Northern Ballet announces UK Première of Jean-Christophe Maillot’s, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo production of Romeo & Juliet

[Image: Marie-Laure Briane]

Based right here in Leeds, Northern Ballet is one of the UK’s five largest ballet companies, performing nationally and internationally. As the busiest touring ballet company in the country, the Northern Ballet is typically on the road for around 24 weeks of the year. The Company of 40 dancers performs a mixture of classical dance and theatre, embracing popular culture and taking inspiration from literature, opera, or giving a unique interpretation of popular classical ballets.

Spring 2014 has already seen Northern Ballet tour Cinderella and Cleopatra and as A Midsummer Night’s Dream prepares to begin its tour in May, the Company has just announced that it will open its Spring 2015 season with the UK Première of Jean-Christophe Maillot’s, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo production of Romeo & Juliet. The Leeds-based Company, is due to celebrate its 45^th anniversary in 2015 and will perform Romeo & Juliet at Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 26 – 28 February 2015, followed by Leeds Grand Theatre from 4^th – 15^th March 2015, before a planned national tour in 2016.

Set to Prokofiev’s unforgettable score, which will be played live by Northern Ballet Sinfonia, Romeo & Juliet is choreographed by acclaimed dance-maker Jean-Christophe Maillot, who has been invited by the Bolshoi Ballet to create a new version of The Taming of the Shrew this July. His beautiful interpretation captures the essence of what it means to be young and in love, and tells of the devastating tragedy that unfolds when tenderness and naivety is met with violence and pride. The tour will mark Northern Ballet’s first collaboration with Maillot and the first time that this production of Romeo & Juliet has been performed in the UK.

“The Romeo & Juliet story has a special place in the hearts of the Northern Ballet audience and the opportunity to add this version to our repertoire is very exciting for our audience who can look forward to seeing it in 2015.” Mark Skipper, Northern Ballet’s Chief Executive

Tickets for Edinburgh Festival Theatre can be booked online at www.edtheatres.com/nbromeo or by calling the box office on 0131 529 6000.

Follow Northern Ballet on Twitter @northernballet and visit www.northernballet.com for more information on the 2015 Tour.