With time on my hands and no imminent performances to watch, I’ve been reflecting back on NBT’s celebratory year so far. The Company, originally based in Manchester, was conceived by Canadian Laverne Meyer. There is a pleasing symmetry that the current AD, David Nixon, is also Canadian.

I’ve realised that I have been watching NBT for the best part of a quarter of a century! The first performance I ever saw was Robert de Warren’s production of Othello, at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, at the end of 1985. I remember enjoying it but not too much detail of the choreography; my abiding memory is of Desdemona’s delicate pink dress in the final act being covered in Othello’s dark make-up!

So how do you plan a celebratory year and what do you include in it? I imagine that it would be very expensive to mount any of the works performed in the first 20 years of the Company’s existence so this year’s programme has consisted of seminal works from the Gable and Nixon years plus a couple of new (to the company) goodies on a mixed programme.

The year opened with a mixed programme consisting of La Bayadere (Kingdom of the Shades), Angels in the Architecture and A Simple Man. Given that NBT is not renowned for performing traditional classics I was fascinated to see what they would make of the Shades. (When I became a regular ballet watcher Makarova’s Shades was a staple of LFB’s rep and I’ve also seen the Kirov, POB and RB in more recent years so it’s a piece I am very familiar with). I will never forget the thrill of the first night in Leeds when all the Shades came down the ramp in perfect unison, with arabesques at exactly the same angle. It was a wonderful performance; all praise to Yoko Ichino for mounting this production and for coaching the dancers so well. Angels in the Architecture proved to be a delight (that I am looking forward to seeing again next year) and the evening ended with a moving and emotional performance of A Simple Man. Mixed programmes do not seem particularly popular but when as well programmed as this they make for a very satisfying evening.

The following week saw a revival of David Nixon’s Swan Lake. It could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be described as conventional but I love it. There had been some changes since last time around and I particularly liked the new prologue that made Antony’s obsession with water and swans clearer and the final scene where the lighting and water effects were just stunning. I was fortunate to see some very fine performances.

For the second half of the Spring tour we have been treated to Massimo Morricone/Christopher Gable’s production of Romeo and Juliet and David Nixon’s Wuthering Heights.

Romeo and Juliet was made in 1991 and remains landmark and signature ballet of the Company. It was the Company’s first major collaboration with set and costume designer Lez Brotherston and the versatile set still evokes a hot and sultry Verona. The superb performances we saw this Spring served to underline the strength and depth of the current company. Romeo and Juliet completed the season in Norwich and we were privileged and sad to see Keiko Amemori’s final performance with the company. It was a beautiful and moving performance with all the company dancing their socks off.

Wuthering Heights was revived for the first time since its opening seasons in 2002/3. It was the first original piece that David Nixon created for NBT. For me, one of the most magical moments is when the friendship/love between young Cathy and Heathcliff transforms into something more adult. As the children roaming the moor tire and lie down they roll off into either wing and the adult Cathy and Heathcliff roll on. It always sends a tingle down my spine. The revival of this work more than anything else in this season showed me how much the company has continued to grow under David Nixon’s husbandry. It was not only the quality of the dancing that was enthralling to watch it was the sheer power of the acting and the waves of emotion rolling off the stage and into the audience. I was reduced to uncontrollable sobbing at several of the performances I saw.

NBT is looking fabulous at 40 and we have got lots to look forward to in the Autumn.

I’d love to hear season impressions from other fans of the company so please get posting!