The Becoming at John Marley Centre

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A Newcastle dance company is inviting audiences right into its 'nerve centre' for a series of unforgettable and intimate performances in an unlikely location.

balletLORENT is opening up its studio space in Newcastle's west end to the public, launching the city's newest performance venue with a show called The Becoming on Thursday 11-Saturday 13 July 2024.

Taking inspiration from iconic images of dancers throughout the 20th century, The Becoming is about the unparalleled and transformative powers of performance and fashion, and features extraordinary costumes by Lady Gaga designer Nasir Mazhar.

With a cast of seven dancers, ranging in age from 20s to 60s,TheBecomingis a glorious nostalgia for experiences we never had and it is made for anyone who ever dreamt of being a performer. 

According to artistic director and choreographer Liv Lorent, it is only through pushing to the very edges and extremes that we find out who we are. 

We share the fantasy world the dancers enter into as they dare and dare again to discover how far they can push their bodies intobecomingart. We watch dancers make a bet on themselves and see how far they can go. 

Music is by Ezio Bosso, who earned the moniker of the most important living composer before his untimely death in 2020. 

An earlier version of The Becoming premiered at Boiler Shop in January 2023. The new working retains some of the original cast and costumes, but features a new soundtrack and fresh choreography.

The company promises the show will feel 'astonishing intimate', playing to a limited capacity of just 80 over three nights.

The new venue has a bar, and there will be live piano music prior to the performance.  

Liv Lorent, artistic director, Ballet Lorent, said: "The Becoming is about transforming oneself into whatever we dream to be. 

"It is about the hidden lives of dancers; their willingness to explore, to create and to ultimately risk failure. 

"They meet the music, the light, the stage, and us as the audience, knowing that everything could go right or very wrong. It is about live performance and its perils. 

"Being a dancer is a dream for many, and the reality of becoming a dancer is even more extraordinary than the fantasy. 

"Dancers - and everyone else - have to have the courage to adapt every day to what is possible now, without regret for what was possible yesterday, or fear of what might be ahead tomorrow.

"We are excited to create The Becoming in our studio and to invite audiences into our venue to enjoy the unique style of balletLORENT in the heart of Scotswood."

The Becoming contains brief scenes of nudity and physical vulnerability. 

Admission for this event will be restricted to over-18s.