August

As August is a slow month for ballet I have taken a look at Yorkshire Dance and The London Ballet Circle. Those organizations have similar aims:

• Yorkshire Dance champions the development of dance in Yorkshire by raising standards, increasing knowledge and understanding and fostering creativity and innovation.  
• The London Ballet Circle promotes interest in dance (not just ballet) and associated arts by arranging a broad range of talks by dancers, choreographers and artistic directors; organising visits to the country's top ballet schools and hosting private tours of major exhibitions related to dance.

Yorkshire Dance holds regular classes and courses and publishes Dance in Leeds and Yorkshire.   The London Ballet Circle publishes a great newsletter.

There's a lot to look forward to next month. David Nixon's Midsummer Night's Dream starts at the West Yorkshire Playhouse between the 6 and 14 Sept and then sets off on a nationwide tour.  Birmingham Royal Ballet is bringing The Sleeping Beauty to the Lowry in Salford. 

Also Northern Ballet's adult classes start on 9 Sept and I can't wait to join them. 

Tomorrow I shall drive past Taynuilt where Ballet West are based on my way to Mull. I had hoped to join one of their outreach classes while on holiday in Scotland but they also take a break in August. I shall try again later in the year.