Northern Ballet Theatre Orchestra

Founded by Canadian born dancer Laverne Meyer in 1969, as the Northern Dance Theatre, the Northern Ballet Theatre (as it came to be known later) would eventually become one of England's premier dance and ballet companies based outside of London. The company's first performance was given on November 28, 1969, and went on to specialize (for the next few years, at least) in small scale works -- as there were only eleven dancers at the outset. Meyer's tenure as artistic director gave way to the era of Robert de Warren in 1976, who changed the name of the company to the aforementioned Northern Ballet Theatre -- as he wanted to focus the company in that particular style -- and began to perform longer classical ballets. The group, now measuring in the twenties, also took on a more international flavor, as many of the dancers were from other parts of the world. Christopher Gable took over the director's chair from 1987-1998, who was then succeeded by Stefano Giannetti in 1999. Beginning his tenure with an adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations won him (and the company) critical success, which led to many more hits, including Madame Butterfly and a Gershwin tribute in 2002. Plans were set in motion to bring more international works to the UK troupe, as well as continuing to tour and perform their well-respected brand of narrative dance.
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