Federico Bonelli Getting The North To Dance

Federico Bonelli is 100 days into his role as Northern Ballet's Artistic Director. He took time out of his busy schedule to chat with Group Editor Andrew Palmer, about his ambitious plans for the company.

Arriving early at Northern Ballet in the aptly named St Cecilia Street -St Cecilia being the patron saint of music - I am warmly greeted by the receptionist who suggests I sit in the café area for a while.

It’s not until I leave after interviewing Federico Bonelli, the company’s new artistic director, that I think it’s been a strategic move. As I sit and look around, I am facing two rehearsal studios from which one feels the buzz as dancers move in and out, practising moves. It is intriguing and mesmerising, something I didn’t quite expect but I bet Bonelli did, as he knows all about the power of movement to draw in an audience and make an impact, as I am about to find out; he plans to make the company’s visual exposure noticeable.

Bonelli meets me at the top of the stairs leading to his office and, as we head off, he enthusiastically extolls the merits of Northern Ballet, speaking with a lilting soft Italian accent that has a lovely rhythmic flow. The former principal dancer at the Royal Ballet has given up a top class career as a dancer to move into management, moving from London to Leeds, so my first question is what attracted him to Leeds?

The moment I ask, I can see in his eyes he really wants to answer with ‘you mean you have to ask?’

“Honestly, it was Northern Ballet. It wasn’t immediately clear to me how packed Leeds is with culture. There’s Northern Ballet, Opera North, museums, and a lot more than one might expect something I started to realise more as I researched.

“I was a ballet dancer until a few months ago so that was the world I knew but the real attraction was the company,” he says.

Northern Ballet is the smallest of the five national ballet companies but as Bonelli is keen to point out, it punches well above its weight. I am under no illusion that once he has settled into post, he has only just completed 100 days, Bonelli plans to accelerate its growth through engaging and building up trust with his loyal audience as well as capturing a new market.

He tells me the company is famous for its story-lead narrative ballets and classical technique “which is absolutely what the company does really, really well.

“I want us to have pride and confidence in being Northern Ballet, not just being here in Yorkshire but across the North of England. We can have a bit of northern swagger about that.”

Bonelli’s enthusiasm is infectious, he doesn’t get over excited but the passion for the job in hand is clear. There is so much he wants to discuss from the touring schedule to the three commissioned ballets that open next month but he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself. I have made mental notes not to forget.

“Although we are based here in Leeds with strong northern roots we are known for touring around the UK, breaking down barriers and highlighting world class ballet.

“We may be a small company, but we tour more than any other company. There is real value in taking ballet everywhere. It is exceedingly difficult, in the current climate and cost of living crisis, which doesn’t make touring anymore easier, but it is very much part of our
DNA and a strong part of our identity.”

He certainly has creative ideas. Nothing is off the table, but Bonelli knows to raise the game is a fine balancing act and he certainly is not going to alienate his loyal following.

"Obviously, our full scale performances that tell interesting and surprising stories will remain firmly on the bill and now is also time to get our message across to those who might not know about us.

“We hope to surprise with a pop event at Kirkgate Market, there is a performance space which gives us an opportunity to show a small extract of what we do.”

It’s all about ‘outreach’ and Bonelli has moved north with plans to reach out to more people.

“We have our loyal audience who regularly come and see us, and I am very thankful to them because it allows us to do the things we love to do, but we also want to make new connections.”

It’s a tall order as many arts organisations are still trying to entice audiences back post Covid, let alone bring a new generation on board. What is his game plan?

“For me, it is about building presence in the places we go. Having a relationship with an audience we can build on. Maybe it is visiting these places more often, but importantly it is about creating a relationship of trust.

“We will continue with the blockbusters, those titles that everyone recognises, we do them well. It’s a good foundation to build a relationship with the audience so they will trust us with things that are less easily recognisable.”

It is more than just a transactional relationship; it is about having a conversation with the audience. When I mention that the BBC Proms often programme a contemporary piece with a classic, his eyes light up.

“I see what you mean, The Proms can mix and match in one evening; there might be occasions when we can do that, and we must look for those occasions to strengthen our appeal.

“It is always good to go back to what you know and feel comfortable and confident with, but there is also trying to be different with something unfamiliar. It is something to build on and I recognise it is going to take time, but we need to start now.”

Bonelli has several ideas which he describes as stepping stones. One of which involves capturing a new audience via the digital world, a medium we have all become accustomed to during the two lost years of the Covid pandemic. He is proud of the short and full-length films the company has produced aimed at a curious audience that has probably never seen ballet.

“The stepping stones provide a journey either for someone making first contact with us or rekindling a love of the genre. It may be through children’s ballet, where a child grows up with us and as an adult visit us regularly; it might be a parent who brings their children here and is interested, or perhaps, the person who sees one of our videos and says ‘wow I didn’t expect ballet to be like that. It is different to what I thought.’”

He is keen on presenting an inspiring visual image, hence the pop-up idea, performing anywhere in the city to help raise the profile.

It’s part of a tasting experience to make connections amplifying what Northern Ballet does, a kind of try before you buy concept. He knows he must get the dancers in front of people.

“It’s a funnel of different concepts to get our audience caught up with something they didn’t know so they begin to understand a little bit more."

Being Italian, he knows Rome wasn’t built in a day, and so his plans have a ring of the slowly, slowly approach.
Acknowledging the Arts Council funding, and the help from the Company’s supporters and benefactors, with whom Bonelli likes to stay connected, he knows the amazing trusts and foundations are fundamental to allowing Northern Ballet to perform.

“I am incredibly grateful because it means we can do things we are passionate about and be more diverse.”

Diversity in production is an important strand for Bonelli stemming from his belief that ballet has the power to connect with people.

“We do it in many ways; telling stories which is a big part of our identity. Quite simply we connect through movement and music which can have an enormous impact. Of course, we can do that better the more diverse Northern Ballet is, because we simply want to be a company that represents the society, we live in.

“We can do ballet that is very classical or more modern because the team of dancers, choreographers and the creatives that work in the leadership team realise how important it is to be diverse.

“Basically, I want us to be for everybody, telling stories relevant to a wide section of society."

I can tell he is itching to enlighten me about the set of three short ballets that are coming up next month, under the title Made in Leeds: Three Short Ballets.
“It is incredibly creative, three choreographers coming to Leeds to make contemporary dance, new ballet here in this city. Ballet we can celebrate and shout about representing modern stories of today”

“In essence, Northern Ballet is looking for the traditions
of tomorrow we are making today.”

That, it seems, is his tag line: Northern ballet making the traditions of tomorrow

“It’s not going to be an ordinary night at the ballet. The cutting-edge performances will give the dancers the opportunity to demonstrate their outstanding skill and dynamic flair as they embrace the choreographic talents of Dickson Mbi, Stina Quagebeur and Mthuthuzeli November.

“Mthuthuzeli November's Wailers is a work that gives thanks to life. To its struggles, beauty, and its people. Those with us and no longer with us. It is a prayer for guidance.

“Stina Quagebeur's Nostalgia captures a bittersweet emotion. A state of longing, poignancy, a piercing joy as well as an acute awareness of passing time. It recognises the light and dark, it’s a quiet force that transforms our pain and connects us together, and

“Dickson Mbi's Ma Vie explores Giacomo Casanova's thirst for love, his complex relationship with the church and his eventual downfall as written in his infamous memoir

“It is amazing to get these windows into history and to see life differently. They don’t necessarily have a beginning, middle and end but there is most definitely a story.”

For Bonelli, these three productions will capture the essence of movement and dance conveying sentiments such as joy or sadness for example.

He is also incredibly proud of the whole company recognising the talents of everyone whether it be technical, costume or the office team.

“I am only as strong as the team I work with,” he confidently states, and he already understands the significance of stakeholder engagement as starts to connect with other organisations in and around Leeds.

“There is an ecology here, which is not always evident. We are stronger when we work together in our own different strands and share a belief in the power of dance, performance on stage and the kind of impact we can have in our communities.”

Of course, with the 20 years he was at the Royal Ballet there have been several influences and he is still close to that company and House.

He has worked with Wayne McGregor, Christopher Wheeldon and Liam Scarlett covering abstract and narrative dance and Bonelli points out he never wanted to choose between one or the other, commenting: “I guess as a director I keep the taste for both of these strands of ballet.”

Bonelli still takes classes on Saturdays as he likes to teach once a week. “I want to be in the studio as much as possible. Right now, there is a lot for me to learn about the organisation and plan the future.”

He feels the pull of the studio, wanting to be present because, in a sense, that’s where he says his passion lies, collaborating with dancers, taking rehearsals.

“I am not a choreographer, but I do think creatively, that’s how I see my job, creating the context for people to produce great ballet. It is about providing the space where people can do great work.”

Part of Bonelli’s vision, to break down labels and reset misconceptions, recognises that ballet is changing and is more accepting that individuals can be whoever they are.

That brings me back to one of my mental notes: how to get children involved. I am informed there is a flourishing children’s ballet which is a wonderful way to start the relationship early.

The challenge of course, is how can he and his team make sure that leads into growing the company? “We value the children’s ballet for what it is” and he is back to his mantra: “It provides stepping stone on a journey.

“Andrew,” he says with a glint in his eye, ”if you want to give it a go come and try it. Some people will love it turning it into a career which I can recommend as I have been extremely fortunate with amazing opportunities.

“Some people will try it and love it but not as a career which is wonderful too; some will dislike it and we will shake hands and still be friends.

“We have the academy offering classes of all ages. It’s never too late. My mother-in-law started at 40 and she is now 70+ she still takes classes.

“I go to the gym and do ballet and I think you can guess what is more fun and keeps me in shape.

He says he would love to say to the people in and around Leeds and across the North as well as our touring destinations: “this is what we are doing in the next year please come and see us.”

“For now, I want to start building that trust and show the true magic of ballet.”

“Why not give it a go?”

I’m not sure by that last remark does he mean try dancing or see a performance. Perhaps both, after all I am trying to get fitter!

But I make my way out and can’t resist taking another peep in the studios. This Italian has the right strategy that will work because there is magic in movement.