In October 2024, Northern Ballet announced its new full-length ballet based on the extraordinary life of 19th-century icon Anne Lister, or ‘Gentleman Jack’, often referred to as ‘the first modern lesbian’ whose decoded diaries with intimate details of her same-sex relationships have captivated audiences around the world.
The ballet is inspired by the BBC TV show Gentleman Jack, written by Sally Wainwright, who will be creative consultant on the project.
Gentleman Jack will open in Leeds before touring to Sheffield, Nottingham, Salford, London, Norwich and Bradford. A co-production with Finnish National Ballet and Opera, they will perform the ballet in Helsinki in April 2028.
Northern Ballet‘s Artistic Director, Federico Bonelli, said:
I couldn’t be more delighted to have an incredible creative team, led by choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, developing this story for the stage. FEDORA’s recognition highlights what we are trying to do with this ballet, using the art form we love to tell new and different stories, in this instance telling the life of a gay woman who was a trailblazer of her time.
So, how can a production that doesn’t see the stage until 2026 win a prize? Well, FEDORA is a non-profit association committed to supporting and contributing to the future of opera and dance in Europe by encouraging emerging artists to renew these genres, making them more accessible to a large audience. The FEDORA prizes support artistic projects that promote international collaboration, creativity, social integration and intercultural dialogue. The FEDORA – VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Dance Prize awards productions that reimagine dance for the 21st century, rethinking how ballets are created and who they are created for.
An independent jury panel of experts selected Gentleman Jack from a shortlist of eight dance projects. Previous winners include Hofesh Schechter Company, Rambert Dance Company and The Fondazione I Teatri Reggio Emilia.
The predominantly female creative team will explore the narrative of this fiercely independent woman who defied societal norms and expectations, “presenting a unique opportunity to tell her story through the medium of dance, pushing artistic boundaries to explore the traditionally gendered language of classical ballet to convey Anne Lister’s complex character”.
Gentleman Jack
Choreographer: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Composer: Claire Cowan
Dramaturg: Clare Croft
Lighting and Set Designer: Christopher Ash
Costume Designer: Louise Flanagan
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.