Jan McNulty

Hello Jorge and welcome! May I ask if you have the opportunity to see Ballet De Santiago in the theatre? It has recently been announced that Cesar Morales will be the Artistic Director soon and his British fans would love to hear news of him.

Thanks Don Q, I'm very jealous now!

The article mentioned by Emeralds is on the front page of the Stage (left hand side, latest news). If you have registered for the stage you can read 3 articles per month. https://www.thestage.co.uk The incident wasn't mentioned in any other news items that I could find when I was doing the links.

A performance was disrupted by people who are not happy with some of Sadler's Wells corporate sponsors. The theatre must be between a rock and a hard place. I am not sure if it has been imposed yet but there was a fuss last year about charities cutting ties with fossil fuel sponsors and the Charities Commission saying they should not turn down such sponsorship (very much paraphrased): https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/nov/09/charities-must-have-good-reason-to-reject-donations-says-head-of-england-regulator It was reported in The Stage but I couldn't find any other references and I had already used my quota of free articles so couldn't actually read anything other than the headline.

Why English National Opera relocating to Manchester will be more complicated than it looks: https://www.bigissue.com/culture/music/english-national-opera-move-manchester-eno-explained/

Links - Sunday 21 January, 2024 Review - Royal Ballet, Manon, London: David Mead, Seeing Dance Film Review - Sue Healey & Collaborators, On View: Icons: Michelle Potter, ... on dancing Preview - Sarasota Ballet, Celebrating Graziano, Sarasota: Jay Handelman, Sarasota Herald Tribune Preview - Smuin Contemporary Ballet, Celebrating Michael Smuin, San Francisco Ballet: Stephi Wild, Broadway World Preview - Atlanta Ballet, Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon, Atlanta: Keith Loria, Encore Atlanta Feature - India Bradley, New York City Ballet: Iman N Milner, Girls United Feature - Russell Maliphant, choreographer: Tamsin Flower, British Theatre Guide Feature - Dr L’Antoinette Stines, Jamaican dancer & choreographer: Melissa Noel, Essence Documentary Feature - Call Me Dancer: Simi Horowitz, Forward Feature with dance interest - The Jewish contribution to the history of shoes: Anthea Gerrie, Jewish Chronicle Feature with dance interest - Dior pays homage to ballet icon Nureyev: Daphné Rousseau, Yahoo

Does ACE's latest intervention go far enough? https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/news-comment/does-aces-latest-intervention-go-far-enough

Gosh, I'm thrilled for Cesar. Huge congratulations to him. I had been hoping that he would transition to the ballet staff at BRB. He will be sadly missed by all his fans.

Links - Saturday 20 January, 2024 Obituary - Maxine Mahon, founder California Ballet: Pam Kragen, Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union Tribune Reviews - Royal Ballet, Manon, London: Jonathan Gray, Bachtrack Siobhan Murphy, Stage Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Debra Craine, Times (share token) Reviews - Ronald K Brown/EVIDENCE, Walking Out the Dark, Torch, New York: Ivy Lin, Bachtrack Joel Benjamin, Theaterscene Physical Theatre Review - Gecko, Kin, London: Georgia Howlett, Seeing Dance Preview - Scottish Ballet, Cinders!, Inverness & Aberdeen: David Pollock, Press and Journal News - Alonzo King LINES Ballet reveals programming for Spring 2024 season: Stephi Wild, Broadway World Video Report - Dancing for democracy: National Ballet of Ukraine performs in Montreal: Gloria Henriquez, Global News Video Report - 2 dancers and a cellist perform by a glacier in Davos: Staff, ABS-CBN via Reuters Preview Feature - Choreographers Alonzo King and Helen Pickett bring ballet rooted in human connections to Boston stages: Katherine Abbott, Boston Globe

Access seat arrangements have been in place for at least 20 years so not sure if that classes as relatively new. I had a disabled friend who was registered with the Access scheme and went with her several times (because you can also have a companion if you need one).

The dancers are listed in alphabetic order and if they are with a company that is listed after their name. If there is no company after their name then they are free-lance. I probably (but nit-pickers like @Sophoife and @Sim can correct me) would have used semi-colons. For example: Dancer A; Dancer B, Royal Ballet; Dancer C, Royal Ballet; and so on.

Do we have any access members on the Forum who wouldn't mind explaining the system? I had an older friend many years ago who was disabled. She used to ring the box office to book.

Links - Friday 19 January, 2024 Reviews - Royal Ballet, Manon, London: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Zoe Anderson, Independent David Jays, Standard Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Mark Monahan, Yahoo via Telegraph Review - English National Ballet, Giselle, London: Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Review - Ronald K Brown/EVIDENCE, Walking out of the dark, Torch, New York: Kirsten Evans, Broadway World Review - Ballet Theatre Queensland, The Sleeping Beauty, Brisbane: Olivia Stewart, Limelight Physical Theatre Review - Gecko, Kin, London: Howard Loxton, British Theatre Guide News - Russell Maliphant: broadcasts of productions are ‘vital’ for access: Georgia Luckhurst, Stage News - London City Ballet returns to Sadler’s Wells in September: Stephi Wild, Broadway World News - Prix de Lausanne 2024: Alessandra Ferri to receive Lifetime Achievement Award 2024: Staff, Dance for You Magazine Preview - Dance for Ukraine Gala, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Preview Feature - Empower in Motion - a Ballet inclusive fundraising gala, London: Stephi Wild, Broadway World Preview Feature - Milwaukee Ballet’s Second Company, Momentum, Milwaukee: John Schneider, Shepherd Express

If your email related to Sadler's Wells I only got mine today. I got something about Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago. In the initial announcement about the resurgence of the company it mentioned that Sir Alastair Spalding is thrilled to welcome London City Ballet back to Sadler's Wells.

You don't have to become a Friend to subscribe to the email list (which is the same with all the companies as far as I am aware). https://londoncityballet.com (Scroll to the bottom)

I got an email about it from LCB. There wasn't a press release or I would have published it.

I think they are usually available for a while afterwards.

For immediate release PRESS RELEASE Date: 18/01/24 Olga Smirnova on why dance matters and leaving Bolshoi Ballet Royal Academy of Dance’s Why Dance Matters podcast celebrates its 50th episode with this moving conversation Image credit: Alex Gouliaev Today the Royal Academy of Dance’s Why Dance Matters podcast celebrates its 50th episode in conversation with one of the world’s great ballerinas, Olga Smirnova. The 50th episode, released today, comes in advance of Olga Smirnova performing in the title role of Giselle. Dutch National Ballet and Pathé Live are bringing Rachel Beaujean and Ricardo Bustamante’s staging of Giselle to cinemas worldwide on 21st January. Smirnova joined Dutch National Ballet in 2022 after making headlines with a courageous, life-changing decision to leave Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a wide-ranging and thoughtful conversation on the Why Dance Matters 50th episode, she discusses her momentous decision to leave Russia and her profound sense of why dance matters. As a young girl, Smirnova had no dream of becoming a ballerina. However, she did go to dance classes, and was then accepted into the famous Vaganova Ballet Academy in St Petersburg. On completing her training in 2011, she joined the Bolshoi Ballet, starting immediately as a soloist and shining not only in the classics, but also in new and modern works. In 2016, she was promoted to prima ballerina, but when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Smirnova – strongly opposed to the invasion – decided to leave her homeland, making the transition to Dutch National Ballet. Highlights from the 50th episode include the following reflections by Smirnova: On leaving Russia, “The decision was obvious for me, so this made it easier. But of course it meant huge changes. I never lived in a foreign country before. A new language, new country, new traditions, new company – all of that was a big challenge. But I was lucky to find great support at Dutch National Ballet and from the director Ted Branson. I can confidently say that Dutch National has now become my home. Contact with former Bolshoi colleagues, “No, not many, just with a few people. I think they feel weird not to be able to tour or share their experience with the world, or have many choreographers coming to work with them. But people don’t want to talk about it, or might be afraid to share their honest opinion.” Why does dance matter? “I like to think about my body as a tool, which helps to reveal and express different emotions and share these emotions with the audience. And I believe that the more people share their emotions with one another, the better they come to understand one another, which helps create a better and more harmonious world. Art helps us find the inspiration to exist – I just want to share this inspiration with the world.” The 50th episode of Why Dance Matters podcast is available on all major streaming platforms. Visit our podcast page to find out more: United Kingdom | Podcast (royalacademyofdance.org) Giselle is in cinemas around the world on 21 January https://www.giselleballetcinema.com/ Notes to Editors About the Royal Academy of Dance Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is one of the most influential dance education and training organisations in the world with a strong global membership in 85 countries. Established in 1920 to improve standards and re-invigorate dance training, the Academy helps and encourages its teachers to perfect their teaching skills and pass on this knowledge to their students. There are currently over 1,000 students in full-time or part-time teacher training programmes with the Academy and each year the examination syllabus is taught to thousands of young people worldwide, with around a quarter of a million pupils per year going on to take RAD exams. About Why Dance Matters podcast Why Dance Matters is a series of conversations with extraordinary people from the world of dance and beyond. It traces the impact of dance on their lives and asks why dance matters to them – and why it might matter to us all. The RAD inspires the world to dance, and we hope these insightful personal conversations – hosted by David Jays, editor of Dance Gazette, the RAD magazine – will delight and even surprise. About David Jays, host David Jays writes for the Guardian and Sunday Times, and is editor of Dance Gazette, the Royal Academy of Dance magazine. @mrdavidjays About Sarah Myles, producer Sarah Myles is an award winning podcast producer with nearly 10 years of experience in audio. Previous podcasts include Fearne Cotton's Happy Place, UK Youth's Are You Convinced?, How to Own the Room with Viv Groskop and The Week's podcast The Week Unwrapped.

Cheltenham was announced (without fanfare) a couple of weeks ago.

Press release Thursday 18 January 2024 Dance for Ukraine The London Palladium Sunday 18 February 2024 at 6.30pm lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/dance-for-ukraine Ivan Putrov’s second gala in support of his home country Ukraine, ahead of the anniversary of the war Featuring former Bolshoi Ballet superstar Olga Smirnova, making her first UK performances since leaving Russia in protest at the onset of the war Stars of The Royal Ballet Marianela Núñez, Martthew Ball and William Bracewell, and soloists from Ukrainian National Ballet to also perform Funds raised will support the arts in Ukraine, with a new production for Ukrainian National Ballet of Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée, the first British ballet to enter its repertoire Tickets on sale now “…the most passionate display of dance that I have witnessed and the most meaningful." The Daily Telegraph on Dance for Ukraine Ukrainian born dancer and former star of The Royal Ballet Ivan Putrov today announces Dance for Ukraine at The London Palladium on Sunday 18 February 2024, following the success of 2022’s gala that raised over £160,000 net for the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Bringing together a cast of international ballet stars, this year’s Dance for Ukraine comes ahead of the second anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion and ongoing war. This special benefit gala will raise much needed funds to support young artists and culture in Ukraine, where ballet is centrally important. The evening will see former Principal of Bolshoi Ballet and current Principal of Dutch National Ballet, Olga Smirnova, make her first performance on a UK stage since leaving Russia in protest of the invasion at the onset of the war. Continuing her ongoing support of Ukraine following performances in galas in Hamburg and Copenhagen. Dance for Ukraine will also feature stars from The Royal Ballet and other leading UK companies including Principals of The Royal Ballet Marianela Núñez, William Bracewell and Matthew Ball. Lead Principals Emma Hawes and Sangeun Lee will also perform. Alongside Ivan Putrov and soloists of the Ukrainian National Ballet, dancers from Ukraine include Junior Soloist Vsevolod Maievskyi and Artist of The Royal Ballet Marianna Tsembenhoi. Renowned Ukrainian pianist, Sasha Grynyuk, will also perform alongside mezzo-soprano Kseniia Nikolaieva. Further casting and repertoire to be announced shortly. Proceeds from the gala will be used to provide aspiring dancers with grants towards their training to make sure the reality of war affects them as little as possible. Additionally, the funds will go to make a new ballet production for Ukrainian National Ballet of Sir Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée. Having this quintessential British ballet join the repertoire of the National Opera House of Ukraine will help lift the spirits of audiences and the artists involved, the same spirit that has emboldened the people of Ukraine during the war. The rights to the ballet have been generously waived by Jean-Pierre Gasquet and the funds raised will pay for the production to be built and staged for the beginning of 2024/25 season. Of Dance for Ukraine, Ivan Putrov said: “It is a privilege for us in the UK to bring a little light, hopefully, to the people of Ukraine. I am thankful to all the artists, creatives and organisations that have donated their services to this cause, and I am proud Olga has chosen to come to our gala in support of Ukraine and make her first appearance in London since leaving Russia. It has always been a dream of mine to bring La Fille mal gardée to Ukraine and I am thrilled it will become the first British ballet to enter the repertoire of Ukrainian National Ballet for audiences to enjoy for years to come.” Nobuhiro Terada, Artistic Director of Ballet at the of the National Opera House of Ukraine said: “Despite this terrible war, we are continuing to perform and are striving to keep the spirits of our dancers and our audiences high. I can’t imagine a more inspiring way to do this than to add this most delightful and heart-warming gem of British ballet to our repertoire. We are hugely grateful to all of those working to make this possible. We send our thanks and gratitude to Jean Pierre Gasquet, for his generosity, to all of the artists taking part and, of course, to the audience for their support.” Internationally renowned dancer Ivan Putrov was born in Kyiv, Ukraine and trained at The Kyiv State Choreographic Institute before moving to The Royal Ballet School. Following his training he joined The Royal Ballet and was promoted to Principal after just three seasons. Throughout his career he has danced lead roles in all the classics on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, winning numerous awards for his performances. The first Dance for Ukraine, held at the London Coliseum in 2022, was directed by Ivan Putrov and the international ballet star Alina Cojocaru, who trained in Kyiv. The gala featured a huge range of world-renowned dancers and sold out within 48 hours, raising much needed funds to support those in desperate need following the onset of the war. Dance for Ukraine is produced by the charity Inspiration in Motion (Charity number 1167669), that promotes dance and the performing arts, with a particular focus on commissioning and supporting new dance works, as well as looking for opportunities to broaden audiences for dance and support education and training.

But they don't announce that Ms Cojocaru will be there with them. The email only mentions her in connection with Wells. I think the Cheltenham tickets are already on sale. I got an email about the dates a couple of weeks ago.

I doubt it if they are doing lots more dates. I'm hoping against hope that they are doing "up north" dates.

PRESS RELEASE – Thursday 18 January 2024 Youtube: londoncityballet / Instagram: thelondoncityballet / www.londoncityballet.com LONDON CITY BALLET ANNOUNCES RETURN TO SADLER’S WELLS IN AUTUMN THIS YEAR FOLLOWING A NEARLY 30 YEAR HIATUS, LONDON CITY BALLET WILL RETURN TO ITS FORMER HOME AT SADLER’S WELLS FROM 11-14 SEPTEMBER INTERNATIONALLY CELEBRATED BALLERINA ALINA COJOCARU WILL JOIN THE COMPANY AS A GUEST ARTIST Dancers Alina Cojocaru and Alvaro Madrigal, photo credit: photographybyAsh The London City Ballet has today announced a return to Sadler’s Wells from 11-14 September. London City Ballet - 2024 trailer.mp4 After a hiatus of almost 30 years, the international company of dancers will present a programme of acclaimed works including the revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s 1972 one-act ballet Ballade, unseen in Europe for over 50 years, featuring internationally celebrated ballerina Alina Cojocaru as a guest artist for the Sadler’s Wells season. Dancers Ayca Anil and Mischa Goodman: Larina Waltz by Ashley Page Ashley Page’s Larina Waltz marks the ballet’s 30th anniversary, and Olivier award-winner Arielle Smith premiere’s a new work. Eve, a full company work by Christopher Marney, which premiered at Sadler’s Wells in 2022 will close the evening. At selected venues on the company's international tour the pas de deux from Kenneth MacMillan's Concerto will also be performed. Dancer Harry Alexander: Creation by Arielle Smith The comeback performances in 2024 pay homage to the Company’s roots in the form of rarely-seen archival footage. Artistic Director Christopher Marney has spent two years rebuilding London City Ballet with historical insights from its early pioneers. Full details of London City Ballet’s tour this year, including international dates, will be announced soon. Dancers Kanika Skye-Carr and Alvaro Madrigal: Eve by Christopher Marney Credit: photographybyAsh Important dates: SADLERS WELLS 2024 PERFORMANCES: Wed 11th Sept: 7:30pm Thurs 12th Sept: 7:30pm Fri 13th Sept: 7:30pm Saturday 14th: 2:30 & 7:30pm. Tickets: £15 - £65 For queries contact info@londoncityballet.com On sale dates Patrons 19/01/24 Rehearsal Members 22/01/24 Members 24/01/24 Public 26/01/24 London City Ballet London City Ballet is a touring company of international dancers presenting engaging stories through dance to audiences across the world. Alongside creating newly commissioned work by upcoming, plus established, Choreographers and emphasis will also be on resurrecting older works that may no longer be in the mainstream repertoire. London City Ballet strive to present engaging and entertaining works whilst ensuring the history which came before them is not forgotten. The original iteration of the company closed in 1996 having formerly been the resident company of Sadler’s Wells, and internationally recognised as one of the world’s leading dance collectives, patronised by Diana, Princess of Wales. It was sensitively reformed in 2023 after a 30-year hiatus, under the Artistic Direction of Christopher Marney. London City Ballet’s inaugural tour begins in summer 2024 in the UK and internationally. The first tour of the new company will present acclaimed works including the revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s 1972 one-act ballet Ballade unseen in Europe for over fifty years, and a new commission by Olivier-award winner Arielle Smith. The inaugural 2024 tour will pay homage to the company’s early beginnings, shining a bright light on a new legacy. Christopher Marney Chris is a Choreographer, Teacher and former Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company Chicago and Central School of Ballet in London As a dancer Chris worked internationally for Balletboyz, Gothenburg Ballet Sweden, Ballet Biarritz France, Bern Ballet Switzerland and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures where he has danced many principal roles around the world. During his time in these companies he performed in works by choreographers William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Nacho Duato and John Cranko to name a few. He danced with the Michael Clark Company in The Rite of Spring and Les Noces and his final performance in 2017 was with Ivan Putrov’s Men in Motion where he danced the Faun in Nijinsky’s L’Apres Midi d’un Faun. The Critics Circle National Dance Awards nominated him for Outstanding Performance in Modern Dance two years running as well as being included in Dance Europe’s Outstanding Male Dancer 2013 list. As a choreographer he has created works for Ballet Black, English National Ballet’s Emerging dancer, ‘The Four Seasons’ for the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company, Nutcracker at the British Museum, ‘Eve’ at Sadler’s Wells and ‘Lady Macbeth’ at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. His London West-End credits include choreography for McQueen The Play at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and Tell Me on a Sunday at the St. James. As a Director Chris has had the pleasure of programming diverse tours across the UK & US commissioning new work as wells as presenting repertoire by choreographers George Balanchine, Jasmin Vardimon, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Kenneth MacMillan, Liam Scarlett, Frederick Ashton and Matthew Bourne, amongst others. He was named associate artist of the UK Foundation for Dance, holds a Masters degree in Choreography and was associate Choreographer for Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty. Chris is patron of the Chelmsford Ballet Company and a guest teacher for ballet companies worldwide. 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

As being very new to ballet-watching this was one of the first productions I saw (in 1985 at the Liverpool Empire ... oh the good old days!) and definitely my first Giselle. I think I have always assumed what you have said Irmgard about the necklace being a sort of dowry and I have applied that to every other conventional Giselle I have seen (rightly or wrongly). Mary (McKendry) Li was my first Giselle possibly with Maurizio Bellezza?

I assume this is the one you mean? https://www.ballet-masterclass.com/master-audition It looks similar to the Barcelona one that has been running for some years (but has completed for 2024): https://www.grandaudition.net/location