Northern Ballet’s Ugly Duckling takes to the road

February 9, 2013

Northern Ballet’s Ugly Duckling takes to the road

Northern Ballet’s Ugly Duckling Photograph : Martin Bell

Following sell-out performances in Leeds, Northern Ballet’s first short ballet for small people, Ugly Duckling, begins an extensive tour to theatres across the North of England from 12 March.

Choreographed by Northern Ballet dancers Dreda Blow and Sebastian Loe, Ugly Duckling received rave reviews from audiences and critics at performances in Leeds last autumn.

Based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, it tells the story of a lonely duckling who doesn’t quite fit in with her friends. Throughout the ballet, the duckling learns about herself and those around her and when she learns to love who she is she turns into a beautiful swan and begins a happy new life.

Sebastian Loe said, ‘The great thing about Ugly Duckling and other children’s stories is that they teach important and timeless values from a young age. The message we want to put across in Ugly Duckling is that we should be confident in embracing who we are and ultimately we should not be afraid of being ourselves.’

Dreda Blow said, ‘According to my parents, I saw my first ballet when I was only two years old and was absolutely riveted! I sat perfectly still, my eyes glued to the stage the entire time. If our production of Ugly Duckling inspires children to start ballet lessons then that’s great, but most importantly I hope it awakens in them a love and appreciation for the magic of dance and theatre in general.’

The colourful production for children aged four and up features a host of animal characters including cats, frogs and a wily fox. The performance is 40 minutes in length and the music ranges from classical compositions to the theme tunes of popular children’s cartoons.

This hugely popular production, supported by Leeds Inspired, is designed to encourage children and young families to see their first ballet at an affordable price. Tickets range from £4 to £8 depending on the venue.

About Northern Ballet

Northern Ballet is renowned for its full-length narrative productions which embrace popular culture and take inspiration from literature, opera, or give a unique interpretation of classical ballets. The Leeds-based company is committed to touring throughout the UK and overseas, developing new audiences for dance.

About Ugly Duckling

Ugly Duckling is an audience outreach project funded by Leeds City Council and is part of Leeds Inspired which celebrates arts, sport and heritage events. This is the first time Northern Ballet has produced a ballet specifically for young children and the aim is to engage families in theatre, art and music in a fun, lively and approachable way.

Leeds Inspired is a Leeds City Council initiative which supports arts, sport and heritage events around the region and offers grants to individuals and organisations for cultural projects. Leeds Inspired is supported by a group of partners including West Yorkshire Playhouse, SAA-UK, Cultivate, Leeds Young Authors, Leeds Initiative, Leeds Met Gallery, Phoenix Dance and Duke Studios.