'world-class' dance born in newcastle to wow audiences

A Newcastle ballet company is set to deliver a 'world-class' double-bill of unique performances to audiences this Friday, May 23. Set within the city's creative Ouseburn

district on Lime Street, Northern Dance will perform 'Flores de la Noche', inspired by the painting 'Damas de Noche'_ _by Anthony Whishaw first performed in 2023,

alongside the premiere of brand new work 'Cherub Dance'. The performances will feature choreography by Maxine Fell, one of the country’s most innovative choreographers who trained

at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and has been based in Newcastle for many years. Audiences can expect to be delighted by live music performances from four local musicians,

composed for these works by BAFTA-nominated composer Kevin Sargent. Local technicians have designed the lighting and sound, while two of the dancers are Newcastle born and bred. Set up in

2018, Director of Northern Dance Maxine Fell explained how the company has been developing new and innovative work: "We wanted to create a world-class dance company in the north, using

the amazing talent that exists here. "We want to be part of a movement that celebrates excellence, creativity and ambition, as creating opportunities and bringing joy to the people of

Newcastle and hopefully helping to support the North East as a thriving focus for the arts and creativity." North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, said: "Northern Dance is a fantastic

organisation that’s creating opportunities for our talent in the North East. This world-class institution is putting our region on the map, showcasing our stories and letting young people

see what can be achieved with ambition, creativity and hard work. "It’s fantastic to see local dancers, musicians and technicians are all part of delivering this latest uplifting and

impressive show, which I’ve been so lucky to see in rehearsals. I am committed to backing our creative industries after years of underfunding. They are vital to creating a diverse economy by

bringing jobs, building skills and attracting visitors." Northern Dance Trustee David Leonard added: "Regional the arts as well as enriching the local culture, can be a

significant driver to the economy as a whole. They can bring in highly skilled professionals, create new opportunities for local people to build skills, and be a net contributor to the local

economy. "The arts have been badly underfunded in recent years but organisations like Northern Dance are showing what can be done with ambition, talent, creativity and hard work."

As well as Maxine Fell calling Newcastle home, so do a couple of the dancers who will be performing. Maxine added: “Two of our dancers are Newcastle born and bred, while two others are from

the Midlands, one from Wales and one from London. "I was always determined to create opportunities for artists in the North, balancing that with ensuring that all our dancers are

world-class and together form the perfect ensemble to express my vision for these works. We now have a wonderful small team who are incredibly skilled, emotive dancers who support Northern

Dance, and each other, every step of the way. "I am excited to showcase their, and the whole team’s, talent. We are performing with world class dancers, choreographers and musicians,

creating new, innovative work for new audiences. We want to move the centre of creative innovation to the North, where artists have always been the driving force for creative and cultural

change." "My experience of being a carer for a year to my parents and our dancer Katherine’s experience of working professionally with carers meant this was a group we really

wanted to connect with as part of our ambition to put performances on for people who may not usually get to see performances like this.” "The space we work and perform in is different.

It’s not at all a traditional dance venue – it’s unusual, cool, and gets you up close to the musicians and dancers in a very intimate space." Northern Dance is performing for three

nights from May 21 - 23 - firstly to a group of carers and young dancers; secondly to a selected audience of people working in the arts, the Mayor’s team, funders and the press, and thirdly

to the general public on Friday May 23. To book tickets for Fridays show and more information, visit here. JOIN OUR THINGS TO DO WHATSAPP COMMUNITY Join our Things To Do community for all

the latest news What's On news sent direct to your phone. To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is click on the link and press 'join community'.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from

us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit

group'. If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice. CLICK HERE TO JOIN