DANCE DOUBLE – DREAM COMES TRUE

20 January 2005.

Leeds-based Northern Ballet Theatre, had double reason to celebrate today. As well as winning the Audience Award in this year’s National Dance Awards, the company also received news that its production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been nominated in the Best New Dance Production Category in the prestigious Laurence Olivier awards, which will take place on Sunday 20 February.

The Audience Award was supported by Ballet.co and Dance UK and was the only award to be voted for by members of the general public.

The National Dance Awards are a celebration of dance and dancers in Britain and are the only professional awards in the country dedicated specifically to the art of dance. The fifth annual awards are hosted by the dance section of the Critics’ Circle, which brings together over 50 of the UK’s most celebrated and experienced dance writers.

Nominations were also received for David Nixon for Best Choreography – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pippa Moore for Outstanding Female Artist (Classical) and Northern Ballet Theatre for Outstanding Repertoire.

The glittering event took place at the Royal Opera House, London this afternoon and was hosted by TV personality Angela Rippon, OBE. Thirty-nine finalists competed for 13 prestigious awards, celebrating the successes of the classical and contemporary dance world over the past twelve months.

Since joining Northern Ballet Theatre as Artistic Director in 2001, Canadian-born David Nixon has made a major impact on the company – adding nine new productions to the company’s repertoire and increasing box office sales to an all-time high. Nixon’s magical version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is set in the 1940s and follows a touring ballet company, had its World Première at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds in September 2003 where it received both audience and critical acclaim and played to sell-out audiences. Soloist Pippa Moore, who joined Northern Ballet Theatre in 1996, stole the show as the feisty Helena, displaying a unique talent for combining athletic and accomplished dancing with perfect comedy timing.

Northern Ballet Theatre’s next new production will be La Traviata, which opens at Leeds Grand Theatre & Opera House from Friday 11 – Saturday 19 February, before embarking on a national tour.

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For more information/photography or to arrange interviews contact our Media and PR department via email: media@northernballettheatre.co.uk.

For more information about the National Dance Awards visit: www.nationaldanceawards.com

For more information about the Laurence Olivier Awards visit: www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/news/display/cm/contentId/83196