Jan McNulty

Hello @TheGrandSophy and welcome out of the lurking shadows! Thanks so much for your report on this evening.

Thanks for the update Michelle. I hope your GP can help get you sorted.

I got very excited when I saw the company is due back in Liverpool but I can't go the night they are here!

Hello @Blue and welcome to the Forum!

Thanks Tony.

I was at both performances in Birmingham on Thursday 22nd. In the evening we saw Yaoqian Shang and Max Maslen with Gabriel Anderson as Carabosse and Tori Forsyth-Hecken as the Lilac Fairy. I think it was Yaoqian's debut (can @Tony Newcombe confirm?) and a very auspicious debut it was too. Yaoqian's interpretation was lovely - as with Yu on Wednesday evening she was able to convey her wonder at the ball and blossom into a flirtatious young Princess as she was introduced to the Princes. Her rose adagio was a delight and she was radiant throughout. I can remember a time at BRB when you could judge how Aurora felt about the adagio by who was dancing the Princes - sometimes all 4 were experienced principals! No such doubts about Yaoqian though. From his first appearance in Act 2 Max Maslen was every inch the Prince. He and Yaoqian were absolutely sublime in the forest scene and the gpdd. Tori Forsyth-Hecken was elegant as Lilac and she proved to have the serenity that goes with the role in this production. Gabriel Anderson was just awesome as Carabosse. It's the first time I've seen a man dance the role since David Morse retired some years ago. He really got into the spirit of the role and was very scary! I can't wait to see him again in the role. I very much liked Reina Fuchigami and Gus Payne in Bluebird. Again the whole company through themselves into the performance and it was a good way to end my Birmingham shows. The afternoon performance was both poignant and special as it marked César Morales penultimate performance before retirement and his relocation to his home country of Chile to take up Directorship of the Santiago Ballet. Regan Hutsell made an amazing debut as Carabosse - she scared the life out of me! She's definitely a dancer to look out for. Yu Kurihara, fresh from her triumphant Aurora on Wednesday evening had Lilac Fairy pitch perfect. She and Regan were brilliant foils for each other. César's Aurora was Beatrice Parma, who had made her debut in role with Tzu Chao Chou in Southampton. Her interpretation of Aurora was a feisty Princess who wasn't phased by all the attention at her party. She was particularly strong (if you see what I mean) in her rose adagio. César gave us an elegant, heartfelt performance. His sense of yearning in act 2 was palpable and he was so happy to find the Princess of his dreams. He and Beatrice were delightful together and looked wonderful, given that she was a new partner. The gpdd in act 3 was sublime and I never wanted it to end. Of course it was emotional when the final curtain fell. The packed stalls gave César and Beatrice a long and well deserved standing ovation. I'm so glad I was there to see César give us his particular magic that afternoon and it is a memory I will cherish. I guess his final performance will be even more emotional and special. (Sadly no curtain call photographs - the staff at the Hippodrome were particularly strict and pounced on anyone who looked as though they were going to take a photograph).

The performance details are listed in the link provided by Amelia. Works by Crystal Pite, James Kudelka and Emma Portner. James Kudelka works in the classical idiom as far as I am aware. Crystal Pite seems mostly to be contemporary and I've not seen anything by the other choreographer. It sounds like an interesting programme.

I think it's worthy of its own thread Amelia - it had passed me by and I had read and published the Sadler's Wells PR! Thank you!

yes

Flamenco Festival London 2024 Sadler’s Wells Theatre & Lilian Baylis Studio Tuesday 4 – Saturday 15 June The Flamenco Festival returns to Sadler’s Wells this summer for its 19th edition from Tuesday 4 – Saturday 15 June. This year’s festival features seven UK premieres and thrilling performances from flamenco luminaries, with a varied programme of dance performances and concerts. Rocío Molina opens the Flamenco Festival 2024 with her trademark subversion of flamenco traditions in Al Fondo Riela on Tuesday 4 June. Using the original flamenco trio of dance, song and guitar, Al Fondo Riela is a piece about reflection and the loss of reality. On stage, she is accompanied by two contrasting guitarists, Oscar Lago with his traditional, technical skill, and Yerai Cortés with his innovative flair. Molina returns after her appearance at the Flamenco Festival in 2019, the same year she won the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for outstanding female performance in Caída del Cielo (Fallen from Heaven). In 2022, she became the first flamenco dancer to win the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale. Premier flamenco guitarist and Latin Grammy Award-winner Vicente Amigo has been dubbed one of the most accomplished flamenco guitarists of his generation. He presents a concert that bridges classical and nuevo flamenco on Wednesday 5 June, fusing jazz, folk and South American rhythms without losing the essence of flamenco. Amigo is seen as a successor to the composer and flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía. Virtuoso performers Patricia Guerrero and Alfonso Losa strip flamenco bare and explore personal connection in Alter Ego on Thursday 6 June. Developed from a series of improvisations in the studio, Alter Ego is an intense duet that combines conventional flamenco with unbridled movement. Guerrero draws geometric figures with her dance, dismantling her movements and recreating them anew. Losa develops new schemes without breaking the mould and stays true to his roots. Eva Yerbabuena reflects on her 20-year career in Yerbagüena (bright dark), as she takes to the stage from Friday 7 – Saturday 8 June with her musical director, guitarist and husband, Paco Jarana, as well as two singers and two percussionists. Yerbabuena is known for exploring the tension between traditional and nuevo flamenco, and most famously for her interpretations of the soleá - the dance of solitude. Her career has included an invitation from Pina Bausch to perform at the Tanztheater Wuppertal 25th anniversary festival, choreographing Mi Niña Manuela for the Ballet Nacional de España, and working with film director Mike Figgis, for the documentary Flamenco Women. Celebrated flamenco musician Israel Fernández presents his latest album Pura Sangre on Sunday 9 June in collaboration with renowned Jerez guitarist Diego del Morao. In his most personal work to date, Pura Sangre is an intimate look at Fernández’s surroundings and his way of interacting with the outside world. Fernández’s album Amor won the Premio Odeón and he has also been nominated for Best Flamenco Album in the Latin Grammy Awards. On Monday 10 June, choreographer David Coria and singer David Lagos converge in a contemporary interpretation of the fandango, a popular and festive musical style from Andalusia with more than 500 years of history. From flamenco to contemporary movement, traditional song to electronic music, ¡Fandango! draws on Iberian folk culture to celebrate Spanish history and tradition. Coria has collaborated with numerous Spanish dance companies including Compañía Andaluza de Danza, Ballet Nacional de España, Rafaela Carrasco and Rocío Molina. Lagos won four awards at the Biennal of Flamenco in Seville in 2020 including the award for the best performance. Ballet Nacional de España will close the festival in an extravaganza of music, movement and colour with Invocación from Wednesday 12 – Saturday 15 June. Artistic Director Rubén Olmo curates this all-encompassing evening featuring 38 dancers and four works that cover the cornerstones of Spanish dance, from vibrant flamenco and traditional bolero to contemporary dance and classical ballet. De lo Flamenco is a tribute to the legendary dancer and choreographer Mario Maya. Olmo choreographs two works; Jauleña, performed by a different soloist from the company each night, and the colourful, ensemble piece, Invocación Bolera. Finally, Antonio Najarro’s Eterna Iberia features the signature elements of Spanish dance – castanets, the Spanish Cape, and the Cordobes Hat. As one of the main cultural ambassadors of Spain to the world, Ballet Nacional de España highlights Spain’s rich choreographic heritage. The National Ballet, founded by the Ministry of Culture in 1978, continues to set the standard for Spanish dance. Miguel Marín, director of Flamenco Festival said “This year’s festival offers a window into the dynamic and vibrant landscape of contemporary flamenco. From the groundbreaking artistry of Rocio Molina to the timeless mastery embodied in Mario Maya's BNE piece, the award-winning innovation of emerging talent like David Coria and the profound flamenco expressions of the esteemed Eva Yerbabuena – the queen of deep flamenco. The festival also showcases unparalleled virtuosity with performances by Alfonso Losa and Patricia Guerrero. In the realm of music, we are graced by the brilliance of guitar virtuoso, Vicente Amigo, and the resonant voice of today, Israel Fernandez, hailed as the most acclaimed singer in the current flamenco landscape.” Flamenco Festival 2024 takes places across Sadler’s Wells Theatre and the Lilian Baylis Studio, with further shows in the Lilian Baylis Studio to be announced soon.   NOTES TO EDITORS Listings Information                       Flamenco Festival London 2024 Sadler’s Wells Theatre & Lilian Baylis Studio Tuesday 4 - Saturday 15 June Tickets from £15 Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com About Flamenco Festival Flamenco Festival is dedicated to showcasing and promoting Spanish culture worldwide. Under the direction and leadership of Miguel Marín, the festival's annual international events serve as a platform for presenting today's foremost flamenco luminaries — from internationally acclaimed artists and venerable icons of traditional flamenco to the most cutting-edge and promising young talents in dance, music, and song. Established in 2001, Flamenco Festival has evolved into the premier global platform for flamenco, captivating over 1.6 million people annually. Across 112 cities, it has featured 170 companies in 1350 performances, elevating flamenco to a vital part of the season of prestigious theaters worldwide, including NY City Center, Carnegie Hall, London Sadler's Wells, Arsht Center in Miami, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, and more. In 2012, Flamenco Festival launched the 'In Progress' residency program in New York, later extending to Miami and London. Evolving further in 2022, the program takes on a new dimension with groundbreaking 'glo-cal' creative labs in Torrox (Málaga). This initiative aims to expand the creative horizons of flamenco, encouraging experimentation and self-discovery, embracing the arts as a powerful catalyst for both individual and social transformation. About Sadler’s Wells     Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation. We strive to make and share dance that inspires us all. Our acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap.   We commission, produce and present more dance than any other organisation in the world. Since 2005, we have helped to bring more than 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown. Our acclaimed productions tour the world. Since 2005 we’ve produced 64 new full-length works and performed to audiences of more than two million, touring to 51 countries.   Each year, over half a million people visit our three London theatres - Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio and Peacock Theatre. Millions more attend our touring productions nationally and internationally or explore our digital platforms, including Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage. Sadler’s Wells East In 2024 we’re opening a fourth London venue in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Sadler’s Wells East will house a 550-seat mid-scale theatre, as well as facilities for the new Rose Choreographic School and the hip hop theatre training centre, Academy Breakin’ Convention. Sadler’s Wells East joins the rich cultural heritage of Stratford, opening in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of the East Bank development alongside the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL and the V&A. Sadler’s Wells East will support artist development and training, and the creation of new work. It will build the infrastructure for dance and make it accessible to more people. Sadler’s Wells East will house a flexible theatre presenting a wide variety of dance performances. Community will be at the heart of Sadler’s Wells East with a large open foyer that can be used by everyone as a meeting or performance space. There will also be dance studios and world-class dance facilities for dancemakers to train, create and rehearse productions. Supporting artists Supporting artists is at the heart of our work. We have associate artists and companies, which nurture some of the most exciting talent working in dance today. We host the National Youth Dance Company, which draws together some of the brightest young dancers from across the country. Sadler’s Wells Breakin' Convention runs professional development programmes to champion and develop the world’s best hip hop artists, as well as producing, programming and touring groundbreaking hip hop performances.   Learning and community links Around 30,000 people take part in our learning and engagement programmes every year. We support schools local to our theatres in Islington and Stratford, designing experiences for children and young people to watch, explore and critically engage with the arts. We also run Company of Elders, a resident performance company of dancers aged over 60 who rehearse with renowned artists to make new work for public performances locally, nationally and internationally.   Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.   www.sadlerswells.com   Stay up to date with everything Sadler’s Wells on social media    Facebook: @SadlersWells    Twitter: @Sadlers_Wells    Instagram: @sadlers_wells    YouTube: Sadler’s Wells Theatre   

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET - SLEEPING BEAUTY - WEDNESDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2024 - BIRMINGHAM Cast: Princess Aurora - Yu Kurihara Prince Florimund - Lachlan Monaghan Lilac Fairy - Eilis Small Carabosse - Daria Stanciulescu Birmingham Royal Ballet opened Sir Peter Wright’s production of Sleeping Beauty at the Company’s home theatre in Birmingham on Wednesday. It is 40 years since the premiere of this production and it still comes up as fresh as a daisy. This is a traditional telling of the tale and the designs by Philip Prowse are absolutely sumptuous and set the scene right from the start when a page with candelabra walks across the stage to open the curtains on a colour palette of early autumnal colours. The prologue gets us off to a cracking start with the courtiers fussing over the baby Princess Aurora and her parents just so proud of her. The Lilac Fairy is a character role and the solo for her variation is danced by The Fairy of Joy. It is particularly effective that the Lilac Fairy and Carabosse are almost mirror images of each other. The Fairy solos were all well danced with Reina Fuchigami and the divine Momoko Hirata both outstanding as the Fairies of Song and Temperament respectively. Daria Stanciulescu îs an impossibly glamorous and gleeful Carabosse well matched by the elegant and serene Lilac Fairy of Eilis Small. The fairy cavaliers were wonderfully synchronised in their dance. So the prologue ended with Carabosse storming off in her chariot and the Lilac Fairy calming everyone down with her reassurance as the curtain fell and then did a bounce to show us the scene in all its glory again. Act 1 started with the garland dance coinciding with the Princes’ arrival. There was a nice little interaction between the Princes, all vying for attention and studiously ignoring each other. The tension and excitement builds with the music for Princess Aurora’s arrival and we were not disappointed! Yu Kurihara may be one of the younger dancers but she has a warmth and intelligence in her dancing that make her a joy to watch. When she came on stage she was all full of wonder and surprise and the grandness of the party for her. When her father told her she would be getting married she was overawed and then flirtatious with the 4 Princes. Her rose adagio and the following solo could best be described as sublime. She was technically very strong but she still gave us the overwhelming impression of a young girl blossoming into a young woman. Then, of course, Carabosse comes and ruins the party. The act ends with all the courtiers rushing around and finally calming down and going to sleep as the Lilac Fairy sticks to her promise and causes the forest to grow and hide the palace. After a pause Act 2 gets underway with Lachlan Monaghan every inch the Prince full of ennui with his hunting party. After the blind man’s buff with Gallison ending up by clutching the Prince he sends the hunters off to reflect on his own. This scene has been shortened over the years but still makes cohesive sense. As the Prince is wondering what to do the Lilac Fairy arrives and shows him the sleeping Princess. He immediately declares his love and the fairy attendants appear. This scene is just luscious with the fairies almost acting as the forest as the Prince and Aurora have a beautiful duet wandering among them as the fairies weave across the stage. When Aurora has gone we again get the impression of the fairies as the forest as the fairies are teasing the Prince towards her sleeping place in the palace. Eventually he reaches the forest and the Lilac Fairy guides him through with Carabosse and her attendants trying to stop him. There is a wonderful confrontation between the Lilac Fairy and Carabosse just before the final awakening. The walk forward side by side with their arms stretched out and fingers almost touching. It makes so much sense that they are mirror images. Of course the Prince finds Aurora and after thinking about the best course of action - ie to kiss her awake - Carabosse slinks off. The act ends with them embracing as the King and Queen rush on stage. I gather that the awakening duet was shown in Plymouth but it was not danced in Birmingham. Act 3 is a glittery celebration of the wedding of Princess Aurora and Prince Florimund. I particularly liked the crisp dancing in the pas de quatre and the Bluebird pdd of Enrique Bejarano Vidal and Sofie Liñares (although Vidal did run a little out of steam before the end of his solo). The gpdd of Yu Kurihara and Lachlan Monaghan was exquisite. Beautifully danced you could see that Florimund was totally besotted with Aurora. There were some spine-tingling moments when they were together. Lachlan Monaghan really is a superb partner and he and Yu Kurihara have been partnered together in a few works recently so you could see how confident they are in each other. Of course the final wedding tableau with the glitter coming down from the flies finished the evening off in grand style. This really is a fabulous production of Sleeping Beauty and all the dancers of BRB did Sir Peter Wright proud in coping so well with what is probably the most technically demanding ballet of the classical canon.

Done! Recently I didn’t notice autocorrect corrected my diminutive name to Jacob!

Hello @Hope75 and welcome to the Forum!

Cross-posting Alison!

Alex must be in his late 30s. People forget he learned his trade at BRB for at least 6 years before he moved over to RB. I will never forget his outstanding performance as Cyrano, his Will Mossop, his Puck and so many other roles at BRB plus Albrecht, Lescaut, Des Grieux and more at RB.

Greenwich Dance announces transfer of grant agreements to keep community projects going Following Greenwich Dance’s closure at the end of last year, plans can now be announced for the continuation of some of its key activity through a series of new agreements fostered by the organisation, ensuring the local community continue to benefit from its work. The news follows Greenwich Dance’s success at the One Dance UK Awards, where its CEO and Creative Director, Melanie Precious won The Dance Spotlight Award and the organisation was nominated for the Community Champion Award. Greenwich Dance and Arts Trust Productions’ partnership project, Summer in the Park, a festival series which animates popular and lesser known public spaces across Greenwich and Bexley, and the popular outdoor class series presented in Greenwich Park, will now be delivered solely by Arts Trust Productions an organisation dedicated to bringing cultural experiences to public spaces for marginalised communities and artists. This follows successful negotiations with funders The National Lottery Community Fund and The Royal Parks who have both agreed to transfer grant agreements to Arts Trust Productions. Launched at the start of the pandemic, Dance for Wellbeing will continue with the programme now being led by Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. This weekly class programme taking place across five locations in South East London, aims to enhance people’s physical and mental health, while offering an inclusive space for people to come together and dance. City Bridge Foundation has agreed to transfer the grant to Trinity Laban to ensure the project can continue to have a positive impact on the community, ArtsUnboxed, the revolutionary platform offering new ways to create and share dance work in a sustainable and cost-effective way, will be hosted byPeople Dancing, the UK’s leading organisation for community and participatory dance. As previously announced, the organisation’s Adult Performance Company, known as GD Collective, will now be taken on by its Artistic Director Maria da Luz Ghoumrassi, with a year of studio hire costs provided by Greenwich Dance to help ease financial risk. Talking Moves, a podcast all about dance, will be kept available for people to listen and download by Woolwich based podcast production studio Creative Kin. Following Greenwich Dance’s closure, monies remaining will be distributed to Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, Luca Silvestrini's Protein, and Chisenhale Dance Space. CEO and Creative Director of Greenwich Dance, Melanie Precious said: “Through the challenges of the last year my team and I at Greenwich Dance have continued to work tirelessly for our community of local residents and dance artists. While we are all saddened by the closure of the organisation, I am pleased that by negotiating these new agreements our work will continue beyond the organisation and Greenwich Dance’s legacy will be felt for years to come.” For 30 years Greenwich Dance was at the centre of participatory dance and artist development across South East London, providing a home for innovative dance creation, performance, and community participation. Its wide-ranging portfolio of activities included classes, performance projects, festivals, and events. Before its closure Greenwich Dance became a fighting voice for the importance of arts and culture, highlighting the challenges other similar organisations were experiencing with key policy makers at local and central government level. To find out more about Summer in the Park and the Greenwich Park class programme see www.artstrust.co.uk For more information about Dance for Wellbeing see www.trinitylaban.ac.uk For queries regarding ArtsUnboxed see www.communitydance.org.uk Notes to Editors Summer in the Park is supported by The National Lottery Community Fund, the Greenwich Park class programme is supported by The Royal Parks, Dance for Wellbeing is supported by City Bridge Foundation, ArtsUnboxed is supported by Esme Fairburn Foundation.

Birmingham City Council declared bankruptcy last year. As far as I am aware BCC cut most of its funding to BRB several years ago - it is why SDB did not have the money to bring Stanton Welsh's production of Bayadere to the company. Hopefully, if they had still been receiving any money from the Council then they have prepared for this.

No point in publishing the official press release then! Congratulations to Alex and very best wishes to him for the future. Sadly I won't be able to get to his final performance but I've got so many wonderful memories of his performances tucked away in my memory banks.

Hello @Coppeliaballet and welcome to the Forum!

Links - Wednesday 21 February, 2024 Obituary - Eleanor Fazan OBE, director, actress, dancer, choreographer: Staff, Times Obituary - Robin Windsor, dancer: Alexi Duggins, Guardian Reviews - Ivan Putrov Productions, Dance for Ukraine, London: Helen Hawkins, Arts Desk Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Review - New York City Ballet, Rotunda, Concerto for Two Pianos, Odesa, New York: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc Reviews - Tanztheater Wuppertal, Nelken, London: Matthew Paluch, Broadway World Jordan Lian, Seeing Dance Jess Gonzalez, Everything Theatre Review - Empower in Motion Gala, London: Kathrina FerrugiapKriel, Gramilano Review - Joffrey Ballet, Studies in Blue (triple bill), Chicago: JT Newman, Chicago Reader Reviews - Twyla Tharp Dance, triple bill, New York: Joel Benjamin, Theater Scene Christina Pandolfi, Broadway World Jocelyn Noveck, ABC News Review - Pacific Northwest Ballet, Swan Lake, Seattle: Dean Speer, Critical Dance Review - Washington Ballet, Jazz Icons: A Fine Romance, Washington: Roger Catlin, Broadway World Review - Ècole des Sables/Pina Bausch Foundation, The Rite of Spring, common ground[s], Berkeley: Lou Fancher, 48 Hills Review - Perth: Jonathan W Marshall, Dance Australia Matt Pasquet, Only Bones V.1.9 The Farm, Stunt Double Review - Varna International Ballet, The Nutcracker, Brighton: John Groves, London Theatre 1 Feature - Seoul Metropolitan Ballet: Hwang Dong-Hee, Korea Herald Feature - Restless Dance Theatre: Walter Marsh, Guardian Feature - Polly Bennett, choreographer: Fiona Golfar, FT

Hello @Katerina and welcome to the Forum!

Hello @Chonavb and welcome to the Forum!

Hello @Coastal Dancer and welcome to the Forum!

Hello @cirotix and welcome to the Forum!

Thanks so much for your evocative review @Irmgard.