The Royal Ballet: Opening The New & Take Flight

The Royal Ballet reopened Hull New Theatre following an 18-month, £16m refurbishment with a gala performance of classical and contemporary dance.

Specially curated by The Royal Ballet’s Hull-born director Kevin O’Hare, Opening The New marked the company’s first performance in Hull for 30 years and featured some of the world’s finest dancers, many born and trained in the city.

As well as the performance inside Hull New Theatre, thousands of people attended a live-relay screening of the event at city centre park Queens Gardens. At the close of the performance, the stars of the show were transported from Hull New Theatre to take a live bow on the outdoor stage at Queens Gardens.

Take Flight was the third instalment and a community piece. It saw four of Hull’s dance schools come together under the stewardship of The Royal Ballet’s choreographer for a site-specific outdoor performance in a city square, as a prelude to Opening The New.

The combination of these distinct events – Opening The New at Hull New Theatre and at Queens Gardens, plus Take Flight – is regarded as the essence of what a City of Culture should aim for. That is, a world-class organisation and a creative and dynamic production team, working with the community and international stars to create some unique and special moments.