Richard Alston Dance Company to close in Spring 2020

[Jan McNulty]

It has been announced that the Richard Alston Dance Company is to close in Spring 2020.

 

Details in this article in the Stage:  https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2018/richard-alston-dance-company-to-close-after-more-than-25-years/

[Sim]

That's a shame;  I've always really liked them!  Best wishes to Richard in his future endeavours.

[alison]

I can understand that after celebrating his whatever-it-was-th anniversary as a choreographer a few months ago he might want to cut back a bit and concentrate on choreography rather than running a company, but yes, I too will miss them.

 

Still, we still have 18 months or so to catch them in!

[bridiem]

His statement didn't sound to me as if he wanted to cut back, more that he was being required to. Which is sad.

[alison]

You may have a point there, bridiem.  I was assuming that, based on the fact that he was already stepping down as AD of The Place, he was cutting back on, shall we say, the less essential work?

[bridiem]

6 hours ago, alison said:

You may have a point there, bridiem.  I was assuming that, based on the fact that he was already stepping down as AD of The Place, he was cutting back on, shall we say, the less essential work?

 

I don't know, Alison; it just sounded that way to me.

[Lynette H]

I don't think that's the case. It looks like the Arts Council prefer to invest in younger choreographers

 

"Mr. Alston said that he had “absolutely chosen” to step down as the artistic director of The Place, but that closing the company has been a more complicated decision. He said his troupe has received most of its funding through an Arts Council England grant given to The Place, which last year applied to be a National Portfolio organization — a company or institution that is regularly funded over a four-year period. “That essentially requires you to reinvent yourself, and The Place decided to focus on younger artists and tour them,” he said. That meant his company would no longer be in residence at The Place and would lose most of its funding."

 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/08/arts/dance/richard-alston-dance.html

 

 

[alison]

Thank you, Lynette.  That's a lot clearer.  What a shame  

[zxDaveM]

this tunes in with the 'new audience' (i.e. young audience) vibe emanating from ROH...

[Jan McNulty]

What an absolute disgrace!

[Bruce Wall]

2 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

What an absolute disgrace!

 

I agree, Janet, the comments above leave me entirely dispirited.   Is not this open discrimination? ... Where does 'art' come into it I wonder?  

[Pas de Quatre]

This actually reminds me of what happened in the 60s when the Arts Council pulled the funding on Rambert Ballet as a classical company and told them to re-invent themselves.  There is an article about this in this month's Dancing Times which gives a much rosier picture of that decision.  At the time I remember it being a sad situation.  That Rambert has been successful and thrived is not the point I am trying to make.  If the Arts Council had wanted a new contemporary company, the could have funded a new one.

[annamk]

Terrible.

 

I only discovered this great little company a few years ago, the performances I saw lit up every dance going year. It was a terrific company with a brilliant rep made on a small budget. Just a tragedy that pieces like An Italian in Madrid, Carnaval, Mazur and Gypsy Mixture will presumably not be danced again - it makes me feel particularly bitter when I look at some of the high budget rubbish the RoH has produced (and revived) in recent years. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Pas de Quatre said:

This actually reminds me of what happened in the 60s when the Arts Council pulled the funding on Rambert Ballet as a classical company and told them to re-invent themselves.  There is an article about this in this month's Dancing Times which gives a much rosier picture of that decision.  At the time I remember it being a sad situation.  That Rambert has been successful and thrived is not the point I am trying to make.  If the Arts Council had wanted a new contemporary company, the could have funded a new one.

I, too, thought that the article rather glossed over the change at Rambert. Norman Morrice went to the Arts Council behind Marie Rambert's back to make the proposal. When the company cut back and became contemporary, Rambert believed it was only going to be for a short while. 

[loveclassics]

Tomorrow's Times has an interesting article about this.  It's behind the firewall so I can't reproduce it here but one sentence caught my eye:

"There’s also a very unhealthy pressure for all organisations — even the big ballet companies — to reinvent themselves all the time and roll over backwards to do something new.”

 

If only the new productions were a patch on the classics.

 

Linda

Edited October 15, 2018 by loveclassics
grammar

[Sim]

It seems that soon the only dancing that's going to be left in this country is to the tune of marketeers and money dispensing organisations.  Where does art come into it Bruce?  It clearly doesnt.  

[Pas de Quatre]

Will Art galleries and Museums soon be replacing all their stuffy old exhibits with new exciting relevant pieces? Actually come to think of it many themed exhibitions already have - nothing too erudite, just make it accessible!

[Jan McNulty]

7 hours ago, loveclassics said:

Tomorrow's Times has an interesting article about this.  It's behind the firewall so I can't reproduce it here but one sentence caught my eye:

"There’s also a very unhealthy pressure for all organisations — even the big ballet companies — to reinvent themselves all the time and roll over backwards to do something new.”

 

If only the new productions were a patch on the classics.

 

Linda

 

Try this link: Times