When the curtain rises at Northern Stage on our two premieres for Snow White and Snow White: The Sacrifice the spotlight will shine on two stars who have transcended the expected trajectory of professional dancers. In a career so physically demanding that most dancers retire in their early thirties, the King and Queen of the show will be proving that age is no barrier.
Sixty-year-old Caroline Reece, whose dance career spans more than four decades, will play the role of the wicked Queen - a character whose quest for eternal beauty and a need to be desired at all costs may conjure parallels with the often youth-focussed dance world.
And co-star Geoff Hopson, 53, is coming out of retirement to play the role of the King in our production. The Stockton-on-Tees native returns to the stage after a 20-year gap due to a back injury: “It wasn’t in my plan at all to get back into performing, but balletLORENT embraces all ages and body types,” he says.
As well as playing the King, whose death leaves Snow White unprotected from an increasingly dark relationship with her mother, Geoff plays one of the seven miners whose battered, bent and bruised bodies are tasked with extracting the royal household’s precious jewels out of the hard ground.
“Despite their broken bodies, their spirits are unbroken, loving and kind,” he says.
As Queen, Caroline’s performance sees her delve deep into the psyche of a desperate aging woman, who enacts cruel and monstrous fantasies as revenge against her own battle with obscurity. The familiar Brothers Grimm tale is turned on its head, plunging the audience into the tortured inner world of the Queen.
“Snow White: The Sacrifice, which is the name of our grown up version of the fairytale, follows the Queen as she becomes increasingly obsessed with her looks and almost competes with her own reflection in the infamous mirror,” she explains.
“And as her daughter grows into an increasingly beautiful young woman, the Queen descends into cruelty and envy.”
Alongside Snow White: The Sacrifice, Caroline and Geoff also appear in a family friendly version. Both adaptations retain the classic elements of the story – a poisoned apple, a and a magic mirror have been written by long-standing balletLORENT collaborator Carol Ann Duffy, who was the first female poet laureate.
“Carol Ann Duffy’s narrative is one of a woman’s dread of ageing and her battle against obscurity,” says Caroline. “While playing the Queen can be a lonely role, I love my part and I can really identify with the ageing process.”
When Caroline first joined balletLORENT at the age of 32, she was already considered an older dancer. But the unique approach of founder and artistic director Liv Lorent gave Caroline a distinct advantage as a performer.
“Liv looks for the skill in the dancer and then builds the performance around them,” Caroline explains. “The focus is on bringing out the unique aspects of each performer, rather than forcing them into a pre-choreographed role. So I may not be able to jump and twirl across the stage as I used to, but I continue to develop as a dancer in each new role, and I embrace the new challenges that Liv brings to every production.”
Renowned for her unique approach to choreography, inclusive performances and strong, female-led productions, Liv’s approach saw her awarded an MBE for services to dance in 2014.
“Having an independent dance company means having freedom of ambition and the ability to change shape and direction as many times as we feel is necessary,” she says.
“As a company, we have a deep desire and curiosity to explore how wonderful dance is and what it can communicate, whilst always staying relatable. I have an amazing group of dancers and a team behind the scenes who keep an open mind and allow balletLORENT’s work to respond to changing times and our changing bodies.”
This refreshing attitude to the natural ageing process has allowed Geoff to step out from the wings once again.
“I feel very lucky to be a part of the balletLORENT family,” he says. “Being around the performers is really uplifting, they face every challenge with humour, generosity and amazing artistry.”
“If you want to see some beautiful dancing and magical storytelling, you’ll enjoy both versions of our show,” says Geoff.
“What makes every balletLORENT performance stand out is the emotional drive underpinning the journeys of every character, so there’s something for every member of the audience to connect with.”
Snow White: The Sacrifice premieres at Northern Stage on Thursday 31 October 2024 at 8pm, with a second performance on Saturday 2 November. The performance is suitable for audience members aged 16+ and contains strong language, violence, partial nudity and sexual themes.
Tickets cost £12-£38 and are available from https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/snow-white-the-sacrifice/.
The family friendly version of Snow White, recommended for ages five and over, is on Friday 1 November at 6.30pm, with matinees on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November 2024 at 2pm.
Tickets start at £12-£38 and are available from https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/snow-white/
This article was first published in Living North Magazine ( Nov 2024)
