Why Terpsichore Northwest?

David Hotchkiss

© 2018 David James Hotchkiss: all rights reserved
Reproduced with the kind permission of the copyright holder

The idea for this blog was inspired by a visit to Birmingham last Saturday.  As I trudged through the streets of Digbeth to New Street station I reflected on my good fortune in having been born in Manchester.  Even though I now live apud Brigantes  ("wi' Tykes" or "in Yorkshire") and notwithstanding the attractions of Birmingham and other great cities, I still glory in urbs mea suava et mercantilia.

Manchester is a city of dance.  Two great dance companies staged their first performances there:

• English National Ballet at the Opera House on 5 Feb 1951; and
• Northern Ballet at the University Theatre, Manchester  on 28 Nov 1969 

(see Manchester's Favourite Ballet Company. 25 Nov 2015 Terpsichore).  With the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata, Manchester is also a city of music.  Such a fine city in such a great region deserves its own blog to track and comment on what is happening in dance and music in general and ballet in particular.

On 27 April 2018 I featured the young English composer David Hotchkiss in Daethon and Arundel - A New Four Act Ballet.  David is now in Hungary but I made his acquaintance at KNT Daneworks when he was living in Manchester.   I understand that one of his works is to be choreographed by Karen Sant and taught to the repertoire class on a "Day of Dance" that KNT intends to present next month.   

It is to cover events such as this that I have decided to launch Terpsichore North West.