Story takes centre stage in children's ballet
Review: Northern Ballet’s Ugly Duckling
Northcott Theatre, Exeter
As a child's first experience of live ballet, Northern Ballet's version of Ugly Ducking delivers on every level writes Natalie Marcus.
Taking a four-year-old to a ballet could be a bit of gamble, but with Northern Ballet you are in safe hands!
This retelling of the famous Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, Ugly Duckling was quite simply, an enchanting visual treat for children and adults from start to finish.
The show, which lasted a child-friendly 40 minutes, kept the attention of every little one in the Northcott Theatre throughout, thanks to masterful storytelling of this classic tale, entirely through dance, movement and music.
The Northern Ballet Sinfonia provided live music and an intriguing soundscape keeping our attention during scene changes, making the experience even more captivating.
The dancers fluidly moved from character to character which included the ducklings, mother duck, the cats, the fox, the swan queen and my daughter's favourite, the “funny jumping frogs” not to mention the star of the show, Ugly.
The phases of the story, told in part by the passing of the seasons used no words. The choreography was so skilful that it would not have mattered if your child was new to the tale. An amazing achievement, all testament to the skills of the dancers and the creative team.
The scene that captivated the most was winter, with a slightly menacing “Jack Frost and Frozen's Elisa” style characters that dusted the stage with snow, setting the scene for the big transformation! The final scene gave us glimpses of a more traditional ballet, complete with tutus and tiaras; a big hit when you are 4 years old and a fan of dressing up!
Days later, we are still talking about the characters we met at Ugly Ducking. Mr Fox, the villain of the piece, had the cheek to sprinkle salt and pepper on Ugly in anticipation of a feast. There was much relief when she managed to escape his clutches and navigate all her other encounters along the way.
We now have a ballet fan in the house thanks to Northern Ballet and we will be keeping a close eye on future productions from this excellent company to Exeter.
Creative Team: Choreography: Dreda Blow and Sebastian Loe, Set Design by Dave Gillan, Lighting Design by Alastair West, Costume Realisation & Design by Julie Anderson, music arranged by John Longstaff, played live by members of Northern Ballet Sinfonia.
For more information go to: https://northernballet.com/ugly-duckling / https://exeternorthcott.co.uk/
By Natalie Marcus
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