Big Ballet's big finish

The curtain came down on Big Ballet yet it's filming at Northern Ballet has meant that the door has been left open for the company to continue its work reversing stereotypes. Northern Ballet has pioneered accessible ballet since it was founded almost 45 years ago and works hard to ensure the joy of dance is available to everyone to experience, as with the ethos of Wayne Sleep's Big Ballet. The majority of the rehearsals for the programme took place at the Northern Ballet class facilities in central Leeds where the company worked with the programme makers to ensure the Big Ballet participants had the most authentic experience possible. The dancers were able to rehearse in spaces purpose-built for dance and were invited to watch company rehearsals too to enhance their experience. Towards the end of the project Northern Ballet also assisted in directing participants towards possible future opportunities in dance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rapMkyjEaaM Following the filming of the three-part programme, some of the Big Ballet dancers have chosen to stay on at Northern Ballet and join the adult ballet classes, fulfilling the original aim of the project of getting more people involved in dance and ballet. Northern Ballet was the first regional dance company to be based permanently outside of London, and accessibility to dance across all platforms has always been its ethos. Northern Ballet offers professional training and open classes for all ages and abilities, as well as audio described performances and open days. The Academy of Northern Ballet offers high quality dance training following the Ichino method, developed by renowned Ballet Mistress and ex-Prima Ballerina Yoko Ichino. The method, which benefits all open and Academy classes, takes a holistic approach to teaching, nurturing and inspiring students to become professional dancers.