Jan McNulty

They look lovely, what a shame you seem to have to subscribe.

Here's an earlier, more general, thread about watching ballet in New York: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/11250-watching-ballet-in-new-york/?hl=%26quot%3Bdavid+h+koch+theatre%26quot%3B#entry151393

Not mentioned in the article but Mlindi Kulashe is cutting a dash at Northern Ballet (he came via ENBS).

It's been going on for some years ... and not only on the BBC. If you look at the end credits many programmes are made by outside production companies. I think there was a government initiative some years ago to increase competition, quality and variety... Hmmm - questionable!

So those poor people are basically between a rock and a hard place?

A page of red therabands on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=red+theraband&sprefix=red+thera%2Caps%2C170

Me too Anna. Well he does come from the wrong side of the river!

I am surprised by the criterion "if you work only for one organisation". Not in the performing arts industry but I have known a number of contractors who have worked for one organisation for years. Is it different if you have set yourself up as a company as "contract programmers" used to be advised? I assume that then your company would be a sub-contractor to the main company?

Celebrating Hull 2017 Northern Ballet is delighted to be collaborating with CBeebies to create a colourful new interactive ballet in celebration of Hull UK City of Culture 2017. Based on the book The Great Blueness and Other Predicaments by Arnold Lobel, the ballet will be choreographed by Northern Ballet’s Artistic Associate, Daniel de Andrade, with a commissioned score by Gary Yerson, and costumes and sets by Mark Bailey. The ballet will be created with children in mind to create a family friendly and accessible experience, supported by an extensive engagement programme. The event, which will take place in August 2017, will culminate in a finale featuring local dancers and school children, with the City of Hull providing a backdrop as the story unfolds. The ballet will then subsequently be broadcast on CBeebies, with a host of supporting digital resources available online. In addition, to further mark Hull 2017, Northern Ballet will perform a new adaptation of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas at Hull New Theatre in October 2017. Tickets will be on sale soon, see northernballet.com/pyjamas for updates.

My friend used to buy her chocolates from Whittakers (and even made special journeys from Southport to get them!) but now she makes her own, very delicious truffles!

But it looks as though Paul Hollywood is staying at the moment... Good for Mel, Sue and Mary! Down with greedy production companies who want to kill their cash cow off!

It may be too late for the one that has gone viral but I think a lot of professional photographers have a "watermark" on their online photographs. Also when posting perhaps you could comment: photograph by xxxxx, can only be shared with permission. Terpsichore may be able to advise too.

Interesting thought SBF, you may be on the right idea there...

It is always useful to include the link.

I've come across this on twitter this morning: https://www.pnb.org/live/ Seattle time is 8 hours behind current UK time so I think the transmission will start at 0230 UK time. This is one for the night owls!

Out of Asia 2 Sadler’s Wells, The Peacock, Lilian Baylis Studio Monday 3 October – Saturday 3 December 2016 Tickets: £12 - £45 Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com Building on the successes of its first Out of Asia season in 2011, Sadler’s Wells presents Out of Asia 2, another rare opportunity to experience outstanding dance from Asia’s vibrant and rapidly developing performing arts world, bringing new perspectives and energy to stages across the globe. From October – December 2016, the season showcases a range of works by established and emerging companies, including UK Premieres from China and Taiwan, as well as four independent choreographers from Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and India, in a special collaboration with an artist from Singapore. For full details of the Out of Asia 2 season, visit www.sadlerswells.com/outofasia2 Opening the season is TAO Dance Theater at Sadler’s Wells on Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 October with two works, 6 and 8. First established in 2008 by Beijing-based choreographer Tao Ye, the company is known for creating work of a mesmeric, trance-like quality. In 6, six dancers move in dynamic and hypnotising unison, in a shifting landscape of light. The company’s newest piece, 8, makes its UK Premiere this autumn. The work sees eight dancers perform lying instead of standing, restricting their bodies to the floor and limiting their movements to the range of their spines. Sadler’s Wells has previously presented all of TAO Dance Theater’s works. At The Peacock, one of China’s most respected and innovative cultural exports, The China National Peking Opera Company returns to London following an acclaimed season in 2014. The company has staged more than 500 masterful historical dramas since its formation five decades ago. The General and the Prime Minister and The Legend of The White Snake can be seen at The Peacock from Thursday 13 - Saturday 15 October. In the Lilian Baylis Studio, Singaporean artist and performance maker Choy Ka Fai presents SoftMachine, a multimedia project investigating the contemporary status of dance across Asia. The project is split into two parts. The first is a free exhibition, across the Sadler’s Wells public spaces for the duration of the Out of Asia Season featuring video interviews and dance documentaries that map dance-makers across the region. The second is a performance programme, with two double bills on Thursday 13 & Friday 14 October and Friday 21 & Saturday 22 Octoberand the final element is a series of talks curated by Ka Fai called Inside Asia. Expedition, the SoftMachine exhibition is made up of visual documentaries, choreographic encounters and contemporary dance archives, collected from a research expedition across the choreographic landscape of Asia, giving visibility to a rich community of independent artists redefining what contemporary dance is in the region. This collection of images and video interviews of dance, is an on-going choreographic narrative which examines the impossible lexicon of contemporary dance in Asia. The second element of the SoftMachine project is four performances which work as live portraits of a selection of dancers from Asia, with an unusual mix of live performance, documentary film and live interview. The first of the two double bill performances showcases new dance and choreography emerging from India and China. Surjit Nongmeikapam is a contemporary dancer from Manipur, India, trained in classical Indian dance and martial arts. The performance presents the process of creating a new dance production for the consumption of a European audience, revealing artistic strategies, marketing ideologies and exploring the precarious practice of eroticising oneself. XiaoKe and ZiHan from Shanghai make collaborative works exploring the body in its extremes, reflecting on the social and political context of China. The performance investigates the boundaries of artistic freedom and speculates on the experience of constant cultural surveillance. The second double bill showcases work from Japan and Indonesia, and includes work from Yuya Tsukahara a leading figure incontact Gonzo, a contemporary dance unit based in Osaka. contact Gonzo creates encounters that teeter on the edge of violence and tenderness. This rather brutal performance brings together live and film elements, and in an attempt to decode the logics of this practice and to explore how someone becomes part of contact Gonzo, Choy Ka Fai takes part himself in the performance. Rianto is a dancer from Banyumas, Indonesia, who specialises in the traditional cross-gender erotic dance of Lengger. The performance explores the tension between traditional and contemporary choreographic practices during the global shift from rural to urban lifestyles. In the main house, the UK Premiere of Under Siege from one of the most highly acclaimed dancers in China, Yang Liping visits Sadler’s Wells from Wednesday 2 - Saturday 5 November. The piece is Yang’s vision of Farewell My Concubine – the classical tale of the climactic battle between the Chu and Han armies, which changed the course of Chinese history, and a love that transcends death. This is Yang's first modern work as a choreographer and is more abstract than traditional narrative Chinese dance theatre, drawing inspiration from Chinese opera, contemporary dance, martial arts and hip hop. The production features set and costume design by Academy Award-winning designer Tim Yip (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and lighting by 2013 Knight of Illumination winner Fabiana Piccioli. Taiwan’s Cloud Gate 2 performs a triple bill from Monday 21 - Wednesday 23 November. The sister company of internationally celebrated Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan, the company presents the country’s most talented emerging dancers and choreographers, performing in the UK for the first time. Wicked Fish sees the dancers mimic a shoal of fish, as puzzle-like choreography competes with a complex score. The Wall examines ideas of protection and segregation, highlighting the physical and mental barriers built around us. The third piece, Beckoning, focuses on how people can shift identities instantaneously, creating a body language with movements subtly distilled from Taiwanese street dancing rituals, which give this abstract work a playful and poetic quality. National Ballet of China concludes the Out of Asia 2 season from Tuesday 29 November - Saturday 3 December. The 16th century epic The Peony Pavilion is one of the most enduring love stories in Chinese literature. Originally performed as a Kunqu Opera in a 20-hour cycle, it is redrawn by director Li Liuyi and choreographer Fei Bo into a two-act fusion ballet, combining Western style choreography with traditional Chinese influences. First premiered in 2008, the work features an eclectic postmodern score that references Holst, Prokofiev and Debussy. There will also be a series of specially curated talks by Choy Ka Fai that will take place throughout the Out of Asia 2 season called Inside Asia, opening a space for debate within the season. Inside Asia 1: The Missing Revolution on Tuesday 4 October looks at the term ‘contemporary dance’ in China which has many interpretations. This conversation looks into the highly fragmented Chinese dance ecology and the impact of what can be controversially defined as a historical cultural “blackout” on the current generation of independent dance makers in China. Speakers include choreographer Tao Ye (Tao Dance Theater), Professor Chris Bannerman, artist Choy Ka Fai and Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director Alistair Spalding. Inside Asia 2: Across the Choreographic Landscape of Asia on Saturday 22 October is a chance to hear more about SoftMachine as an ambitious artistic and political multi-media project from Choy Ka Fai. Inside Asia 3: The Persistence of Exoticism on Tuesday 22 November looks at the persistence of exoticism in work from artists in Asia and seeks to delve into this controversial topic from different perspectives, focusing on the lesser known dance makers from Indochina and the more familiar dance narratives from India often retold in contemporary ways on Sadler’s Wells stage. Speakers include SoftMachine dramaturge Tang Fu Kuen; Belgium choreographer Arco Renz; and Karthika Nair, poet, producer and scriptwriter; as well as artist Choy Ka Fai. Listings Information: TAO Dance Theater 6 and 8 UK Premiere Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 October Sadler’s Wells Tickets: £12 - £27 Performances at 7.30pm Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com Inside Asia 1: The Missing Revolution Tuesday 4 October at 6pm - 7pm (pre-show for Tao Dance Theater) Lilian Baylis Studio Tickets: £6.50; £15 for three talks booked together Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com The China National Peking Opera Company The General and the Prime Minister and The Legend of The White Snake Thursday 13 - Saturday 15 October The Peacock Tickets: £15 - £45 Performances at 7.30pm, Sat matinee at 2.30pm Ticket Office: 020 7863 8222 or www.peacocktheatre.com Choy Ka Fai SoftMachine: Surjit & XiaoKe x ZiHan UK Premiere Thursday 13 and Friday 14 October Lilian Baylis Studio Tickets: £17 Performances at 8pm Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com This production contains nudity Choy Ka Fai SoftMachine: Yuya & Rianto UK Premiere Friday 21 and Saturday 22 October Lilian Baylis Studio Tickets: £17 Performances at 8pm Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com Inside Asia 2: Across the Choreographic Landscape of Asia Saturday 22 October at 4.30pm – 6.30pm (pre-show for Soft Machine: Yuya & Rianto) Rosebery Room Tickets: £6.50; £15 for three talks booked together Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com Yang Liping Contemporary Dance Under Siege UK Premiere Wednesday 2 – Saturday 5 November Sadler’s Wells Tickets: £12 - £38 Performances at 7.30pm Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com Cloud Gate 2 Triple Bill UK Premiere Monday 21 - Wednesday 23 November Sadler’s Wells Tickets: £12 - £27 Performances at 7.30pm Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com Inside Asia 3: The Persistence of Exoticism Tuesday 22 November at 6pm – 7:30pm (pre-show for Cloud Gate 2) Rosebery Room Tickets: £6.50; £15 for three talks booked together Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com National Ballet of China The Peony Pavillion Tuesday 29 November - Saturday 3 December Sadler’s Wells Tickets: £12 - £45 Performances at 7.30pm, Sat matinee at 2.30pm Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com NOTES TO EDITORS ABOUT SADLER’S WELLS Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance house, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding, the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. Since 2005, it has helped to bring over 100 new dance works to the stage and its award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour internationally. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 Associate Artists, three Resident Companies, an Associate Company and two International Associate Companies. It also nurtures the next generation of talent through its New Wave Associates and Summer University programmes, its Wild Card initiative and hosting of the National Youth Dance Company. Located in Islington, north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells. Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 10% of its revenue from Arts Council England.

English National Ballet Nutcracker National Tour Wednesday 23 November 2016 – Saturday 7 January 2017 Performance times and ticket prices vary www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker This Christmas season English National Ballet presents its acclaimed production of Nutcracker in Milton Keynes (23 Nov 2016 – 26 Nov 2016) and Liverpool (29 Nov 2016 – 3 Dec 2016) as well as returning to the London Coliseum (14 Dec 2016 – 7 Jan 2017). 2015 saw English National Ballet’s most successful Nutcracker run on record, when over 73,000 people made a performance at the London Coliseum part of their holiday celebrations. This year’s tour of Wayne Eagling’s version continues the Company’s tradition of presenting a Nutcracker production every year since 1950, its founding year. On a sparkling Christmas Eve in a frost-dusted Edwardian London, Clara and her enchanted Nutcracker doll discover a magical world where she battles with the Mouse King and meets a handsome stranger. As the air grows colder, Clara and her valiant Nutcracker take a hot air balloon ride across London to the glistening Land of Snow where her adventure really begins. In a world of Edwardian elegance, Nutcracker brings to life the popular Tchaikovsky score featuring the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Waltz of the Flowers. Based on a concept by Toer van Schayk and Wayne Eagling, Nutcracker has choreography by Wayne Eagling and music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed live by the English National Ballet Philharmonic, with design by Peter Farmer and lighting by David Richardson. To coincide with Nutcracker, English National Ballet will host a range of workshops and events, aimed to provide a gateway into the world of ballet. Activities held in Milton Keynes, Liverpool, and London include on-stage workshops for all ages, Live Drawing, Family Events, and Behind-the-scenes Talks. Family Friendly performances of Nutcracker are on Tuesday 3 and Saturday 7 January (matinee performances). For more details, see www.ballet.org.uk/whatson Ends For further information about English National Ballet and to book tickets visit www.ballet.org.uk . Please note performance details are subject to change. Notes to editors: Listings information: Nutcracker Milton Keynes Theatre 23 Nov 2016 – 26 Nov 2016 Box Office: 0844 871 7652 or www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker Tickets: £12 - £46.50 Nutcracker Liverpool Empire 29 Nov 2016 – 3 Dec 2016 Box Office: 0844 871 3017 or www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker Tickets: £12 - £41.50 Nutcracker London Coliseum 14 Dec 2016 – 7 Jan 2017 Box Office: 020 7845 9300 or www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker Tickets: £14 - £79.00 Booking fees may apply.

And please don't start me on the subject of relational databases - so much more inefficient that a well designed hierarchical database such as IDMSX! But, of course, these days efficiency doesn't matter because we can just throw more processor power at it!

I started working in IT on an ICL 1900T operating on George 2+ with a core processor extended to a maximum of 128K! It filled a room the size of my living room!! When we upgraded we moved onto the VME operating system, way more sophisticated than most of the others...

Not that it ended up in a museum but when I joined our IT team we were still pretty dinosaur and used punch cards. We ended up having one machine that was still workable. I was carrying it down the corridor one day and an ICL engineer attending a call out saw me. He burst into hysterical laughter and told me he hadn't seen one of those machines in use for over 20 years!!!

Details for the Nutcracker masterclass are now online: http://www.ukmasterclass.co.uk

This is exciting news from Northern Ballet but I had been hoping that Jane Eyre would be reappearing in the schedules too. It will be very interesting to see how Boy in the Striped Pyjamas will translate into a ballet. I found it a rather harrowing story, will the title put people off do you think?

Northern Ballet to hold three World Premières in 2017 Northern Ballet is to create a record three new full-length ballets for 2017. Following the previously announced World Première of Casanova in March 2017, Northern Ballet is also to adapt John Boyne’s bestselling novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, followed by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale The Little Mermaid. Northern Ballet will perform at a combined total of 22 venues across the UK with these new ballets. Telling the story of an unlikely friendship blossoming through the disturbing events of World War II, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas will be choreographed and directed by Northern Ballet’s Artistic Associate Daniel de Andrade who most recently created full-length ballet Nijinsky – God of the Dance for Slovak National Theatre as well as shorter works for Northern Ballet including Fatal Kiss and children’s ballet Elves & the Shoemaker. The ballet will première at Cast in Doncaster from 25 – 27 May 2017 before touring to Wolverhampton, Leicester, Richmond, Aylesbury, Stoke, Bromley, Leeds and Hull (part of the city’s UK City of Culture celebrations) until October 2017. It will feature an original score by Oscar-nominated composer Gary Yershon, sets and costumes designed by Mark Bailey, lighting by Tim Mitchell and Dramatic Coach Patricia Doyle also joins the creative team. Daniel de Andrade said: ‘I am absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to create my first full-length ballet for Northern Ballet. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a fascinating and eloquent story shining the spotlight on atrocious historical events from a perspective of complete naivety. Although the tale of Bruno and Shmuel is heart-breaking, their friendship throughout the story shows the purity of the human spirit in the face of absolute adversity.’ Based on the famous fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid tells the story of a young mermaid who is willing to give up everything she knows in a search for love and the desire to gain a human soul. The Little Mermaid will be choreographed by Northern Ballet’s Artistic Director David Nixon OBE whose most recent creations for the Company include Cinderella, The Great Gatsby and Beauty & the Beast. This new production will première in Southampton at Mayflower Theatre from 21 – 23 September 2017 before touring to Norwich, Newcastle, Nottingham, Canterbury, Woking, Sheffield and Leeds until December 2017. Details of the creative team are to be announced. David Nixon OBE, Artistic Director at Northern Ballet, said: ‘2017 will be an exemplary example of Northern Ballet’s commitment to continuing to create new work and contributing to the dynamic UK dance scene. With an unprecedented three new full-length ballets in one year, I am delighted that we will be presenting audiences with such a diverse range of new productions. As a company of talented dance actors Northern Ballet is in a privileged position to be able to adapt so many different works and continue to challenge the idea of what stories can be told through dance. The Little Mermaid is an enchanting story and the fantastical underwater world of the mermaids evokes such beautiful imagery that it will be an excellent addition to our repertoire. So many people have grown up with an awareness of this classic tale and so I am looking forward to introducing audiences to the world beyond the waves.’ For booking information and on sale dates for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Little Mermaid see northernballet.com/whats-on -ENDS- Notes to Editors The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – Production Credits Based upon The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne By special arrangement with Miramax Choreography, Direction & Scenario Daniel de Andrade Dramatic Coach Patricia Doyle Music Gary Yershon Set & Costume Design Mark Bailey Lighting Design Tim Mitchell The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – Tour Dates Doncaster Cast (World Première) 25 – 27 May 2017 Box Office 01302 303 959 castindoncaster.com On general sale 26 September 2016 Wolverhampton Grand Theatre 30 – 31 May 2017 Box Office 01902 429 212 grandtheatre.co.uk On sale soon** Leicester Curve 2 – 3 June 2017 Box Office 0116 242 3595 curveonline.co.uk On general sale 26 September 2016 Richmond Theatre 6 – 7 June 2017 Box Office 0844 871 7651* atgtickets.com/richmond On general sale 26 September 2016 Aylesbury Waterside Theatre 9 – 10 June 2017 Box Office 0844 871 7607* atgtickets.com/aylesbury On general sale 26 September 2016 Stoke Regent Theatre 13 – 14 June 2017 Box Office 0844 871 7649* atgtickets.com/stoke On general sale 26 September 2016 Bromley Churchill Theatre 16 – 17 June 2017 Box Office 020 3285 6000 churchilltheatre.co.uk On general sale 30 September 2016 Leeds West Yorkshire Playhouse September 2017 (Dates TBC) Box Office 0113 213 7700 wyp.org.uk On sale soon** Hull New Theatre October 2017 (Dates TBC) Box Office 01482 300 306 hcandl.co.uk/hullnewtheatre On sale soon** The Little Mermaid – Production Credits Story Hans Christian Andersen Choreography & Direction David Nixon OBE Further production credits to be announced. The Little Mermaid – Tour Dates Southampton Mayflower Theatre (World Première) 21 – 23 September 2017 Box Office 02380 711811 mayflower.org.uk On general sale 30 November 2016 Norwich Theatre Royal 26 – 30 September 2017 Box Office 01603 630 000 Theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk On sale soon** Newcastle Theatre Royal 31 October – 4 November 2017 Box Office 08448 11 21 21* theatreroyal.co.uk On sale soon** Nottingham Theatre Royal 7 – 11 November 2017 Box Office 0115 989 5555 trch.co.uk On sale soon** Canterbury Marlowe Theatre 14 – 18 November 2017 Box Office 01227 787787 marlowetheatre.com On sale soon** Woking New Victoria Theatre 21 – 25 November 2017 Box Office 0844 871 7645* atgtickets.com/woking On sale soon** Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 28 November – 2 December 2017 Box Office 0114 249 6000 sheffieldtheatres.co.uk On sale soon** Leeds Grand Theatre 5 – 17 December 2017 Box Office 0844 848 2700* leedsgrandtheatre.com On sale soon** *Calls to 0844 numbers cost up to 7p per minute plus your phone company’s charge. **For on sale dates see northernballet.com/pyjamas and northernballet.com/mermaid for updates. Northern Ballet For more details of Northern Ballet's tour, on sale dates and booking information, please visit northernballet.com/whatson. Voted Best Company at the Taglioni European Ballet Awards, winners of the 2016 South Bank Sky Arts Award for dance, and nominated for Outstanding Company at the 2015 National Dance Awards, Northern Ballet is one of the UK’s five large ballet companies. Based in Leeds it performs throughout the UK as well as overseas. Northern Ballet’s productions mix classical dance and theatre, embracing popular culture and taking inspiration from literature, opera, or giving a unique interpretation of popular classical ballets. Northern Ballet is the busiest touring ballet company in the UK and is typically on the road for around 32 weeks of the year. The Company of 44 dancers tours a combination of full-length new work and established repertoire to cities throughout the UK. Northern Ballet also tours widely with its specially created ballets for children, all of which have beenadapted for TV by CBeebies, and also performs mixed programmes showcasing the versatility of its dancers.

Very sad news. RIP Charmian Carr