the company

balletLORENT is an established contemporary dance company based in Newcastle upon Tyne.

In its practice it challenges and develops new forms in the dance itself, the working relationship between choreographer, dancers and designers and in its exploration of innovative ways of interacting with its audiences.

The company is passionately committed to the North East of England. It is also keen to continue to build on its national and international standing and its role as an artistic ambassador for the region and the country.

The company has earned a reputation for artistic excellence manifest in a distinctive and recognisable style that has resulted in the confidence of its core funder, Arts Council England North East, and other funders such as The Northern Rock Foundation and Newcastle City Council that have allowed balletLORENT to develop to this point. The company has also been and supported by the regional dance agency, DanceCity, where they are based.

The essence of balletLORENT lies in performances that feed the imagination, thrill the senses and transport audiences through the power of dance. The company is growing in scale while creating more work for audiences of all ages in diverse settings with exciting collaborations. At the same time it is committed to setting a new standard for working conditions and development opportunities for dance professionals.

company history

balletLORENT was established in 1993, by Artistic Director, Liv Lorent, upon graduating from the Laban Centre, London. In 1995 Liv became an associate Artist at the Place Theatre in London, before moving to Newcastle upon Tyne in 1996, to become Resident Choreographer at DanceCity. Liv was awarded The Arts Foundation Choreography Award 2005 which accompanies the Jerwood Choreography Award she received in 2001, rewarding her commitment and professional standing within her art form.

The company was incorporated in 2004, as a Company by Guarantee with no Share Capital with seven Directors. This brought an enormous skill base and experience to the table via the Board of Directors and its advisory panel:

Board of Directors:
Pauline Beaumont (Chair) Director, Culture North East
Cinzia Hardy, Arts Consultant
Sarah Raad, Marketing and Development Manager, Live Theatre
Richard Bliss, Director of Communications, Northern Stage
Joanne Kingsland, Solicitor, Crutes
Dr Sean Figgis, Head of PR and Communications, University of Northumbria

Advisory Panel:
Mark Mulqueen, Head of Performing Arts, Arts Council of England, North East
Janet Archer, Artistic Director, DanceCity
Bush Hartshorn, Artistic Director, Yorkshire Dance, Leeds
Richard Berg-Rust, Development Director, Theatre Royal

Over the years balletLORENT has a track record of great individuality featured by the diversity of the dancers formed by Liv’s original choreography. The works' history includes cross generational, site-specific and theatre productions which have toured to much acclaim. The company tours its ever increasing repertoire extensively throughout England and through its international development programme has taken its work to Dusseldorf, Belfast and Brugges.

It has built a sense of family with established collaborators Paul Shriek (Costume), Malcolm Rippeth (Lighting) and Ben Ponton (Sound). This is in partnership to the growing company of dancers who have been working with balletLORENT for up to ten years. The company also celebrates its long standing relationship with company manager Christine Grimwood, stage manager Graeme Nixon and DanceCity.

balletLORENT is an ambitious company and has a deep commitment to the artistic integrity and distinctiveness of the company’s work and continues to move forward in developing its role as one of the UK’s leading contemporary dance companys.