Northern Ballet Invests In Narrative

June 13, 2016

Have you noticed an uptick in story ballets? We sure have. Whether it’s a full-length or a one-act, we love seeing choreographers challenge themselves by bringing stories to life.

The folks at Northern Ballet in the UK also believe in the power of narrative ballet and, thanks to their choreographic lab Tell Tale Steps, they’ve created an opportunity for choreographers to dive into the form. If you want to take a peek into the process of creating a story ballet, don’t miss the company’s live stream on Thursday, June 16. There will be a panel discussion covering narrative in ballet, and the choreographers will show excerpts of their work.

This year’s participants include Lucia Solari, Morgann Runacre-Temple, Tobias Batley (a Northern Ballet company member), Charlotte Edmonds (a young choreographer currently mentored by The Royal Ballet’s Wayne McGregor) and Carlos Pons Guerra. The mix of ages and backgrounds is sure to yield interesting results.

Part of their mentorship team includes dramaturg Ruth Little and playwright Greg Mosse. Since dramaturgy faded from the ballet world as choreographers embraced abstraction, we’re especially excited to see elements of theater and dance coming together again—all for the benefit of amazing storytelling.

Meet the choreographers below:

For more news on all things ballet, don’t miss a single issue.