The Nutcracker at Leeds Grand Theater is a new twist on a story as old as time

A tale as old as time, with a twist, left audiences captivated and mesmerized at Leeds Grand Theater on Tuesday night.

Hundreds of people flocked to the theater to watch The Northern Ballet’s retelling of Beauty and the Beast – an experience sure to be unforgettable for those in the seats.

As the lights dimmed and the live orchestra began to play, those in the audience were introduced to a vain, mirror-gazing Prince Orian who is then cursed to live his life as a beast from La Fée Magnifique .

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Soon after, Magnifique’s sister La Fée Luminaire throws him a lifeline, who hands him a rose and tells him that the spell can be broken if he can learn to love and be loved in return.

The Beast’s dance conveys every aspect of his rage and suffering, and the dramatic end of the scene is a far cry from the next, when the audience is presented in beauty. And so the story goes.

A story told many times, but never quite like this. The story of Northern Ballet includes a darkness and emotion that is very far from the Disney story.

Through the incredible dancing of Harris Beattie alongside the dramatic music performed under the orchestra, the audience is taken right into the heart of the Beast. I have never seen dance evoke such emotion in its audience.

The ballet is such a rollercoaster of emotion – the audience joins Beauty in her horror when she first meets the Beast, but then hearts soar as she finally begins to warm to him and the pair begin to fall in love. Desperation and heartbreak follow when the Beast lets her go home, and tears flow when she returns and a happy ending finally comes.

After witnessing The Northern Ballet perform The Nutcracker at Christmas and being blown away by it, Beauty and the Beast is an incredible sequel. I was afraid that the costumes and set design wouldn’t be as grand, but they fit the show perfectly, providing a great backdrop but not taking away from the dancers and their artistry.

After Beauty and the Beast, the Nordic Ballet will take a summer break, and the show is just a taste of things to come. At the end of the show, as the cast took their bows, placards were held up in front of audience members protesting plans to replace the live orchestra with recorded music.

Having watched two performances with the orchestra live, it is impossible to imagine that it would evoke the same emotion in an audience without it. Protesters are asking people to sign a petition to Keep Northern Ballet Live. You can do that here.

Beauty and the Beast runs at Leeds Grand Theater until Saturday 9 June.

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