Josephine

Thank you assoluta. I'll try this.

In the Mona Inglesby thread I mentioned a downloadable version of part of Lydia Sokolova's memoir 'Dancing for Diaghilev'. Unfortunately I cannot find the original web link for this. I have the downloaded file, which covers chapters 1 and 2 of her memoir. It is too large to attach here, but I can email it to anyone who may be interested. Please message me with your email address if so. Apologies, I won't be able to reply now until this evening. I'd be very pleased to know if anyone is aware of additional biographical sources for Lydia Sokolova (Hilda Munnings). Thanks to MAB for mentioning one in the Mona Inglesby thread.

Yes, of course Ashton and MacMillan's achievements are immense, and biographical focus on them is hugely deserved. I mentioned them simply as examples, following on from the earlier mention by Floss. My apologies if I have blundered by mentioning Marie Rambert. I know relatively little about her life, and really have no knowledge of the context of ballet politics in the 1940's-50's. But I do look forward to learning much more about Mona Inglesby and her work as her centenary draws near.

Thank you for this Pas de Quatre. This book sounds fascinating.

Thanks so much Ellie. I'll look out for this. It looks very interesting.

Thanks so much for all this information MAB. Very useful indeed! Yes, I do know about Lydia Sokolova's wonderful memoir. I recently found a link to a downloadable version of the first chapter. I'll post it later if I can find the link again. I am very glad to learn about the interviews in John Drummond's book, and hope to locate a copy at some point. Thanks again.

A very interesting thread! I think gender is one factor in the lack of biographies for de Valois and Inglesby, compared with Ashton and MacMillan. I'd be interested to know if there are published biographies of Marie Rambert. I have checked the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online. It gives entries for Chappell, Gore and Lancaster (not Staff), but none for Inglesby, Howard or Fedorovitch. Historically, men in any field of achievement seem more likely than women to be the focus of biographers' attention. The Oxford DNB has made serious efforts to redress the balance in recent years, by commissioning entries for women in particular fields of achievement. Maybe one day they will cover women choreographers! Slightly off topic - it saddens me that there is no Oxford DNB entry for Lydia Sokolova (Hilda Munnings), who seems to hold a very significant place as a British woman in dance history.

Thank you Penelope. Your words have helped, as I have spent a lot of precious time thinking about the issue. It's lovely also to hear about the reactions of your young guests during their recent visit. The 'rights and responsibilities' aspect is fundamental I think. Exeunt appears to claim the right to publish content which discriminates and is defamatory (in my view), but fails in what I think should be their professional responsibility to engage with feedback when challenged. The ageism expressed is totally unacceptable. Although the 'liver spotted hands' phrase has been removed, I think hints of ageism still exist in the insulting words which remain. I have thought about contacting Age UK to see if they would take this seriously as the subject of a complaint. I have not contacted ROH, so it's good to know that you have done so. I would be interested to hear of any actions which may result, if of course you are free to share information from any reply. I realise it may be confidential. I've been wondering if there are any organisations which regulate the content of professional reviews published online. Exeunt is not on the list of publishers regulated by Ipso. Any suggestions would be welcome!

Thank you to everyone who has commented on this issue. Reading all the comments here has helped me to feel that I'm not over-reacting. Sorry for multiple posts just now. I haven't worked out how to include more than one quote in a single post!

Thank you Fiz. I agree - one of the points made in my unacknowledged email is that the endorsement of such unprofessional work damages Exeunt's own reputation.

I agree that the ethical issues around her misguided choice of content are the major cause of complaint. But I have to admit to some fury about her bad writing!

Yes, I agree. As far as I can see the amended version does not state that it is a revision. Edit: at the time of writing, the article is now shown as having been edited.

An update on this discussion which began in the Mayerling performance thread. I emailed Exeunt but have received neither a reply nor an acknowledgment. However, amendments to their online review now reflect three of the various points I raised: - inclusion of a fully credited cast photograph - deletion of extracts apparently transcribed from an overheard private conversation - deletion of the phrase 'liver-spotted hands' which referred to an unknown audience member

I did consider copying ROH into my email, but thought I'd wait to hear from Exeunt first (if of course they decide to respond). I would expect that the RB press office is aware of her output already. It seems to me relevant to raise the issue with her employers because of the context of potentially tainting the professional status of reviewers by publishing such abysmal writing and immature content.

Thanks Sim - I'll report back if they respond! As far as I know, Exeunt is a strictly online publication of quality(!) reviews. I have enjoyed reading some of their output over the years, which is one factor in prompting complaint today, as it seems sad (as well as inappropriate) to see their name behind such unprofessional work. Their list of contributors does include some dance writers who are highly regarded I believe: http://exeuntmagazine.com/writers-and-editors/

I emailed Exeunt editors this morning to complain about various elements of this review: ageism, publishing parts of a private conversation, defamatory comment on an audience member, reviewing audience and venting a torrent of personal bitterness instead of focusing on the performance, and finally the undermining of some valid general points by such graceless writing. It seems unbelievably poor work which has the potential to damage the professional standing of reviewers. Impossible to understand how it apparently bypassed editorial control. Maybe Exeunt will take note if others have time or inclination to complain as well.

Thanks Lindsay for your reply. I think you are right about the music hall corps dancers being given rather limited choreography, although Little Dot is given an extended solo. I agree that they looked a little too glamorous in their costumes when compared to the images in Sickert's music hall paintings. Interesting thread - I have enjoyed reading your comments in the various posts.

Maybe this discussion needs a separate thread. At risk of going way off topic, for me the women were certainly not 'shoehorned' into Sweet Violets. (I agree though regarding Frankenstein and would add Wheeldon's Strapless to this list.) In Sweet Violets the depiction of the various women seems intended to convey partly the actual world Sickert observed and painted (the music hall especially) and partly a projection of his fractured inner life. For me, Scarlett focused with compassion on the social context of women's position, in the asylum scene especially, and achieved this more powerfully in his original version of the work.

ArchivesMoved is a project which resulted in a dance related exhibition now at Manchester Central Library until June 2017: https://manchesterarchiveplus.wordpress.com/2017/03/15/archivesmoved/

Some of the photographs by Andre Uspenski can be viewed online here: https://www.levinmiller.com/2017-exhibtion

This blog post gives some account of British audience behaviour in 1782, including people in the lower and middle galleries quarrelling with those in the upper gallery!! Sorry if a little off topic. I found this by chance and love the vivid description! https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/aquatic-theatre-sadlers-wells-early-19th-century/amp/

Tamara Rojo will be in conversation with Simon Morrison and Judith Mackrell at this event at the Charleston Festival on 19 May: http://www.charleston.org.uk/events/in-the-wings/

I have assumed (maybe incorrectly) that the roles danced by Federico Bonelli and Sarah Lamb represent Leonard Woolf and Vanessa Bell.

Marguerite and Armand. It always seems way too overblown and melodramatic for me. Not helped by hilarious wigs for the gents and more frock changes than I've ever seen in any other one act ballet! I have given it several chances but to no effect as yet!

A new online ballet history project from the Royal Ballet School: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/discover/history/ballet-history-timeline/