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Northern Ballet to tour Cinderella, choreographed by Michael Pink
Cinderella will open in Nottingham before touring to Newcastle and Norwich, ending with a Christmas run at Leeds Grand Theatre.
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Northern Ballet has announced their autumn 2026 tour which will see them stage Milwaukee Ballet’s production of Cinderella, choreographed by Michael Pink. First created for Milwaukee Ballet in 2009, this will be the first time Pink’s Cinderella, set to the famous Prokofiev music played live, will be performed by a UK ballet company.
Pink has a long association with Northern Ballet, where he was Associate Artistic Director between 1993 – 1998. Working closely with former Artistic Director Christopher Gable CBE, he created the critically acclaimed Dracula as well as versions of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Swan Lake and Giselle.
Cinderella has all the hallmarks of a traditional fairy tale, but Pink has put his own spin on the story. Here, we see Cinderella watched over not by a fairy godmother but by the spirit of her own mother, helping from afar to bring about her happily ever after. Alongside the emotional and romantic touch points of Cinderella’s romance with the Prince, Pink brings laugh-out-loud moments to the ballet with the stepsisters, performed in true pantomime fashion by male dancers from the company.
Federico Bonelli, Artistic Director of Northern Ballet, said:
“I was drawn to Michael Pink’s Cinderella for our company and our audiences because of the way it combines classical ballet technique with heartfelt storytelling and a good dose of humour. Michael is a fantastic choreographer with a reputation for creating truly engaging work, from his time here at Northern Ballet through to his current tenure at Milwaukee Ballet. We will get as much joy out of dancing Cinderella as the audience will out of watching it!”
Through set design by Bruce Brockman, costume design by Peter Cazalet and lighting by David Grill, the audience is transported from the gloom of Cinderella’s home to fantastical gardens and sweeping ballrooms.
Following an opening run in Nottingham, Cinderella will tour to Newcastle and Norwich before heading to Leeds for a 20-show Christmas run at Leeds Grand Theatre. All venues will offer an audio-described performance to improve accessibility for those with visual impairments. This production will be performed to live music.
Visit northernballet.com/cinderella for more information.