Northern Ballet’s Choreographic Laboratory

Northern Ballet has launched its second annual Choreographic Laboratory which brings together five emerging choreographers for a three-week intensive to research and develop ideas for new narrative dance, with Northern Ballet’s professional dancers. The Choreographic Laboratory culminates in Tell Tale Steps 2: Narrative in Ballet, a sharing at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre in Leeds on 16 June 2016.

The Choreographic Laboratory began in 2015 by Northern Ballet’s Artistic Director David Nixon OBE. It is run in partnership with the Royal Ballet and curated by director and producer Jane Hackett, offering emerging choreographers the opportunity to work with Northern Ballet’s dancers to explore the creation of new narrative dance work. The scheme commits itself to nurturing choreographers and to developing talent. The experience therefore appears invaluable, with its wide ranging mentorship and tools on offer which are thought-provoking and challenging.

Carlos Pons Guerra (independent choreographer), Charlotte Edmonds (Royal Ballet Young Choreographer), Lucia Solari (First Soloist at Northern Ballet), Morgann Runacre-Temple (independent choreographer and choreographer in residence at Ballet Ireland) and Tobias Batley (Premier Dancer at Northern Ballet) have spent three weeks at Northern Ballet to explore narrative dance. The intensive also includes a programme of talks and mentorship from Sharon Watson, Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre and dance writer Luke Jennings.

The culmination of the Choreographic Laboratory is Tell Tale Steps 2: Narrative in Ballet, a sharing of the process of experimentation and research during the choreographers’ three week residency. The sharing will demonstrate their exploration of narrative dance, created characters and a sense of place and drama. The programme also includes a panel of leading arts professionals discussing the creation of narrative dance.