Ian Macmillan

"Singer halts Symphony Hall concert and says 'this is distracting' as he attacks new rules" https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/singer-halts-symphony-hall-concert-29017426 As I read this, the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is OK with phone use for "photographs and short video clips at our concerts," and is "supportive of audiences being able to use their phones at appropriate moments during our concerts." Has BRB said anything on the matter?

Peanuts: The shared neighbourhood only began some 20 years back, whereas BRB shares a history with what's now the Royal Ballet starting with the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet post-WW2 and on via the RB Touring Company. But you do make a point as regards the present day.

Some other rather young dancers from an earlier age here: https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/78264/

Lin: You should have been able to see the Times review in today's Links as it had the Share suffix. But here it is again: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/d0ab88e5-1abd-409c-be3e-25bea204ea9e?shareToken=9ba92c69b604f1ab2e45fad104e1a84f

Links - Friday 29 March, 2024 Reviews - English National Ballet, Carmen (Inger), London: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Debra Craine, The Times (+ share) Zoe Anderson, Independent Siobhan Murphy, The Stage Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Joy Sable, Jewish Chronicle Deborah Weiss, Bachtrack Mark Monahan, Telegraph David Jays, Evening Standard Monica Cox, Reviews Hub Review - Paris Opera Ballet, La Fille Mal Gardée, Paris: Joy Wang X Y, Seeing Dance Review - Trisha Brown Dance Company, In The Fall, Glacial Decoy, Working Title, New York: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review - Hubbard Street Dance, Two Bills, New York: Robert Greskovic, Wall St Journal Review - Côté Danse, X (Dix), Vancouver: Sara Horowitz, Straight.com Review - Crows Feet Dance Collective, Woman Life Freedom, Wellington: Jennifer Shennan, ... on dancing Preview - National Ballet of Canada, Hamlet: Prince of Denmark (Lepage & Côté), Toronto: Rebecca Ritzel, Globe and Mail News - Casting for Royal Ballet Ashton Triple Bill: Graham Spicer, Gramilano News - Dance in Edinburgh International Festival 2024: Programme Diary - April Dancewatch, Portland, OR: Jamuna Chiarini, Oregon Artswatch

No rattlesnake by the sound of things: "In “Star on the Rise,” Chan and Fullington’s heroine, a Hollywood starlet, also makes it out alive and takes charge of her destiny. Her rival has a change of heart. This paves the way to a happy ending, celebrated, in true movie musical style, with a big dance number, a Charleston."

Happily, there was no sign of it this morning, and long may that remain so.

After some 12.5 years as a Forum member, I have just been confronted by one of those multi-picture Bot checks before being permitted entry. Is this a new InVision thing? Have others noted it? etc etc .... all very odd.

Bridie: I've just run a check and that works just as you say. I'd been wondering how/why some blue names had begun to appear on the site!

Anent my post, above, I've found a fuller report on events back then: https://www.postalmuseum.org/blog/the-battle-of-the-cypher/

True, EIIR did start to appear on pillar boxes in 1952 - but I may not be alone in recalling that this was not universally well-received in Scotland, where the argument was that there had been no previous Queen Elizabeth north of the border. In the extreme, there were a few incidents involving explosives in boxes before things settled.

DEI-WOKE?? I'd guess at some kind of Godlike alertness but I doubt that would fit the context used. I fear that I'm increasingly defeated by today's neologisms.

Possibly here?

That Times article is available here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ece557f5-049c-46b4-80e1-36bdd8277e1e?shareToken=d50b4e881d566a1d468ecef30408ae0c

A humorous ballet set to the Barber Adagio? Really?? Granted I've not seen it, but that seems extremely unlikely to me.

Sarah, my feelings were expressed earlier - but I'd no idea from his writing that he was also something of a WW2 aviation fan. There's quite a model collection in that display case.

All the new names appear to be listed here: https://www.opernhaus.ch/en/2324/neue-compagnie/ I'm delighted to see that ChrisG's review echoes another on Bachtrack, posted at the top of Links for 24 January. Cathy Marston proved herself as an intelligent Director during her years with the small company in Bern and, now with a significantly larger company at her disposal, she seems set fair to build on that in Zürich.

On the NextDoor site for our general area, there have been some posts to the effect that folk have turned up at cinemas only to find the showing has been cancelled due to 'insufficient interest.' (It was never scheduled at either cinema closest to us.)

Bruce - a worthy tribute to a great guy, and I guess you must have got a bit closer to him than the rest of us did back in ballet.co years. His written style was inimitable - I still treasure the memory of a Gala review of a Rose Adagio performance, in which the Aurora appeared to become more and more desperate, grabbing at each suitor to keep on balance. A classy, well-informed writer and, like Dave just above, I'd certainly like to have known him. Requiescat in pace.

At that price I fear it may be restricted to a very niche, academic market. Some years ago I was persuaded to take on writing a centennial history of a RAF squadron on which I had served. It took me fully three years of research to produce a 342 page volume that had to be very reasonably priced to ensure a worthwhile sales volume. Had the hours of work involved been priced on any 'normal' economic measure, I doubt it would have sold much at all. Nonetheless, one wishes both volumes well.

A difficult combination, to be sure - but a chap I once knew, Josh Mellet, managed it.

Helgi Tomasson was Director over in San Francisco for some 37 years, I believe, and I was never aware of complaints that he served for too long. Just a thought. https://www.sfballet.org/a-tribute-to-helgi-tomasson/

How many years since the RB last staged Les Noces? Cathy Marston showing the way in Zürich.

Emeralds: Could you try "alumni alumnaeque" on your in-house Latinist? Been a while since I was dabbling therein.

Wayne McGregor has left the Royal Ballet? Odd - he's still showing as Resident Choreographer on the ROH website as I write and, as far as I can recall, no announcement of a departure has appeared in recent Links posts. Is there a link anywhere to such an announcement?