Northern Ballet: Elves and the Shoemaker, Linbury Studio

A poor shoemaker and his wife can never seem to make enough shoes to earn a living. But one night a final scrap of leather is transformed into a magical and beautiful pair of shoes - who are the mysterious helpers, and how can the kind-hearted shoemaker repay them?
Northern Ballet’s Short Ballets for Small People are designed to introduce children and families to ballet with maximum fun. There’ll be no bored shuffling in seats and interval sugar highs - the piece is a manageable 40 minutes.
This innovative series has already won a BAFTA after appearing on CBEEBIES with their Ugly Duckling; and Three Little Pigs met with delighted reviews. But they’ll not be complacent - Elves has been tested on local school children, whose feedback shaped the final stages of the ballet.
Creator Daniel de Andrade, ballet master at Northern Ballet and a former dancer, has performed all the classics as well as the company’s more modern adaptations (including Great Expectation, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Wuthering Heights) so is well embedded in the company’s story-telling tradition.
Add to that Northern Ballet’s reputation for some of the finest character dancers in British ballet, and you can expect a show to win over even the most reluctant small people.
This is one of two Northern Ballet Royal Opera House appearances this season: click here for the second.