Northern Ballet Theatre: An Award-Winning Company

2007 has started with a flourish for Northern Ballet Theatre as the Company celebrates a number of awards. David Nixon was voted Director of the year 2006 by readers of Dance Europe magazine; at the 2006 National Dance Awards NBT received the Audience Award for the third successive year, and one of the Company's dance students received the Billy Elliott Award.

Director of the Year

Readers of Dance Europe magazine have voted NBT's Artistic Director David Nixon, Director of the Year 2006. David won the same award in 2003, making him the only Director to have won it twice. On hearing he had again received the award, David Nixon said, "I am delighted but also shocked. To win the award once is an honour, to receive it twice is really difficult to swallow."

A triple triumph for NBT

NBT has received the 2006 Audience Award at the National Dance Awards for the third successive time. The award was announced today at a ceremony at Sadler's Wells attended by a host of personalities from the world of dance. It is the only category in the National Dance Awards to be voted for entirely by the public, once again making NBT the nations favourite dance company.

Mark Skipper, NBT Chief Executive, who collected the award said: "They say good luck comes in threes, and it seems, in our case, this is true. Last year I received the TMA Manager of the Year award, David has received Dance Europe's Director of the Year award, and the Company is overwhelmed to have received the Audience Award. We are thrilled and delighted, and we would like to thank everyone who voted for us. "

A star of the future

Joseph Poulton, a member of NBT's Yorkshire Young Dancer (YYD) Classical Training programme, was joint recipient of the Billy Elliott Award at the National Dance Awards. Joseph is a pupil at Huntington High School, York and celebrates his 15th Birthday tomorrow. He has been a member of the YYD programme for three years, and NBT has recognised and encouraged his creativity. As part of his award Joseph will receive a Master Class with the Artistic Director of English National Ballet, Wayne Eagling, and accompany Broadcaster Angela Rippon to one of the final episodes of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. -- www.northernballettheatre.co.uk