NORTHERN Ballet Theatre has a new home and a new name.

Ahead of taking up residence on October 4 at Quarry Hill, Leeds, the company has announced a subtle change of moniker, dropping “theatre” from its title to become Northern Ballet.

The new name is part of a complete re-branding of the Leeds dance company, which comes after months of consultation and deliberation.

Not only the name will be changing to coincide with the move. The 2010 brand also incorporates a new logo, a series of dramatic new production images, a palette of new colours and a new website, northernballet.com, to “help make Northern Ballet immediately recognisable to audiences across the UK and overseas”.

Despite the shortened name, David Nixon’s company will continue to focus on narrative dance productions that blend classical ballet with theatre.

The new logo already is visible on the side of the company’s new building, where Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre are creating a new centre of excellence for dance artists, enthusiasts and audiences across the north. Their new headquarters on Quarry Hill will be the largest purpose-built dance space outside London.