Dance

Preview New Season Dance in Leeds

A look at a busy couple of months ahead for dance in the city and beyond

With the inevitably cold months of February and March lying ahead, what better way to put a spring in your step than to check out what eclectic offerings the wonderful world of dance has in store this season.

Running from 9th to 18th February at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds, our first offering is Northern Ballet‘s Perpetual Motion which comprises four short dance pieces presenting ballet-goers with a truly diverse programme of performances. Perpetual Motion incorporates the core-strength spins, jumps and powerful beats of Perpetuum Mobile from Scottish Ballet’s new artistic director Christopher Hampson, the high-energy…

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Preview Rambert Dance Company

Ali Schofield visits Britain's longest established dance company ahead of its Seven for a secret tour this month

I miss the entrance to one of the most highly acclaimed contemporary dance companies completely when I go to visit their London headquarters. Among the delis and antiques dealers on the leafy Chiswick highstreet is the unassuming building which serves as the base for Britain’s oldest active troupe, Rambert Dance Company.

Established 85 years ago by Marie Rambert, the company was responsible for the birth of British ballet. Within 40 years, Ballet Rambert was to be credited as one of the earliest contemporary companies too, later changing its name to reflect this. These days Rambert remains a thoroughly modern arts…

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Interview David Nixon OBE

Ali Schofield talks to the Artistic Director of Northern Ballet about Cleopatra, censorship and why Lady Gaga has been an inspiration

David Nixon OBE has just threatened to staple one of his dancers back together. It’s not that he’s an unkind man – quite the opposite, his dancers seem to love him – but his first new ballet in three years, Cleopatra premieres soon, the male Northern Ballet dancers are rehearsing a fight scene and he will do anything to avoid losing anyone to injury.

He has allowed me to sit in on rehearsals at the company’s new headquarters on Quarry Hill. Despite being days away from the first performance at the Grand on 26^th February, he is still making tweaks…

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Review Havana Rakatan

Saddler’s Wells/Ballet Rakatan tour comes to Bradford Alhambra

Following a critically acclaimed stint in the West End, this Saddler’s Wells/Ballet Rakatan production is currently on a brisk UK tour – one which is a must see for theatre lovers of all ages. Havana Rakatan is a truly impressive work, performed by some of the finest contemporary dancers I’ve had the pleasure of seeing on stage.

Nilda Guerra’s direction/choreography is a joy to behold; the first act follows a loose plot to ensure audience involvement, although I am unsure this is truly necessary as the quality of the music and dance was strong enough to…

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Interview Craig Revel Horwood

The 'Strictly Come Dancing' man will be making the journey to Leeds soon for his production of Spend, Spend, Spend! at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Here he talks about his long-lived dancing career, being a Wicked Queen and what he thinks of Leeds

“I’m very much looking forward to coming to Leeds for Spend, Spend, Spend! because it began at the West Yorkshire Playhouse many years ago. I had nothing to do with it then, but our production went into the West End and enjoyed a successful run there and then I decided to try it out at the Watermill Theatre with actor-musicians and paired it down, and now we’re touring it, which we’re absolutely delighted about. It won the TMA awards for Best Musical last year, which was brilliant, and also Best Actress in the musical, which is fantastic.

“I’ve worked in…

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Interview Brendan Cole

Ali Schofield talks celebrity, touring and Googling his own name with the bad boy of Ballroom

“As it came out, it was the worst thing I could have ever said… I apologise profusely for that. It was one of the times where me going too far was way too far.

“I screwed up big time.”

Brendan Cole is filling me in on the story behind that comment he made to Fiona Phillips – ‘you’d be a crap shag’ – when the GMTV presenter was partnering him in the third series of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

To be fair to the dancer, the whole episode does seem to have been blown up out of proportion.

Teaching a two-left-footed…

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Try This Zumba at Virgin Active

Rosie Bryan-Adams gets on down with Bet Perez, master of Zumba dancing

With authority from the well-toned fitness freaks of LA, Zumba is apparently ‘taking the UK by storm’ and now it was my turn to give it a go. Having recently taken up long-distance running, I considered myself more than capable of taking on what I’d heard was a fusion of aerobics and rumba. How little I knew.

Taking the stairs up to what can only be described as a fitness utopia, a veritable warehouse of gadgets and machines accompanied by gyrating, sweaty people, I felt a twinge of concern. What had I let myself into? Cut to the fitness suite…

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Interview Nichola Burley

Chris Lochery talks to the Leeds born star of StreetDance 3D

For someone who has made their name predominantly as an actor, it is strange to hear Nichola Burley talk about her dancing history.

“Oh yeah, I trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (on Chapeltown Road),” she says. “I absolutely loved it - I used to go in there in my dance tights and my leotard. It would be a real struggle for anyone to try and pull me out of those classes. If there was anything at all going on, I’d want to be there.”

Nichola was born and raised in Leeds and was a fixture at a…

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Alternative Leeds Salsa Leeds

Sarah Idle experiences some of the more off-centred activities available in Leeds – here, she gives salsa dancing a go

‘Strictly Come Dancing’ has a lot to answer for. The shiny, sequinned celebs make salsa look sexy – and sickeningly effortless. However, in the slightly less glamorous surroundings of bar room bar on Call Lane, the reality of Salsa Leeds becomes apparent. The only shiny things are the perspiring faces of the participants – with the exception of the smug glow of Salsa Leeds’ regular attendees.

The class starts off deceptively easily, with group tuition of the basic steps. With hips swaying seductively to salsa beats, it feels satisfyingly easy to grasp. This is followed by the reason why Salsa…

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Feature Do Something Different In Leeds

We all know that Leeds is great food, drinks, indie-rock and clubbing, but what else is there to do in this city? Sarah Idle has look

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Leeds is fantastic for shopping, drinking and clubbing. But with a recession continuing to nip at our heels and a new year still in its early, exciting months it might be time to try what else Leeds has to offer.

RELEASE YOUR INNER ARTIST

And we’re not just talking drawing-wise, although there is a life-drawing class for those brave enough for something completely different, which meets fortnightly. Discover that there’s more to amateur dramatics than portraying a tree and dazzle on the stage – the Leeds Civic Art Guild lists…

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