Jan McNulty

London bound...

Queensland Ballet are auditioning in New York for the 2017 season: https://www.queenslandballet.com.au/about/careers/dancer-auditions/auditions-new-york-2017

Links - Saturday 16 July, 2016 Australian Ballet, Swan Lake, London: Reviews: Anna Winter, Exeunt Mark Pullinger, Bachtrack Galleries: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Roy Tan, Broadway World Feature - Benjamin Millepied: Marina Harss, NY Times Review - Hofesh Shechter, Barbarians, London: Joy Sable, Jewish Chronicle Review - Rambert & Garsington Opera, The Creation, Stokenchurch: Ivan Hewett, Telegraph Gallery - Tristram Kenton, Guardian News - Dance Listings 15-21 July, New York: Brian Schaefer, NY Times Review - Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, mixed programme, Jacob’s Pillow: Ken Ross, Mass Live Review - Encounter, I Heart Catherine Pistachio, London: David Jays, Arts Journal Review - Alessandro Bigonzetti, Dance Gala, Fiesole: Alessandra Tribotti, Fjord Review Feature - Mbulelo Ndabeni: Denise Williams, Citizen SA Preview - Columbus Moving Company, Mixtape, Columbus: Hannah Herner, Broadway World Feature - Ballet Romeo and Juliet in Kathak, Houston: Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle Review - Tap Treasures Showcase, New York: Melanie Votaw, Broadway World

Here's a couple of more articulate reviews to whet your appetite: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/may/27/paradise-lost-ben-duke-review-dance http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/paradise-lost-battersea-arts-12918 http://dancetabs.com/2016/05/lost-dog-ben-duke-paradise-lost-lies-unopened-beside-me-london-2/

I was at The Quays Theatre within The Lowry last night to see Lost Dog's Paradise Lost, which was recently nominated for a Southbank Sky Arts Award. What can I say, I was captivated from start to finish. It is not, strictly, a dance performance as the work consists of a lot of chatter and some movement (rather than dance). It is a one-man show, performed by Lost Dog's Artistic Director, Ben Duke. Ben Duke endears himself to the audience from the moment he walks on stage. He explains that he is attempting to portray Milton's Paradise Lost. He then reads us the last sentence and concludes with the fact that he hopes none of the audience have read it! He plays all the characters - God, Lucifer, Adam, Eve and The Serpent. He veers from a modern day Dad trying to persuade his child to get into the car to go to school to God the creator. As the show proceeds I found myself getting more and more drawn into it. Occasionally when something momentous is happening the music (a very eclectic mix) gets louder and you cannot hear what he is shouting, which is a very effective tool. I can't adequately describe this work but may I suggest that you go and see it for yourselves. It is on at Wilton's next week. Leave any preconceptions behind and enjoy...

Hello Richard, welcome out of the lurking shadows! Thanks for your thoughts on the production. I do hope that now you have taken the first posting step you will continue to join in.

Naomi Bottomer is joining Northern Ballet.

Out of Asia 2 Sadler’s Wells, EC1R 4TN October - 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, which is 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 our Out of Asia 2 season, visit www.sadlerswells.com/outofasia2 Opening the season is TAO Dance Theatre 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 and 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. 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, artist and performance maker Choy Ka Fai creates SoftMachine, a multimedia project investigating the contemporary status of dance across Asia. The first of two double bills on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 October brings together live performance and documentary footage, and showcases new dance and choreography emerging from India and China. Surjit Nongmeikapam is a contemporary dancer from Manipur, India, who presents the complex issues of creating dance specifically for European audiences. XiaoKe and ZiHan from Shanghai, China, make collaborative works exploring the body in its extreme states, reflecting on the social and political context of China. The piece investigates the boundaries of artistic freedom and the experience of constant cultural surveillance. The second of Choy Ka Fai’s double bill on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 October showcases work from Japan and Indonesia, and includes work from Yuya Tsukahara, a founding member of Japanese contemporary dance unit contact Gonzo. As well as the name of the company, contact Gonzo is also a unique dance form creating encounters that teeter on the edge of violence and tenderness. Rianto is a dancer from Indonesia who specialises in the traditional cross-gender erotic dance of lengger, exploring the tension between traditional and contemporary choreographic practices during the global shift from rural to urban lifestyles. 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 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 in the main house 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 sublimely enchanting and pioneering 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. Listings Information: TAO Dance Theatre 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 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 Yang Liping 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 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 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.

Thoughts with the victims, their families and anyone affected by this hideous attack.

Links - Friday 15 July, 2016 Reviews - Australian Ballet, Swan Lake, London: Clement Crisp, FT Judith Mackrell, Guardian Hannah Weibye, Arts Desk Charlotte Kasner, Seeing Dance Mark Monahan, Telegraph Neil Norman, Stage Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Review - Paris Opera Ballet, Blake Works l, Paris: Jade Larine, Fjord Review Preview - New York City Ballet’s Saratoga Season: Lloyd Schwartz, The ARTery Review - Twyla Tharp Dance, Country Dances, Beethoven Opus 130, Brahms Paganini, New York: Jennifer Fried, Broadway World Feature - Sean Aaron Carmon (Alvin Ailey): Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review - Paco Pena Flamenco Dance Company, Patrias, London: Graham Watts, London Dance Interview - Darcey Bussell: Hannah Furness, Telegraph Preview - Chicago Dancing Festival 2016: Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times Feature - Leanne Cope: Griffin Miller, City Guide NY Feature - Miranda Weese (ex-NYCB): Tresca Weinstein, Times Union Interview - Olivia Paine (Melbourne City Ballet): Staff, Byron Echo And finally… Featurette - Army Boots for Patrolling, Ballet Shoes for Relaxing: Straits Times via Reuters

It was a "dance" track Alison, no spoken word.

I'm seeing both Saturday matinees. Given that the Company has very recently premiered a new production of Swan Lake in Australia, I have wondered why they have brought the previous version here. This production has been here before, I saw it at The Lowry a few years ago.

Links - Thursday 14 July, 2016 Review - Paris Opera Ballet, Entre Chien et Loup, Paris: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Feature - New York City Ballet savours the City of Light, Paris: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times News - American Ballet Theatre Announces New (Autumn) Season: Michael Cooper, NY Times Review - American Ballet Theatre, Ratmansky Programme, Los Angeles: Victoria Looseleaf, Fjord Review Reviews - Twyla Tharp Dance, Country Dances, Beethoven Opus 130, Brahms Paganini, New York: Robert Greskovic, Wall Street Journal Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, Bachtrack Joel Benjamin, Theater Scene Review - Royal Ballet School, Annual MainStage Performance, London: David Mead, Seeing Dance Review - Hofesh Shechter, Barbarians, London: Anna Winter, Exeunt Reviews - Paco Pena Flamenco Dance Company, Patrias, London: Sanjoy Roy, Guardian Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Neil Norman, Stage Charlotte Kasner, Seeing Dance Review - Michelle Dorrance, Show and Tell Event, Portland: Jennifer Brewer, Portland Press Herald Review - Singapore Dance Theatre, Ballet Under the Stars, Singapore: Joy Wany XY, Seeing Dance Gallery - Photos of famous Russian ballet dancers now in colour: Ksenia Isaeva, Russia Beyond the Headlines News - Won Lee joins Washington Ballet from Korean National Ballet: Sarah L Kaufman, Washington Post News - Misty Copeland joins Disney’s Nutcracker film: Andrew Chow, NY Times Review - K Arts Ballet, Rising Stars of Korea Gala, New York: Juan Michael Porter ll, Broadway World Preview Cape Town City Ballet, The Vortex, Cape Town: Theresa Smith, Independent SA News: Dance Ink Magazine relaunches: Mark Sinclair, Creative Review

Congratulations to all the promotees. So sorry that the wonderful Ksenia has left.

SADLER’S WELLS AT WILDERNESS FESTIVAL Sadler’s Wells presents work for the first time at Wilderness Festival an award-winning arts festival in Oxfordshire on Friday 5 August 2016 with a diverse double bill in The Atrium. Sadler’s Wells double bill opens with Julie Cunningham’s We shall see the sky which unites spoken word poetry with dance through physical explorations of poems by author and poet Kate Tempest. Cunningham’s performers use rhythmic connections to uncover themes of identity and place within the two opposing art forms. Julie Cunningham is a dancer and choreographer and has worked with Merce Cunningham in New York and Michael Clark in London. Julie is a Merce Cunningham Trust Fellow for 2016 and the inaugural Leverhulme Choreography Fellow with Rambert for 2016/17. We shall see the sky was commissioned by Siobhan Davies Dance and Independent Dance for ‘What Remains... Festival 2016’ and the work was supported by Greenwich Dance and Trinity Laban Partnership. Completing the bill, Sadler’s Wells presents AYIN by Ceyda Tanc Dance. AYIN explores the ideas of ritual and the search for love or acceptance, whether that be human, physical or spiritual. Ceyda Tanc Dance is a female contemporary dance company led by Artistic Director and Choreographer, Ceyda Tanc. Influenced by traditional Turkish folk dance, the dance style of Tanc’s heritage Ceyda Tanc Dance utilises the virtuoso movements of the male Turkish dancers on the female bodies, which creates a unique movement vocabulary. Ceyda is currently an Associate Artist at The Point, Eastleigh. LISTINGS: Wilderness Festival Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire Thursday 4 – Sunday 7 August 2016 Tickets: www.wildernessfestival.com Sadler’s Wells at Wilderness Festival The Atrium Friday 5 August 2016 Notes to Editor: 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. About Wilderness Festival Wilderness is an award-winning arts festival set deep in the Oxfordshire countryside boasts a stellar, multi-dimensional programme. At Wilderness you are cordially invited to enjoy long table feasts from headline chefs, open-air theatre, classical music and orchestral performances, contemporary dance, internationally renowned musicians, outdoor pursuits, yoga and meditation, craft workshops, talks, debates, late night parties, a luxurious spa and a whole lot more. The magic occurs in the rolling parkland of Cornbury Estate, under the ancient trees, with a majestic lake at its centre. Come and join us in the Wilderness. TICKET INFORMATION Adult 4-day Tickets from £164+bf (Child tickets £5) Available from: www.ticketmaster.co.uk/wilderness

Links - Wednesday 13 July, 2016 Reviews - Twyla Tharp Dance, Country Dances, Beethoven Opus 130, Brahms Paganini, New York: Apollinaire Scherr, FT Marina Harss, DanceTabs Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review - Amy Seiwert’s Imagery, With Alacrity, Cigarettes, Instructions, 4 In the Morning (An Entertainment), San Francisco: Rita Felciano, Danceview Times News - Australian Ballet to be broadcast in over 200 cinemas in the UK: Staff, London Theatre 1 Review - Ballet X, Identity Without Attribute, Bonzi, Philadelphia: Barnett Serchuk, Broadway World Featurette - Misty Copeland explains how to reach your full potential: Rachel Mosely, Cosmopolitan Preview - BalletBoyz, Life, Valletta: Teodor Reljic, Malta Today Preview - Taikoz and Lingalayam Dance Company, Chi Udaka, Canberra: Nick Fuller, Sydney Morning Herald Preview Feature - Julia Adam takes dance (and dinner for the audience) outdoors: Aimee Ts’ao, Mercury News Interview - James Thierree: Chris Wiegand, Guardian Review - Underground Dance Theatre, Pulp, Johannesburg: Debbie Hathaway, Cape Times

One of my friend's got a cat from a cat rescue a couple of years ago. She did not know her new cat was pregnant and ended up the proud Mum of 3 kittens. When she realised the cat was pregnant she contacted the cat rescue who said my friend must have let her out unsupervised! She had not and she was not amused! It is most important to take care at this time, I think.

Fingers crossed.

Thanks for posting this Capybara. The thought of Namron (one of my favourite dancers from LCDT) with Gary Avis and Zinaida Yanowsky is very tempting...

Hello TYR and welcome to the Forum! Do let us know how you get on with the intensive and the showers!

Geoff - it is the press release issued by Sadler's Wells. I was luck, some years ago, to see Cirque Eloize at the Lowry in a production called, IIRC, Rain. Despite the name of the company I thought it more dance than circus. They were fabulous and I am sad I have not had an opportunity to see them since but I am out of date with the company now. I would happily go and see this if the opportunity arose.

Links - Tuesday 12 July, 2016 Review - Paris Opera Ballet & New York City Ballet, Paris: Laura Cappelle, FT Review - Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Work/Travail/Arbeid, London: Sanjoy Roy, Guardian Reviews - American Ballet Theatre, Ratmansky programme, Los Angeles: Jane Rosenberg, Seen and Heard Steven Woodruff, See Dance Review - American Ballet Theatre, The Golden Cockerel, New York: Susan Yung, Brooklyn Rail News - Balletboyz launches online dance teaching resource: Georgia Snow, Stage Preview - Latitude Dance Festival, Blythburgh: Rachel Elderkin, London Dance Review - Royal Ballet, Obsidian Tear, The Invitation, Within the Golden Hour, Frankenstein, London: Kevin Ng, HK Economic Journal Review - English National Ballet: My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty, London: Naomi Cockshutt, British Theatre Guide Review - Ignition Dance Festival, Kingston: Graham Watts, London Dance Review - U.Dance Festival 2016, Salford: Georgina Wells, British Theatre Guide Review - Adam Donen, Symphony to a Lost Generation (holographic theatre), London: Lindsay Winship, Standard Radio feature - Graham Kotowich, (Canadian Metis dancer, ex-NB & Matthew Bourne): CBC Radio Summary Review - Misty Copeland is a principal ballerina of great worth: Rose Marija, Broadway World Video Interview - Misty Copeland reflects on first year as principal at ABT: Willie Geist, NBC Chicago Preview - Robert Binet, The Dreamers Ever Leave You, Toronto: Nick Patch, Our Windsor Interview - Marie Chouinard: Stephanie del Rosso, Brooklyn Rail Review - Anna Sperber, Prize, New York: Lori Degolyer, Brooklyn Rail Review - Diana Movius, GLACIER: A Climate Change Ballet, Washington: Robin Eberhardt, Washington City Paper Review - Antonio Ramos & The Gang Bangers, Thirsty Mind, New York: Jaime Shearn Coan, Brooklyn Rail

I've just come across this while starting preparatory work for the links tomorrow: https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2016/balletboyz-launches-online-dance-teaching-resource/ "The resource focuses on key stages two to four of the national PE curriculum, and has been created to help specialist and non-specialist teachers working with children in dance."

Hello Lillylis and welcome to the Forum. I have moved your thread to the more appropriate Doing Dance Forum and I've added a tag "SEBS" at the top of the topic. If you click on that it will bring up a list of related topics that may give you some useful information. I am sure other members will chip in too.

I always found (being a "red" person) that if colour bled from a new item of clothing over something else, it never bled from the article it coloured!