IT IS one of the most moving stories of love and rejection in the world of classical opera.

Now Northern Ballet, among the great story-tellers of the dance world, bring Madame Butterfly back to the region in what promises to be a powerful piece of dance theatre.

The production, directed and choreographed by the company’s artistic director, was seen in Beijing last year and opens here on the company’s home ground in Leeds on February 29.

The show runs at Leeds Grand Theatre until March 10 and will tour in the autumn to venues in Sheffield, Manchester and Nottingham.

David Nixon originally created the piece on his wife, Yoko Ichino, the internationally renowned ballerina, who is now Ballet Mistress and Academy Associate Director at Northern Ballet.

The Northern Ballet version of the production premiered at Leeds Grand Theatre in 2002 and has not been performed in the city since then.

Former Northern Ballet Principal Artist Keiko Amemori will be making a welcome return to dance the role of Butterfly.

Keiko had a successful career with Northern Ballet between 2001 and 2009 where she danced all the principal female roles in the repertoire, including Butterfly.

Two other dancers, Pippa Moore and Michela Paolacci, will dance the role during the run.

The company’s Madame Butterfly is based on the original Belasco play that inspired the great opera by Puccini.

At its heart is a young geisha who marries Lieutenant Pinkerton, a dashing naval officer, only to be abandoned by him while carrying his unborn child.

The loyal Butterfly awaits her husband’s return, valiantly raising their son alone in a society which has ostracised her.

When Pinkerton eventually returns to Nagaski with his new American wife, Butterfly knows her doomed fate and that of her young son are sealed.

“When creating Madame Butterfly, I wanted to incorporate an aesthetic of the traditional Japanese culture and music.” said David Nixon.

“I wanted to portray the dilemma of Butterfly who tries to change the perception of her culture, only to be betrayed by her newly adopted beliefs. Her freedom is only achieved by returning to her roots.

“Our re-orchestration of Puccini’s wonderful music, to which we have incorporated traditional Japanese music, has resulted in a fluid and dramatically powerful score for this ballet, which blends traditional Japanese dance styles with classical ballet.”