Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | David Nixon

 A ballet that has been reduced in substance but is still weighed down by complexity.

Northern Ballet reaches its half-century with a gala at Leeds Grand Theatre featuring highlights from its "greatest hits".

A fantastic score, wonderful costumes, brilliant dancing and stunning choreography coalesce beautifully in David Nixon’s magical The Little Mermaid for Northern Ballet.

The lady at the bus stop announced that she had just been to the ballet, and commented: “I didn’t really understand it but I loved it”. The ballet was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed by Northern Ballet, and yes, it was somewhat confusing, though highly enjoyable and very funny.

Goodness, Northern Ballet are an appealing company. Their dancers are cheerful, charismatic and talented; their ethos one of hard work and unflagging dedication to outreach, bringing the delights of ballet to as wide an audience as possible across their mostly northern catchment area. A new full-length story ballet based on F.

Cleopatra is a familiar cultural icon to us all whether our impressions are shaped by Shakespeare or Elizabeth Taylor.