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Northern Ballet announces return of triple bill programme, Three Short Ballets
Northern Ballet presents Three Short Ballets at Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds, from 30 April – 2 May 2026.
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Northern Ballet’s popular series, Three Short Ballets, returns to Leeds this spring. Featuring a trio of short works by former Artistic Director David Nixon CBE, legendary dance maker Hans van Manen and New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Tiler Peck, the programme will be performed at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre from 30 April to 2 May 2026.
The mixed bill has become a staple of the company’s repertoire, continuing to delight long-time ballet fans as well as newcomers year after year. Audiences can enjoy three distinctive short works from world renowned choreographers and fresh choreographic voices, all wrapped up in one extraordinary evening of ballet.
Following its highly acclaimed premiere in 2023, Tiler Peck's Intimate Pages will be taking to the Leeds stage once again. Peck’s first collaboration with a European ballet company, the piece was met with rave reviews for its striking fusion of classical and contemporary ballet alongside its emotional storytelling. Inspired a string quartet by Czech composer Leoš Janáček, originally composed with a love interest in mind, Intimate Pages takes the audience on an emotional journey through one man’s profound yearning for love. From heart-racing joy to heart-breaking solitude, the piece beautifully captures the complexities of our human desire for connection.
A ‘timeless classic of twentieth-century dance,’ Adagio Hammerklavier is a captivating display of strength, partnership and precision. Created in 1973 by master choreographer Hans van Manen (1932-2025) and set to Christoph Eschenbach's exceptionally slow rendition of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 29, the piece features three couples who tread the fine line between stillness and motion (like a wheel that rolls so slowly that it hovers over the brink of stopping), and balance and control become synonymous with the delicate dynamics of relationships: intimacy, tension, conflict and understanding. Now returning to the Northern Ballet stage, Adagio Hammerklavier remains one of van Manen's most celebrated works, honouring the timeless beauty of his choreography, his unique vision and his artistic legacy.
Lastly, former Northern Ballet Artistic Director David Nixon CBE brings a UK premiere with Winter Dances. Having created many of Northern Ballet’s signature works, Nixon now brings a short ballet where music and movement merge in a showcase of elegance and artistry. Choreographed to Antonín Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12, nicknamed 'The American', the piece brings together a group of young people on an evening of leisure, with the melody of the music guiding their interactions. Two contrasting couples break from the group into duets; one is deeply passionate, and the other is light-hearted and playful in a subtle reflection on the evolving nature of love.
Tickets for Three Short Ballets are now on sale. Visit northernballet.com/three-short-ballets for more information.