Jan McNulty

I know that feeling!

Hello Exhausteddancemum and welcome to the Forum!

Here is the press release about Elmhurst accepting late applications:

And from Friday's links re Akram Khan: News - Akram Khan Company marks 20 years with live stream of The Silent Burn Project: David Mead, Seeing Dance Staff, Fan Carpet

Leeds Playhouse reopened last night. Lisa Riley has posted a picture of the view from a socially distanced audience.

So last Sunday was my first ballet-related outing since the premiere of Geisha on 14th March. Aston Hall (part of the Birmingham Museums portfolio) was hosting an exhibition of BRB costumes from Cinderella and The Nutcracker and some other props and I set off down the M6 in a great state of excitement. I'd never heard of Aston Hall before let alone been there and wow is it impressive!! Aston Hall is a Jacobean mansion and is just gorgeous. Although it is seriously grand it also felt as though it had been a home and I can't wait to see it properly when things are back to normal. The fun started as we entered the hall to have our names ticked off the list and a pianist was playing. As we followed the arrows we came upon costume after costume in glorious surroundings. In the great hall four of the newer members of the company were giving a demonstration of barre work and in another room two dancers were giving a demonstration of partnering (just as well the ceilings were high!). There were plenty of people around to ask if we had any questions. We were all wearing masks and everything was in place to make sure that we were all very socially distanced. It really was a super event in which to dip my toes back in the ballet waters! The Nutcracker: Cinderella: Shoes and props: Dancer's travel case:

It is a disaster if, to paraphrase Matt Hancock, they go on to kill their grannies!! I also know people younger than me who didn't have the virus hugely badly but who are now suffering terribly with post-viral syndrome.

Thanks for reminding me about this Janite - I'd forgotten all about it! With the mixed programme (including NB) being streamed from LBT in Huddersfield (I've booked for Tuesday although that is available from Monday) and now BRB my week is starting to fill up!!

As this dreadful pandemic continues I don't think we can be too cautious. Yes, the pro company could be shut down BUT an individual in a studio catching C-19 is a disaster for the individual and anyone they may pass the virus on to. Living in an area of the UK where cases seem to be sky-rocketing it bothers the life out of me that people are not being cautious enough!

Links - Saturday 26 September, 2020 Streaming Review - Rambert, Drawn from Within: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Streaming Review - Hofesh Shechter Company, Untitled: David Mead, Seeing Dance Live Review - mapdance, mixed programme, Milton Keynes: David Mead, Seeing Dance Streaming Review - Ben Duke/Lost Dog, In a Nutshell: Howard Loxton, British Theatre Guide News - Les Ballets de Monte Carlo Autumn/Winter season announced: Staff, Hello Monaco Video Feature - Joffrey Ballet returns to the studio: WLS Chicago via Yahoo Streaming News - Amy Seiwert’s Imagery, Red Thread: Contributor, Patch Video Feature - Cincinnati Ballet gears up for first performance in 7 months: Morgan Parrish, Fox 19 Live Review - Restless Dance Theatre, Seeing through darkness, Adelaide: Barry Lenny, Broadway World Feature - Paige Fraser, dancer: Kerry Reid, Chicago Reader Feature - Chafin Seymour, choreographer & teacher: Janice Berman, SF Classical Voice News - Leeds Playhouse and Sheffield Crucible set for live shows (inc Northern Ballet): Staff, BBC

Links - Friday 25 September, 2020 Feature - Michael Clark and the Cosmic Dancer exhibition: Helen Barrett, FT Reviews - English National Ballet, Emerging Dancer Competition 2020: Graham Watts, Bachtrack Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Vikki Jane Vile, Broadway World Streaming Review - Rambert, Draw from Within: Mark Monahan, Telegraph News - Akram Khan Company marks 20 years with live stream of The Silent Burn Project: David Mead, Seeing Dance Staff, Fan Carpet Streaming Review - Hofesh Shechter Company, Untitled: Richard Maguire, Reviews Hub News - Canadian Stage launches outdoor Dance in High Park (Toronto): Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Streaming Review - Ballet X, Four new dance films: Brian Seibert, NY Times Preview - West Australian Ballet, The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, Perth: Tanya MacNaughton, Perth Now News - English National Ballet name studio after philanthropist: Mike Brooke, East London Advertiser Feature - Jerusalema: dance craze brings hope from Africa to the world amid Covid: Nyasha Chingono, Guardian

Found and followed!

I can't find your account Fiz.

AKRAM KHAN COMPANY MARKS 20 YEARS WITH THE SILENT BURN PROJECT Until the Lions by Jean-Louis Fernandez Akram Khan Company, one of the most innovative and internationally respected contemporary dance companies, will celebrate its 20th anniversary on 4 October 2020. The company, formed in 2000 by Akram Khan and Farooq Chaudry, has become renowned for its imaginative, highly accessible and profoundly moving productions where the storytelling is at once epic and intimate. Khan has become recognised around the world as one of the most important choreographers working today. To mark the anniversary the company will present a live streamed programme of work celebrating its 20-year history. The Silent Burn Project will combine storytelling with personal experiences from the multiple voices and talents who have contributed to the company’s work over the last two decades. All the content, including dance and music short films, panel discussions, touring memories and documentaries, has been produced and created exclusively for the milestone. Launching worldwide at midday (BST) on Sunday 4 October, the stream will be accessible for free around the world on the company website, YouTube channel and Facebook Live. With The Silent Burn Project, the Company invites the audience to embark on a journey of dance and music with international artists around the world. The programme will feature short films with Akram Khan Company dancers Yen-Ching Lin, Ching-Ying Chien, Theo TJ Lowe, Kristina Alleyne, Sadé Alleyne, Kennedy Junior Mutanga, and Akram Khan himself, as well as musicians Sohini Alam, Nina Harries, B C Manjunath, David Azurza, Chitra Poornima Sathish. The event will also include Symphony of Fingerprints, a documentary series in three episodes that highlights unseen and rare moments of creative process from various productions, with stories told by Khan’s close collaborators, dramaturg Ruth Little, composer Vincenzo Lamagna, creative associate Mavin Khoo, dancer Joy Alpuerto Ritter. This programme is finally an opportunity to explore questions fundamental to the Company’s values, and to create a space of dialogue with artists and thinkers as part of two panel discussions. The first will focus on Otherness, with special contributions from American ballerina Misty Copeland, British poet Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, Indian cultural critic Rustom Bharucha, South East Asian cultural activist Eddin Khoo and British lecturer in theatre Royona Mitra. A second conversation will examine perspectives on God, gathering the compelling views of British anthropologist Jerome Lewis, Indian dance researcher Jayachandran Surendran, and Indonesian writer and activist Ayu Utami. bahok by Liu Yang The company has also released The Fury of Beautiful Things, a photo book looking back at their last two decades in dance. The monograph is the first devoted to Akram Khan Company and is made up of outstanding photographs of the twenty-six works Khan created since his company was founded, alongside personal essays written by Khan and Farooq Chaudhry. In 1999, inspired by Khan’s early training in the South Asian classical dance form Kathak, and the hybrid language that organically emerged when his training encountered contemporary dance in his teens, a vision for a new company began to form, fuelled by a desire to learn and create through collaboration with the best people across all disciplines in the arts. The rules were to be simple: take risks, think big, explore the unfamiliar, avoid compromise and tell stories through dance that are compelling and relevant, with artistic integrity. Since then, Khan has created an influential body of work including XENOS, Until the Lions, Kaash, iTMOi (in the mind of igor), DESH, Vertical Road, Gnosis and zero degrees. His work for the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony was met with unanimous praise and his solo production of DESH in 2012 was Olivier Award-winning. He has also been honoured with the Outstanding Achievement in Dance award at the 2019 Lawrence Olivier Awards for his last solo piece XENOS. In 2005 Khan was awarded an MBE for services to dance. The company has collaborated with a range of world-class artists including Juliette Binoche, Sylvie Guillem, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Israel Galván, Kylie Minogue, Florence and the Machine, Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley, Tim Yip, Hanif Kureishi, Steve Reich, Nitin Sawhney, Jocelyn Pook and Ben Frost. This autumn Akram Khan will also be featured in a new portrait documentary produced by Netflix. Released as part of MOVE, a series on contemporary dance directed by Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai, it will air worldwide on 23 October. Akram Khan, Artistic Director and co-founder of Akram Khan Company said: “We are in the midst of a seismic change and so I feel, this may be an opportunity for all of us to collectively unearth our past. A past that we may have buried away in the earth and in our bodies, always silently hoping that it would remain in the past. So much of this past was and still is, rooted in the ideas and actions of separation, neglect, hope, fear and denial. And it has slowly and inevitably melted into the themes and narratives within the work that I have created over the last twenty years at AKC. But to look back, requires courage. And in my journey as an artist, I must continue to shout loudly: I was never alone in unearthing these challenging stories. And so here we are, at a moment in time where we are forced to stop travelling, to stop moving, to just stop. But stop to me, doesn’t mean stop. I like to believe it just means pause. Hence, after these twenty years of unearthing, discovering, and retelling through new lenses, this is a moment for me to reflect and to look back at the footsteps that we at AKC have taken collectively. It has enabled me to appreciate all the footsteps that have been following us, and at times leading us but most often, walking with us, so we never had to feel alone on this ever-lonesome journey of an artist, whose voice, body and skin always belonged to the earth and not to the sky.” Farooq Chaudhry, Producer and co-founder of Akram Khan Company said: “How do I sum up the meaning of last twenty years? I can’t but our digital anniversary celebration The Silent Burn Project will do it for me. It’s a joyful reflection on our past, a moment to be still in the present and an unflinching gaze into the future. All in the uncertainty of a pandemic that has left us bereft of our dearest and closest friend - the physical space. The Akram Khan Company story has been a journey of at least one thousand talents to whom I am profoundly grateful. When we’ve been at our very best our art has invited audiences to lose and find themselves exactly at the same time. Throughout, we’ve sought to learn and grow from every creative act and person we’ve engaged with and that gives me an immense sense of pride and what I personally consider our greatest achievement.” -ENDS- ma by Giannina Urmeneta Ottiker THE SILENT BURN PROJECT Sunday 4 October, 12:00 BST Website: https://www.akramkhancompany.net/productions/the-silent-burn-project/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN9NncWpF2XV7GKWowQrswQ Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/AkramKhanCompany The Fury of Beautiful Things by Akram Khan Company https://www.amazon.co.uk/Akram-Khan-beautiful-things-Danse/dp/2330130082 About Akram Khan Company In July 1999 in the foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, an animated and curiosity-filled conversation took place between the young gifted dancer/choreographer Akram Khan and an ambitious former dancer and just recently graduated arts manager Farooq Chaudhry. That conversation laid the foundation stone for a dynamic collaboration, culminating in the creation of Akram Khan Company one year later. Inspired by Akram Khan’s early training in the Indian classical dance form Kathak, and the hybrid language that organically emerged when Akram’s kathak training encountered contemporary dance in his teens, a vision began to form, fuelled by a desire to learn and create through collaboration with the very best people across all the disciplines in the arts. The rules were simple: take risks, think big and daring, explore the unfamiliar, avoid compromise and tell stories through dance that are compelling and relevant, with artistic integrity. Akram Khan Company is now undisputedly one of the foremost innovative dance companies in the world. The programmes range from kathak and modern solos to artist-to-artist collaborations and ensemble productions. The Company has a major international presence and enjoys extensive tours that reach out to many cultures and peoples across the globe. Akram Khan has been the recipient of numerous international dance awards, the most notable being an Olivier Award for his solo production DESH in 2012 and his last solo piece XENOS in 2019. A milestone in the Company’s journey was the creation of a section of the London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in 2012. Akram Khan is an Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells London from 2005, Curve Leicester from 2015, and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts London from 2019. About Akram Khan Akram Khan is one of the most celebrated and respected dance artists of today. In the past 20 years he has created a body of work that has contributed significantly to the arts in the UK and abroad. His reputation has been built on the success of imaginative, highly accessible and relevant productions such as XENOS, Until the Lions, Kaash, iTMOi (in the mind of igor), DESH, Vertical Road, Gnosis and zero degrees. As an instinctive and natural collaborator, Khan has been a magnet to world-class artists from other cultures and disciplines. His previous collaborators include the National Ballet of China, actress Juliette Binoche, ballerina Sylvie Guillem, choreographers/dancers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Israel Galván, singer Kylie Minogue, indie rock band Florence and the Machine, visual artists Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley and Tim Yip, writer Hanif Kureishi and composers Steve Reich, Nitin Sawhney, Jocelyn Pook and Ben Frost. Khan’s work is recognised as being profoundly moving, in which his intelligently crafted storytelling is effortlessly intimate and epic. Described by the Financial Times as an artist “who speaks tremendously of tremendous things”, a highlight of his career was the creation of a section of the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony that was received with unanimous acclaim. As a choreographer, Khan has developed a close collaboration with English National Ballet and its Artistic Director Tamara Rojo. He created the short piece Dust, part of the Lest We Forget programme, which led to an invitation to create his own critically acclaimed version of the iconic romantic ballet Giselle. Khan has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout his career including the Laurence Olivier Award, the Bessie Award (New York Dance and Performance Award), the prestigious ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts) Distinguished Artist Award, the Fred and Adele Astaire Award, the Herald Archangel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival, the South Bank Sky Arts Award and eight Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards. Khan was awarded an MBE for services to dance in 2005. He is also an Honorary Graduate of University of London as well as Roehampton and De Montfort Universities, and an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Laban. Khan is an Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, London and Curve, Leicester.

Oh that's sad Fiz. I don't think I've got any issues at the moment.

Links - Thursday 24 September, 2020 Obituary - Donald Bradburn, dance photographer, dancer, choreographer, designer: Karen Harris, Dance Magazine Reviews - English National Ballet, Emerging Dancer Competition 2020: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper John O’Dwyer, Seen and Heard International Gerard Davis, Dancing Review News - Northern Ballet returns for first post-lockdown live performances: David Mead, Seeing Dance News - American Ballet Theater presents all-virtual fall programming: David Mead, Seeing Dance News - National Ballet of Canada announces 20/21 roster & digital season: News Desk, Broadway World Feature - The stories behind Australian Ballet’s stunning tour photos: Catherine Lambert, The Age News - Tanztheater Wuppertal to restage Pina Bausch’s The Piece with the Ship: David Mead, Seeing Dance Video Feature - Meet Michael de la Nuezz of American Ballet Theatre: Broadway World Feature - Elizabeth Kattner talks about her book “Finding Balanchine’s Lost Ballets”: Rachel Yim, Oakland Post Feature - Tatiana Melendez, Complexions Contemporary Ballet: Helen Rolfe, Pointe Magazine Feature - Covid-19 is keeping Colorado Ballet on its toes: Khaleel Hayes, Westword News - Grand Rapids Ballet announces 20/21 virtual season: Jade Fisher, Michigan Live

That's OK Bluebird, we tend to publish the articles in links even if they have already been linked in another thread.

This seemed a more appropriate thread than news and here's the press release about the winners: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE English National Ballet Announces Winners of Emerging Dancer 2020 English National Ballet is pleased to announce the winner of the 2020 Emerging Dancer Award is Ivana Bueno. Winner of the 2020 Emerging Dancer Award, Ivana Bueno (right) © Laurent Liotardo Having performed a pas de deux from Talisman and FULL-OUT a new contemporary piece choreographed by Mthuthuzeli November with her partner William Yamada, Ivana was announced as winner during the worldwide broadcast of the event from the Holloway Production Studio at English National Ballet's headquarters on London City Island last night (Tuesday 22 September 2020). Of winning the 2020 Emerging Dancer Award, Ivana Bueno said: “I’m very, very happy and so grateful. I enjoyed the process so much. It was a big challenge for me; I knew I had to work for it and show my best, that’s all I wanted to do no matter what. And I guess hard work pays off so I’m very happy! My family in Mexico, friends and people from my old school have all been able to watch me tonight and I’m so grateful ENB were able to broadcast the event live. I want to thank my partner Will, we worked very well together, he’s great, very open to everything and I just had the best time.” The special evening, which marked ENB's first live performance since lockdown, also saw finalist Victor Prigent awarded the People’s Choice Award, as voted for by members of the live audience around the world who texted to vote during the live stream, and Artist of the Company Claire Barrett named as the Corps de Ballet Awardwinner acknowledging her exceptional work during last season. Of winning the People’s Choice Award, Victor Prigent said: “Just being nominated was amazing, and now winning the People’s Choice Award! I’m blessed, really. I enjoyed every bit of it - from working through the rehearsals with my partner Emily to finally getting back on stage after eight months - the whole thing was just amazing. I can’t express how grateful I am to everyone who voted for me, thank you so much - it’s an honour." Of winning the Corps de Ballet Award, Claire Barrett said: “This is a great surprise and so appreciated. It’s already amazing to be part of English National Ballet and then to be acknowledged for what you’ve brought on stage - it’s really incredible. I’m surrounded by such amazing dancers, so to be chosen is such an honour.” Artistic Director Tamara Rojo CBE, Artistic Director of English National Ballet was joined on the judging panel by Matthew Hart, Kerry Nicholls, Natalia Osipova, Kenneth Tindall and Edward Watson. Tamara Rojo CBE, Artistic Director of English National Ballet said: “I’m especially proud of all of this year’s finalists for rising to the occasion and coming out of lockdown with such dedication and passion. We are delighted to present Emerging Dancer as the first event in our return to performing, it is an opportunity to celebrate the rising talent in the Company and the bright future of ballet. The talent we saw on stage tonight has been extraordinary. It was incredibly hard for the panel to pick a winner but what they saw in Ivana was that she was able to deliver both in the classical repertoire as well as in the contemporary with a strong technique, precision and cleanness. She has a wonderful presence and charisma that transferred from the stage to the audience.” The other finalists this year were Carolyne Galvao, Angel Maidana, Emily Suzuki and William Yamada. The performances were all accompanied by live music by the English National Ballet Philharmonic and the event was hosted by TV presenter and Strictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba. The evening finished with special performances from last year’s Emerging Dancer Award winner Julia Conway and the People’s Choice Award winner Rhys Antoni Yeomans, who performed Mañana Iguana, a new creation by Arielle Smith. The broadcast remains available to watch online until Tuesday 29th September, visit www.ballet.org.uk/emerging -ENDS- English National Ballet is a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England. Notes to Editors About English National Ballet English National Ballet has a long and distinguished history. Founded in 1950 as London Festival Ballet by the great English Dancers Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, it has been at the forefront of ballet’s growth and evolution ever since. English National Ballet brings world class ballet to the widest possible audience through performances across the UK and on eminent international stages including The Bolshoi Theatre and Palais Garnier; its distinguished orchestra, English National Ballet Philharmonic; and being a UK leader in creative learning and engagement practice, building innovative partnerships to deliver flagship programmes such as English National Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s. Under the artistic directorship of Tamara Rojo CBE, English National Ballet has introduced ground-breaking new works to the Company’s repertoire whilst continuing to honour the tradition of great classical ballet, gaining acclaim for artistic excellence and creativity. 2019 saw English National Ballet enter a new chapter in its history with a move into a purpose-built state-of-the-art home in East London which brings a renewed commitment to, and freedom for, creativity, ambition, and connection to more people, near and far, than ever before. www.ballet.org.uk About Arts Council England Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk

And the press release: For immediate release Northern Ballet returns for first post-lockdown live performances Leeds Playhouse: 21 – 31 October 2020 Northern Ballet is returning to the stage for its first live performances since the initiation of lockdown in March. The Company will perform three different hour-long mixed programmes at Leeds Playhouse from 21 – 24 October 2020 followed by four full-length performances of David Nixon OBE’s Dangerous Liaisons from 28 – 31 October 2020. Northern Ballet’s season at Leeds Playhouse will be the Company’s first live performances in more than seven months. The last performance the Company held prior to lockdown was the world première of Kenneth Tindall’s Geisha. With government guidelines now permitting indoor performances with socially distanced audiences, working with Leeds Playhouse, Northern Ballet has been able to establish a viable programme to get the Company performing again. However, as ongoing social distancing restrictions continue to apply to the dancers, musicians and backstage staff, Northern Ballet is still unable to present its planned repertoire for 2020 and has instead selected work it can perform whilst respecting the current guidelines. The first mixed repertoire programme will be Iconic Classics on 21 Oct. The performance will include excerpts from ballet classics including Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Le Corsaire and Giselle. A Celebration of Artistic Director David Nixon OBE on 22 Oct celebrates 20 years of Artistic Director David Nixon OBE’s creations for the Company including excerpts from The Great Gatsby, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Little Mermaid. The final mixed programme, Contemporary Cuts will be performed on 23 and 24 Oct including excerpts from 1984, I Got Rhythm and a new work byNorthern Ballet Choreographer in Residence Kenneth Tindall. From 28 – 31 Oct, Northern Ballet will perform David Nixon OBE’s Dangerous Liaisons in the first revival of this work in 10 years. Inspired by the original scandalous novel and acclaimed Hollywood retellings, danced to Vivaldi’s rousing The Four Seasons, Dangerous Liaisons is the bodice-ripping tale of two bored aristocrats as they spin a web of heartbreak and ruin. With the exception of Contemporary Cuts, all performances will include live music played by members of Northern Ballet Sinfonia. All performances will be performed in full costume but ‘black box style’ without sets. David Nixon OBE said: “Although we are still far from business-as-usual, we are thrilled to be able to return to the stage and present a significant run of live performances. This year has been incredibly difficult for everyone and the arts is one industry that has been badly affected by COVID-19. It is vital for our dancers to be able to return to performing and we feel fortunate that they are now able to do so. We recognise the challenges faced by our industry in ensuring the safety of staff and patrons and the financial viability of holding performances with reduced socially distanced audiences. So many arts organisations are still fighting for their existence and countless people have been made redundant. We hope that successfully holding our performances will contribute to setting a path for the curtain to lift on more live performance across the UK. “We don’t know what the coming months will bring for our company, or the industry as a whole. However, we are continuing to liaise with our venue partners and explore more opportunities for live performance in the coming months. For now, we hope our audiences will feel safe and confident to join us at Leeds Playhouse, support our industry andhave a brief escape from the uncertainty of the times that dance can so beautifully provide.” Tickets go on general sale on Tuesday 29 September at 12 noon. To book visit leedsplayhouse.org.uk In line with current government guidelines, audiences will be of limited capacity with social distancing and temperature checks in place. Audiences are also required to wear face coverings at all times. Ticket holders will be notified of these measures in advance Dangerous Liaisons age guidance 12+ -ENDS- Notes to Editors Leeds Playhouse Season Details Iconic Classics 21 October 2020 Box Office: 0113 213 7700 leedsplayhouse.org.uk A Celebration of Artistic Director David Nixon OBE 22 October 2020 Box Office: 0113 213 7700 leedsplayhouse.org.uk Contemporary Cuts 23 – 24 October 2020 Box Office: 0113 213 7700 leedsplayhouse.org.uk Dangerous Liaisons 28 – 31 October 2020 Box Office: 0113 213 7700 leedsplayhouse.org.uk Northern Ballet In 2020 Northern Ballet is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Northern Ballet is one of the UK’s leading ballet companies and the widest touring ballet company in the UK. Bold and innovative in its approach, Northern Ballet is prolific at creating new full-length work with a unique blend of strong classical technique and impressive storytelling. Northern Ballet’s repertoire embraces popular culture and takes inspiration from literature, legend, opera and the classics, pushing the boundaries of what stories can be told through dance. A champion for the cultural exports of the North, Leeds-based Northern Ballet is dedicated to bringing ballet to as many people and places as possible, under the leadership of Artistic Director David Nixon OBE. Northern Ballet’s Company of 43 dancers performs a combination of its full-length ballets and specially created ballets for children at more than 40 venues annually.

To be fair to me and Ian we do spend several hours every day scouring the press for articles to publish ... and I was just pointing out that the daily Links can be a rich source of what is coming up.

But, of course, in Today's links! It's always worth checking the links - lots of news/reviews/previews/features there every day. As it happens the article came up on one of the usual google searches:

Birmingham Royal Ballet are streaming a performance of solos and duets on 1st October - found this on Instagram:

Links - Wednesday 23 September, 2020 News Feature - Royal Ballet announces October comeback with 100 dancers: Mark Brown, Guardian News - Bolshoi’s return stumbles after performers test positive for Covid-19: Shaun Walker, Guardian News - Performers return to QPAC (Brisbane), with audiences to reach 50% capacity: Jocelyn Garcia, Brisbane Times Feature - Gary Clarke, choreographer: Kate Wyver, Stage Film Review - David Gordon, The Philadelphia Matter 1972/2020: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal Feature - 2020 Dance Magazine Award Honorees: Jennifer Stahl, Dance Magazine Feature - Khadifa Wong’s documentary Uprooted: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Feature - Dance Magazine recommends 3 live and streamed performances: Courtney Escoyne, Dance Magazine News - bbodance goes completely online this term: News Desk, Broadway World News Feature - Houston Ballet’s dancers & celebrity chefs raise $90K at virtual dinner: Amber Elliott, Houston Chronicle

Discussion of the evening here please:

So I bought my ticket and watched online tonight and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. I thought it was very well thought out and the socially distanced audience certainly added atmosphere to the screening. Ore Oduba is obviously the "go to" presenter for ballet these days and he was enthusiastic and had a decent script. Gavin Sutherland was his usual erudite self. The evening passed remarkably quickly with the dancers paired into 3 couples. There was a short introductory film and then we were straight into 3 classical pdd - Satanella, Talisman & Diana and Actaeon. (I did feel that William Yamada was disadvantaged by the truly hideous and unflattering costume that he had to wear). We immediately went into three newly created contemporary duets for which, interestingly and annoyingly, the lighting was much darker. The interlude had Ore Oduba interviewing Stina Quagebeur, Mthuthuzeli November and Sarah Kundi, the opportunity to text vote for the People's award and a musical interlude from the ENB Sinfonia. Tamara Rojo presented the awards. Bravo to all 6 dancers. Yes there was one I voted for but in reality I thought they all deserved to win for giving us such a pleasurable evening. I must say that during these difficult times ENB has shown up every other company in the UK with proactive streaming and now this ticketed streamed event. Bravo ENB. Well done to the winners!