Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre have won the National Lottery Award's Best Arts Project 2011 for their new purpose-built headquarters in central Leeds. The award was announced on Saturday night at a glittering ceremony broadcast live on BBC 1.
 
On accepting the award from Diversity's Ashley Banjo and Perri Kiely, Mark Skipper, Northern Ballet's Chief Executive said: "Our new powerhouse for inventive dance has transformed the lives of Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre and the thousands of people who watch us and dance with us. We are extremely grateful for lottery funding and to everyone who supported us and voted for us. Thank you."
 
Mark attended the awards with Northern Ballet's Premier Dancer Martha Leebolt and Phoenix Dance Theatre's Executive Director Lesley Jackson and Dancer Azzurra Ardovini. A public vote decided the winners of the award and Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre made it through to the finals from a shortlist of 10 arts projects.
 
The new home for Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre received £4 million of National Lottery Funding through Arts Council England. This award comes as the companies celebrate their first anniversary in their new home. The building officially opened in January 2011 when more than 2,500 people attended the opening celebrations. Since then both companies have created new dance productions in their new home and toured these around the UK, provided world-class dance training to more than 200 young people through their respective academies and welcomed thousands of people of all ages to classes and performances. 

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