30 years of balletLORENT

Shards 

Dancers: Geoffrey Hopson, Brian Palm, Emma Redding/Sarah Bateson, Ingrid Reisetbauer
Selected to represent Britain at the Second Recontre Chorégraphique Européene Programme in Fougères, France

9 ½ minutes

Commission: Blueprint Dance Company
Dancers: Steven Coates, Sonia Rafferty
An exploration of what is possibly the last few moments of a couple’s time together.

ROT (formerly 9 ½ minutes) reworked duet
Dancers: Steven Coates, Sonia Rafferty
“an unmarried woman’s word on marriage”

Sextet
Dancers: Patricia Bastian, Vincent Gayle, Jane Harris, Jo Moutlin, Emma Redding, Michele Sardo
A work interpreting how one deals with the weakness of the human heart.

Critical Mass
Dancers: Patricia Bastian, Vincent Gayle, Jane Harris, Jo Moutlin, Emma Redding, Michele Sardo
A piece of dance theatre that rejoices and pokes fun at masculine mating rituals.

Sketch for new work while Resident Artist at The Place, London 
Shown as a work in progress at the first ever Choreodrome platform at The Place, London.

X (The X Factor)
Dancers: Kate Andrew, Kit Dickinson, Orla McLaughlin, Andrea Nundy, Julia Todd, Beverly Voice
Created to the music of Alfred Shnittke, X takes its source from classical technique that becomes pure glamour.

Albatross 
Dancers: Kate Andrew, Patricia Bastian, Eric Colvin, Kit Dickinson, Vincent Gayle, Orla McLaughlin, Pedro Montoya, Andrea Nundy, Cheri Seel, Julia Todd, Beverly Voice
Based on environmentalists report that vast numbers of these majestic birds are dying, ensnared in the nets of modern trawlers.

Axis
Dancers: Patricia Bastian, Orla McLaughlin, Pedro Montoya, Andrea Nundy, Beverley Voice
Performed to the music of Jimi Hendrix, a highly energetic and anarchic work that celebrates great music.

PassAge to Passion 
Commission: Dance City, Age Concern and the Artist’s Agency
Dancers: Three professional dancers and 80 community participants aged 8-82 years
Premiered: Federation Brewery, Gateshead. Toured: Theatre Royal, Newcastle with Northern Sinfonia playing live (as part of Northern:Electric Festival), Newbiggin Sports & Community Centre and Ballroom Blitz, Royal Festival Hall, London.
A large scale cross-generational community dance project that brought Liv to the North East.

‘Wounds too bleeding flesh where angels land’
Dancers: Clyde Melville-Bain, Caroline Reece, Steven Skamarski
Premiered: Spring Loaded at The Place, London. Toured: Northern:Electric Dance Festival at Gulbenkian Studio, Newcastle Playhouse and the Southbank Centre, London.
Inspired by a quote in the book Fanny Hill, an erotic novel by English novelist John Cleland.

Precipice
Dancers: Geoffrey Hopson, Sarah Nicholls, Caroline Reece
A work in progress that platformed at the Gulbenkian Studio, Newcastle Playhouse.

Flesh, Liquid, Bones 
Dancers: Clyde Melville-Bain, Melanie Hendry, Geoff Hopson, Robert Hylton, Sarah Nicholls
Premiered: The Place, London
Inspired by, and in collaboration with Susan Collins whose installation Touched was commissioned by Zone Gallery, Newcastle in 1996.

Life Stories Dancing from the heart 
Dancers: Darren Palmer, Caroline Reece, Steven Skamarski and an adult community cast
Premiered: Washington Arts Centre
The telling of tales from the community cast was behind the creation of this work.

Some still small voice
Dancers: HND students at Newcastle College
This was the first time Liv worked with dancer Kelly Wilson, who later went on to work with balletLORENT professionally.

Moments in Filigree
Dancers: Sean Greene, Liv Lorent, Caroline Reece, Steven Skamarski
A response to Nina Saunders’ Hidden Agenda exhibition.

Biopsy (a follow on performance from Movements in Filigree)
Dancers: Sean Greene, Liv Lorent, Caroline Reece, Steven Skamarski

Octopus Hotel
Commission: Newcastle Playhouse
Director: Neil Murray
Movement Director: Liv Lorent

Thief of Lives 
Commission: Newcastle Playhouse
Director: Ed Robson
Movement Director: Liv Lorent

I say me, but I could say man, any man? 
Commission: Tim Rubidge
Dancer: Tim Rubidge
Premiered: Gulbenkian Studio, Newcastle Playhouse
A braille journey through space, water and gravity. A 25 year old woman’s creation on the body of a 48 year old man.  

Threepenny Opera 
Commission: Newcastle Playhouse
Director: Neil Murray
Movement Director: Liv Lorent

Uni-verse 
Dancers: Allyson Clarke, Caroline Reece, Steven Skamarski
Premiered: Newcastle Playhouse
Performed as part of the British Dance Edition programme in Newcastle.

La Famille
Commission: DanceCity, part funded by the European Community (ERDF)
Dancers: Geoff Hopson, Linda Payne, Caroline Reece, Helen Thomas and a community cast of 35 aged 6 months-75 years.
Premiered: Sunderland Empire Theatre and Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal
A cross-generational project made with communities in Sunderland, Kendal and Barrow-in-Furness. An original work inspired by the performers in each region.

Solo
Commission: Northern:Electric Festival
Dancer: Allyson Clarke
Performed in amongst the clients of Global Image, a Newcastle hairdresser salon.

Strange Glitter
Dancers: Allyson Clarke, Linda Payne/Gwen Berwick, Caroline Reece, Raul Calderon, Steven Skamarski and a community cast aged 7-70+years.
Premiered: Gulbenkian Studio, Newcastle Playhouse. Toured to Reading Concert Hall, MAC, Birmingham and Tyne Tower, Newcastle
Inspired by the cast, this work is reflective of their deepest secret dreams and a contrasting reality.
balletLORENT’s first English tour supported by Arts Council of England, Grants for the Arts.

Calliope
Dancers: HND students from Newcastle College

ballet in Shriek
In collaboration with Paul Shriek
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Raul Calderon, Allyson Clarke, Debbi Purtill, Caroline Reece, Steven Skamarski
Premiered: Tyne Tower, Newcastle Quayside. Toured as a double bill with Strange Glitter (Site-specific)
A desire to use choreography and dancers to illustrate fashion design encapsulating seduction and atmosphere around the image of a designer’s creation.

Into the mouth of the orchid  
Commission: Singapore Dance Theatre
Dancers: Allyson Clarke, Caroline Reece; balletLORENT / Jeffrey Tan; Singapore Dance Theatre and community cast of 22
Premiered: Marine Parade, Singapore
In partnership with Singapore Dance Theatre, Lifeskills & Lifestyles@People’s Association, The British Council and the Lee Foundation to create dance where members of the public are heavily involved in the creation and performance.

Fractions (solos)
Dancers: Debbi Purtill, Caroline Reece, Juliet Thompson
Platformed: Gulbenkian Studio, Newcastle Playhouse
A collection of experimental works and the starting point behind La Vie Fantasmes Erotiques & Esthetiques and Designer Body.

Life Stories
Commissioned: DanceXchange, Birmingham for the opening of the Patrick Centre
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Simon Birch, Gavin Coward, Caroline Reece and a multi-generational community cast of 21 children and adults aged 3-70 years
Premiered: The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome
Life Stories demonstrated the wonderful wealth and diversity of dance drawing its inspiration from a series of impressionable moments in individuals’ lives. 

A L’instance de devenir (at the moment of becoming)
Dancers: Gavin Coward, Cathy Marston, Richard O’Brien, Caroline Reece
Platformed: Toynbee Studios, London
An experimental work to support Liv’s choreographic development made possible through her Jerwood Choreographic Award in 2001, managed by Dance Umbrella. An unfinished love letter to vulnerability, desire and fantasy.

I’m Forgetting You
Commission: DanceCity
Dancers: Northern Youth Dance Company
Platformed: Newcastle Playhouse

Street of Strangers
Commission: Monster Productions
Movement Director: Liv Lorent
Premiered: Darlington Arts Centre. Toured the UK.

The Ball 
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Jane Mason, Iain Payne, Debbi Purtill, Mariusz Raczynski, Davie Rae, Caroline Reece, Ray Roa, Pete Russell, Kelly Wilson
Premiered: Middlesbrough Town Hall. Toured England, Tanzhaus NRW, Düsseldorf, and was performed in Trafalgar Square for the opening of the pedestrianised area.
Inspired by the romance of ballroom dancing, partnered with a fascination with the type of movement that is spontaneous and motivated by the soul, passion or love.

My North, my South, my East, my West
Commission: Tees Dance Initiative
Dancers: Geoffrey Hopson, Mona McCarthy, Rose Payne, Michele Silby
Premiered: Hartlepool Town Hall. Toured across the North East and North West.

Non
Dancer: Kelly Wilson
Platformed: Gulbenkian Studio, Newcastle Playhouse
An experimental work using roller skates and a rocking horse and later developed for La Vie Fantasmes Erotique and la nuit intime.

Such Sweet Thunder
Dancers: National Youth Music Theatre

Tall Stories 
Collaboration with Dodgy Cutch for the opening of Alnwick Gardens
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Jane Mason, Mariusz Raczynski, Davie Rae, Pete Russell, Juliet Thompson, Kelly Wilson
Premiered: Alnwick Gardens
A performance inspired by the Alnwick Gardens.

The Ice Ball
Commission: Amino for Newcastle City’s New Year’s Eve Celebrations
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Jane Mason, Debbi Purtill, Mariusz Raczynski, Davie Rae, Caroline Reece, Ray Roa, Pete Russell, Kelly Wilson
Premiered: Grey’s Monument, Newcastle (Site-specific)
A shortened version of The Ball, re-staged and with costumes to suit outside and winter conditions.

La Vie des Fantasmes Erotique & Esthetique 
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Meritxell Pan Cabo, Debbi Purtill, Davie Rae, Juliet Thompson, Kelly Wilson
Premiered: York Theatre Royal. Toured England.
Inspired by erotica, the ethereal and the virtuosity of dance aesthetic, as well as man’s love for women.

Mercedes 
Dancers: Gwen Berwick and Gavin Coward
Performed in Paris as part of a Newcastle & Gateshead Initiative promotion event.
An extract from La Vie des Fantasmes Erotique & Esthetique.

The goodbye rituals
Commission: Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds
Dancers: 1^st year students
Platformed: The Riley Theatre, Leeds

LUXURIA 
Commission: Scottish Dance Theatre
Dancers: Baptiste Bourgougnon, Toby Fitzgibbons, Ruth Janssen, James MacGillivray, Riccardo Meneghini, Anthony Missen, Gemma Nixon, Victoria Roberts, Holly Warren, Philippa White
Premiered: Dundee Rep. Toured the UK, Europe, China & India
An earthy experience that celebrates an instinct towards passion – towards sensation – towards connection. Herald Angel Award 2005 at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Ferryman
Commission: Eunetstar (European Network Street Art Project)
Dancers: Gavin Coward, Meritxell Pan Cabo, Debbi Purtill, Caroline Reece
Premiered: Oerel Festival in Terschelling and toured to seven European Towns and Cities, and Stockton International Riverside Festival (Site-Specific).
A transnational co-production brought together cross art forms including Dance, Film and Music.

Tigers Bride
Commission: Newcastle Playhouse
Director: Neil Murray
Movement Director: Liv Lorent

La nuit intime
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Kate Jackson, Aaron Knight, Meritxell Pan Cabo, Debbi Purtill, Mariusz Raczynski, Davie Rae, Caroline Reece, Ray Roa, Juliet Thompson
Premiered: Hyena Comedy Café, Newcastle. Toured the UK. (Site-specific)
Creating an underground world of pick and mix dance styles with a seductive compilation of music.

Propeller
Commission: BalletBoyz
Dancers: Michael Nunn, Oxana Panchenko
Premiered: Sadler’s Wells, London. Toured internationally.
A sensuous, evocative duet that explores the unique narrative power of dance.

Angelmoth (An original story by Ben Crompton)
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Meritxell Pan Cabo, Debbi Purtill, Mariusz Raczynski/Gary Clarke, Caroline Reece, Ray Roa, Kelly Wilson/Winifred Burnet-Smith
Premiered: Dance City, Newcastle. Toured England including a two week Christmas run at the Lilian Baylis Studio, London.
balletLORENT’s first fairytale production and a turning point for the company in many ways. A labyrinth of secret dreams and fears.

La Penumbra
Commission: danciNG! (World international Dance Festival - DanceCity)
Dancers: Carlos Carrillo, Jacqueline Lopex, Gina Paris
Premiered: Dance City, Newcastle
A four week experimental project with ballet dancers from Mexico, built to develop Liv’s usual choreographic parameters and extend her range of experience.

tenderhook
Commission: Scottish Dance Theatre
Dancers: Toby Fitzgibbons, Ruth Janssen, James MacGillivray, Naomi Murray, Victoria Roberts, Rocco Vermijs, Philippa White, Michal Zahora
Premiered: Dundee Rep. Toured UK & Internationally.

Stone Paper Scissors
Commission: Northern Stage
Director: Neil Murray
Movement Director: Liv Lorent

MaEternal
Commission: Dancing the World ‘08 Festival (DanceCity)
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Kate Jackson, Meritxell Pan Cabo, Mariusz Raczynski, Davie Rae, Caroline Reece, Juliet Thompson, and a community cast of 11 pregnant women
Premiered: Northern Stage, Newcastle
Set in a dreamland with The Sandmen as the witnesses to the dreams and nightmares of women facing both the idea and reality of pregnancy, inspired by stories shared by the cast.

Designer Body
Dancers: Gary Clarke, Gavin Coward, Kate Jackson, Meritxell Pan Cabo, Debbi Purtill, Caroline Reece, Raymond Roa
Premiered: SAGE 2, Newcastle. Toured the UK. Designer Body was presented at the International Tanzmesse, Dusseldorf and British Dance Edition, Liverpool in 2008.
An evolution from one state of being to another with no place to hide… a journey by seven dancers on constantly rotating turntables, as they reveal something of what it means to be human.

The Bloody Chamber
Commission: Northern Stage
Director: Neil Murray
Movement Director : Liv Lorent

la nuit intime (International remount)
Co-production with Carte Blanche Dance Company & balletLORENT
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Debbi Purtill, Davie Rae, Caroline Reece, Ray Roa: balletLORENT / Carte Blanche dancers
Premiered: Logen Teater, Festspillene I Bergen - Nordiske Impulser.
Recreated as a collaborative project with 14 dancers from balletLORENT and Carte Blanche Dance Company.

Crush
Commissioned by Dan Daw
Dancer: Dan Daw
Premiered: DanceCity, Newcastle. Toured the UK and Australia, including Adelaide Festival.
This work celebrates the individuality and extreme originality of Dan Daw’s movement style and his emotional performance.

Peter Pan
Commission: Northern Stage
Director: Erica Whyman
Movement Director: Liv Lorent

Blood, Sweat and Tears 
Dancers: Philippa White, Gavin Coward, Jon Beney, Rob Bell, Gwen Berwick, Baptiste Bourgougnon, Gary Clarke, Meritxell Pan Cabo
Premiered: Northern Stage, Newcastle. Toured the UK and the Duet (Act 1) performed at The Roxy, Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Follows a young couple and the extraordinary transformations they undergo as they learn to cope with becoming a family and its unforeseen consequences.

The Borrowers
Commission: Northern Stage
Director: Erica Whyman
Movement Director: Liv Lorent

Underneath the floorboards 
Dancers: Jon Beney, Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Philippa White
Premiered: Northern Stage, Newcastle as part of the Juice Festival. Toured the UK.
Under 5’s have the freedom to interact with the performance while they are taken into a strange and magical world.

Rapunzel - Retold by Carol Ann Duffy
Commissioned by Sadler’s Wells & New Writing North and Co-produced by Northern Stage
Dancers: Philippa White/Natalie Trewinnard, Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, John Kendal, Debbi Purtill, Mariusz Raczynski, Caroline Reece, Adam Russell, Virginia Scudeletti, Gabi Serani, a community cast of toddlers and their parents, and 12 young people
Premiered: Northern Stage, Newcastle. Toured the UK.
balletLORENT’s first middle and large scale production suitable for family audiences with a multi-cultural community cast fully integrated into the work in each place that it toured. 

The Night Ball
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Robby Graham, John Kendal, Meritxell Pan Cabo/Natalie Trewinnard, Debbi Purtill, Mariusz Raczynski, Davie Rae, Caroline Reece, Juliet Thompson
Premiered: MEM, Wallsend. Toured the UK and outside staging at Latitude Festival, Henham Park, Suffolk (Site-specific)
A redeveloped version of The Ball which introduced new dance styles, choreography and songs.

Cyrano de Bergerac
Commission: Co-production Northern Stage and Royal & Derngate
Director: Lorne Campbell
Movement Director: Liv Lorent

Snow White - Retold by Carol Ann Duffy
Commissioned by Sadler’s Wells and Co-produced by Northern Stage
Dancers: Natalie Trewinnard, Gwen Berwick, Giulia Coti Zelati, Gavin Coward, John Kendal, Caroline Reece, Ray Roa, Juliet Thompson, Akeim Toussaint Buck, Philippa White/Jessica Haener, and a community cast of eight children aged 5-8yrs
Premiered: Northern Stage, Newcastle. Toured the UK.
The second of the company’s Brothers Grimm fairytales integrating a multi-cultural community cast of children in each place that we toured.

Love Struck
Commission: The Council of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees
Dancers: Gavin Coward, Natalie Trewinnard and young people from and Circus Central, Newcastle
Premiered: Stockton International Riverside Festival
A duet giving an interpretation of Sarah Maitland’s Instant Light story, joined by 12 young people from Circus Central for the finale.

Peter and the Wild Flowers
Commission:  Live Theatre to mark the opening of the new Live Theatre Gardens
Dancers: Caroline Reece, Natalie Trewinnard and 25 members of the Live Theatre Young Company (age 12-25years)
Premiered: Live Theatre Gardens, Newcastle (Site-specific)

Hope is a thing with Feathers
Commission: Newton’s Ladder Aerial Dance Company
Dancers: Mona McCarthy, Colm Scott-Baird
Premiered: Mouth of the Tyne Festival. Programmed at Stockton International Riverside Festival.

Rumpelstiltskin - Retold by Carol Ann Duffy
Commissioned by Sadler’s Wells and Co-produced by Northern Stage
Dancers: Gavin Coward, Natalie Trewinnard, Gwen Berwick, Toby Fitzgibbons, John Kendal, Debbi Purtill/Caroline Reece, Juliet Thompson, Benny Valentina, Maria Vincentelli/Virginia Scudeletti, and a community cast of nine children (5-9yrs) and four adults (70+yrs).
Premiered: Northern Stage, Newcastle. Toured the UK. (Middle-large scale)
The third and final part of the company’s Brothers Grimm fairytales integrating a multi-cultural intergenerational community cast in each place that we toured.

Great North Star
Commission:  Greenwich & Docklands Festival
Movement Director & Choreographer: Liv Lorent
Movement & Choreography devised by balletLORENT dancers
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Jenny Chrisp Gavin Coward, Toby Fitzgibbons, John Kendall, Jordaine Lincoln, Debbi Purtill, Caroline Reece, Virginia Scudeletti, Juliet Thompson, Natalie Trewinnard, Benedicta Valentina and 100 female and 25 male volunteers from the North East.
Premiered: Baltic Quays, Newcastle (Site-specific)
Closing ceremony for the Great Exhibition of the North. Great North Star celebrated the spirit of the North of England, as exemplified by the world’s greatest half marathon (Great North Run), and takes inspiration from the centenary of the Representation of the People Act (1918), which granted some women the right to vote for the first time.

After Dark
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Toby Fitzgibbons, John Kendall, Jordaine Lincoln, Debbi Purtill, Caroline Reece, Ray Roa, Virginia Scudeletti, Juliet Thompson, Natalie Trewinnard, Benedicta Valentina
Premiere: Northern Stage, Newcastle
An intimate evening of dance and drinks, cabaret-style, to celebrate 25 years of balletLORENT and the artists that built this treasured company. Inspired by la nuit intime and The Night Ball, with some original dances.

Nevertheless She Persisted (film)
Dancer: Jordaine Lincoln
Premiere: Vimeo & Facebook
For International Women's day 2019

The Lost Happy Endings
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Toby Fitzgibbons, Jordaine Lincoln, John Kendall, Yen-Ching Lin, Virginia Scudeletti, Natalie Trewinnard, Benedicta Valentina, Ray Roa & Ellen Volmer 
Premiere: Northern Stage, Newcastle 
An adaptation of Carol Ann Duffy's original children's story.

She Weathers the Change (film)
Dancer: Debbi Purtill
Premiere: YouTube & Facebook
For International Women’s Day 2020

lullaby (film)
Dancers: Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Toby Fitzgibbons, John Kendall, Yen-Ching Lin, Virginia Scudeletti,  Natalie Trewinnard, Benedicta Valentina, Ray Roa & Debbi Purtill
Premiere: YouTube
Created during the lockdown of July 2020, lullaby was made as a creative response by each artist to a brief from Liv Lorent. 

Rapunzel

Retold by Carol Ann Duffy

Dancers: Gavin Coward, Toby Fitzgibbons, John Kendall, Natalie MacGillvray, James Mounsey, Caroline Reece, Emma Savoldelli-Harris, Virginia Scudeletti, Benedicta Valentina a community cast of professional dancers and their toddlers and ten children aged 8-9 from local schools.

Premiere: Northern Stage, Newcastle. Toured the UK.

Rapunzel After Dark

Retold by Carol Ann Duffy

Dancers: Gavin Coward, Toby Fitzgibbons, John Kendall, Natalie MacGillvray, James Mounsey,Caroline Reece, Emma Savoldelli-Harris, Virginia Scudeletti, Benedicta Valentina a community castof professional dancers and their toddlers

Premiere: Northern Stage, Newcastle. Toured the UK.

Film showing on Marquee TV.

The Becoming

Gwen Berwick, Gavin Coward, Toby Fitzgibbons, John Kendall, Natalie MacGillvray, James Mounsey, Caroline Reece, Emma Savoldelli-Harris, Virginia Scudeletti, Benedicta Valentina,

Premiere: The Boiler Shop, Newcastle

Created for our 30th Anniversary celebrations. The Becoming is about individuality, chaos,
intimacy, and the strength we find in others. It delves into the process of creating a performance, exploring the union of bodies, music, costume, and light.

The Velveteen Rabbit

Berta Admetlla, Gavin Coward, Toby Fitzgibbons, Natalie MacGillvray, Montaine Ponceau, Virginia Scudeletti,

Premiere: balletLORENT, John Marley Centre, Newcastle. UK Tour

In this entertaining dance theatre performance, a toy rabbit and a boy embark on an adventure, discovering the essence of growing up and the meaning of love.

Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund