Jan McNulty

I was at the opening night at The Lowry last night. I thought it was a glorious evening led by Momoko Hirata, Max Maslen and Daria Stanciulescu. I was privileged to see Momoko's debut in Birmingham some years ago (with Alex Campbell as her Prince!) and it was such a special afternoon. She really is one of my favourite Aurora's and I count myself lucky to have seen her perform the role on a number of occasions. She has never disappointed! She was absolutely exquisite last night. In act 1 she was a princess who definitely knew her position and was full of joy. She was surprised when the King told her she was to marry and she was deliciously flirtatious with the Princes in a glorious rose adagio. Just WOW!!! Max was every inch the "fallen in love at first sight". Daria delighted in her annoyance and evilness. I must mention Rory Mackay as Catalabutte. He brings such a humanity to the role that it is heartbreaking to see how Carabosse treats him. Act 3 was just dazzling and the gpdd sent shivers of delight down my spine and brought on an attack of hay fever. It had been a fabulous evening!

Links - Friday 08 March, 2024 Reviews - Royal Ballet, Swan Lake, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Siobhan Murphy, Stage Debra Craine, Times (share token) Review - National Ballet of Canada, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Wheeldon), Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Review - Wayne McGregor & London Philharmonic Orchestra, A Body for Harnasie, London: Daniel Lewis, Times (share token) Review - Shaun Keylock Company, The Age of Influence, Portland: Amy Leona Havin, Oregon Arts Watch Reviews - Justin Peck, Illinoise, New York: Gloria Oladipo, Washington Zachary Stewart, Theater Mania Preview Feature - Amanda Morgan (PNB) / The Seattle Project, here because, Seattle: Rachel Gallagher, Seattle Times Preview - West Australian Ballet, Metamorphosis - Ballet at the Quarry, Perth: Staff, Limelight Video Preview - Charlotte Ballet, Come to Life, Charlotte: Staff, WBTV Preview - Brecon Festival Ballet, Swan Lake Act 2 and Tanio’r Ddraig (Fire Up Your Dragon), Brecon: Staff, Brecon & Radnor Express Feature - Dancing through the day in Boston Ballet’s public school initiative: Arielle Flaherty, Tufts Daily Feature - Lisa Macuja Elizalde (Philippine ballet icon)’s Tik Tok Renaissance: Pola del Monte, Vogue News - Cincinnati Ballet announces 2024-25 season: Staff, Cincinnati.com News - Sacramento launches 2nd annual series: Stephi Wild, Broadway World News - Carlos Acosta announces Nutcracker in Havana (for Acosta Danza): Maggie Foyer, Seeing Dance

In the past I've seen The Trocks, Northern Ballet (R&J as it happens) and the Royal Danish Ballet group a few years ago. I didn't see any of the dancers having an issue with the stage. There was a jolly nice atmosphere there on the occasions I have been.

This popped up on my FB timeline this morning. I believe LVBS has run boys' workshops before so worth keeping an eye out. https://www.londonvocationalballetschool.com/holidaycourses?fbclid=IwAR2WAjxzmSC73wIYm5ggU2D_3vzxDktmjxC7XKP8cRNLout_4qh5hop0q9s

Links - Thursday 06 March, 2024 Review - New York City Ballet, The Four Temperaments, Liebeslieder Walzer, New York: dancelog.nyc Review - Philadelphia Ballet, Giselle, Philadelphia: Lewis Whittington, Culture Vulture Review - Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre, mixed programme, Atlanta: Robin Wharton, Arts ATL Review - Andros Zins-Browne, duel. H, New York: Elinor Krichmar, Brooklyn Rail Review - Ballet Hispánico, mixed programme, Great Barrington: Fiona Scruggs, Berkshire Eagle Preview - San Francisco Ballet, Dos Mujeres (double bill), San Francisco: Stephi Wild, Broadway World Preview - Sydney Dance Company, Ascent (double bill), London: Graham Spicer, Gramilano Preview - Dance top 5, New York: Sharon Hoyer, New City Stage Preview - Batsheva Dance Company, Appropriation, Tel Aviv: Ori Lenkinski, Jerusalem Post Preview - KVN Dance Company, Coppelia, UK Tour: Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Video Report - Grand Kyiv Ballet performs Giselle in Chicago: Courtney Sink, NBC 5 Chicago News - Iana Salenko, Staatsballett Berlin, becomes “Berlin Chamber Dancer”: Staff, Dance for You Magazine News - Choreographers And Composers For Mcnicol Ballet Collective's Compositions & Configurations Creative Residency Announced: AA Cristi, Broadway World Feature - The Work in Progress: Tess Michaelson, Brooklyn Rail Feature - Beauty of ballet meets power of powwow in Alberta: Staff, Calgary Herald News - Desertland Entertainment Announces the Inaugural Ballet Championships of America – A New Era in Ballet Competitions: Staff, Globe and Mail

Press Release Wednesday 6 March 2024 Choreographers and Composers for McNicol Ballet Collective’s Compositions & Configurations creative residency announced McNicol Ballet Collective is proud to announce the successful applicants for its inaugural Compositions & Configurations creative residency, taking place from 15 - 20 July 2024 at DanceEast. Chosen from over 200 applicants, the cohort features three composers and three choreographers who will be paired together to explore original music and choreographic concepts during a week-long studio residency with McNicol Ballet Collective’s professional dancers and live musicians. Compositions & Configurations also offers pre-residency meetings and workshops, guest speaker sessions, and mentoring and support from a dramaturg throughout the creative process. The residency concludes with an informal sharing of the artist’s work to an invited audience and industry professionals. Nandita Shankardass trained at The Royal Ballet School and is a Clore emerging leader, artist in residence with Rambert and a Ballet Futures facilitator with English National Ballet. She has previously choreographed for Ballet Black, Ballet Zurich’s Junior Ballett company and Compañia Nacional de Danza. Nandita will work with genre-bending composer Kerrin Tatman, who writes music spanning classical, folk and musical theatre. Their recent year-long residency at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music saw the premiere ofRequiem for a Fading World, chosen as The Crack Magazine’s Album of the Month. Former dancer with Rambert and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, Otis Carr has previously created works for Rambert’s season of new choreography at The Place, Moveo Dance Company, The Royal Ballet’s Draft Works and Trinity Laban’s BA1 Students’ Performance Project. Otis will be paired with David Westcott, a composer and arranger for film, TV, ballet, and dance. He previously composed the score for Ballet Cymru’s Beauty and The Beast as well as for works by The National Dance Company of Wales and London Symphony Orchestra. A former Young Associate at Sadler’s Wells, Christopher Thomas has choreographed works for the Main Stage and Lilian Baylis Studio at Sadler’s Wells. He is currently working on his first full length creation that will feature The Royal Ballet’s Joseph Sissens in the lead role. Christopher will collaborate with composer Beatrice Ferreira who draws on traditional and contemporary materials to destabilise our perceptions of extra-musical sound. Her works have been performed at the Barbican Centre and Snape Maltings, and she is currently Artist-in-Residence for the label Nonclassical. Following the residency, McNicol Ballet Collective plans to commission at least one choreographer and composer to further develop their work and present it as part of the Company’s 2024/2025 season. Founded by Andrew McNicol, “one of the UK’s most talented young choreographers” (Bachtrack), McNicol Ballet Collective (MBC) is committed to creating new and collaborative work with an inspiring collective of artists. MBC commissions adventurous contemporary ballets, innovative dance films and meaningful education projects – strengthening our connection to dance and each other. In 2023 the Collective presented its second programme, Devotions, to critical acclaim at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre and on tour in North East England. Andrew’s vision for the Collective is to create an enduring and distinct repertoire that will excite audiences, empower artists, and explore the full potential of contemporary ballet today. Compositions & Configurations is supported by Charles Holloway, the Idlewild Trust, Leche Trust, DanceEast, McNicol Ballet Collective, and those who wish to remain Anonymous. - Ends -

Many years ago Chi Cao (who had been a principal at BRB for at least 3 years having risen through the company) was nominated for a best newcomer award at the Dance Critics' Circle awards. He had never danced a press night prior to that year's Swan Lake, so the critics had never seen him dance in a leading role!

Hello @Dance_taxi and welcome to the Forum!

Press Release Tuesday 5 March 2024 Full casting announced for KVN Dance Company’s UK tour of Coppelia KVN Dance Company is thrilled to announce the full cast for Kevan Allen’s magical reimagined version of the classical ballet Coppelia which tours to 16 venues across the UK from 10 April - 30 June 2024. The eclectic cast of 12 dancers come from a variety of training and professional backgrounds, echoing the production’s use of different dance styles to make the story relevant to audiences today. Performing in the role of Dr Coppelius is Micheal Downing, a dancer with a wide range of experience on stage and screen who is set to appear in the new Apple TV series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. In the title role of Coppelia is Rosie Southall who has worked with Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures and Wayne McGregor. Both Micheal and Rosie reprise their roles following the productions debut in 2021. Dancing in the role of Swanhilda is Ellie Fergusson, who won the BBC’s inaugural The Greatest Dancer competition and has performed on tour in Oti Mabuse - I Am Here and with Ballet Central. In the role of Franz is Zach Parkin who has danced with Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures and appeared in West End productions including A Streetcar Named Desire and ABBA Voyage. They are joined by Alexander Fadayiro (Ballet Black), Laura Braid (Cabaret in the West End), Alex Moore (Magic Mike’s Last Dance), Celeste Williamson (For Tonight in the West End), Taz Hoesli (ZooNation Youth Company), Oliver Imeson (2020: The Musical), Sophie Tierney (Hansel & Gretel at the Royal Opera House), and Ellis Rose Rother (Spotlights: A New Musical). Coppelia looks to honour the classical ballet while expanding on the story, exploring the eccentric toy maker, Dr Coppelius’ intent behind creating a life-size clockwork doll, Coppelia, and the impact this has on his relationship with the community of villagers and on Swanhilda’s relationship with her fiancé, Franz. Fusing classical ballet with contemporary dance and hip-hop, Coppelia is choreographed by renowned director and choreographer Kevan Allen, who has created work on stages around the world for artists including Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Trevor Nunn, and Kylie Minogue. The production is set to an imaginatively rescored version of the classical Delibes score, by Rickard Berg, nominated for the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Outstanding Creative Contribution, and sees costumes and styling by Wendy Olver, sets by West End designer Justin Williamsand lighting by Olivier Award-winner Mike Robertson. Coppelia tours to Leicester Curve (10 April), The Elgiva Theatre, Chesham (11 April), Lichfield Garrick Theatre (16 April), Towngate Theatre, Basildon (17 April), Corn Exchange Newbury (18 April), Queens Theatre, Barnstaple (19 April), Marylebone Theatre (24 - 27 April), Lancaster Grand Theatre (19 June), Albany Theatre, Coventry (20 June), Storyhouse, Chester (21 June), Darlington Hippodrome (22 June), Watersmeet Theatre, Rickmansworth (25 June), Kings Lynn Corn Exchange (26 June), Marina Theatre, Lowestoft (27 June), Exeter Northcott (29 June) and Worthing Connaught Theatre (30 June). Listings Information KVN Dance Company presents Coppelia Leicester Curve Wednesday 10 April 2024 www.curveonline.co.uk/ The Elgiva Theatre, Chesham Thursday 11 April 2024 www.elgiva.com/coppelia/ Lichfield Garrick Theatre Tuesday 16 April 2024 www.lichfieldgarrick.com/ Towngate Theatre, Basildon Wednesday 17 April 2024 www.towngatetheatre.co.uk/coppelia/ Corn Exchange Newbury Thursday 18 April 2024 www.cornexchangenew.com/event/coppelia Queens Theatre, Barnstaple Friday 19 April 2024 www.queenstheatre-barnstaple.com/event/coppelia/ Marylebone Theatre, London Wednesday 24 – Saturday 27 April 2024 www.marylebonetheatre.com/ Lancaster Grand Theatre Wednesday 19 June 2024 www.lancastergrand.co.uk/shows/coppelia/ Albany Theatre, Coventry Thursday 20 June 2024 www.albanytheatre.co.uk/shows/coppelia/ Storyhouse Chester Friday 21 June 2024 www.storyhouse.com/whats-on/kvn-dance-company-coppelia/ Darlington Hippodrome Sunday 23 June 2024 www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/whats-on/KVN-Dance-Company-Presents-Coppelia Watersmeet Theatre, Rickmansworth Tuesday 25 June 2024 www.watersmeet.co.uk/coppelia Kings Lynn Corn Exchange Wednesday 26 June 2024 www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk/ Marina Theatre, Lowestoft Thursday 27 June 2024 www.marinatheatre.co.uk/whatson-event/the-kvn-dance-company-production-of-coppelia/ Exeter Northcott Saturday 29 June 2024 www.exeternorthcott.co.uk/ Worthing Connaught Theatre Sunday 30 June 2024 www.wtm.uk/events/coppelia/

Links - Wednesday 06 March, 2024 Review - New York City Ballet, three programmes, New York: Jerry Hochman, Critical Dance Review - Finnish National Ballet, Dracula (Pastor), Helsinki: Maggie Foyer, Bachtrack Review - Ballet National de Marseille, Roommates, London: Georgia Howlett, Seeing Dance Review - Boston Ballet, Raymonda, Boston: Sarah Firth, Tufts Daily Review - Extended Play, How to build a universe, London: Maryam Philpott, Reviews Hub Review - Music from the Sole, I didn’t come to stay, Portland: Hannah Krafcik, Oregon Arts Watch Preview - Royal Ballet, Danses Concertantes, Different Drummer, Requiem, London: Graham Spicer, Gramilano Preview - Australian Ballet, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Melbourne: Staff, Australian Arts Review Behind the scenes: Emily Taliangis, Broadsheet Preview - Royal New Zealand Ballet, Tutus on Tour (mixed programme), Taupõ & Hamilton: Staff, NZ Herald Preview - Spring dance in Philadelphia: Saboor Bayat, BNN Breaking News Preview - Milwaukee Ballet, Cinderella, Milwaukee: Salman Khan, BNN Breaking News Video Feature - San Francisco Ballet, Swan Lake, San Francisco: Staff, KTVU News - National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica to headline Let’s Dance International Frontiers 2024 in Leicester: Steve Orme, British Theatre Guide News - National Ballet of China’s Red Detachment of Women gets 60th anniversary tour: Chen Nan, China Daily News - Ukraine slams Bolshoi Ballet tour in Korea: Lee Hyo-jin, Korea Times

I've found this: https://cuba50.org/2023/11/16/carlos-acosta-on-before-16-february-21-july-2024-edinburgh-plymouth-birmingham-buxton/

Is this Northern Ballet in Leeds or Manchester please?

A friend and I once booked to see a performance abroad. Another friend heard and told us we wouldn't like it as it was awful! That was very off-putting after we had shelled out for air fares, hotel, kennels for dog and, of course, theatre tickets. While not the best thing I've ever seen we thoroughly enjoyed it! Horses for courses.

Northern Ballet has toured its Nutcracker to at least 4 of the theatres on the list over the years. Does that not count as a good production? No surprise at all to me. Carlos Acosta's current production On Before is also (IIRC) a co-production with Norwich. I love going to Norwich - it is one of our favourite Northern Ballet venues and we will be there for R&J.

I've amended the title to include the company ... other companies do exist and perform Swan Lake.

No they aren't. Here are the tour dates (is it a smaller tour than last year?) https://www.brb.org.uk/shows/brb2-carlos-acostas-classical-selection

But it might also entice people who have already booked to book a second performance... (I know ... I did that with another company some years ago!) (Although possible not ... I saw Different Drummer once and I never want to see it again so I'm not even going to the cinema.)

Links - Tuesday 05 March, 2024 Reviews - New York City Ballet, Solitude, Concerto for Two Pianos, New York: Jennifer Homans, New Yorker Staff, BNN Breaking Review - Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sleeping Beauty, Birmingham: Vikki Jane Vile, Dance for You Magazine Review - Bayerisches Staatsballett, La Bayadere, Munich: Jeanette Anderson, Seeing Dance Reviews - Ballet National de Marseille, Roommates, London: Siobhan Murphy, Stage Debra Craine, Times (share token) Franco Milazzo, Broadway World Review - Adelaide: Nicholas Routley, Australian Stage Stephen Page, Balleen Moondjan Jacob Boehme, Guuranda Review - Restless Dance Theatre, Private View, Adelaide: Jansson J Antmann, Limelight Reviews - Extended Play, How to build a universe, London: Matthew Paluch, Broadway World Donald Hutera, Stage Review - Grupo Corpo, mixed bill, Aspen: Saboor Bayat, BNN Breaking Review - 7 Portland dancers, Rejigged, desperately seeking Dorinda, Portland: Hannah Krafcik, Oregon Arts Watch Preview Feature - After the flood: Northern Ballet breathes new life into Romeo and Juliet: Siobhan Murphy, Stage Preview Feature - Marc Brew Dance Company, An Accident / A Life, Glasgow: Lorna Irvine, Fjord Review Preview - Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Coppel-i.A, Berkeley: Bourbiza Mohamed, Tech-Gate Preview - Alberta Ballet, Hansel and Gretel, Calgary: Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald Preview - Ballet Jorgen, Anne of Green Gables, St Albert: Anna Borowiecki, St Albert Gazette Video Preview - Deos Ballet, EMBER Series 24 (quad bill), Grand Rapids: Chris Bovine, Fox 17 Preview - Opus Ballet & Dance Now! share the stage in a mixed programme, Miami: AA Cristi, Broadway World Feature - When scandal hit New York City Ballet: Debra Craine, Times (share token) Feature - What’s the future for Indigenous Australian dance?: Steve Dow, Guardian Interview - Gary Avis, Royal Ballet: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Feature - Joseph Walsh, San Francisco Ballet: Lauren Harvey, Daily Californian Feature - Ukraine War: Kharkiv Opera and Ballet reopens underground: Sarah Rainsford, BBC News Feature - The costumes of Alice in Wonderland (Wheeldon): Tiffany Leigh, Forbes News - Carlos Acosta to create new version of The Nutcracker set in Havana: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper News - Joffrey Ballet announces 2024-25 season: Kyle MacMillan, Chicago Sun Times News - Ballet West announces 2024-25 season: Ashley Fredde, KSL News - All-Ireland contemporary dance company ‘a new dawn’ for art form: Emmet Malone, Irish Times

Do you know if Imago will be touring the UK at all @Jamiel Devernay-Laurence? Sadly I can't make the London dates.

PRESS RELEASE – 4 MARCH 2024 IMAGES CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE FULL PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED FOR LIFT 2024 6 JUNE - 27 JULY LIFT 2024 WILL FEATURE SEVEN PREMIERES THAT CHALLENGE THE WAY WE SEE AND INTERACT WITH THE WORLD AROUND US TAKING PLACE FROM 6 JUNE - 27 JULY TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW LIFT, the leading London biennial festival of international performance, today announces the full programme for LIFT 2024. The second festival presented by Artistic Director and CEO Kris Nelson. Featuring three World Premieres, two UK Premieres and one London premiere, the international festival imports work from Canada, Taiwan, Ivory Coast, France, Italy, Cape Verde, Portugal, Brazil, Iran and Palestine, to connect Londoners with global experiences, uniting audiences and artists alike across borders. LIFT will be accessible to audiences across the city, from Southbank Centre, to the Old Bailey to Brixton House. All LIFT 2024 shows have an allocation of £5 tickets available for people on low incomes. THE 2024 PROGRAMME: CLIFF CARDINAL’S ‘THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OR AS YOU LIKE IT’ UPTURNS ONE OF THE BARD’S MOST LOVED COMEDIES THROUGH AN ACERBIC CANADIAN FIRST NATIONS LENS AT THE SOUTHBANK CENTRE AN EVENING AT THE BAT NIGHT MARKET BECOMES AN EXPLORATION OF GLOBAL FOOD SHORTAGES AND CULTURAL APPROACHES TO CUISINE FROM TAIWANESE ARTIST KUANG-YI KU AND UK DESIGNER ROBERT CHARLES JOHNSON AT THE SCIENCE GALLERY NADIA BEUGRÉ’S SENSUOUS EXPLORATION OF MASCULINITY IS PRESENTED THROUGH DANCE IN L’HOMME RARE AT THE SOUTHBANK CENTRE THE HALLS OF JUSTICE ARE BROUGHT TO BRIXTON HOUSE FOR THE TRIALS AND PASSIONS OF UNFAMOUS WOMEN, CREATED BY BRAZILIAN ARTIST’S JANAINA LEITE AND LARA DUARTE, AND CLEAN BREAK BRAZILIAN FUNK, CLOWN ANTICS, POP AND RAVEL’S ‘BOLERO’ INTERMINGLE IN BACCHAE: PRELUDE TO A PURGE AT SADLER’S WELLS, CHOREOGRAPHED BY CAPE VERDEAN MARLENE MONTEIRO FREITAS CHIARA BERSANI’S BOUNDARY PUSHING PERFORMANCE ART L’ANIMALE REVISITS FOKINE’S BALLET ‘THE DYING SWAN’ IN SITE-SPECIFIC PERFORMANCES AT THE OLD BAILEY NASSIM SOLEIMANPOUR AND OMAR ELERIAN’S ECHO (EVERY COLD HEARTED OXYGEN) IS A SERIES OF COLD READS, WHERE A NEW, UNREHEARSED ACTOR TAKES TO THE ROYAL COURT STAGE EVERY EVENING EXPLORING WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE AN IMMIGRANT IN TIME. DEMOCRACY FROM WHERE I STAND IS A NIGHT OF PROVOCATIONS, POEMS AND PERFORMANCES ON AND ABOUT DEMOCRACY FROM LEADING WOMEN ACROSS LONDON AND THE WORLD, CO-PRESENTED WITH FINANCIAL TIMES AT THE DUTCH CHURCH Kris Nelson, Artistic Director and CEO of LIFT commented: “LIFT 2024 will take you on journeys that are deep and personal. It’s a festival that will catch your breath, spark your mind and rev your imagination. There’s adrenaline too. It’s international theatre for your gut. In this year’s festival, The Personal is Epic. Personal accounts of justice, exile and protest take on mythic proportions through barrier-breaking storytelling. LIFT artists will show us Play Is Not a Distraction. They’ll reveal hidden depths beneath surface-level fun and humour, whilst offering feasts for the mind and plunging you into sensation. For this edition, we’ve been focusing on creating opportunities for Londoners to work with international artists in dynamic collaborations – from building shows from the ground up to exploring Concept Touring models between here and abroad. These commissions are surrounded by some truly iconic presentations. It’s all in a climate of funding scarcity and aversion to risk. We’ve got faith though, and we couldn’t do it without the fearlessness of these artists, the shared vision of our presenting and commissioning partners and the support of our core funders Arts Council England, City of London Corporation among many others. LIFT 2024 is the result of the care, determination and expertise of a lot of incredible people, and I write this on behalf of our amazing team, crew, trustees and volunteers past and present who’ve made this edition what it is. It’s a festival full of divergent perspectives, difference and complex cultural conversations. That’s what LIFT is here to do. We invite you to come together in spaces where theatre will connect you to daring ideas and voices of our times and with each other in a place where you can share, disagree, experience together a festival rich in experiences and ideas. We’re making this festival during a complex global moment; amidst a climate crisis, a cost of living crisis and war and turmoil in a number of global regions. LIFT’s aim is and always has been to champion international perspectives, to amplify lesser heard voices, and to be a place that can hold diverse experiences and points of view. That includes internally as a team and organisation, and amongst our audiences, whilst respecting and caring for each other as a priority. In that spirit and taking all those things to heart - we wish you a powerful festival experience full of discovery and dialogue.” LIFT 2024 SHOW BY SHOW The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It - London premiere Creator and writer Cliff Cardinal Toronto Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room 5 June - 9 June The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It by cultural provocateur Cliff Cardinal, is a devastating yet laugh-out-loud examination of land acknowledgements as cultural and political practice. Cultural provocateur Cliff Cardinal revisits Shakespeare’s timeless tale of mistaken identities, gentle ruses and banishment in this show that exults in difficult subject matter. When Crow’s Theatre, one of Toronto’s most eclectic and adventurous companies, premiered this audacious new production, they said very little about it. All they revealed was that Cliff Cardinal was doing a “radical retelling of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It.” There were no further details, no cast list, nothing. How – and why – would Cardinal, a young Indigenous playwright and actor of Cree and Lakota heritage, acclaimed for his acerbic humour and willingness to deal with raw emotions and difficult subject matter, going to retell one of Shakespeare’s most accessible and whimsical plays? Dubbed "the Canadian arts surprise of the year" by The Globe and Mail, Cardinal's brilliant play, The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It, offers you the unvarnished truth of the state of the reconciliation process between Indigenous communities and colonial settlers in Canada. When the curtains rise, prepare for Shakespeare as you’ve never seen him before and likely never will again. Democracy From Where I Stand Presented by LIFT and The Financial Times The Dutch Church, City of London 8 June A night of provocations, poetry, film and performance, asking the question: what does democracy look like from where you stand? Democracy From Where I Stand promises an evening crackling with discussion and connection. Leading women from around our city and around the world sound out on the state of government, representation, rights and freedom. In a year where 62 countries vote in national elections - 49% of the world’s population - we’re reflecting on what democracy means. No better place to do it than in The City of London - the world’s longest-running municipal democracy. This live event is inspired by the Financial Times’ Democracy film series, developed in consultation with LIFT and featuring short new films by Margaret Atwood (Toronto), Aditi Mittal (Mumbai), Elif Shafak (London/Istanbul) and Lola Shoneyin (Lagos). Join us for this special night of LIFT ideas Democracy From Where I Stand and catch these films online. Presented by LIFT and The Financial Times as part of LIFT the City. Supported by the City of London Corporation in collaboration with Destination City.  Where you say the event is inspired by the 'Financial Times’ FT Standpoint’s Democracy digital film series' please could you omit the FT Standpoint mention and instead say the 'Financial Times' Democracy film series'. The wording otherwise looks great. Bat Night Market - World Premiere Kuang-Yi Ku and Robert Charles Johnson Taipei/Eindhoven and London Science Gallery London 11 June - 15 June A marketplace for the mind, an experience for the senses. Step outside your comfort zone and into a night market of the future. Today, in the face of global food shortages, humans need to re-examine our food sources. One option presenting itself as a sustainable and nutritious option is the unassuming bat. These flying mammals  have been a delicacy in some cultures for centuries, but this ancient dish is often viewed with distaste in the Western world. Yet with many bat populations in decline, is it problematic to consume bats? Should they instead be revered for their vital impact on our ecosystem? How do we navigate notions of delicacy, distaste and interspecies empathy as we radically rethink the norms of global consumption? Set in an imagined night market where bat species are extinct,  Bat Night Market intersects performance, speculative design and science. We invite visitors to celebrate these enigmatic animals in an evening of discussions, games, tastings and sensory experiences. Bat Night Market is an international collaboration between UK designer Robert Charles Johnson and Taiwanese artist Kuang-Yi Ku, commissioned by LIFT. It has been co-commissioned by LIFT and Taipei Performing Arts Center. Funded by ARTWAVE and the British Council as part of the International Collaboration Grants. Supported by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a donor advised fund at the London Community Foundation. Research and development supported by Science Gallery London, part of King’s College London, and the Embassy of the Netherlands in the UK. L’Homme rare - UK Premiere Choreographer Nadia Beugré Abidjan/Montpellier Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall 12 June - 13 June The issue of gender has always featured in the Ivory Coast dancer Nadia Beugré’s work, but inL’Homme rare she tackles it head-on, mischievously questioning the attention paid to bodies and the qualities attributed to their movements. Starting with a game that blurs perceptions of gender, the choreographer places the spectator in the position of a voyeur, inviting the audience to experience her research on our understanding of the naked body, particularly Black and male, in history and today. The faces of the five dancers are not visible. The choreography is executed solely using their backs, inspired by dance techniques and styles that principally utilise the pelvis. With the insistent use of buttocks, these practices are seen as being more feminine, challenging or even chipping away at a strongly built and assimilated masculinity. L’Homme rare playfully subverts the history of Europeans’ gaze on Black bodies and its persistence today. The performers are Nadim Bahsoun (Lebanon), Daouda Keita (Mali), Marius Moguiba (Ivory Coast), Lucas Nicot (France) and Eric Nebié (Burkina Faso). The Trials and Passions of Unfamous Women - World Premiere Janaina Leite, and Clean Break Sao Paolo and London Brixton House 14 June - 22 June Press night: 17 June Women who dare to transgress will face judgement. The world premiere of The Trials and Passions of Unfamous Women asks what is justice, and who has the power to decide. This bold and theatrical experience immerses us in the haze between the shared rituals of theatre and the halls of justice. A passion is what obsesses us, what we take risks for. Throughout history, driven by "passion", women have crossed the line between the legal and illegal, the moral and immoral and, because of that, faced the laws of their time. Whether in public trials or in the intimacy of homes, a visible and invisible struggle has been waged against women who are judged for their passions. Clean Break is a UK-based theatre company celebrated for its work with women with lived experience of the criminal justice system, or who are at risk of criminalisation. Its Member artists join forces with taboo-breaking Brazilian theatremakers Janaina Leite, Lara Duarte to devise an epic journey through the theatre of judgement. We encounter the voices of historic, mythic women and the personal stories and passions of the women on stage, labelled as transgressive as truth and fiction collide. Co-commissioned by LIFT and Clean Break, In Proud Association with Brixton House. Bacchae: Prelude to a Purge - UK Premiere Choreographed by Marlene Monteiro Freitas Lisbon Sadler’s Wells Theatre 18 June - 19 June A raucous and absurd carnival processes onstage to the sounds of Brazilian funk, clown antics, pop, and Ravel’s Boléro. In this wildly delirious work, Cape Verdean-born, Lisbon-based choreographer and performance artist  Marlene Monteiro Freitas dares you to explore the careful order, and wild chaos of Euripides—and ultimately, the depths of the human psyche. In 2017, Marlene was acknowledged by the government of Cape Verde for her cultural achievement. In 2018, she created Canine Jaunâtre 3 for Batsheva Dance Company and was awarded the Silver Lion award for dance at the Venice Biennale. In 2022, she was the featured artist of Festival D’Automne and was named a Chanel Next Prize Winner. Presented by LIFT and Sadler’s Wells. There will be a BSL interpreted post-show talk on Tuesday 18 June, with Kris Nelson, artistic director of LIFT and members of the creative team. L’Animale - UK Premiere Created and performed by Chiara Bersani Milan Old Bailey, City of London 22 June - 23 June If you want to meet the animal, you have to ask for permission. Set inside the majestic hall of The Old Bailey, Chiara Bersani revisits The Dying Swan (a ballet originally choreographed by Michel Fokine for Anna Pavlova in 1905), with her work, L’Animale. Motionless, she invites audiences in, to observe and study the animal and enter into its world. To contemplate what it means to be a human and to find peace in a restless world. Through evocative vocals and soundscape, Bersani creates a performance that is unique and unrepeatable each time, guided by the audience. What remains is a ghostly, poetic demonstration in one of the City's most formidable buildings. Chiara Bersani is one of the world’s leading stage artists and an influential figure in Italian performance. With a reputation of pushing the boundaries of dance, Bersani uses her body to draw on the universal themes of loneliness and mortality. As an activist, Chiara works on the accessibility of disabled artists in the performing arts scene. Presented by LIFT as part of LIFT the City. Supported by the City of London Corporation in collaboration with Destination City.  ECHO (Every Cold Hearted Oxygen) - World Premiere Written by Nassim Soleimanpour Directed by Omar Elerian Berlin/Tehran & Milan/London The Royal Court Theatre 13 July - 27 July Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (White Rabbit Red Rabbit, NASSIM) and Italian Palestinian director Omar Elerian (NASSIM, Misty, two Palestinians go dogging) push the boundaries of his signature unrehearsed cold reads to the next level. A new performer takes to the stage at every show without having a clue of what is going to be asked of them. Unrehearsed and unprepared, the script becomes their guide as they journey through the story of the playwright, connected live from his flat in Berlin? Or is he? Can we really know where or when we are? ECHO asks us to confront what it feels like to be an immigrant in time. Fusing technology with the oldest tricks in the book, ECHO is an experiment in concept touring for the age of climate crisis: an ambitious, magical and uncompromising production where no one travels yet everybody can be present. An NSP production, co-produced by LIFT (London) / The Royal Court Theatre (London), Staatstheater Mainz, Riksteatern (Sweden), Why Not Theatre (Toronto), Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles (Brussels) / Le Lieu Unique (Nantes), Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg. In association with The Shed (New York City) and Canberra Theatre Centre. A LIFT Concept Touring Commission. Supported by Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. ECHO is generously supported by the Maria Björnson Memorial Fund Affordable ticket prices are available across the programme to allow more people to access festival events whatever their circumstances. Tickets are on sale now - full details can be found on the LIFT website: www.liftfestival.com Please find all artist and company biographies here Listings The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It - London premiere Southbank Centre- Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 5 - 7 June, 8pm 8 - 9 June, 3pm Democracy From Where I Stand The Dutch Church, City of London 8 June, 7pm Bat Night Market - World Premiere Science Gallery London 11 June - 14 June, 7pm & 15 June, 2pm BSL performance 15 June L’Homme Rare - UK Premiere Southbank Centre: Queen Elizabeth Hall 12 - 13 June, 7.30pm Post show talk: 12 June Audio Description available: 13 June The Trials and Passions of Unfamous Women - World Premiere Brixton House 14 June - 22 June 19:30 19 & 22 June 2pm Press night: 17 June Bacchae: Prelude to a Purge - UK Premiere Sadler’s Wells Theatre 18 June - 19 June, 19:30 Post show talk: Tuesday 18 June L’Animale - UK Premiere Old Bailey, City of London 22 - 23 June 2pm & 4pm ECHO (Every Cold-Hearted Oxygen) - World Premiere The Royal Court Theatre 13 July - 27 July 6.30pm/7pm/7:30pm Matinee performances: Sat 20 July & 27 July, 1.30 & Thurs 25 July, 2.30 Press night: 17 July 7:00pm Post show talk: 18 July Captioned and Relaxed Performances - 18 July, 7:30pm & 27 July, 1:30pm About LIFT LIFT, London’s biennial international festival of theatre, has been bringing joyful, daring and unforgettable theatre from around the world to London for over 40 years, using the whole of the city as its stage. Every two years, LIFT presents a festival full of bold and relevant culture, international perspectives, and thought-provoking performances. Whether it’s a much-loved venue, iconic landmark or unsung corner of London, LIFT gathers Londoners around incredible art. LIFT’s mission is to create powerful, invigorating experiences that challenge artistic, political and social conventions; to champion artist advancement at home and abroad; to lead sustainable internationalism; and to celebrate and connect London to the world. We engage and create communities around ideas and projects, connect leading artists to locals, connect international artists and local artists to London, and together make incredible art happen. A charity limited by guarantee and based in Toynbee Studios in East London, LIFT has a diversified income mix and is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation with a biennial turnover in the region of £2 million. To find out about the different ways you can help LIFT celebrate their 40th anniversary year, visit www.liftfestival.com/support

I was just going to say I've had emails re Mother's Day ... opera, opera, opera, opera, gift shop, gift shop, gift shop ... not a single mention of ballet!

Hello @teddy24 and welcome to the Forum!

Links - Monday 04 March, 2024 Review - Sarah Crompton, Observer Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sleeping Beauty, Birmingham Dimitris Papaioannou, Ink, London Reviews - Ballet National de Marseilles, Roommates, London: Matthew Paluch, Gramilano Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Review - Joffrey Ballet, Studies in Blue (triple bill), Chicago: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc Review - Philadelphia Ballet, Giselle, Philadelphia: Scott Serio, Broadway World Review - Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, New York: Karen Greenspan, Fjord Review Review - Footnote New Zealand Dance, IYKYK (double bill), Auckland: Jenny Stevenson, NZ Theatreview Review - Stephen Page, Baleen Moondjan, Adelaide: Jansson J Antmann, Limelight Review - San Diego Ballet, Many Loves of Don Juan, San Diego: Kyungmin Min, SD News Review - Extended Play, How to build a universe, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Preview - Spring seasons, New York: David Cote, NY Observer Preview Feature - Annapurna Indian Dance Company, A Tree in Time, Huddersfield: David Barnett, Observer Preview - Korean National Ballet & Universal Ballet both touring their productions of Swan Lake, Korea: Ayesha Mumtaz, BNN Breaking Preview - City Ballet of San Diego, triple bill, San Diego: Staff, SD News Interview - Leanne Benjamin, AD Queensland Ballet: Denise Richardson, Dance Australia Looking Back - What was best in Melbourne dance in 2023: Susan Bendall, Dance Australia News - Kim Joo-won appointed AD of Bursan Opera House Ballet: Shin Min-hee, Korea JoongAng Daily News - Li Cunxin (retired AD Queensland Ballet) pirouettes into property development: Phil Bartsch, The Urban Developer

This would apply to any company where the offer was targeted and not in the public domain.

If not everyone has received an emailed discount code then it is obviously targeted and not for sharing on a public forum. We are more than aware that the companies do keep an eye on the Forum and we would not want to be censured by them. Hence no discount sharing unless it is in the public domain eg on the likes of Travel Zoo etc.