Watch new ballets without stepping out of your house!
Dance fans can enjoy top flight entertainment in the comfort of their own homes during the coming weeks. Northern Ballet has launched a digital season including three original films.
The presentations will be released every fortnight until March 19 on digitaldance. org. All films will be available to stream for free, but viewers are encouraged to pay what they can to help the company on its mission to bring world-class dance to everyone, everywhere.
Audiences will be able to watch Victoria, winner of the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Dance, on-demand from February 19 until March 21. Previously released in cinemas and on BBC Four, this award-winning ballet by Cathy Marston is a glimpse into the life of Queen Victoria whose diaries reveal a story so fascinating that her daughter Beatrice tried to rewrite history.
A premiere inspired by the nation’s enthusiasm for baking banana bread will go online on March 5. Entitled Have Your Cake, it’s a tonguein-cheek short film exploring the playfulness of a group of friends whose bonds of love and togetherness shine bright on the darkest days.
Another premiere is a first for Northern Ballet as it was created entirely remotely. Olivier award-winning Ballet Black artist Mthuthuzeli November makes his choreographic debut with Northern Ballet with What Used To, No Longer Is. This new work explores the evolution of life, the passing of time and the human response to the ever-growing beauty of life, even in the most difficult of times. What Used To, No Longer Is will be shown from March 19.
Inspired by thoughts, feelings and news headlines from lockdown, Kenneth Tindall’s States of Mind is an abstract response to experiences from the events of 2020. Available until February 26 as part of the BBC and Sadler’s Wells’ Dancing Nation, the film of this striking stage work was captured during its première as part of Northern Ballet’s first and only post-lockdown live performances at Leeds Playhouse in October 2020.
Northern Ballet launched its digital dance season on February 5 with the premiere of Northern Lights injecting the beauty and art of ballet into the streets of Leeds. Kenneth Tindall, the company’s artistic director of digital, worked with film-maker Dan Lowenstein on this creation.
Northern Lights, Have Your Cake and What Used
To, No Longer Is will be on the digitaldance.org site permanently for ballet fans to watch.
Kenneth Tindall said: “Northern Ballet has turned a challenging situation into an incredibly creative and inspired time. While we have not been to hold live performances due to COVID-19 restrictions, we have been able to establish a safe way to continue working to create new digital dance and experiment with filming away from the stage. I am especially excited that we commissioned the hugely talented Mthuthuzeli November to work with us for the first time.
“Developing and innovating with our digital offering is integral to the evolution of our artform and I am proud of what the company has delivered.”