Northern Ballet celebrates 30 years of making dance in Leeds

Leeds is home to one of the country's best-loved dance companies, and in 2026 Northern Ballet is celebrating a special anniversary. It is 30 years since the company arrived in the city in 1996.

The company's own story goes back further. Northern Ballet was founded in 1969 by Laverne Meyer as Northern Dance Theatre, and took the name Northern Ballet in 2010. Its Leeds years have taken it from early days in West Park to its current home at Quarry Hill.

Those decades have brought plenty of drama off stage as well as on. A University of Leeds feature recalled how the company came through an arson attack on its headquarters in 2001 and flooding in 2015 that damaged sets and costumes. Through it all, the dancers kept performing.

The anniversary season shows the company's ambition. Gentleman Jack, a world premiere, is listed to tour from September 2026 to April 2027, bringing a celebrated Yorkshire story to the ballet stage.

The festive highlight is Cinderella by Michael Pink, who was Associate Artistic Director at Northern Ballet from 1993 to 1998 and created Dracula with former artistic director Christopher Gable. His Cinderella was first created for Milwaukee Ballet in 2009, and this is the first time a UK company has performed his version, with Prokofiev's score played live. After touring, it comes home for a 20-show Christmas run at Leeds Grand Theatre from 23 October 2026 to 2 January 2027.

Beyond the stage, the company's anniversary celebrates its community work and the training offered at the Academy of Northern Ballet, where young dancers take their first steps towards a career.

The Academy has also linked workshops to Leeds' 400 years of city status in 2026, a reminder of how closely the company's story is woven into the city's own.

Thirty years is a long time in the life of any arts organisation, and the company has used it well.

Performance dates, tickets and Academy activities are listed on the Northern Ballet website, and the Leeds Grand Theatre run is a lovely way to mark the festive season.