Northern Ballet brings Michael Pink’s Cinderella to the UK
Northern Ballet’s autumn tour to Nottingham, Newcastle Theatre Royal (October 28-31), Norwich and finally Leeds Grand, for Christmas (December 15-January 2), brings a magical production of Cinderella, choreographed by Michael Pink, to the UK for the first time.
The York-born choreographer was Christopher Gable’s associate artistic director at Northern Ballet in the 1990s, creating the critically-acclaimed Dracula ballet, as well as his own versions of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Swan Lake, Giselle and Strange Meeting, the last of those a one-act ballet based on the poems of Wilfred Owen with music by Philip Feeney and design by Lez Brotherston, both long-time collaborators. He married NBT dancer Jayne Regan in 1998.
This Cinderella was created for Milwaukee Ballet in the USA, where he is now artistic director. The production features Prokofiev’s score performed live by the Northern Ballet Sinfonia, and introduces humour and a fresh emotional thread, with Cinderella guided by the spirit of her mother rather than the traditional fairy godmother of pantomime. The stepsisters are performed in true pantomime fashion by male dancers from the company (as in the much-loved Frederick Ashton version for the Royal Ballet).
Michael Pink said: “I’m thrilled to be working with Northern Ballet again. Prokofiev’s score for Cinderella has whimsical and magical elements, which I wanted to explore as I wrote my scenario. I replaced the fairy godmother with the spirit of Cinderella’s departed mother; I also introduced Jack the house-boy, as Cinderella’s real-life guardian angel.
“I see the story of Cinderella as one of fundamentally holding on to hope, regardless of circumstances. That, in essence, is what we want audience members to take with them out into the world.”
Northern Ballet is also working with a dance school in each touring city to inspire the next generation, inviting local children to become part of the cast in three key roles, a dressmaker, a cobbler and a gardener.
In Leeds, the dancers will come from the Academy of Northern Ballet, one of the UK’s leading classical ballet training institutions. The young cast members will be part of a spellbinding transformation scene as Cinderella gets ready to go to the ball.
Northern Ballet's artistic director, Federico Bonelli, said: “Michael has played a big part in our history and gone on to cement a reputation for creating truly engaging work. His Cinderella combines classical ballet technique with heartfelt storytelling and a good dose of humour, making it a perfect production to be enjoyed by all ages. ”
More info and tickets here
