina Roberts
Helena - Pippa Moore
Lysander - Kenneth Tindall
Demetrius - Christopher Hinton-Lewis
Puck - Ashley Dixon

Four of NBT's dancers took part in a fashion shoot for the Manchester Evening News ahead of performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Palace Theatre last week.

Georgina May, Yi Song, Michela Paolacci and David Ward posed in beautiful 1940s costumes from the production at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, sometimes getting right down to their stylish smalls! (Photos: Sean Wilton)

The pictures accompanied Helen Tither's article interview with David Nixon who not only choreographed the ballet but also designed the costumes. HERE

Click here to read a review of the first night performance at the Palace

 Tues 20
Hamlet - Christopher Hinton-Lewis
Gertrude - Nathalie Leger
Opheila - Georgina May
Claudius - Darren Goldsmith

Wed 21
Hamlet - Hiro Takahashi
Gertrude - Martha Leebolt
Opheila - Keiko Amemori
Claudius - Kenneth Tindall

Thurs 22 matinee
Hamlet - David Ward
Gertrude - Victoria Sibson
Opheila - Pippa Moore
Claudius - Martin Bell

Thurs 22 eve
Hamlet - Christopher Hinton-Lewis
Gertrude - Nathalie Leger
Opheila - Georgina May
Claudius - Darren Goldsmith

Fri 23
Hamlet - Hiro Takahashi
Gertrude - Martha Leebolt
Opheila - Keiko Amemori
Claudius - Kenneth Tindall

Sat 24 matinee
Hamlet - David Ward
Gertrude - Victoria Sibson
Opheila - Pippa Moore
Claudius - Martin Bell

Sat 24 eve
Hamlet - Christopher Hinton-Lewis
Gertrude - Nathalie Leger
Opheila - Georgina May
Claudius - Darren Goldsmith

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The Company dedicated the final performance of Hamlet at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London to Laverne. Daniel de Andrade, NBT’s Ballet Master, addressed the audience with a speech written by Artistic Director, David Nixon, who is away in America, which said:

“Laverne was instrumental in forming this small company which over its’ nearly 40 years of existence has risen to one of the four largest ballet companies in England with a loyal audience. We are extremely grateful to his pioneering spirit and passion for dance.

In honour of his memory and contribution to NBT we wish to dedicate this final performance of Hamlet to his memory. What better way or place to celebrate his love and passion for our beloved art of dance than here in the dance house of Sadler’s Wells.”

The Company would like to extend its deepest sympathies to the friends and family of Laverne.

Laverne Meyer was a Canadian-born dramatic dancer who trained at the Sadler’s Wells School and whose formative years as a dancer were spent with Bristol based Western Theatre Ballet. Laverne founded Northern Dance Theatre, as the company was then known, in 1969 and it gave its first performance at the University Theatre, Manchester, on the 28 November, accompanied by musicians from the Royal Northern College of Music. The Company was formed of just 11 dancers, compared to today’s 40, with an emphasis on small-scale classical and modern works. Based in Manchester, Northern Dance Theatre set about building itself a strong identity and a loyal audience in the North. Robert de Warren took over as Artistic Director in 1976.

David Nixon is currently in America working at BalletMet to revive his version of Romeo & Juliet for the Company's thirtieth anniversary celebrations. David's Romeo & Juliet for BalletMet premiered in 1998 and performances this year take place from 1-4 May at the Ohio Theatre.
Check out BalletMet's website for further information: http://www.balletmet.org/performances_romeo.php

David Nixon's new dance piece for Ballet Central

In the UK David has created a new dance piece for students at the Ballet Central. Steps to Bach is a neoclassical work that the students will perform as part of their tour throughout the UK.
David, who is an Artistic Adviser at Ballet Central says of the piece:
"The music is Bach and I don't often get the chance to create Bach. There's no reason not to take music that has been used for a Balanchine work and is well known to give the dancers a feel of what neoclassical is, both the speed of it and the quality of the adage work."

Click here to read the full media release and tour dates.

Birmingham Printmakers are pleased to announce their move to brilliant new premises in the heart of Birmingham's creative quarter.  Previously based at Lee Bank Business Centre, you can now find the Printmakers at their new home on 90 Floodgate Street, Digbeth.

An Evening of Russian & British Romance - with proceeds to St Mary's Hospice & Church

Stella Sims (mezzo-soprano) & Phillip Ypres-Smith (piano/organ) invite you to join them for an evening of exotic Russian & inspiring English songs punctuated by piano solos & atmospheric poetry, with proceeds going to St Mary's Hospice & St Mary's Church. The concert will take place on Saturday 8^th March, with Russian food served from 6.30pm, and the concert starting at 7.30pm at St Mary's Church, Bristol Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham, B29.  Tickets are priced at £8 (£6 concs) with advanced tickets available by calling 0121 472 1839.

MDCC Theatre Company - New Plays by Local Writers

MDCC Theatre Company warmly invites you to their first production of 2008, ‘Family Snaps'.  ‘Family Snaps' features two new plays, ‘Tidy' by local writer Martin Drury and ‘Forgive Us Our Trespasses' by local writer Elizabeth Parkes.  Performances take place at Oldbury Rep on 22^nd & 23^rd February and at MAC Hexagon Theatre on 29^th February & 1^st March.  For more information please visit mdcctheatre.com

Poetry in Wednesbury

On the last Thursday of each month Poetry Wednesbury will be meeting from 7.30pm at their new venue The Old Post Office, Holyhead Road, Wednesbury for poetry readings, open mic, occasional workshops and even a little music!  Admission is free and all are welcome to go along and participate or just to watch. 

Capoeira Batizado

Capoeira Conviver are pleased to announce their first UK grading ceremony on Saturday 22^nd March.  Taking place only once a year the Batizado features Capoeira students receiving their belts and a whole day of performances.  This promises to be a chance to see some truly amazing martial arts with Capoeira masters from all over the world confirmed to attend.  For more information please visit capoeira-conviver.com

International Dance Festival Birmingham

Birmingham is set to secure its position as an international dance capital with the announcement of the inaugural International Dance Festival Birmingham.  A joint venture between DanceXchange & Birmingham Hippodrome, the month long festival will take place from 28^th April to 24^th May 2008.  The festival will encompass all styles of dance and express the youthful, diverse and energetic spirit of Birmingham while bringing outstanding dance from across the globe to the city.

Mexicolas

Local indie-esque rock band Mexicolas have just announced their February/March UK tour dates.  Due to play Birmingham's Bar Academy on February 15^th  (full tour dates available at myspace.com/mexicolas), the band will also be performing as special guests to legendary rockers The Cult on Saturday 23^rd February at The Forum in London.  The bands debut album X is due for release in February with the tracks Come Clean & Shame being used on EA Games Burn Out 2008 and UEFA Soccer 2008.

computerclub

Local indie band computerclub must have been delighted to see their debut limited edition single ‘Snobs' sell out in a week.  Following this the band are due to record their debut album from February and their second single ‘Electrons and Particles' will be released on March 16^th.  Computerclub will tour the UK in March with tour dates available at myspace.com/iheartcc. 

James Rea

Since ArtsFest 2007 James has been invited to play live on BBC Radio WM and has been featured in the New Talent section of the BBC website.  James first released single ‘So Scene' is currently at No. 4 in the birminghamusic.com charts.  James is due to support Dodgy on a series of dates across the UK during March including March 25^th at the Academy 2 in Birmingham.

Band of Brummie Brothers go Stateside

Having been getting widespread airplay in the U.S, brummie brothers UXL have been invited to play at this years Canadian Music Week in Toronto in March.  Canada's largest entertainment festival, this is fantastic news for the band!

Rainbow Voices

Rainbow Voices, Birmingham's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered choir are through to the area finals of Radio 3's Choir of the Year show at Warwick Arts Centre on 9^th March.  Rainbow Voices also perform with Edinburgh counterparts the fabulous ‘Loud and Proud' on Saturday 15^th March.  Rainbow Voices first CD can be ordered from Pam on 07841 755379 at the price of £10 plus £1 p&p.  The choir rehearse from 8.15pm each Tuesday at The Hub, 318 Vicarage Road, Kings Heath, B14 7NH. 

For more information please visit rainbow-voices.org.uk

Bassoon Day

Birmingham Bassoon Choir will be holding a bassoon day on 24^th February for all ages at King Edwards School on Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham.  The bassoon choir will also be performing as part of the Women in Music Festival at Birmingham Town Hall on 1^st March.

DanceXchange - Spring 2008

On 26^th & 27^th February from 8pm DanceXchange presents Rubberbandance Group from Québec performing ‘Elastic Perspective', a work investigating human relationships through a marriage of explosive hip hop and subtle contemporary dance styles.  Following this, on 13^th & 14^th March from 8pm, the company presents Maresa von Stockert & Tilted Productions performing ‘Glacier', an emotionally charged work exploring global warming and environmental change.  All performances take place at DanceXchange, Birmingham Hippodrome, Thorp Street, Birmingham, B5 4TB with tickets available by calling 0870 730 1234 or visiting dancexchange.org.uk/shows.

3estates Kings Norton

An exhibition of past and present public art projects that have taken place on the 3estates in Kings Norton will be held at The Custard Factory from 27^th February to 1^st March.  Organised by local photographer Rita Fletcher, the exhibition will also feature ‘A Film of 100 Verses for 3estates' by Ravi Deepres and Gavin Wade.

Birmingham Festival Choral Society is Making History

On Sunday 13^th April at 7.30pm in Birmingham Town Hall, BFCS will present Mendelssohn's ‘Elijah' with the English Hayden Orchestra on period instruments.  This performance will capture a time in 1846 when the then newly formed BFCS participated in the ‘Elijah' premier in the Town Hall, and then again in 1847 with Mendelssohn himself conducting.  Being hailed by BFCS as the highlight of their 2007/8 concert season, tickets are priced at £6.50, £10, £16.50 & £20. 

Open Mic for Women

L.I.M.E - Yelitza & Friends (Ladies Institute for Music & Entertainment) invites all female artists to take control, share their music, and come and be part of this open mic night held once a month at Café One, Five Ways, Birmingham.  For more information please visit myspace.com/yelitzauk

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."

Edinburgh Evening News website

Hamlet
Leeds, Grand Theatre
16 - 23 February 2008 

THIS CAST LIST IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Saturday 16 February (evening)
Hamlet - Christopher Hinton-Lewis
Ophelia - Georgina May
Gertrude - Nathalie Leger
Claudius - Darren Goldsmith
Horatio / RS ex man - Tobias Batley
Polonius - Martin Bell
Laertes - Hiro Takahashi

Monday 18 February (evening)
Hamlet - Hiro Takahashi
Ophelia - Keiko Amemori
Gertrude - Patricia Hines
Claudius - Kenneth Tindall
Horatio / RS ex man - Ashley Dixon
Polonius - Martin Bell
Laertes - Tobias Batley

Tuesday 19 February (evening)
Hamlet - Christopher Hinton-Lewis
Ophelia - Georgina May
Gertrude - Nathalie Leger
Claudius - Darren Goldsmith
Horatio / RS ex man - Tobias Batley
Polonius - Martin Bell
Laertes - Hiro Takahashi

Wednesday 20 February (evening)
Hamlet - Christopher Hinton-Lewis
Ophelia - Georgina May
Gertrude - Nathalie Leger
Claudius - Darren Goldsmith
Horatio / RS ex man - Ashley Dixon
Polonius - Martin Bell
Laertes - Tobias Batley

Thursday 21 February (matinee)
Hamlet - Hiro Takahashi
Ophelia - Keiko Amemori
Gertrude - Patricia Hines
Claudius - Kenneth Tindall
Horatio / RS ex man - Ashley Dixon
Polonius - Martin Bell
Laertes - Tobias Batley

Thursday 21 February (evening)
Hamlet - Christopher Hinton-Lewis
Ophelia - Georgina May
Gertrude - Nathalie Leger
Claudius - Darren Goldsmith
Horatio / RS ex man - Tobias Batley
Polonius - Martin Bell
Laertes - Hiro Takahashi

BOOK NOW

Box Office: 0131 529 6000

Click here for more information on the ballet.

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.

 Regional heats will be held around the country at Woking, Manchester, Birmingham and Weston-super-Mare, with the winners of each heat going on to the Final at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London, on April 13 2008.

The Level 1 winner of the 2006 competition, was spotted by casting agents and went on to play the leading role in Billy Elliott on the West End stage!

Eminent dance professionals will be acting as guest judges across the country, expressing their support and commitment to the Competition.

Pippa Moore, Leading Soloist (Northern Ballet Theatre) and David Nixon, Artistic Director (Northern Ballet Theatre) will be guest judges at the Northern England, Ireland & Scotland heat.
To book your tickets call the Dancehouse Box Office on: 0161 237 9753

Northern England, Ireland & Scotland heat time table:

Saturday 26 January 2008 Sunday 27 January 2008
Level 2 Level 1
Doors open: 6.00 pm Morning
Performance: 6.30 pm - 9.45 pm Doors Open: 11.30 am
Performance: 12.00 pm - 3.15 pm
Evening
Doors Open: 6.00 pm
Performance: 6.30 pm - 9.45 pm

Christopher Giles, Set and Costume Designer on NBT's latest production, Hamlet, has been interviewed by our Communications team. You can find the video on the new production Flash sites we lauched last week. These sites are still in development, but over the next few weeks new videos, galleries and production information will go up to give you a better picture of each of NBT's Ballets.  

Click here to visit the Production pages...

Once I got used to having vegetables for breakfast, the rest was easy. So I started with steamed green vegetable, or sweet potato, or pumpkin – an energy boost in the morning. We don’t eat such a colourful breakfast at home, but I really love having sweet potato and it makes sense to me. I’d then usually have some dumplings and rice or millet congee – Chinese porridge. I love the millet, especially with a little plain yoghurt. There was always fresh fruit on the menu – delicious sweet watermelon was my preference – and eggs which ever way you like them. I don’t like to eat meat or eggs every day, but it seems the Chinese have a delicious full banquet for breakfast, which includes meat and pickles and all sorts of noodle dishes, I have to admit I never tasted. I simply couldn’t eat that much in the morning. My favourite breakfast dishes included what I call dragon eggs – wonderful blue-black speckled steamed dumplings which have a delicious soft centre – of what I’m not sure, but I think it’s red bean paste. It tasted great and was a favourite in Hangzhou. I also enjoyed the white fungus soup with Chinese dates – a sweet, clear, viscous mixture which I’m told is excellent especially for women. For me, food is medicine, so I was going to eat this just on that recommendation. And I have to say I’ll be looking for it in the Chinese supermarket in Leeds when I get home. This was better in Beijing than in Wuxi or Hangzhou where it was too sweet for my taste. When there was no white fungus soup, the red bean one was just as delicious, and probably just as good for women, too. Another treat I enjoyed for breakfast was the black sticky rice with lotus seeds. It’s sweet and delicious. I also will miss jujube steamed bun and green vegetable dumplings – which became favourites.

After such a large breakfast, I’d usually skip lunch, opting instead for an early dinner. Chinese restaurants open early for dinner around five in the evening, and tend to close early too, around nine.

For dinner, we’d go to a local restaurant, first with our translator who would advise about the local dishes and what she thought was good, and then trusting our ability to communicate with the picture menu, miming and pointing. It seemed to work a treat. Of course, the guide book with essential Chinese words is also a big help. We enjoyed the freshest fish – because it’s still swimming in the tank before it comes to your table. I don’t know whether it’s the visits to the Buddhist temples or just the fact that the Chinese kitchen is an open affair where you point to fish in the tank and as you and the fish give each other the knowing stare. But I’ve become rather uncomfortable about having a fish – or any animal really – sacrificed for my table. I expect when I get back to Leeds, where fish comes filleted in the supermarket or lies there already dead so it wasn’t my fault, that I’ll get over it. But in China, the fish is fished out of the tank in a net and taken away to meet its fate. Their supermarkets are full of fish tanks. So they must think we simply don’t know the meaning of fresh.

I also love Sichuan pepper – hot, spicy but wonderfully aromatic. Our Christmas dinner was Beijing Duck in their most famous duck restaurant. And it was a treat. We also had delicious exotic vegetables like willow and preserved walnuts, and I’ve now eaten aubergine cooked in so many different ways and all of them delicious. In the south, I loved the chicken and peanuts with lots of chillies. In the north, the Mongolian hot pot was fabulous and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with Chun and Chiaki and Helen in Beijing where the mushrooms, green bean vermicelli and tofu were especially good.

The best thing about five weeks eating Chinese food is that it’s been very good for my health. I haven’t seen many obese Chinese people at all compared to our well advertised problems of diet and obesity at home. Obviously steaming food and not using dairy has a lot to do with it. But also for me, having virtually no alcohol has no doubt improved my health but also my taste for food. I don’t even look for a glass of wine with dinner anymore, as I must admit I haven’t managed to acquire a taste for Chinese wine. Tea has been my drink of choice. I’ve enjoyed lots of different types of green tea, jasmine tea, chrysanthemum, and I now enjoy rose bud tea for breakfast.

Well, it’s my last day, so I’m off to enjoy my final Chinese breakfast, until next time. And tonight, I’m going to try something new. I think I’ll have to order the Buddha Jumping over the Wall soup. And I’m not even going to ask what’s in that.

Diana Solano.

So welcome to Yangzhou and another New Century Hotel. Yangzhou is a small city, well for China, 4.5 million people in big development, clean and kind of modern. Visit the city centre and is very busy, noisy, colourful and full of life. Thousands of lights almost hitting you. Then a look around the hotel and the theatre and then we end up in an indoor market. So picturesque. Lots of fruit looking lovely. For 5 bananas it costs 30p.

Then meeting Pippa on the market street we feel we may go for a swim and a sauna. The advert in the hotel looked gorgeous. A proper treatment for body and head at the swimming pool on the third floor. We never found it. Unlucky. It has been this way at every hotel. The treatments do not exist.

Might be more lucky with The Deluxe Sauna. Not lying that is the name of it. Off we go happy and smiley. It took 10 good minutes to wander down the labyrinth ending up in another part of the hotel entrance. Very basic. A woman escorted us to the changing room and I found a locker that I made sure was locked well. She then gave us some plastic slippers which was good because hygiene is not at all good. One big room with 10 showers all open so naked women and babies in plastic baskets, scrubbing, massaging strongly, washing each other and making bath to their children in baskets! Fabulous. we are right there in the intimate life of these women. Never will experience that in my life again. Sauna a tiny room, dark and warm where everyone comes and goes just to put their panties, socks or bras to dry out! Incredible!! From our spot inside the sauna we can look out without being seen!! The life continues…a mother is peeling an apple with her teeth and giving it to her child. Never tell me that Chinese people are dirty! Probably much more clean than European people. They take care of there skin and hair so much. But are these people who are staying at the hotel or do they not have showers at their home? Sad thinking. We are now getting so warm sweating the pollution from our bodies. Feeling good. Now showertime. This is a bit more difficult as they do not want to give us a shower but finally one of them does. Thank you so much. Our locker is OPEN but everything is there even the money.

And finally going back to the room we think that we had a really amazing, Unforgettable moment there feeling almost, really almost, part of them. Thank you to them.

After a very hectic schedule of planes, buses, unpacking, class, rehearsals, shows etc we were finally able to ‘move into’ our hotel in Beijing. After 1 day of Class and 3 days of performances we are all ready to see some sights. Although I did the main attractions of China before, I was eager to go again to really look and take in the scenery, rather than just click on my camera.

On the 24th we got into a taxi and went off to the Summer Palace. It was even more beautiful than I remembered. The temples, small and large, were all being repainted (probably because of the Olympics) in very bright colours, mostly blue, gold and red. The prettiest Temple was built for one of the Empress Cixis’ birthdays. Inside, were housed many of her presents ranging from a big clock made of Ivory to beautiful statues of peacocks. Her throne was made of dark wood with gold cushions and pillows. Everyone’s favourite part and probably most impressive is the life size marble boat resting in the frozen lake. Unfortunately the lake was not as frozen as last time!! It was a wonderful day but my toes were freezing.

Next the 25th – Christmas day. After a pretty crowded and stressful tube ride, which cost 2 Yuan one way – 14p, we found the Lama Temple. The street leading up to the entrance is lined with about 100 stalls of people selling incense to be used inside. The Lama Temple is made up of about 40 smaller temples all housing different Buddha. The Chinese people come here to give thanks to them for example ‘The Buddha of Medicine’ and ‘The Buddha of past, future and present. Outside the temples are large pots which people burn their incense in while praying. There is constant scent of Lavender, Jasmine and Rose in the whole area. Each temple is different, some housing 3 Buddha, some housing 20. At the base of the statues there are offerings of incense that have not been burned and fruit. Everywhere you look there are people constantly kneeling and standing up. They chant with their hands in prayer which are positioned at the forehead. The finale of the temple is a Buddha that stands 30’ tall. On the way out we saw one of the Dali Lama’s thrones and I bought my own laughing Buddha.

Next we went to the Temple of Confucius. It was under a bit of construction but we were still able to see where Emperor Qinglong would give important speeches. It was very impressive; painted gold with very detailed engravings, but like most Chinese relics, the buildings they stand in are the most beautiful. The ceilings are always decorated with intricate patterns and there is never a bare space on the walls.

Lastly, The Great Wall of China – Seems ridiculous to say it is my favourite, it’s just a wall, but it really is amazing. On a clear day there is no end of it in sight. We returned to the same place as on the last visit but turned left instead of right this time. It was a bit steeper this way, so we were pretty out of breath within the first 5 minutes. This time there were many more vendors hoping to sell you anything and everything. It is an incredible place that gives me a thrill when I think about being on one of the Seven Wonders of the World. BUT can you believe there is a Starbucks at the entrance?