When 53-year-old dancer Geoff Hopson steps out onto the stage at Darlington’s Hippodrome on Friday 16 May, he’ll be returning to the venue that inspired him to become a professional dancer at the age of 16.
When the teenage Geoff, from Stockton-on-Tees, saw a Gang of Five production with an all-male cast at what was then the Darlington Civic Theatre, he knew dance would be his calling in life. Now, after an international career spanning nearly four decades, he’s returning to the venue in the role of the king in balletLORENT’s production of Snow White.
“When I saw the five male dancers perform in Darlington all those years ago, they were everything I wanted to be,” said Geoff.
“They were athletic, powerful, graceful – I saw what they were capable of and knew it was what I wanted to do.”
What makes Geoff’s return to Darlington even more special is the role was choreographed especially for him by balletLORENT’s artistic director Liv Lorent – enabling him to come out of retirement after an injury put an end to his performing career.
Geoff explained:
“When I got to 34, performing had stopped being a pleasure and become something stressful and painful. I’d had the injury – a prolapsed disc – since I was 20, but the older I got, the less able my body was to cope.”
For a dancer, retiring at 34 is nothing out of the ordinary. Geoff moved on to a successful teaching career, lecturing at Teesside, Northumbria and Sunderland universities, teaching at Newcastle’s Dance City, and delivering workshops in primary schools. As someone who grew up on benefits in a single-parent family, Geoff relished the opportunity to give young performers the same chances he had.
“I didn’t even tell my mother I was studying to be a dancer until I was in my second year of training, so I definitely didn’t come from that sort of theatrical, performing background,” said Geoff. “I had a lovely teacher who inspired and encouraged me, so to be able to take on that role has carried me through all these years.
“I was incredibly lucky to find my passion in life and I don’t know what I’d have done without it. I loved performing, but being the person who introduces that joy to young people – many of whom have gone on to have successful careers of their own – is a privilege.”
Although Geoff embraced his teaching career, when artistic director Liv asked him to take to the stage again it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
“There’s nobody else but Liv who would have tempted me out of retirement,” Geoff said. “We trained together at the Laban Dance Centre in London, then Liv went on to become a choreographer and gave me my first job. We’ve been close ever since.
“I have a lot of trust in her, she really embraces different body types and looks. And she’s built such a wonderful, warm company of dancers at balletLORENT. It’s a great production to be a part of, with so many different ages and backgrounds. It’s a joy to be around such a great group of people, particularly when you’re on tour and working long hours.”
When Geoff takes to the stage in Darlington, he’ll be playing two very different roles: the king, Snow White’s father, and one of seven battered, bent and bruised miners.
“I love the miners’ role,” Geoff said.
“They’re rough and ready, their hard work has made their bodies gnarled and warped, they’re the underbelly of the working classes but they have an amazing camaraderie.”
There are two versions of the performance: a darker adult tale and a family friendly visual spectacle, both of which have been re-imagined by long-standing balletLORENT collaborator Carol Ann Duffy.
In Snow White: The Sacrifice, the playwright’s interpretation is savage and hypnotising, turning the familiar tale on its head and plunging the audience into the tortured inner world of the Queen.
The family-friendly version, suitable for ages 5+, retains all the classic elements of the original Brothers Grimm tale, but with the unique twist that audiences have come to expect from collaborations between the former Poet Laureate and balletLORENT.
Both shows contain the classic elements of a jealous mother, beautiful daughter, magic mirror, a place of sanctuary in the woods, a poison apple and a handsome prince. The 10 performers are adorned in stunning costumes designed by Libby El-Alfy and Nasir Mazhar, music is composed by Murray Gold, with stage design by Phil Eddols and lighting by Malcolm Rippeth.
Ten pupils from Heathfield Primary will join a professional cast featuring performers of all ages. Sixty-one year old balletLORENT regular Caroline Reece plays the Queen to Geoff’s King.
“I came out of retirement because I love everything about this show – it’s clever and funny and smart and sad,” said Geoff. “It illustrates people’s capacity for love and hate with depth and nuance and Liv’s choreography really allows the individuality of each person to shine through.
“When I found dance and performing, I felt like it saved my soul. It gave me a sense of belonging and something to be passionate about.
“To be performing in Darlington all these years after having that moment of clarity will be a very special experience for me. I hope the audience enjoys the shows as much as I know I will.”
balletLORENT’s Snow White and Snow White: The Sacrifice
Friday 16 and Saturday 17 May 2025
Darlington Hippodrome, Parkgate, Darlington DL1 1RR
T: 01325 405405
https://www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
Tickets: from £14
