Northen Ballet Inside 2

insidethe magazine from Northern Ballet Theatre

A FONDFAREWELLA look back atChiaki Nagao’sfabulous career

LIVE ANDLEARNBallet andscience bringssuccess

SETTING THE SCENEHow a stageset evolves

Issue 2 Autumn 2007

NBT-INSIDE MAGAZINE2 26/1/11 13:32

issue 2

Welcome to the second edition of inside magazine.

In this issue we take a look at the remarkable career of

Chiaki Nagao who dances with us for the last time this

autumn, after more than 16 years with the Company.

Chiaki is an incredibly gifted dancer who has shown total

commitment and dedication to each role she has

performed. A dancer with such breadth of experience is

irreplaceable and we will miss her terribly. It is always

sad to see familiar faces moving on, but it is the nature

of our profession that it makes room for the next

generation to take their place. We currently have a

wonderful group of young dancers and I’m happy to

have welcomed five new Dancers and seven Apprentices

to the Company this summer.

I am very much looking forward to our first revival of A

Midsummer Night’s Dream. This highly enjoyable work

about young people and the ups and downs of romance

perfectly suits the present young Company. The strength

of the Company means that there will be a variety of

casts, each with their unique interpretation, alongside

most of the original cast.

For those of you who regularly attend our performances,

you may be interested to know that the role of Puck will

be performed by both sexes this time. Victoria Sibson, a

strikingly beautiful performer, is taking on the challenge

of performing a male role with a female twist. Vicky’s

super elevation and physical power made this an

exciting and appropriate challenge.

I am also working with the Company on a new

production of The Nutcracker. As a young dancer I

performed this ballet year after year and continued to

do so as a professional. I feel that it is an opportune

moment for both the dancers and the audience to have

this Classic enter the repertoire.

I hope you enjoy reading more about the work of the

Company and I look forward to seeing you on tour and

at one of our Friend’s events sometime soon.

Best wishes,

David Nixon

Artistic Director

insid

eDavid NixonArtistic Director NBT

Cover image: NBTCoryphée Yi Song.Photo: Merlin Hendy

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3Bringing you the newsFrom Royal visits to touring China; it’s

a busy and exciting time at NBT.

5What the papers sayRead reviews of last season’s

productions.

6A Friend indeedWhat are the benefits of being a Friend

or a Patron? Revealing insights in our

‘Q & A’ session.

8Setting the sceneDesigning a set and bringing it to life is

a huge feat. We talk to the people who

make it happen.

10Pull-out posterA handy guide to performances and

Friend’s events throughout the season.

12A fond farewellA review of the spactacular career of

dancer Chiaki Nagao who retires after

16 years at NBT.

16Awarding endeavoursReflecting on our many achievements

and the dedicated people who made

them happen.

17Live and learnWhen ballet meets science exciting

things start to happen! NBT discovers

new ways to intrigue and involve the

younger generation.

18Classical trainingDeveloping the stars of tomorrow.


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inside: thenews

HappyanniversaryAt the beginning of the year

NBT celebrated the careers of

four long-standing members of

the team. Diane Tabern, PA to

the Directors, joined the

Company in 1986, NBT

Orchestra members Alan

Asquith, Rick Scoates, and Ian

Hood are celebrating 20 years,

24 years and 30 years

respectively.

Read an interview with Diane

Tabern about her 20 years with

the Company by visiting

www.northernballettheatre.co.

uk/friends.html

CompanymovementsComings… NBT welcomes newDancers: Dreda Blow, GiulianoContadini, Isabella Gasparini,Chantelle Gotobed, and KieranStoneley, and Apprentices: ThomasAragones, Daniel Fajardo, RachaelGillespie, Lewis Landini, BenMitchell, Jessica Morgan andJonathan Trick. Read more aboutour new dancers on the NBT website.

And goings… NBT has bid a fondfarewell to the following Companymembers: Chiaki Nagao retires after more than 16 years with theCompany. You will have a chance tosay goodbye to Chiaki when sheperforms the role of Juliet atselected performances of Romeo &Juliet in Nottingham and Bradford.Read our feature article on pages12-15 and visit the NBT website forinformation on casting.

Desiré Samaai and Jonathan ByrneOllivier have moved to Canadawhere Jon has joined AlbertaBallet. David Paul Kierce is pursuinga career in musical theatre. PatrickHowell has returned to the USA tojoin Milwaukee Ballet. Victoria LaneGreen has taken a nine-monthsabbatical with Alberta Ballet andMark Biocca has joined Canada’sRoyal Winnipeg Ballet. We wishRobert Phillips and ApprenticesJulia Davies and James Muller thebest of luck in their future careers.

PromotionsCongratulations to the followingCompany members: MarthaLeebolt and Georgina May havebeen promoted from Junior Soloistto Soloist, while Kenneth Tindallhas been promoted from Coryphéeto Soloist. Hannah Bateman andNathalie Léger have been promotedfrom Coryphée to Junior Soloist.

Staff movementsWe have welcomed Louise Tischleras our new Company Managerfollowing the departure of JohnDuncan who left NBT to joinScottish Opera. Louise waspreviously Company Manager atthe Royal Exchange Theatre andProduction Manager at the ContactTheatre, Manchester.

Tim Anger, Head of TechnicalServices, has joined Opera North asa Production Manager.

Wieke Eringa, Director of Learning& Access, is now Artistic Director ofYorkshire Dance.

Megan McLoughlin has joined NBTas Corporate Fundraising Officer.Dawn Atkinson has joined NBT asMarketing Officer following thedeparture of Julia Barry who left tojoin Warwick Arts Centre. MichaelSchofield has joined NBT as Weband Graphics Officer to replaceAlex Croft who has joined the WestYorkshire Playhouse.

Ruth Burke-Kennedy has joinedNBT as Media & PR Manager andCatherine Mullaney as Media & PRAssistant following the departureof May Goodliffe to travel theworld and Ruth Greenwood to joinWelsh National Opera.

Joe Marchant has joined NBT asFlyman/Rigger, and Alex Froud,Assistant Electrician, has left NBT tojoin Pro Audio Systems in Bradford.

OrchestralmovementsNigel Gaynor has been promotedfrom Resident Conductor toAssistant Music Director. HelenWatkinson has been appointedCompany Pianist, Tom Rathbone asNo 2 Cello, Stella Hartikainen as No3 First Violin, Laura Pennington asSub-Principal Second Violin, and LizChell as Principal Horn. HayleyPomfrett was promoted to PrincipalSecond Violin.

A return to China NBT’s dreams of a return tour to China have become a reality after the

Company secured support from fellow Yorkshire-based organisations.

Leeds City Council, Leeds Metropolitan University and Yorkshire Forward

are supporting NBT’s tour of David Nixon’s Madame Butterfly in December

2007 and January 2008, to six major Chinese cities including: Beijing,

Hangzhou, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

A CBE for ourChairmanCongratulations to our Chairman,

Councillor Bernard Atha, who

received a CBE in the Queen’s

Birthday Honours. Bernard has

been a member of the NBT Board

of Directors since 1991 and took

on the role of Chairman in 1996.

Backstage talentrecognisedNBT’s Deputy Stage Manager,

Chun-Yen Chia, was short-listed for

the Stage Manager of the Year

award by the Stage Management

Association (SMA). This highly

respected award is the annual

opportunity for Stage Managers to

have their skill and talent publicly

recognised. Chun was nominated

for his outstanding work on the

World Première of The Three

Musketeers. Chun was nominated

for the award by David Nixon and

John Kearney, NBT’s Stage Manager,

who said,“The Three Musketeers is a

busy and fast-moving production,

Chun’s unfailing reliability and

calmness were a major

contribution to the overall success

of the production.”

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inside: thenews

New buildingupdateNBT’s quest for a new building took

a dramatic and very positive step

this summer. In June, Leeds City

Council’s Executive Board agreed

that the Council should take over

delivery of the £11.67m project

from the developers to build the

new headquarters at Quarry Hill in

central Leeds for NBT and Phoenix

Dance Theatre. The cost of the

project will be met through a

combination of grant aid from Arts

Council England and other funding

raised by NBT, Phoenix Dance

Theatre, and Leeds City Council. The

building will be a centre of

excellence for dance and will

include a space for a ballet school

so that talented young classical

dancers from the region can be

nurtured and developed locally.

The next edition of Inside will have

more news about this exciting

development.

A Royal BeautyNBT’s Patron, His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex KCVO, attended a

performance of A Sleeping Beauty Tale at Leeds Grand Theatre on 1 March.

HRH was accompanied by members of the production company, RDF

Television, who were documenting his visit for the series ‘A Year with the

Queen’ to be broadcast on BBC One in the autumn.The Earl of Wessex also

visited an NBT workshop at Bramley St Peter’s School in Leeds.

The Three Musketeersreleased on CDThe music of Sir Malcolm Arnold is celebrated by the release of a CD

recording of The Three Musketeers. Performed by the NBT Orchestra

conducted by John Pryce-Jones, and issued on the Quartz label, the CD

contains some of Sir Malcolm Arnold’s most memorable music as used in

David Nixon’s acclaimed production.The recording would not have been

possible without the generous financial support of Katherine Arnold and

Anthony Day. CDs are priced at £9.99 and are available through the shop

section of the NBT website.

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Discovering NBTNBT will feature in a six-part series

for the Discovery Channel USA. The

series ‘Extreme Body’ (working

title) celebrates the human body

and includes programmes on

strength, sight, digestion and pain.

NBT is participating in the

programme on pain, which will

look at the science and training of

ballet dancers and how dancers

work through pain. Dangerous

Films, the production company

making the series, was behind the

BBC TV programme ‘The Human

Body’. ‘Extreme Body’ is scheduled

for broadcast in the USA in January

2008 with possible transmission on

Channel 5 in the UK later next year.

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YorkshireInternationalBusinessConventionIn June, NBT caught the attention

of some of the leading

representatives from the

business community with an

eye-catching display featuring

costumes and sets from NBT

productions, at the 2007

Yorkshire International Business

Convention. NBT’s Chief Executive

Mark Skipper and Director of

Fundraising Jon Ingham attended

the event where they were

fortunate to hear presentations

by a range of distinguished

speakers including Bob Geldof

who had flown to Harrogate

from the G8 summit in Germany.

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inside: reviewing NBT’s Autumn/Winter season 2007

Tales of the unexpectedA Sleeping Beauty Tale premièred on 24 February 2007 at

The Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds, and was seen

by 20,000 people at 23 performances across three venues.

“Looking around the packed auditorium, what struck me

most was the youth surrounding me on all sides. This is far

from the norm in a ballet audience, and shows that David

Nixon has seen what is wanted by younger theatre goers

and has delivered the goods.”Dance Expression,May 2007

“Most attractive of all is the strong feeling of commitment

that drenches the stage, a result of the mutual trust

between director and dancers.” Sunday Express, March 2007

“…for many younger people a production like this, so

steeped in culture, will offer a very accessible introduction

both to the work of the company and the ballet in general.”

Yorkshire Evening Post, February 2007

A ripping yarnThe Three Musketeers premièred in 2006, and in 2007 it

was seen by more than 30,000 people at 39

performances, across six venues.

“Northern Ballet Theatre is often seen as the people’s

company, winning awards for audience popularity. It’s easy

to see why. The dancers are technically superb…Best of all,

The Three Musketeers gives us something missing from most

ballets – a really good laugh.” The Scotsman, March 2007

The reviews are in...

top: Kenneth Tindall asKasak and David PaulKierce as Korak in ASleeping Beauty Tale.

Photo: Merlin Hendy

Last season saw the World Première of David Nixon’s fantastical new ballet A Sleeping Beauty Tale, NBT continued to tour The Three Musketeers, andRomeo & Juliet made a welcome return to repertoire after a four-year absence.

“NBT’s hugely talented artistic director David Nixon… has

long been a fan of character dancers and has enshrined the

art of a good story in his company. Cameo egos are actively

discouraged: this is democratic yarn-spinning with entry-

level appeal.”Metro (London), June 2007

Romance isn’t deadRomeo & Juliet premièred in 1991, and so far in 2007 it

has been seen by more than 18,700 people at 26

performances, across four venues.

“Quite simply a spellbinding evening.” Leighton Buzzard

Observer, May 2007

“…tells the story lyrically and poignantly, with the moments

of youthful passion and ancient feud punctuated by bursts

of humour. This is a Romeo and Juliet well worth seeing.”

The Oxford Times, May 2007


6

The Friend’s tale: The Friends

of Northern Ballet Theatre (NBT)

are vital to the ongoing success

of the Company. We organise a

range of exclusive events for our

Friends to enable you to get the

most out of the support you

give us. These events include

‘Dancing with David’ - in which

David Nixon talks about the

creative processes behind his

productions - and the

opportunity to attend dress and

technical rehearsals. As we are

based in Leeds and we usually

open our productions in the

North of England, you could be

forgiven for thinking that it’s

only people local to the

Company who enjoy the

benefits that being a Friend

brings, but you’d be wrong. We

are organising more and more

events at venues throughout

the UK, making connections

with local groups with the idea

of creating a countrywide

network of NBT Friends. One

person who knows all about the

benefits of being a Friend is

Janet McNulty. Janet became a

Friend in 1987, and in the past

20 years has attended events all

over the country. We asked

Janet, who is based in Liverpool,

about some of her experiences as

a Friend, and now a Patron, of NBT.

Inside What do you enjoy

most about being a Friend?

A select viewJanet McNulty I love going to

watch Company training on a

Saturday morning, you can just

call Judith up (Judith Baker,

Friends and Events Manager)

and she organises it with the

Company Manager, Louise

Tischler (Tisch). It’s a privilege to

hear David articulate his thought

processes at the ‘Dancing with

David’ events, and the dancers

are good enough to stay at the

end of a long day of rehearsals

to show us excerpts of the work.

David speaks so well and is such

a lovely person; he always makes

time for us. The dress rehearsals

are also great events and an

opportunity to see something

beyond the performances. One

of the best aspects of following

a ballet company though is that

you get to see the dancers’

career progression.

In March, during NBT’s

Edinburgh season, we

organised a joint event with

the Friends of Scottish Ballet.

Can you tell us about that?

The day started with refreshments

at 9.30am and then we had a

backstage tour of the theatre

with the Company Manager. I’d

been on tours like this before

but it was my first one with

Tisch and it was great to hear

someone new talk about the

Company. We looked in Chiaki

Nagao and Desiré Samaai’s (ex-

NBT Principal Artists) dressing

room, which they were good

enough to vacate for the

duration. We walked on stage

and got a dancers-eye view of

the auditorium; we held the

swords used in The Three

Musketeers and had a chance to

admire their workmanship as

well as appreciate their weight –

they’re really heavy! We also

went into wardrobe to see how

they work. We were lucky

enough to meet that evening’s

Conductor before heading into

the auditorium where we had a

talk by David Nixon and

watched Company training.

There were 12 of us from the

Friends of NBT and we were

joined by about 40 Friends of

Scottish Ballet who watched the

matinée performance. It was

such a great day.

What advice would you give to

people who might be nervous

about attending a Friends

event for the first time?

I was terrified the first couple of

times I attended a Friends event.

The thing to remember is that

everyone has a common interest.

We’re also a friendly bunch and

we will talk to people if we see

someone on their own. My

advice is to join in – you never

know who you might meet and

where it might take you.

Becoming a Patron: At the

end of last year NBT launched its

Patron scheme. For £250 you

receive all the benefits of

Friends membership and

additional benefits including:

exclusive backstage tours,

opportunities to attend post

“With thesupport ofour Friends,we cancontinue toproduce ourvariedprogrammeof high qualityproductionsand maintainour extensivetour.”David Nixon,

Artistic Director

inside:with friends

A Friend and a Patron share their thoughts


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“NBT never fails to deliver the wow factor.As a Patron I feel I can go and watch the Company and be genuinely involved in what is a very magical experience.”Joanne James, NBT Patron

show receptions and an

opportunity to meet a member

of the Artistic team. The best

people to talk about the

scheme are the Patrons

themselves, so Inside met

Joanne James to ask her why

she became a Patron of NBT.

Inside Why did you become a

Patron of NBT? What do you

feel are the main benefits of

becoming a Patron?

Jo James After the opening

night of Dracula we went to the

bar and all the dancers were

there. It was before I became a

Friend and we sat there open-

mouthed, in awe. As a Patron

you are actively invited to

parties with the dancers, which

for me is brilliant. A friend and I

went to the after show party for

the opening of A Sleeping Beauty

Tale and it was a real privilege to

be there and to be able to go

and talk to the dancers. When

you take them out of the

context of the performance you

get to know their personalities –

now we refer to them by their

first names!

I think the activities NBT

organises for its members are

really quite innovative, you really

involve people with the Company.

Ballet can be perceived to be

snooty but NBT breaks down

those barriers and actively

invites people to get involved.

There is a group of about twelve

of us that go to NBT performances

and I’m the only one with a

background in dance. We’re all

nurses, so on World Première

nights we have a nurses’ night

out and the hospital has a lot of

shift changes to deal with!

What do you enjoy most about

being a Patron?

I love attending the dress

rehearsals because I like hearing

David making corrections and

the dancers’ response to that.

You get to catch a glimpse of

the dancers’ personalities when

they joke about with each other.

It’s also interesting to see

something that doesn’t work

and when you watch the final

performance you then see the

changes David has made.

What would you say to anybody

thinking of becoming a Patron?

Some people might be put off

by the cost of becoming a

Patron but it’s not a huge

amount of money per month. I

pay by direct debit so I don’t

notice it leaving my bank

account. I’m part of a theatre

group so I have a real

appreciation of how much it

costs to move a production

around the country, and I am

also impressed by NBT’s

investment in children.

What advice would you give to

people thinking of attending a

Friends event for the first time?

My advice would be to do as

much as you can. At our first

Friends event we toyed with the

idea of not going for the lunch,

but we did and we sat on a

table with people we didn’t

know but who were absolutely

delightful. Judith was great, she

introduced herself to everyone

and was genuinely interested in

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Read the full interviews with Janet and Joanne by

visiting www.northernballettheatre.co.uk/friends.html


setting thescene

Following his successful set designs for The Three Musketeers,Charles Cusick Smith is returning to work with NorthernBallet Theatre on The Nutcracker. We asked Charles about the design process and Andy Waddington, NBT’s PlanningManager, how those designs are brought to the stage.

Over the years Northern Ballet Theatre (NBT)

has taken its audiences on some magnificent

journeys, from the austere Yorkshire moors

in Wuthering Heights, to the opulent Parisian

palace of King Louis XIII in The Three

Musketeers; the 1940s Flying Scotsman

sleeper train in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

to the streets of Verona in Romeo & Juliet.

These productions are made all the more

believable by the unfailingly high quality

of the sets.

Designer Charles Cusick Smith’s “ravishing”

sets for The Three Musketeers received

widespread praise from audiences and

critics alike, and he has returned to design

the sets for David Nixon’s new production

of The Nutcracker.

A keen painter, Charles trained at the

Glasgow School of Art with a view to

becoming an art teacher, but as his training

drew to a close he was to find another

direction.“By my final year I was creating

paintings that you could actually walk into –

effectively, sets!” he says.

So how does the design come about? “The

Choreographer will decide the period of the

piece, and in most cases that’s the starting

point,” Charles explains.“David Nixon has

decided to do quite a traditional version of

The Nutcracker, but to locate his version in

the Regency period, which is a refreshing

change from the dark colours of the usual

Victorian setting.”

Detail is all-important. Charles’ research for

The Nutcracker has taken him from the

“heritage” colour charts of the period to the

Royal Pavillion in Brighton, studying the

Regency look and style right down to the

cups and saucers. Likewise, with The Three

Musketeers, thorough research was crucial.

“I looked at 17th Century architecture and

even things like flags and banners from

the period.”

One of the main challenges Charles had with

both Musketeers and Nutcracker is the sheer

size of the productions.“The Three Musketeers

was the biggest ballet I had ever designed,

until The Nutcracker!” he says.“Also, with fast-

paced ballets such as these, and lots of set

changes, I’ve had to think of quick scene

changing devices – like a lot of wood

panelling with secret doors for Musketeers.

Space is a key consideration, especially when

the set shares a stage with 30 dancers or

more.”To complicate things further, NBT

travels to around 14 venues in any given year

and the stages are different in size at each

theatre.“I design sets that can be topped and

tailed. They have to shrink or expand as

necessary into the spaces allowed,” Charles

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Charles Cusick Smith’s setdesign for The Nutcracker.Photo: Charles Cusick Smith

inside:set design


explains. “I am very hands-on on set, so all

issues regarding the practicalities of staging

go by me.”

“Once the set design has been finalised”,

Andy Waddington explains,“we put the set

building project out to tender. On

completion of the tendering process the Set

Designer and Production Manager will sit

down with the chosen set construction

company and work through the designs - we

use companies as near as York and as far

away as Cardiff. Props and the smaller pieces

of set can be made at our workshop and we

have a roster of freelance carpenters, metal

workers, prop makers and painters who can

all be used at some point in the build

process. Depending on the Choreographer’s

requirements for set and props to work with

in rehearsals, the schedule can be quite tight.

Whilst rehearsals are taking place

modifications can be made at the NBT

workshop as we discover new ways of

working with the pieces.

Once built, the sets come to us in the

component parts, which enables them to

be fitted into the trailers for touring. The

pieces required for rehearsals are built in the

rehearsal studios and the rest is stored on

the trailers ready to be built at the first

venue of the tour.

PC Transport is contracted to move the sets,

and everything else we will need for a week

in a theatre, from venue to venue. There can

be five or more trailers transporting one

production’s set, lighting, dance floor, props,

and costumes round the country. Plus we

often tour three productions a season, so

realistically there can be 11 or 12 trailers on

the road at any one time. The amount of time

9

required for building the set in each venue

depends on the scale of the show and size of

the set. Large productions such as Peter Pan

and The Three Musketeers require an extra day

to build, so we would get into a venue at

8am on a Monday morning and the show

will open on Wednesday evening. Shows that

have smaller sets, such as Madame Butterfly

and Romeo & Juliet, can open on the Tuesday.

Each theatre is different in the size of stage

and technical equipment they have and so

every venue we visit has to be approached

on an individual basis.

Once a tour is over, the set from eachproduction is unloaded into our warehouseand any repair work that needs to be donetakes place before it is stored away. The setsmight be in the warehouse for quite sometime before they are revived and so it isimportant to keep them dry and safe.”


Your pull-out-and-keep guide to NBT’s exciting Autumn / Winter Season 2007

Thurs 6 – Sat 15 SeptemberLeeds, West Yorkshire PlayhouseBox Office: 0113 213 7700

Tues 13 – Sat 17 NovemberMilton Keynes TheatreBox Office: 0870 060 6652

Tues 20 – Sat 24 NovemberWoking, New Victoria TheatreBox Office: 0870 060 6645

Friends Events

Sat 8 SeptemberDay at the TheatreWest Yorkshire Playhouse

Thurs 11 – Sun 14 OctoberManchester, Palace TheatreWORLD PREMIÈREBox Office: 0870 401 3000

Weds 17 – Sat 20 OctoberSheffield, Lyceum TheatreBox Office: 0114 249 6000

Tues 6 – Sat 10 November Canterbury, Marlowe TheatreBox Office: 01227 787 787

Tues 27 Nov – Sat 8 Dec* Leeds, Grand TheatreBox Office: 0870 122 2815(*No performance Mon 3 December)

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Comedy, tragedy & beyond

inside: friends events

Friends Events

Thurs 27 Sept & Tues 2 Oct Open RehearsalsWest Park Centre, Leeds

Weds 3 OctoberDancing with DavidWest Park Centre, Leeds

Thurs 11 OctoberDress RehearsalManchester, Palace Theatre

Sat 10 NovemberDay at the TheatreCanterbury, Marlowe Theatre

Fri 7 – Sun 9 DecMini Break (Weekend Package)Leeds

Sat 8 DecemberCompany Class, Lunch and Creative WorkshopLeeds, Grand Theatre


Tues 18 – Sat 22 SeptemberNottingham, Theatre Royal Box Office: 0115 989 5555

Tues 23 – Sat 27 October Bradford, Alhambra TheatreBox Office: 01274 432 000

Friends Events

Sat 27 October Class and LunchBradford, Alhambra Theatre

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edy & beyond

Please note, booking fees may apply

Friends Events

Thurs 27 Sept & Tues 2 Oct Open RehearsalsWest Park Centre, Leeds

Weds 3 OctoberDancing with DavidWest Park Centre, Leeds

Thurs 11 OctoberDress RehearsalManchester, Palace Theatre

Sat 10 NovemberDay at the TheatreCanterbury, Marlowe Theatre

Fri 7 – Sun 9 DecMini Break (Weekend Package)Leeds

Sat 8 DecemberCompany Class, Lunch and Creative WorkshopLeeds, Grand Theatre


floatlike a butterflyThe decision to retire has been a difficult one to make

but Chiaki is glad that she has been able to pursue such a

long career as a dancer, and she is looking forward to

what will be a very different life for her.“I feel fulfilled as

an artist, so in its own way, leaving is a positive thing for

me,” she says,“And now that things are coming to a close

and I have fewer performances ahead of me, I am

enjoying feeling less pressure.”

Although the demanding NBT tour schedule has become

her normal way of life, pre-performance nerves are

something she won’t miss.“I need to be fully ready,

costume, make-up, everything, at least two hours before I

am due to go on,” she says.“Then I can warm up slowly

and build up to the performance with less sense of panic!”

Chiaki’s introduction to ballet arose from physical

necessity. Born with a hip joint dislocation, and having

spent the first three years of her life in a harness, Chiaki’s

doctor suggested that gymnastics or ballet lessons

would help strengthen her body. At the tender age of

three her mother signed her up for ballet classes,

although Chiaki wasn’t immediately keen. Her loud

teacher terrified her and she often left her class in tears,

however, the same teacher’s more alluring practice of

giving out sweets at the end of class enticed her back.“At

first I just went back for the sweets, but then I started to

really enjoy it.”

Her love of dance grew throughout her childhood and

she continued rigorous training. Having been told early

on that she was the wrong physical shape for a ballet

This season we bid a reluctant farewell to Principal Artist, Chiaki Nagao,who is retiring after a career with NBT spanning 16 years. Since joiningthe Company in March 1991, Chiaki has danced countless roles innumerous cities around the UK, as well as overseas. Her heartfeltperformances have delighted and moved audiences and critics alike. Wespoke to Chiaki about her remarkable career and her decision to retire.

dancer she planned to become a ballet teacher and

study in Tokyo. Her parents suggested she audition for

schools in the UK or USA, which were more affordable

than Japan and where she would have an opportunity

to learn English. Chiaki followed their advice, securing a

place at the Central School of Ballet in London where

she trained under Artistic Director Christopher Gable.

Life at Central was hard for Chiaki.“I was really

homesick,” she says.“I just wanted to get back to Japan

and start my career.” In the third year of their training

the students were encouraged to audition for ballet

companies, but still planning to teach, Chiaki didn’t see

any point. However, Christopher Gable, then also Artistic

Director of NBT, encouraged her to think again about a

career as a dancer, and offered her a scholarship for a

further year’s training at the school. Chiaki was

delighted at the opportunity and grateful for the

encouragement, so she gladly took up the offer.

From then, things moved on apace. Towards the end of

her third year at Central, Christopher asked Chiaki to

replace an injured NBT dancer and Chiaki signed a one-

year contract with the Company. Chiaki’s life as a

professional ballet dancer had begun and she

approached it with the tremendous dedication she has

shown throughout her career.“I am very focussed when

it comes to ballet and I worked very hard during those

first few months with NBT. I watched all the Principal

Dancers’ rehearsals even though I was only in the corps,

and I learned a lot from that.”

inside: the big interview

12

Main pic: Chiaki Nagao asButterfly in MadameButterfly.Photo: Linda Rich

Top: Photo: Brian Slater


utterfly

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“Chiaki is one of the most gracious dancersyou could ever hope to meet.She has no airsand graces and she is the first to offer helpto the rest of the Company on and off stage.As well as being a great performer with NBTshe is a truly dear friend to many of us andshe leaves us with so many fond memories.”Darren Goldsmith, NBT Leading Soloist


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“...Her delicacyand emotionalqualities enableher to portray acharacter whowins our heartsirrevocably.”(Madame Butterfly)

Dance Europe

notably her nomination for Most

Outstanding Contribution to Dance at the

Laurence Olivier Awards in 2003 for her

performance as Butterfly in David Nixon’s

Madame Butterfly – a role she has

cherished. Then in 2006, Chiaki found

happiness in her personal life when she

married NBT’s Deputy Stage Manager,

Chun-Yen Chia.

So what does the future hold? “I like to be

active, I am not the kind of person who will

sit around and do nothing,” she says.“I am

looking forward to having time to do things

like learning to use a computer and taking

driving lessons. I love to cook, I might do a

cookery course. One thing I will definitely be

doing,” she continues,“is going to the

theatre to watch NBT perform!” Chiaki will

also rehearse members of NBT’s Yorkshire

Young Dancers scheme who are performing

in the The Nutcracker this season.

Chiaki soon became a familiar face to NBT

audiences, rising through the ranks to

Principal Artist, and always feeling at

home with the Company.“People at NBT

are really nice and David and Yoko in

particular have been very supportive of

me, encouraging me to continue dancing

much longer than I thought I would be

able to. And the productions are always

different too, always dramatic,” she says.

Indeed, NBT’s unique style of dance-

theatre has had its challenges for Chiaki,

requiring her to develop her dramatic

abilities and even her voice. However, she

points out that these skills have given her

more range and more confidence as a

performer, skills she might not have had

the opportunity to develop with another

Company.

There have been many highlights for

Chiaki during her career with NBT, most

inside: the big interview


above left: Chiaki Nagao asButterfly in Madame Butterfly.Photo: HANSON

above right: Chiaki Nagao asJuliet and Hironao Takahashi asRomeo in Romeo & Juliet.Photo: Merlin Hendy

right: Chiaki Nagao as Butterflyin Madame Butterfly.Photo: HANSON

15

Chiaki believes that ballet has provided her

with a rich and satisfying life.“I would

definitely encourage my children to take

up ballet, and I would love to teach ballet

to young children.” One of the most

touching aspects of being a dancer has

been the wonderful response she has had

from audiences, with people regularly

writing and sending her cards of

congratulations and thanks.“I have

received such great support from NBT’s

audiences over the years, it makes it so

difficult to stop. I will miss it greatly but I

have decided to leave NBT on a high, while

I am still enjoying every aspect of life with

the Company.”

Chiaki will be greatly missed by her many

friends and colleagues at NBT and we wish

her the very best for a happy retirement.

And next time, keep an eye out for her in

the audience.

Chiaki’s final performance with NBT will

be as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, on Saturday

27 October 2007 at the Alhambra Theatre,

Bradford, in an evening dedicated to

celebrating her career.


growing recognition

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An award winning team– Director of the Year Readers of Dance Europe magazine votedNorthern Ballet Theatre’s (NBT) ArtisticDirector David Nixon, Director of the Year2006. David won the same award in 2003,making him the only Director to have won it twice.

Manager of the YearMark Skipper, NBT Chief Executive wasawarded the accolade of Manager of theYear at the 2006 Theatrical Management

top: David Nixon in rehearsalwith Martha Leebolt.Photo: Brian Slater

bottom: Elspeth Jones, MarkSkipper and Chris Bailey infront of the Yorkshire YouthBrass Band. Photo: Leeds Met

In the past year Northern Ballet Theatre has scooped a number of awards andaccolades that recognise our people, our work and our partnerships. Here we reflectfurther on these achievements and the people who help make them possible.

inside: the fundraising department

Leeds MetropolitanUniversity and NBTcelebrate success in Arts& BusinessLeeds Metropolitan University (Leeds Met)

and NBT won the Prudential Arts & Business

Employees Award at the 29th annual Arts

& Business awards in March. 121

partnerships from across the UK were

nominated, with 45 making the short-list for

the nine different award categories.The

partners were also short-listed for the British

Council Arts & Business International

Award, in recognition of the support of

Leeds Met, which enabled NBT to tour to

China for the first time in five years. In

October 2006 Leeds Met and NBT were

awarded the Arts, Business and Employees

Award by Arts & Business Yorkshire.

“The partnership allows us to gain positive

associations with a unique, world-class

company, which has a very wide appeal

and reach.” Chris Bailey, Dean of the faculty

of Arts & Society, Leeds Met

Association (TMA) Management Awards.The awards celebrate the achievementsand high standards of service attained bycompanies and individuals working in theperforming arts industry. In 2006 Markcelebrated his tenth year as Chief Executiveand in that time NBT has seen two changesin Artistic Director, created more than 20new productions, and performed to morethan a million people throughout the UKand overseas.

A triple triumph for NBTIn January NBT received the 2006 AudienceAward at the Critics’ Circle National DanceAwards for the third successive time. Theaward, sponsored by ballet.co, wasannounced at a ceremony at Sadler’s Wells,London attended by a host of personalitiesfrom the world of dance. It is the onlycategory in the National Dance Awards tobe voted for entirely by the public, onceagain making NBT the nation’s favouritedance company. Mark Skipper whocollected the award said:“We are thrilledand delighted, and we would like to thankeveryone who voted for us.”


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live and learn

Dance DreamsNBT has embarked on a new partnership

project with Leeds-based arts organisation

Pyramid of Arts, which encourages the

integration of people with and without

learning disabilities through the creative arts.

Dance Dreams, led by Caroline Burn, NBT

Dance Education Officer, will use movement

and music to encourage individual and team

development and creativity.

“The project is a fantastic new partnership

for NBT and a great way for us to build

relationships with our local community in Leeds.

Dance Dreams is really exciting because, not

only will it provide an introduction to dance,

but will encourage young people to express

their creative ideas both individually and as

part of a team.” Wieke Eringa, Director of

Learning & Access

Young people dance to education andemployment NBT, Phoenix Dance Theatre, the Northern

School of Contemporary Dance and

Yorkshire Dance teamed up to work together

on Gallery 37 Plus, a national initiative for

young people who are not in full-time

education or employment.The four week

project offered participants aged 16-19 an

excellent foundation in hip-hop/ urban

dance, contemporary dance and ballet.

Participants took part in daily classes with

dance artists Simon Kidd, Douglas Thorpe

and Tiia Ourilla, and created a new dance

work with Choreographer Sharon Watson.

They also received a training grant and, on

completion of the project, a Young People’s

Art Award. NBT hopes to build on the success

of the project with participants and partners

in the future.

So far this year our Learning & Access department has deliveredmore than 40 school workshops, as well as bespoke projects with youth organisations and people with visual impairments anddisabilities… and there are plenty of new and exciting projects on the way…

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Slat

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inside:with learning & access

“I rememberedmore when I waslearning like this”.

“I learnt that you need a lot of control in your body.Dance requiresconcentrationand imagination,using creativity.It takes lots ofwork to get thingsorganised andperfect.Pupils from Beckfoot School

Ballet meets science: a formula for successYou wouldn’t usually expect to see dancerspirouetting around a science lab and leapingover Bunsen Burners, but this summer NBTteamed up with Beckfoot School in Bradfordfor a project that used the creative arts toprovide a new formula to approaching GCSE

National Curriculum science.The projectengaged pupils through an extraordinary

combination of dance and science. Aspart of the partnership, NBT held dancetaster sessions at the school, from which

20 Year 9 pupils took part in a week-long residency with NBT Dance

Education Officer Sophie Alder.

The residency explored theformation of the earth,

galaxies and the Big Bangtheory through dance. Sophie worked withthe pupils to create an original dance that they

performed for family and friends at theschool. A scientist from the WellcomeTrust, digital artist Carolyn Mendelsohn,

and composer Richard Coatman alsocollaborated on the project. Later this year

NBT, in partnership with Leeds MetropolitanUniversity, will launch an interactive CD-Romof the project.The resource for teachers andstudents of dance and science will includemusic and visuals from the residency and thepupils’ final performance.

“The project had many successes and the final performance was well received by

friends, family and staff at Beckfoot School.Most importantly it sparked an interest

and enthusiasm in the students to learn,and they found the scientific concepts

easier to understand as a result. Everyoneinvolved put a great deal of hard work into theproject which clearly paid off.The project has

also generated a great deal of national interest from people working in the

fields of dance and science.”Sophie Alder


another outstanding year

inside: the classical training department

Going from strengthto strengthAt the beginning of the new termthere are 120 students studying withNorthern Ballet Theatre (NBT) on ourClassical Training programmes.Auditions took place throughoutJune to search for talented dancersand, as a result, 12 new dancers havejoined Yorkshire Young Dancers(YYD), and 30 new dancers havejoined the Associate programme.There are four academic years ofYYD running simultaneously, takingthe department a step closer to thedream of creating a full-time NBTSchool. All our students receiveexpert training from NBT’s teachingfaculty under the guidance andsyllabus of Ballet Mistress,Yoko Ichino.

Fond farewells 300 students have studied with NBTsince the Classical Training Associateprogramme began in January 1997.This year, three students have leftNBT to study full-time at WhiteLodge, the Royal Ballet LowerSchool. 14 of our Senior Associatestudents have moved on to dance/stage schools across the country,where they will undertake full-timevocational training with the aim ofbecoming professional dancers.These schools include: CentralSchool of Ballet and English NationalBallet School in London, ElmhurstSchool for Dance in Birmingham,and Northern Ballet School inManchester.“I’ve really enjoyed my time at NBTand I’ll be really sad to leave. Theprogramme has an emphasis onpersonal development and individualteaching, which is brilliant as no twodancers are the same. I hope theguidance and encouragement I’ve hadfrom NBT will help me to achieve mydream of becoming a professional

dancer.” Jessica Clyde, ex-NBTAssociate who is continuing hertraining full-time at Elmhurst Schoolfor Dance in Birmingham.

Carnegie Great Student RunIn June, NBT staff and our students’parents took part in the Carnegie GreatStudent Run, organised by NBTpartners Leeds MetropolitanUniversity.Team NBT raised more than£1,700 to support our Classical Trainingprogrammes.We would like to thankeveryone who took part in andsupported the event, and particularlyto Yorkshire Bank who donated £250through its charitable trust.

YYD end the year on a highYYD students from NBT and theNorthern School of ContemporaryDance (NSCD) showcased theirtalents at a sell out end of yearperformance on 23 June at the RileyTheatre in Leeds. 74 studentsperformed a range of dances anddemonstrations, choreographed byNBT Artistic Director David Nixon, andfreelance artists Hilary Stainsby,Catherine Bennett and JonathanPoole from the NSCD. The eveningwas a huge success and the perfectway for the dancers to come togetherand celebrate another fantastic year.(see main photo)

Young dancers descend on NBT70 aspiring dancers from across theUK took part in NBT’s annualintensive Summer School for youngpeople who are already in or lookingto start full time dance training.

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In the last edition of Inside we introduced you to our Classical Trainingdepartment. This time we look forward to another exciting year for ourstudents and take a look back at some of the achievements from 2006-7.


below: Amy Flemming,Andrew Tomlinson andDevon Hartley.

Photo: Darren Goldsmith

inside is published biannually by Northern Ballet Theatre

Northern Ballet TheatreWest Park CentreSpen LaneLeeds LS16 5BE Telephone +44 (0)113 274 5355Fax +44 (0)113 274 5381www.northernballettheatre.co.uk

BOARD OF DIRECTORSCouncillor Bernard Atha CBE (Chairman)Dr Jo ButterworthGraham DewhirstJudith Donovan CBEDavid ForbesJon HammondJuliet JowittProfessor Simon Lee

ARTISTIC DIRECTORDavid Nixon

CHIEF EXECUTIVEMark Skipper

MUSIC DIRECTORJohn Pryce-Jones

INSIDE EDITORIAL TEAMLaraine Penson Ruth Burke-KennedyCatherine Mullaney

Northern Ballet Theatre is a touring narrativedance company whose distinctive blend ofclassical dance and theatre is renowned forcaptivating new audiences. For up to 30 weeks ofthe year NBT’s company of 40 dancers tour acombination of new work and acclaimed repertorypieces to all four UK countries and overseas.Thisextensive touring schedule demonstrates NBT’scommitment to providing opportunities for allpeople to have access to excellence in danceperformance and participation.

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Printed by Axis01484 722 732

Supported by:

Charity No: 259140VAT No: 146 6307 66Company Registration No: 947096Registered in England and WalesCompany limited by guarantee and share capital

Please note that information is correct at the time of publication but is subject to change.

These rising ballet stars aretraining on the YYD scheme andregularly take part in masterclasses to improve their classical,contemporary and Jazz dancetechniques,and prepare themfor a career in dance.


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Northen Ballet Inside 2

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