Jan McNulty

Oh Alison ... I wish you hadn't reminded me ... that was what I was going to see in MK the day the railway line between Rugby and MK was flooded. The nearest I got was changing platforms at MK station!!!

Hello Ponklemum and welcome to the Forum! I can't answer your questions but I am sure other members will chip in.

I think I have mentioned this before but when a group of us went to see Northern Ballet in Aberdeen performing Giselle we saw Jayne Regan in the title role twice. At a theatre organised event we had the opportunity to chat to her and I mentioned that we had been completely blown away by her Thursday performance. She commented that she had been a lot better on Tuesday and she had not been feeling that good on the Thursday. How dancers perceive their performance and how the audience sees it can be two totally different perspectives. In my experience too, dancers are always seeking perfection in their performances but, in their own opinion, they never achieve it.

This should work Sim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuqbE87iYqE

Links - Tuesday 19 April, 2016 Review - Mariinsky Ballet, Five Tangos, Infra, In the Night, Concerto DSCH, Rite, Cardiff: Zoe Anderson, Independent Review - Mariinsky Ballet, Concerto DSCH, Rite, Cardiff: Mark Pullinger, Bachtrack Feature - Aurelie Dupont, AD Designate Paris Opera Ballet: Marina Harss, New Yorker Review - Paris Opera Ballet, Iolanta / Nutcracker, Paris: Patricia Boccadoro, Culture Kiosque Review - Australian Ballet, Swan Lake, Sydney: Deborah Jones, Blog Report - San Francisco Ballet, valedictory performance for 3 retiring principals, San Francisco: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Reviews - NDT2, I New Then, mutual comfort, Solo, Cacti, Woking: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Review - Miami City Ballet, Serenade, Symphonic Dances, Heatscape, Viscera, New York: Apollinaire Scherr, FT Review - Miami City Ballet, Heatscape, Viscera, Bourree Fantasque, New York: Andrew Blackmore-Dobbin, Bachtrack Review Miami City Ballet, season roundup, New York: Nancy Dalva, NY Observer Review - Zurich Ballet, Romeo and Juliet, Zurich: Sarah Batschelet, Bachtrack Reviews - Gary Clarke Company, Coal, London: Siobhan Murphy, DanceTabs Rachel Elderkin, London Dance Neil Norman, Stage Review - Queensland Ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Brisbane: Michelle Potter, Blog News - Joffrey Ballet announces team for new Nutcracker: Lauren Warnecke, Windy City Times Review - Washington Ballet, Carmina Burana, Theme and Variations, Washington: Hilary Stroh, Bachtrack Review - Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Re:Play, Silent Ghost, Huma Rojo, Los Angeles: Christina Campodonico, LA Times Review - City Contemporary Dance Company, Little Pieces, Hong Kong: Natasha Rogai, South China Morning Post Review - American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Knightlife, Third Wheels, Libera!, Danse Baroque, Murmuration, New York: Mary Cargill, Danceview Times Feature - Keir Choreographic Award: Philippa Hawker, Sydney Morning Herald Review - Gabriel Missé and Guillermina Quiroga, Four Tango Duets, New York: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Feature - Native Earth Performing Arts: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star News - Milwaukee Ballet announces roster changes: Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Review - Nora Chipaumire, Portrait of Myself as my Father, Montclair: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Q&A - Kwame Asafo-Adjei: Carmel Smith, London Dance Review - American Tap Dance Foundation, Rhythm in Motion, New York: Melanie Votaw, Broadway World Review - Arcane Collective, Return to Absence, Ebb, New York: Brian Seibert, NY Times News - Court rules “Whistle blowing” Ballerina must be reinstated at La Scala: Nick Squires, Telegraph (and widely reported elsewhere) Feature / Book Preview - Brown Girls do Ballet, The Ballerina’s Little Black Book: Katherine Brooks, Huffington Post

He stepped in at the last minute to dance James in Kobborg's production of La Sylphide when one of the James was injured.

Hello Ruth and welcome back to the Forum! I think Osipova and, to a certain extent, McRae are a bit like marmite! I've only seen Osipova live once - in Rubies - and I thought she was sensational, as was McRae. I saw them in the Rhapsody live stream and while I enjoyed the performance, my personal preference was for Hayward/Hay. Fortunately we are all different and can all have valid and different opinions. The world would be a very boring place otherwise!

Hello Queenofspades and welcome to the Forum!

We've had recent discussions about pirouettes that may be worth reading: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/8851-tips-on-multiple-pirouettes/?hl=pirouette http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/8806-pirouettes/?hl=pirouette#entry116755

Links - Monday 18 April, 2016 Review - Mariinsky Ballet, Concerto DSCH, Sacre, Cardiff: Nadine Meisner, Arts Desk Review - Royal Ballet, The Winter’s Tale, London: Vicki Jane Vile, A Younger Theatre Reviews - English National Ballet, She Said, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Emily May, A Younger Theatre Feature - Cathy Marston on creating Jane Eyre for Northern Ballet: Sarah Freeman, Yorkshire Post Feature - Bolshoi’s new director promises best of classical ballet: Kate de Pury | AP via Washington Post Feature - Evan McKie, National Ballet of Canada guests at Mariinsky: Martha Schabas, Toronto Globe and Mail Feature Review - Miami City Ballet, season roundup, New York: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review - American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Knightlife, Third Wheels, Liberal, Murmuration, New York: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Feature - Defining Dance Theatre: Danielle Georgiou, Theater Jones Feature - Peoria Ballet born from a chance conversation 50 years ago: Leslie Renkin, Peoria Journal Star

Thanks for the review Duck. You are making me really jealous now!

Links - Sunday 17 April, 2016 Review - Mariinsky Ballet, Five Tangoes, Infra, In the Night, Cardiff: Barbara Michaels, The Reviews Hub Reviews - English National Ballet, She Said, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Jeffrey Taylor, Express Vikki Jane Vile, London Theatre Review - Miami City Ballet, Programmes A and B, New York: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review - Miami City Ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, West Palm Beach: Leigh Witchel, Danceview Times Feature Preview - David Dawson on his new Swan Lake for Scottish Ballet: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Review - Royal Danish Ballet, The Hubbery, Copenhagen: Eva Kistrup, Danceview Times Feature - Twyla Tharp returns to the Catskills: Robert Burke-Warren, Watershed Post Review - National Dance Company Wales, They Seek To Find The Happiness They Seem, Tuplet, Folk, London: Sara Veale, DanceTabs Featurette - Sean Bates, Northern Ballet: Staff, Milton Keynes Citizen Preview Feature - London Children’s Ballet, Little Lord Fauntleroy, London: Lizzie Edmonds, Standard Review - Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Le Corsaire, Pittsburgh: Sara Bauknecht, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Review - Los Angeles Dance Festival, Victoria Looseleaf, Fjord Review Reviews - Complexions Contemporary Ballet, mixed programme, Los Angeles: Jeff Slayton, See Dance Steven Woodruff, See Dance Review - Footnote New Zealand Dance, New Original Dance, Auckland: Bernadette Rae, NZ Herald Review - Chamberlain Performing Arts & Bruce Wood Dance Project, Focal Pointe, Richardson: Margaret Putnam, Theater Jones Review - Steve Paxton, Bound, Rockville: George Jackson, Danceview Times Featuretter - Leanne Stojmenov returns to Australian Ballet after birth of first baby: Elizabeth Fortescue, Daily Telegraph Review - CubaCaribe Fest, San Francisco: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle

Lin, if you are asking me - he's a great Petrushka! He did it at BRB.

Australian, not McRae

Hello Ballet_Girl and welcome to the Forum!

A step change for dance in the Greater North On Tuesday night in Leeds, dance partners from across the city and the wider North region unveiled plans for the Leeds Dance Partnership at an event held at the Quarry Hill home of Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre. Key stakeholders from across the region and industry were gathered together as exciting new plans were outlined that look set to put Leeds on the map as an international centre of excellence for dance. Mark Skipper DL, Chief Executive of Northern Ballet and Chair of the Partnership Steering Group explained: ‘The idea of a Leeds Dance Partnership first originated in a coming together of a number of organisations – Northern Ballet, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Yorkshire Dance, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, RJC, Balbir Singh Dance Company, DAZL and Leeds Beckett University, around a shared wish to raise the profile of the exceptional dance on offer in the city. In 2014 we became a City of Dance and we are now building on that collaboration to achieve an even greater step change in dance in the city.’ The evening set out the Partnership’s vision for Leeds to be an international centre of excellence for dance – a dancing city providing leadership in the North for the development of the art form locally, nationally and internationally. The partnership will be open to all members of the dance community, from major dance companies through to emerging independent artists, as well as other cross sector agencies with an interest and engagement in dance. It will be structured so that partners have real ownership and the ability to take an active role in driving activity forward. It is the intention of the partnership to create new resources and assets for the art form, develop more talent, create more great dance and develop artistic practice, increase access points for both participants and audiences and create more opportunities to attract the best in world class dance to Leeds. Chief Executive of the Arts Council, Darren Henley OBE said: ‘When it comes to dance, Leeds is a hotbed of creative and artistic excellence. The Arts Council invests in a range of dance organisations across the city and I’m looking forward to seeing how the Leeds Dance Partnership will develop dance here, offering more chances for dancers and audiences to become involved in this brilliant artform.’ In addition, Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council, gave her support for the initiative: ‘We are very fortunate to have several truly outstanding dance organisations in Leeds. This partnership will raise their profile and help the city become an international centre of excellence for dance, cementing Leeds’ place on the cultural map. It will encourage people to take part in dance or watch a performance, and it is a significant step on the road to the city’s ambition to become the European Capital of Culture in 2023.’ At the event, some of the impressive and eclectic dance already created in and around Leeds was showcased with performances from Northern Ballet, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Akeim Toussaint-Buck, Gary Clarke Company, Northern School of Contemporary Dance’s Graduate Company VERVE, DAZL, Phoenix Dance Theatre Youth Academy and RJC Youth Dance Company. Sharon Watson, Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre and Chair of the Leeds 2023 Steering Group, concluded:‘The development of the Leeds Dance Partnership is an integral part on Leeds’ journey to becoming European Capital of Culture in 2023. With its rich dance offer Leeds is absolutely the perfect city to move forward with this exciting new ambition for the art form.’ In the coming months the Leeds Dance Partnership will be working to develop detailed plans and are applying to Arts Council England’s Ambition for Excellence Fund for support in moving their collective vision forward. -ENDS-

Sadler’s Wells, The Lowry and Birmingham Hippodrome join forces in collaborative partnership Sadler’s Wells, The Lowry and Birmingham Hippodrome have formed a collaborative producing partnership, supported by funding from Arts Council England’s Ambition for Excellence fund, to develop and deliver an ambitious programme of high-quality large-scale dance. The Movement is a dynamic partnership between three of the country’s leading dance venues. Through a two-year pilot initiative that has been awarded a grant of £749,948, the partners will aim to nurture dance talent and reach and develop new audiences for dance through a programme of work that will be co-produced by the three venues. The Movement launches at Birmingham Hippodrome on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 Maywith Dance: Sampled, the first production to be presented under the auspices of the partnership, as part of the International Dance Festival Birmingham 2016. Dance: Sampled is inspired by the popular Sampled format first pioneered by Sadler’s Wells, which offers audiences a taster selection of different dance styles all in one programme. The production will then run for two nights at The Lowry in February 2017. The line-up includes Company Wayne McGregor, Birmingham Royal Ballet, BBC Young Dancer finalist Vidya Patel, world tango champions German Cornejo and Gisela Galeassi from Buenos Aires, French hip hop company Pockemon Crew, and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Faun. Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells, said: “We have been working with The Lowry and Birmingham Hippodrome for a number of years. I am delighted that we now have a great opportunity with The Movement to build on this relationship and work more closely to commission and stage ambitious dance together, helping to support talent and inspiring large audiences across the UK.” Julia Fawcett OBE, Chief Executive of The Lowry, said: “We are delighted to have joined forces with Sadler’s Wells and Birmingham Hippodrome – whose passion and commitment to presenting the very best in contemporary dance mirrors that of The Lowry. We look forward to working closely with these prestigious institutions to encourage and commission exciting new productions for our audiences to enjoy.” Fiona Allan, Artistic Director and Chief Executive at Birmingham Hippodrome, added: “Our investment in dance has always been very important to us, and our long-standing associations with Birmingham Royal Ballet, DanceXchange, Matthew Bourne and our award-winning International Dance Festival will be further enhanced through The Movement, an exciting new initiative. In Sadler’s Wells and The Lowry we have like-minded partners who share our commitment to growing new audiences together.” 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. About Birmingham Hippodrome Birmingham Hippodrome is an independent, not-for-profit, registered charity welcoming an average 500,000 visits annually making it the most popular single auditorium in the UK. Birmingham Royal Ballet and DanceXchange are resident partners; the theatre presents all of Welsh National Opera’s repertoire, co-produces the award-winning International Dance Festival and welcomes the best in international dance, major touring dramas, and West End musicals. It is home to the world’s biggest Pantomime and also houses the 200-seat Patrick Centre for the Performing Arts, with extensive events facilities and its own restaurant. As a charity with no public revenue funding, Birmingham Hippodrome receives generous support from the business community through sponsorship and other partnerships; from individuals through donations and memberships; and from grant-making Trusts for special programming and infrastructure projects. It is a major employer and plays a leading role in the Southside Business Improvement District. Hippodrome CREATIVE delivers successful projects in education and the wider community. With numerous supportive partners it has recently co-produced and produced new events including Minimum Monument, The Voyage, Summer in Southside, About Town, Blitz, the 4 Squares Weekender (celebrating the opening of the Library of Birmingham) and Birmingham Weekender. It will shortly launch an extensive Heritage project and is presenting Furious Folly this summer co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW for the World War One commemorations. About The Lowry The Lowry is the most visited cultural destination in the North West. It plays host to one of the one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse theatre programmes, as well as a visual arts programme that features the largest public collection of works by LS Lowry alongside contemporary exhibitions. Set in a magnificent waterside location of Salford Quays at the heart of MediaCityUK, The Lowry is an architectural flagship with a unique and dynamic identity. The centre opened in 2000 and later this month will launch its new Week 53 festival – bringing together contemporary dance, visual arts, music and theatre in interactive installations, exhibitions and performances.

LONDON CHILDREN’S BALLET STAGES WORLD PREMIERE OF LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY - LAUNCHING FUTURE STARS AT WEST END PREMIERE - 10 YEAR OLD BOY TO STAR IN LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY - DARCEY BUSSELL BECOMES PATRON OF LCB Dynamic youth company London Children’s Ballet brings a new ballet based on the classic children’s novel, Little Lord Fauntleroy, to the West End from 21-24 April. Performed by 60 rising stars of the ballet world chosen from across the country through competitive auditions, the stunning new production brings to life this near-forgotten treasure – the Harry Potter of its time – for a new generation. Little Lord Fauntleroy is the lesser known but delightful novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author of The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, and tells an inspiring story of a young boy whose charisma and inherent goodness wins the day. A champion of high-quality and inspiring family arts, LCB is a charity that has become known for the unique training and performance opportunities that it offers, for free, to hugely talented young dancers from every background. It creates new West End ballets for a family audience, spring-boarding the careers of many composers, choreographers and designers, and it runs programmes that use dance to change lives in the community. Darcey Bussell has announced her patronage of London Children’s Ballet (LCB), and will attend the fundraising Première of the company’s new West End production of Little Lord Fauntleroy on 21 April. Dream Team choreographer Jenna Lee and composer Richard Norriss have collaborated with Artistic Director Lucille Briance to create a ballet of this inspirational story for the first time. Richard, graduate of the Royal College of Music, studied as a concert pianist but found hours alone at the piano very lonely. He stumbled into a dance studio to cover as pianist for a friend and has worked with dancers ever since. Jenna Lee ̧ until recently a soloist with English National Ballet, has the rare gift for narrative dramatic ballet, a niche of ballet avoided by many choreographers. LCB ballets are designed to appeal to new audiences, young and old. CLICK HERE for a link to the pair’s previous collaboration – an original ballet of Snow White that sold out at The Peacock in 2015. Biographies below. HEARTBROKEN BUT REUNITED! In 2015, Lily O’Regan was cast in the title role of LCB’s Snow White, but broke her foot two weeks before the curtain went up. Now Lily, age 13, is reunited with her Prince (James Lovell) who has emerged from his GCSE studies in Dorset to dance the role of Captain Errol, partnering Lily in the grand pas de deux of Little Lord Fauntleroy.  10 years old and 4’ 2” tall, Luke Wragg from Queen’s Park in London, has bagged the title role of Cedric Errol, the little 7 year old American boy who learns he must sail to England to inherit the strange title of Little Lord Fauntleroy. Luke is supported by a cast of 60 extraordinarily talented young ballet dancers, drawn through competitive auditions from across the country. The children are all in normal academic schools, and come together on Sunday afternoons to rehearse over a 4-month period. Little Lord Fauntleroy is the third children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of The Secret Garden and A Little Princess. It tells the rags-to-riches story of a young American boy, Cedric Errol, who discovers he is heir to the Earl of Dorincourt, a bitter and mean old Englishman with a great fortune and a large estate. Cedric’s kindness, generosity and eternal optimism eventually wins over the heart of his frosty old grandfather. 2016 CREATIVE TEAM Artistic Director: Lucille Briance Composer: Richard Norriss Choreographer: Jenna Lee Lighting Designer: Mark Jonathan Set Designer: Libby Watson Costume Designer: Jasmin Ada Knox BIOGRAPHIES Jenna Lee, Choreographer Jenna danced with the English National Ballet for 12 years. As a soloist she performed roles such as The Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, Queen of the Willis in Giselle and The Mistress in Manon. This variety of roles within the company, paired with a keen eye for new and diverse culture, has enabled Jenna to explore a variety of different art techniques and styles, and therefore enhancing her choreographic scope. She created many of English National Ballet’s more adventurous dance works. In 2006 Jenna choreographed Ballet Rocks to launch Sky HD, with music by Bloc Party and costumed designed by Giles Deacon. In 2012 she choreographed an advert for Citroën. It features four Arsenal football players and four ballerinas. Jenna is passionate about fusing classical ballet with the unexpected to keep it fresh and current. With this ethos, she has collaborated with Flawless, World Dance Champions. They created a full-length show that fused ballet, with breakdancing and acrobatics. Recently, Jenna left English National Ballet to focus on choreography and her company - JLee Productions, which provides bespoke ballet performances for any event. On choreographing for LCB, Jenna says, “Someone once said to me that choreographing for LCB changed their life. After working with the company over the past month it's easy to see why. You enter a company full of talented, excited and eager-to-learn ballet students who hang on your every word. The commitment and passion from some of the young dancers has been overwhelming. My challenge has been to establish a balance between a fun, upbeat approach in the studio, which is important for morale when we spend so many hours rehearsing, whilst also passing on the skills I have learnt over the years, which involves discipline, dedication and attention to detail.” Richard Norriss, Composer Richard attended the Royal College of Music, studying piano with John Barstow and piano accompaniment with Ruth Gerald. He went on to pursue a career as a recitalist and freelance dance pianist. He joined Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in 2002, and wrote his first pieces of dance performance music there. He created his first full-length story ballet for LCB’s Snow White (2009). Since then he has written numerous dance pieces for piano, a string quartet, and arranged Bach’s Chorale Preludes for a production of excerpts from Richard Alston’s Beyond Measure (2010), and Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony for Gothenburg’s Mareld Festival 2013 and the BBC Young Dancer of the Year 2015. Richard plays for the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School, the RAD Genée International Ballet Competition, and is a founder member of the annual Hikone Dance Intensive course, Japan. PERFORMANCE DATES Thursday 21 April, 7pm: Premiere evening ticket hotline: 020 8969 1555 Friday 22 April - Sunday 24 April: Evening and matinée tickets on sale at www.sadlerswells.com or on 020 7863 8222. ABOUT LONDON CHILDREN’S BALLET Founded in 1994, London Children’s Ballet (LCB) is a charity with a mission to change lives through dance. Each year LCB creates an original, full-length ballet adapted from a classic children’s story and offers emerging choreographers, composers, and designers their first commission of this kind. At LCB’s heart is an outstanding children’s ballet company. Each year 600 children attend rigorous auditions. Those selected (55-60 each year, girls aged 9-14 and boys aged 9-16) receive, at no cost, intensive professional training and perform the new ballet in a week-long West End run. LCB ballets have sold out every year for 21 years. LCB Outreach Work In addition to the main productions, LCB extends its charitable reach by touring shortened versions of the ballet, along with interactive workshops, to over 30 small community venues, including special needs schools, care homes and hospices across Greater London. LCB also invites 2,000 children and elderly people from charities and primary schools in disadvantaged areas to come to special matinee performances on £1 tickets, introducing those with little or no previous exposure to the arts to ballet for the first time. Previous LCB Productions Snow White (2015, 2009), Nanny McPhee (2014), The Secret Garden (2013, 2007), A Little Princess (2012, 2004, 1995), Rumpelstiltskin (2011), Ballet Shoes (2010, 2001), Jane Eyre (2008, 1997), The Scarlet Pimpernel (2006), The Canterville Ghost (2005), The Prince & the Pauper (2003), Faithful Gelert (2002, 1996), The Last Battle (2000), Mrs Harris Goes to Paris (1998) and The Happy Prince (1994).

Links - Saturday 16 April, 2016 Review - Mariinsky Ballet, Five Tangos, Infra, In the Night, Cardiff: Jane Shilling, Telegraph Review - Paris Opera Ballet, Seven Sonatas, Other Dances, Duo Concertant, In Creases, Paris: Leigh Witchel, Danceview Times Reviews - Martha Graham Company, Night Journey, Inner Resources, Axe, New York: Apollinaire Scherr, FT Brian Seibert, NY Times Reviews - English National Ballet, She Said, London: Jenny Gilbert, Arts Desk Rym Kechacha, Bachtrack Reviews - Royal Ballet, The Winter’s Tale, London: Clement Crisp, FT Anna Winter, Exeunt Review - NDT ll, I New Then, mutual comfort, Solo, Cacti : Christopher Curtis, Bachtrack News - Three of the best … new dance performances, London & Glasgow: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Feature/Preview - Australian Ballet, Symphony in C, Sydney: Ellisa Blake, Brisbane Times Review - Dance Theatre of Harlem, Divertimento, When Love, Change, Coming Together, New York: Martha Sherman, Danceview Times Preview - Pacific Northwest Ballet, Peter Boal on Coppelia, Seattle: Rosemary Jones, Examiner Review - Pennsylvania Ballet, Keep, The Accidental, Grace Action, New York: Tara Sheena, Fjord Review Feature - Miami City Ballet in New York and its impact on the company: Jordan Levin, Miami Herald Review - Washington Ballet, Carmina Burana, Theme and Variations, Washington: Sarah L Kaufman, Washington Post Review - Oakland Ballet, Divining, Beautiful Dreamer, Stone of Hope, Oakland: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Review - Toronto Dance Theatre, Singular Bodies, Toronto: Martha Schabas, Toronto Globe and Mail Feature - Anja Ahcin and Ahmed Yehia, Cairo Opera Ballet: Ati Metwaly, Al Ahram Review - Vicky Shick, Another Spell, New York: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review - Luis Garay, Maneries, Austin: Jonelle Seitz, Fjord Review Review - American Tap Dance Foundation, Rhythm in Motion, New York: Gia Kourlas, NY Times

Alex Campbell was terrific as Petrouchka; when he flops over the top of the tent he looks absolutely boneless. I also thought James Barton was good in the same run.

I'm very biased so I am sure everyone can guess whom I hope would be cast!

I'm on my phone so not good at partial quotes. Floss, I agree with most of what you say in your last post buy presumably you can also dislike a piece no matter how highly it is regarded by most people and no matter how well cast, if it is not to your taste.

But hilarious! Your Dropbox link worked for me YP

Is this dance???? Not to my ballet-watching eyes ... and as for that walk ...

The audience reaction has been anything but lukewarm at all of the performances I have seen. The vast majority of the press reviews were also very positive. You can't get away from the fact that 1984 is very bleak and downbeat and there is a lot of repetitive choreography to show the sheer drudgery and oppressiveness of people's lives. On that basis I find it a compelling piece of dance theatre and IMHO we have been treated to some outstanding performances.