PREVIEW: Dance star Tala Lee-Turton 'honoured' to make history with parler femme homecoming debut
South Yorkshire ballet star Tala Lee-Turton today spoke of her honour to celebrate innovative and inspiring stories about women in a history-making homecoming.
An inspiration in her own right she is only the third British female student ever to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, in its 243-year history, writes Graham Walker.
The Barnsley born performer has gone on to dance for English National Ballet and Astrakhan State Theatre of Opera and Ballet, in classics such as Swan Lake, Giselle, and The Nutcracker.
Now in an exclusive interview – watch our video chat here – the 27-year-old revealed how she is pushing boundaries to defy traditional ballet views and encourage new audiences, while inspiring future dance stars, with a new multi-media dance show celebrating women.
She has produced and stars in parler femme – which translates as ‘talking women' - a dance-based triple bill featuring live performance, screen and immersive technologies and she will make her homecoming debut in a performance at Elsecar Heritage Centre's Ironworks on Thursday, November 16, 7.30pm-9.30pm.
It will be the first time a professional dance of its kind has been staged at the heritage venue, after a new sprung floor was installed to encourage more cultural live performances, in a project bringing arts and cultural events to Barnsley communities.
BUY TICKETS: parler femme tickets are £12 per person and available now vidsit https://barnsley-museums.arttickets.org.uk/elsecar-heritage-centre/2023-11-16-tala-lee-turton-parler-femme-16th-nov-at-elsecar-ironworks
An inspiration in her own right she is only the third British female student ever to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, in its 243-year history, writes Graham Walker.
The Barnsley born performer has gone on to dance for English National Ballet and Astrakhan State Theatre of Opera and Ballet, in classics such as Swan Lake, Giselle, and The Nutcracker.
Now in an exclusive interview – watch our video chat here – the 27-year-old revealed how she is pushing boundaries to defy traditional ballet views and encourage new audiences, while inspiring future dance stars, with a new multi-media dance show celebrating women.
She has produced and stars in parler femme – which translates as ‘talking women' - a dance-based triple bill featuring live performance, screen and immersive technologies and she will make her homecoming debut in a performance at Elsecar Heritage Centre's Ironworks on Thursday, November 16, 7.30pm-9.30pm.
It will be the first time a professional dance of its kind has been staged at the heritage venue, after a new sprung floor was installed to encourage more cultural live performances, in a project bringing arts and cultural events to Barnsley communities.
BUY TICKETS: parler femme tickets are £12 per person and available now vidsit https://barnsley-museums.arttickets.org.uk/elsecar-heritage-centre/2023-11-16-tala-lee-turton-parler-femme-16th-nov-at-elsecar-ironworks
Transcript
00:00 [Music]
00:22 [Music]
00:31 An aspiring Yorkshire dancer is stepping out to celebrate the achievements of other women
00:36 in a stunning and immersive homecoming show called Parle Femme,
00:41 which translates as Talking Women, I think, and I'll be corrected if I'm wrong.
00:45 It's a unique production and it's been created by the Barnsley-born
00:50 Balshoye Ballet Academy-trained Tarla Leigh Turton.
00:53 Now, she's bringing this latest touring show to the Ironworks,
00:57 which is a stunning events and exhibition space, at Elska Heritage Centre
01:01 on Thursday, November the 16th. And to tell me all about it,
01:06 I'm absolutely delighted to say that we've got Tarla with us.
01:09 Tarla, how are you?
01:11 Hiya, Graeme. How are you doing?
01:13 I'm doing fine. Now, this looks an amazing production.
01:17 We've got some video that we'll be able to show and some pictures from it.
01:20 But can you just tell us all about it?
01:23 Yeah, of course. Parle Femme is a triple bill.
01:28 It's dance-based and it celebrates inspiring and innovative stories about women.
01:35 It's told through live performance, screen-based and immersive technologies.
01:42 And it's the latest of my productions.
01:45 Fantastic. Well, I mean, what's wonderful about this as well is that I know
01:50 that you've had the world premiere. In fact, I think that's just been in Leeds.
01:55 And you've got other venues and big, big historical venues.
02:00 They don't come much older than Elska Heritage Centre,
02:02 but this is groundbreaking. You're trailblazing, bringing this kind of culture
02:06 into communities. How exciting is that for you?
02:10 It's really exciting. And, you know, I'm from Barnsley.
02:14 It means a lot to bring things back to Barnsley, in particular,
02:18 such ambitious works as this one. It's got a lot of different technology in it,
02:22 a lot of different disciplines. And actually, Elska Heritage Centre is not
02:28 traditionally a performance venue. So this will be the first time that a show
02:33 of this nature has been staged there. So that feels really special.
02:38 Now, I'm told they've actually got a brand new sprung floor,
02:42 so they're hoping to get more performance events at Elska Heritage Centre.
02:47 Again, it must be exciting to be the first to use it.
02:51 And I mean, what would you say about Barnsley Council in terms of supporting
02:55 culture and doing things like this?
02:57 Oh, I couldn't have done it without them, of course.
02:59 It means a huge amount that they have been so understanding and supportive
03:06 of the arts in general, and in particular of dance,
03:08 which really struggles funding-wise. And I'm really honoured that they believe
03:17 in Parley Farm and believe in my work. It means so much.
03:22 And to have this opportunity to share my work with Barnsley audiences
03:28 is really crucial and integral to what I do, what my practice is all about,
03:35 and why I create work, to be honest. I'm really, really hoping that
03:41 this is just the beginning for a wide range of dance-based work
03:48 to be shown at Elska.
03:52 Well, yeah, I need to mention as well the Cultural Development Fund
03:55 has been a very important part of this, which is creating new partnerships.
03:58 So, yeah, credit to Barnsley Council and Barnsley Museum Service
04:02 for what they're doing. But as you just mentioned,
04:05 this is a homecoming, isn't it? It's from Balshoy to Barnsley.
04:09 And why I'm saying that is that you've got a fascinating,
04:12 inspirational story of your own. Can you just tell us,
04:15 for people who are not too sure about what your background is,
04:20 you're an inspirational woman in your own right.
04:23 Oh, thank you, Graeme. Well, yeah, I'm from Barnsley.
04:28 My whole family's from Barnsley. And I went to local dance school,
04:33 Fearne's Middleton School for Dance. And I suppose I was just going through
04:41 the usual routine of dance festivals and things like that
04:46 before actually realising that it could be a profession for me.
04:50 And I ended up training at the Balshoy Ballet Academy in Moscow.
04:55 And after being in Russia for, I think, seven years, yeah, seven years,
05:03 I came back to the UK as a freelance dancer and danced with companies
05:07 like English National Ballet and such. And then the pandemic hit.
05:13 So I spent, as many people did, that time reflecting a lot
05:19 on what I wanted to do career-wise and not really knowing how
05:23 my art form was going to survive and actually come into terms
05:28 with the fact that if I wanted to pursue, to continue to pursue dance,
05:34 I was really going to have to take the reins a little bit
05:37 and create my own work. So that's when I decided to found
05:42 Tala Lita and Productions and began work really on Palais Femmes
05:47 because the initial work began with Time Light the Present,
05:52 the third act, which was already a seed of an idea
05:57 when I created the production company. So yeah, this production, in fact,
06:05 is a real culmination of a lot of work as a producer,
06:14 not just as a dance artist.
06:17 And we were just mentioning there about the Bolshoi Ballet,
06:21 I believe that you were only the third British female student
06:24 to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in its 243-year history.
06:30 So, I mean, obviously you're a super talent, but how did you get the break?
06:35 I had some really great teachers that filmed an audition video for me
06:41 and sent it off, but it was a very strange transitional period in my life
06:45 where, to be perfectly honest, I could have stopped dancing.
06:49 So it was a big change in me, in the trajectory of my life and my career,
07:00 and I'm glad that I did it. I learned a lot of things.
07:03 It was fabulous to immerse myself in a different culture,
07:08 and it taught me a lot and set me up in good stead to absorb
07:14 other dance styles and disciplines now.
07:20 So it was a really, really great choice to go with it,
07:26 to go with the flow of that.
07:28 So if people have not been to a dance show before
07:33 or not been to see anything quite like this,
07:35 why would you urge them to come?
07:38 Well, because I think that it's not going to be what they expect,
07:41 especially with such a focus on my training, people expect ballet,
07:46 they expect Swan Lake, Nutcracker, all of those things,
07:49 and it's definitely not that. It's really multidisciplinary.
07:52 It's ambitious in its storytelling, using lots of different media,
07:58 welcoming lots of different voices into the space.
08:01 I have a fabulous, fabulous team of collaborators that have really brought
08:07 their wildest, most thought-provoking dreams to this project,
08:15 and I'm so grateful that I've been able to learn more from them
08:21 and that we've been able to have this collective process
08:25 that I hope will really read.
08:28 It did last night, which is why we're still buzzing from it.
08:33 There's quite a lot of dialogue.
08:39 There's quite a lot of exchange, not in the literal sense,
08:43 although we do vocalise at various points,
08:47 but there is an exchange between the performers and the audience.
08:53 You're not just sat there receiving something in front of you.
08:59 The audience are very much part of the energy of the whole production,
09:06 and I think people will be surprised.
09:10 There's some absolutely fabulous music, film,
09:14 and other performance media in this show.
09:21 So I think people should come and see it
09:24 because it should be a little bit of a surprise.
09:27 I guess as well that you're going to be inspiring a lot of kids
09:30 who've never seen anything quite like this before,
09:32 and also the fact that you've managed to achieve what you've done
09:35 coming from Barnsley.
09:37 Now, are you hoping that you might be able to inspire boys and girls
09:40 and people probably a little bit older to actually follow in your footsteps?
09:45 Absolutely. Absolutely, 100%.
09:49 I would love to, and I am trying to do that.
09:52 Again, when I talk about the exchange between the audience and the performers,
09:56 it's not just during the performance, but it's a conversation
09:59 that I'm really keen to continue afterwards as well.
10:03 I did a lot of audience development before the tour in a workshop series
10:09 where a few of my colleagues and I went to local community groups and schools
10:15 and engaged young people in the community in movement generation
10:23 and exploring not dance, you know, it wasn't a dance class,
10:29 though people turned up expecting it to be a dance class,
10:32 again, because that's the assumption you make
10:34 when you hear that something like this is happening.
10:39 But just sort of trying to facilitate a bit of access for young people
10:47 in ways that are not always available for everyone.
10:52 So, you know, the team and I have been doing that already,
10:56 and conversations with Barnsley Council are in the same vein
11:04 for after the tour as well.
11:07 I'm really keen for more people, especially young people,
11:11 to be inspired by dance and to really bring them on board
11:18 to these amazing creative processes and experiences
11:24 that dance and many creative disciplines provide.
11:28 The other thing that I absolutely love about this is we know that you're
11:31 actually Chinese-British, I think, and you've got this international flavour
11:35 to what you've done, but you've still got your lovely Barnsley accent
11:38 going off there in the background.
11:40 How important is that to you, that you remain feet on the ground?
11:46 Yeah, I mean, I've not lost my accent despite training
11:50 in various different places.
11:53 Please don't.
11:54 Yeah.
11:55 Beautiful.
11:56 It is, it's who I am.
11:57 I'm from Barnsley and I'm really proud of it.
11:59 Yeah, that's lovely.
12:01 And just to find, obviously, we say from Barnsley,
12:04 you've got this hometown performance.
12:06 Have you still got family?
12:07 You still must have a lot of friends here.
12:09 And what's that going to be like to perform in front of family and friends?
12:14 Oh, brilliant.
12:15 I love showing my work to people that I'm closest to as well.
12:20 It's always brilliant to do that, especially those who don't really
12:25 understand what I do.
12:27 So, yeah, that will be fantastic and I'm really looking forward to it.
12:33 Just to remind everybody that you have actually produced this show.
12:38 Can you just tell me to what degree that is?
12:41 I mean, did you come up with the concept?
12:43 Have you written the storyboards?
12:45 How's that work?
12:46 And indeed, you are dancing in it.
12:48 And is that the plan going forward, this is the first of many?
12:52 Are you going to step out of the spotlight and be more backstage?
12:57 That's right.
12:58 I did produce this production.
13:00 I'm creative producer of Tyler Lee Turton Productions and Parley Fam is one
13:05 of my productions.
13:08 And I'm also a dance artist in the work alongside four other dance artists
13:16 and a musician/performer because she's very multidisciplinary.
13:22 And, yeah, I aim to continue doing this like this for as long as I can,
13:29 for as long as my body holds up.
13:32 And in terms of what that entails, it entails quite a bit, actually.
13:39 All the fundraising, the original concept, bringing together the team,
13:47 facilitating the development, operations, recruitment of all the technical side
13:57 of things, and all of the admin, which is a bit more boring than the
14:06 creative part.
14:09 You know what?
14:10 It's a major business, isn't it?
14:12 People just come along for a night at the theatre or a night to see the stage
14:16 and they don't realise, do they, how much work goes in here.
14:19 So you must, obviously, you've got great belief in what you've got.
14:24 You've already seen from the world premiere that was up in Leeds that you've
14:28 got a great show on your hands.
14:30 What happens next to it?
14:31 I mean, are you planning to take it on tour?
14:33 Is it going to go around the country?
14:35 And, indeed, what plans for other shows?
14:37 Yeah, I'm hoping that it will tour to other venues both in the north
14:42 and across the UK and also have a slate of productions currently
14:48 in development.
14:49 So you should watch this space.
14:51 Wow, fantastic.
14:52 It sounds like we've got a zone west end here, right here in Barnsley.
14:57 And just mentioning that, Barnsley is the hometown, it's your birth town,
15:01 but where are you living now?
15:03 And do you still get to Barnsley often?
15:07 I try to get to Barnsley whenever I can.
15:10 I'm based usually either in Sheffield or London,
15:13 that's where you can find me.
15:15 Tal, I did start off by saying that your story is inspirational,
15:18 and I'm sure you will inspire other boys and girls to actually try
15:22 and follow you in your footsteps.
15:24 Are they going to do that?
15:25 I've no idea, because already it's a tender age, you've achieved so much.
15:29 Love the idea of more shows to come.
15:32 Please keep in touch with us, let us know what you're up to,
15:35 and we'll always be here to give you lots of support.
15:37 Thank you so much, Graham.
15:39 [music]