Jan McNulty

Yes, there's a reasonable amount of ballet on their equivalent of the IPlayer but the back catalogue is not being put in the free domain (I've just had an email about my NOW entertainment subscription).

Thank you Cherilyn, I really enjoyed that!

Not that it's got anything to do with the price of fish but one of my closest friends spent the whole of June in intensive care (including over 2 weeks in an induced sleep and on a ventilator) because of a severe attack of COPD. (The medical staff were amazing). She's now home and has just come out of her recommended sheltering. She wears a mask even though she could get an exemption.

Links - Tuesday 28 July, 2020 Feature - Compañía Nacional de Danza performed (live) at festival in Granada: Marina Harss, NY Times Streaming News: Ballet Hispánico announces August watch party: News Desk, Broadway World Streaming Review - Jonathan Glazer, Strasbourg 1518: Gerard Davis, Dancing Review News - Miami City Ballet returns to previous location to get back into a socially-distanced studio: WSVN Streaming Review - Preeti Vasudevan and collaborators, The Red Curtain Project: Jerry Hochman, Critical Dance News Feature - NAI NI Chen Dance Company announces The Bridge - a virtual dance institute: Staff, New Jersey Stage

View this email in your browser Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 August - online NYB BOUNCING BACK Join NYB's professional and experienced team for a weekend of online masterclasses which will develop participants ballet and drama technique alongside supporting their health and wellbeing. There will be tailored, bespoke sessions for specific age groups, with a limited number of places to ensure an engaging experience for all participants. NYB Bouncing Back takes place on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August. The cost for the weekend is £50. Age groups 8-10 years old, minimum RAD Grade 1 ballet (or equivalent) 11-12 years old, minimum RAD Grade 3 ballet (or equivalent) 13-15 years old, minimum RAD Inter-found/grade 5 ballet (or equivalent) 16+ yrs, minimum RAD Advanced Foundation ballet (or equivalent) Each day will begin with an inspirational message from a special guest and will be followed by a ballet workshop, with Denzil Bailey, and a drama session with Ros Taylor. Each day will end with an interactive session with Carrie Johnson and Charlie Brittain focussed on nurturing a healthy, resilient mind and body. NYB Bouncing Back takes place on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August. The cost for the weekend is £50. VIEW THE TIMETABLE FOR THE WEEKEND AND BOOK NOW

Links - Monday 27 July, 2020 Interview - Beryl Grey, ballet legend: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Streaming Reviews - Royal Ballet, Sleeping Beauty: John O’Dwyer, Seen and Heard International Helen Tope, Reviews Hub Emma-Jane Betts, The Upcoming Review - Universal Ballet, Onegin, Seoul: Im Eun-Byel, Korea Herald

Sad news indeed but what a wonderful long life she had and with a stellar body of work to remember her. RIP

Oh Angela, how very, very wonderful that you have been able to go to a theatre and see a live dance performance. Thank you so much for reporting back.

Links - Sunday 26 July, 2020 TV/iPlayer Preview - Imagine: Kate Prince - Every Move She Makes: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper News - Elmhurst Ballet School will offer Back to Dance masterclasses: News Desk, Broadway World News from America: Sacramento Ballet cancels season, loses Artistic Director: Sonya Sorich, Sacramento Business Journal Aspen Santa Fe Ballet takes gala event online: Andrew Travers, Aspen Times Streaming - Oregon Ballet Theatre, Interval: via Broadway World Streaming Reviews: Documentary - Maguy Marin, L’Urgence d’Agir (A Time to Act): Rose Marija, Broadway World Ishmael/Bebe/Ralph, Relations: Wendy Perron, Blog

This is a rather lovely and inspirational interview with Mlindi Kulashe of Northern Ballet. He talks about his experience of a dance competition in Singapore and the Genée:

Media release: Friday 24 July 2020 BACK TO DANCE MASTERCLASSES WITH ELMHURST BALLET SCHOOL THIS SUMMER Due to the impact of COVID-19, Elmhurst Ballet School, the vocational school in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, will move its popular annual summer school to an online offer this year with its Back to Dance Masterclasses running between 26 and 28 August 2020. The late summer, three-day intensive of 60-minute masterclasses will be delivered by Elmhurst teachers and Birmingham Royal Ballet dancers and accompanied by Elmhurst pianists. Presented online from Elmhurst’s dance studios in Edgbaston, Birmingham, teachers and pianists will adhere to social distancing guidelines and deliver two virtual timetables designed for the 10-13 and 14-19 age groups. The ‘Back to Dance’ initiative, close to the start of a new academic year, aims to help young dancers maintain or pick up on their training, especially as many students think about returning to full-time courses and education in September. Although recent updates to Government guidelines allow dance studios to reopen from 25 July, Elmhurst will remain closed to large groups until it is fully equipped and prepared to safely welcome back its staff and 200 UK and international students for the start of the autumn term in September. The online programme in August, a window into Elmhurst’s world and its high quality training, will include masterclasses delivered by Elmhurst ballet teachers: Andrea Tredinnick, a former First Soloist with Birmingham Royal Ballet; Laëtitia Lo Sardo, a past winner of the prestigious Prix de Lausanne international ballet competition and First Soloist with Birmingham Royal Ballet; Lei Zhao, a former First Soloist with Birmingham Royal Ballet; and Sander Blommaert, a former dancer with The Royal Ballet who recently delivered 100 free classes in 100 days during lockdown, fundraising for the school and the NHS. Also passing on his dance expertise and experience will be Robert Parker, a former Principal dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet and now the Artistic Director of Elmhurst. Leading on the contemporary dance masterclasses will be Angela Towler, a former dancer and rehearsal director with Rambert, and Sandrine Monin, a choreographer and former dancer with Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz and Phoenix Dance Theatre. Also bringing a wealth of teaching and performance experience to participants’ home screens are Jenny MacNamara and Sarah-Jayne Blackwell who will teach jazz dance masterclasses. Elmhurst Ballet School has enjoyed a close association with Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) since the school relocated from London to Birmingham in 2004. BRB Principal dancers Samara Downs, Céline Gittens and Brandon Lawrence will teach masterclasses over the course of the three days, and ‘Life in a Ballet Company’ Q&A sessions with the dancers and Assistant Director Marion Tait will enlighten the online students about a professional career with a world renowned ballet organisation.

Hello Profdance and welcome to the Forum!

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This sounds like a good opportunity!

This is fabulous! Thanks for sharing Melody.

Yes it is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmissibility

ENB at HOME: Youth Dance Course 3 – 7 August 2020 www.ballet.org.uk/youth-dance-course-summer-intensive This summer (3-7 August), English National Ballet will run a course of free online classes for young dancers aged 14-19 years. The course, curated by ENBYouthCo Creative Director Richard Bermange, will be streamed on English National Ballet’s YouTube channel and aims to give young dancers an opportunity to work on technique, develop skills and learn from leading professional artists from the dance world. Each day sees a 60-minute dance class focussed on keeping active, maintaining technique and expressing creativity in the morning, followed by a 75-minute choreographic creative workshop in the afternoon with guest artists Renaud Wiser and Malgorzata Dzierzon, and on Friday, a West End Broadway workshop with Carrie Johnson. Full programme below. Day 1 – Monday 3 August 11am — Ballet Technique with Richard Bermange Richard will lead a ballet class beginning with barre and moving into the centre, with a focus on building upon technique and practising safely at home. 1pm — Choreography with Malgorzata (Gosia) Dzierzon* Day 2 – Tuesday 4 August 11am — Contemporary Creative with Naomi Cook Naomi’s creative, release-based class will encourage participants to continue to travel in space and with weight, despite working in potentially confined dimensions. 1pm — Creative Choreography with Malgorzata (Gosia) Dzierzon* Day 3 – Wednesday 5 August 11am — Ballet with Crystal Costa Crystal has found great joy in sharing her discoveries learned throughout her dancing career. Her classes are filled with energy and are aimed at sharing her love of dance with her students. Crystal brings a focus on dynamics, musicality and where to feel the energy in the body in order to enhance movement. She aims to energise her students with passion and determination to explore and discover what the body and mind are capable of. 1pm — Creative Choreography with Renaud Wiser* Day 4 – Thursday 6 August 11am — Contemporary Technique with James Muller Drawing on his years of experience with Richard Alston Dance Company, James’s progressive technique class will explore musicality and phrasing with precision and playfulness. The class is Cunningham-based with elements of release work. 1pm — Creative Choreography with Renaud Wiser* Day 5 – Friday 7 August 11am — Yoga and Meditation with Crystal Costa Crystal will be sharing a yoga practice connecting mindful movement with breath, focusing on internalising throughout. She enjoys sharing how yoga has helped keep her grounded and balanced both mentally and physically throughout her dancing career. Her practice is aimed at finding a connection with the body and mind and creating a sense of a moving meditation. 1pm — Broadway/West End workshop with Carrie Johnson The session will involve learning repertoire from one of McOnie Company's first full dance shows, which was created in collaboration with composer Tasha Taylor Johnson in 2012. As an Olivier award winning choreographer and Broadway theatre director, Drew McOnie’s work focuses on celebrating the unique qualities in each dancer and focuses on the creation of dance material that is authentic to each artist. The session will deliver an insight into the productions choreographic material and what the process was like being part of the original company. *Choreography Sessions 1&2 Malgorzata (Gosia) Dzierzon and 3&4 Renaud Wiser Led by this year’s Dance Journeys Artistic Co-Directors the choreographic sessions will draw on English National Ballet’s legacy as a springboard to develop creativity. Participants will learn new choreography inspired by English National Ballet’s repertoire and bring their own unique movement to the sessions in response to images and recordings from the Company’s history. This summer intensive follows the success of English National Ballet’s spring Youth Dance Course, which recieved almost 90,000 views, and is just one of the many online classes and programmes on offer as part of ENB at HOME. ENB at HOME classes are tailored to suit a range of ages and abilities and include a series of professional Company Classes lead by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, Youth Ballet Classes for 11-16 year olds, Chair Based Class for those with limited mobility or space, Ballet Fit and Beginner’s Ballet Class. Seewww.ballet.org.uk/enb-at-home for more information. -ENDS- English National Ballet is a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England. Notes to Editors About Malgorzata Dzierzon and Renaud Wiser Dzierzon and Wiser have collaborated on a number of occasions including as Artistic Co-Directors of the 2019 Dance Journeys (Uncharted). Former dancers with classical and contemporary dance companies, both are members of New Movement Collective and co-direct Newcastle based company Fertile Ground. 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

Hello MumofOlivia and welcome to the Forum! Having read your first post you should read this thread to see that certain topics are out of bounds:

Nathan Fifield was the assistant music director at Northern Ballet for several years and often used to play for class on a Saturday when Friends were watching. He was fabulous and we used to have a competition amongst ourselves to "Name that tune". We used to joke with him about producing a playlist for us!

Dreadfully sad news from Sheffield that the Lyceum and studio theatres will not be reopening until Spring 2021. The Crucible will be reopened in a C-19-safe way in the Autumn. Redundancy talks have started. This effectively means that only the Leeds Playhouse week and a half of NB's Gatsby is currently left of the Autumn tour. As that is near the beginning of September I am doubtful that will go ahead. https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/a-message-from-dan-our-chief-executive?fbclid=IwAR3M-qDwlX9tHUnyaUnaFJi2FUO6tsxelE75gWsvV-5uwZtl3D7P8ZqZlhU

I think Andrew Lloyd Webber spoke very convincingly on Breakfast News and demonstrated the system in the Palladium. It is based on the model used in Korea where the theatres are still open.

David Plumpton seems very popular.

And the official press release from Northern Ballet: Monday 20 July 2020 For immediate release Northern Ballet postpones Merlin world première Northern Ballet has announced that the 2020 world première of Merlin has been postponed due to the ongoing implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Intended to be the second full-length world première of its 50th anniversary year, Merlin is Drew McOnie’s choreographic debut for Northern Ballet. However, due to ongoing regulations on social distancing, the Company have not been able to commence rehearsals or work on the creation of sets and costumes, leaving insufficient time to have the production ready for the original première date. The première is now scheduled to take place in September 2021 followed by a national tour. David Nixon OBE, Artistic Director of Northern Ballet, said: “It is with a heavy heart that we have taken the decision to postpone the world première of Merlin. Unfortunately the COVID-19 restrictions have left us without an appropriate length of time in which to create the production in time to open in October 2020, and it is unclear when our Company will be able to start rehearsing again due to social distancing restrictions. The current situation still poses uncertainty for all arts organisations, but we are grateful that our staff remain healthy and that we are in a position to still be able to look ahead and plan to hold the première next year.” Northern Ballet has also announced that it will now also not be able to present a new children’s ballet in Leeds in October as originally planned. The Company anticipates further changes or cancellations to the remainder of its autumn tour and asks audiences to see northernballet.com for updates. Audiences with tickets to effected performances will be contacted by the venue with their options in due course. In the first part of 2020, Northern Ballet was only able to give one performance before lockdown was initiated. As a registered charity, the Company continues to make use of all sources of funding currently available including the Government’s Job Retention Scheme which has been invaluable in offsetting some of the losses. The Company remainscommitted to ensuring that none of its staff and freelancers are financially disadvantaged by the current situation. The Company has launched its ‘Bring Back the Magic’ appeal to try to ensure that financial constraints do not prevent the Company from completing the creation of Merlin for its revised première date in 2021. Donations of any size are gratefully received and can be made online at northernballet.com/magic. For further information on other ways that you can support the Company through this challenging time, please contact the Northern Ballet Development team by emailing development@northernballet.com Mark Skipper DL, Chief Executive of Northern Ballet, said: “Alongside the entire UK arts industry, Northern Ballet still faces uncertainty as a result of the effects of COVID-19. “Financially, the loss of £1M in box office income from the spring tour has been a challenge but the Government’s recent announcement of significant investment in the arts sector is hugely welcome and vital to the survival of many national venues and organisations, and we look forward to hearing further details soon. We remain committed to our staff, freelancers and audiences and will persevere to return to the stage as soon as safely possible. “Whilst current social distancing measures remain in place, it is not possible for us to rehearse and prepare for performances. In addition, there are concerns over the financial viability of performing at theatres where audience numbers may be dramatically reduced in order to adhere to social distancing. However, we continue to monitor the situation and be part of the conversation about how theatre can return safely and thrive in this new reality. “The postponements we have announced today are necessary and have been made following lengthy discussions with our theatre partners. We continue to liaise with the venues and are working hard to try and put a plan in place to return to the stage in some form before the end of the year. We will endeavour to keep audiences up to date via our website.” -ENDS- Northern Ballet Northern Ballet is celebrating its 50th anniversary year in 2020. 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 world-class 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 world-class story ballets to as many people and places as possible, under the leadership of Artistic Director David Nixon OBE. Northern Ballet performs a combination of its full-length ballets and specially created ballets for children at more than 40 venues annually. For more details of Northern Ballet's tour, on sale dates and booking information, please visit northernballet.com/whatson

For immediate release — 20/07/2020 © Fraya Cowan (top) / Virtuoso Dance Photography (left) / Royal Opera House (right) Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer creates film to help students process their lockdown experience The dance world has been especially hit by the COVID-19 lockdown, with classes, auditions, and exams cancelled around the world. According to parents and teachers, this has had a negative impact on students' psychological wellbeing. To stimulate their creativity and keep them engaged, Brandon Lawrence, Principal Dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), created a choreography challenge in partnership with bbodance earlier this summer. 151 students from the U.K., South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Kuwait, and Canada answered the question, What does lockdown mean to you? by choreographing a dance to an original score commissioned from the award-winning composer, Andrew Kristy, especially for this project. Their work was assessed by Brandon Lawrence, Julie Bowers, the bbodance Director of Artistic Development, and BRB's former Artistic Director, Sir David Bintley, CBE. The internationally acclaimed choreographer also chose the overall winner of the challenge, Fraya Cowan, aged 11, a student of Emily Jade Theatre Arts school in London. Following the assessment, Brandon chose clips from all the dances entered into the challenge and edited them together to an extended version of the score entitled Pandemisis — the start, lockdown, hope. In contrast to the many dance films created during lockdown, which feature professionals, Brandon's film sought to bring together the imperfect, unfiltered efforts of dance students seeking to come to terms with the pandemic. The result is a unique testimony of their collective experience — and, perhaps, catharsis. "I’m humbled to have had the opportunity to deliver this event alongside bbodance," Brandon stated. "I’m very grateful to Julie Bowers, Andrew Kristy, Dansez, and Sir David Bintley, as well as each and every dancer who should be proud of their contribution. Bravo!" "I thoroughly enjoyed watching all of the students and their responses to the challenge of making dance during lockdown. The ingenuity and inventiveness of young minds exploring the limits of their imaginations as well as the limits of their kitchens, living rooms, backyards, and gardens was both exciting and entertaining, but the piece that really captured the COVID zeitgeist for me was Fraya Cowen’s Lockdown. Beautiful, beautifully conceived, and touchingly simple," Sir David said. Brandon Lawrence is featured on the cover the July Dancing Times. He is the youngest Patron of bbodance, the organization that trained him. bbodance celebrated its 90th anniversary this spring. Watch the film About Brandon Lawrence Born in Bradford, Brandon Lawrence started training at age 8 at Nydza School of Dance; due to his exceptional performance, he was accepted into the organisation's elite group of students, the bbodance Scholars. After attending the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School, Brandon auditioned for The Royal Ballet School, where he trained until age 19, when he was offered a contract by Birmingham Royal Ballet Artistic Director, Sir David Bintley, CBE. According to an interview, Brandon was keen to accept this offer due to BRB's reputation for being an ideal place to grow as a dancer. Brandon was promoted to Soloist in 2016, Senior Soloist in 2018, and Principal in 2019; he is best known for roles in Sir Frederick Ashton’s The Dream, Sir Peter Wright's Swan Lake, and Sir David Bintley’s The Prince of the Pagodas. Brandon is also involved in BRB's Ballet? What’s That? educational events that aim to introduce people to the art form. Two years ago, Brandon performed at Buckingham Palace for HRH The Prince of Wales. About bbodance Founded 90 years ago by Edouard Espinosa and formerly known as the British Ballet Organization (BBO), bbodance is an international dance awarding organisation with a large membership in the UK and Australasia. bbodance provides Ofqual-recognised syllabi in Musical Theatre, Jazz, Contemporary, Classical Ballet, Modern, and Tap, as well as comprehensive dance teacher training and inspiring events for students and teachers. bbodance Patrons include Strictly Come Dancing Judge, Craig Revel Horwood, former Artistic Director of Rambert, Mark Baldwin OBE, and BRB Principal, Brandon Lawrence, a former bbodance Scholar.

Northern Ballet has postponed Merlin (the world premiere was due to be in Bradford in October and then touring the UK) until September 2021. The Company is hoping, within government guidelines, to put on a production for Christmas at the Grand Theatre in Leeds in December. https://northernballet.com/merlin/merlin-postponement