Jan McNulty

I remember that too Alison!

So do I! Not that Nancy O isn't wonderful because she is but Bristol is 200 miles away for me!

You are doing the right thing is seeking medical assistance. When does she go back to school? Are there specialist facilities available there or through the school?

How could I forget the amazing Thomas Lund. I only saw him dance a handful of times but that was a real privilege.

I've been trying to forget I ever saw it!

Links - Thursday 31 March, 2016 Preview Feature - Royal Ballet, Frankenstein, London: David Belcher, NY Times Reviews - London: Ismene Brown, Spectator Ballet Black, Cristaux, To Begin, Begin, Storyville Royal Ballet, Giselle Preview Feature - National Ballet of Canada, La Sylphide, Ottawa: Peter Robb, Ottawa Citizen Reviews - Richard Alston Dance Company, Brisk Singing, Mazur, Stronghold, An Italian in Madrid, London: Clement Crisp, FT Judith Mackrell, Guardian Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Gallery - Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Review - BalletLORENT, Snow White, London: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Review - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Awakening, A Case of You, Open Door, Revelations, Berkeley: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Feature - Oliver Halkowich, Melody Mennite & Connor Walsh, Houston Ballet: Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle Review - Pennsylvania Ballet, The Accidental, Grace Action, Keep, New York: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Preview Feature - Liam Scarlett’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream arrives in Australia: Deborah Jones, Blog Preview - Miami City Ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, West Palm Beach: Jan Sjostrom, Palm Beach Daily News Review - Texas Ballet Theatre, Cinderella, Fort Worth: Leonard Eureka, Fort Worth Weekly Review - Aakash Odedra, Nritta, In the Shadow of Man, Cut, Constellation, New York: Olga El, Broadway World Feature - Michelle Torrance: Mark Kanny, Pittsburgh Trib Live Preview - Companhia Urbana de Danca, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight

I'm going to the Saturday matinee.

Diana The Princess was performed by Peter Schaufuss own company, based in Denmark. His involvement with ENB ended in 1990/91.

Radio interview with Leanne Cope: http://wamc.org/post/leanne-cope-it-came-along-role-love#stream/0

A tutu worn by Alicia Markova is being auctioned: http://www.eveshamjournal.co.uk/news/regional/14391855.Swan_Lake_tutu_worn_by_legendary_ballerina_to_go_on_sale_in_Stourbridge/

Peter Schaufuss, Patrick Armand, Koen Onzia, Kevin O'Hare, Chi Cao, Alexander Campbell, Tyrone Singleton, Brandon Lawrence, Daniel de Andrade, Toby Batley, Jeremy Curnier, Darshan Singh Bhuller, Patrick Harding-Irmer, Guy Detot, Paul Liburd, Jonathan Goddard, Erik Brahmania

Links - Wednesday 30 March, 2016 Obituary - Jill Tookey CBE, founder National Youth Ballet: Matthew Hemley, Stage Review - Royal Ballet, Giselle (Lamb, Hirano), London: Michelle Potter, Blog Interview - Francesca Hayward, Royal Ballet: Lyndsey Winship, Standard Feature - Brooklyn Mack, Washington Ballet & ENB guest: Kirstie Brewer, Guardian Review - National Ballet of Canada, La Sylphide, Toronto: Leigh Witchel, Danceview Times Review - Paul Taylor’s Modern American Dance, Spindrift,” “Images,” “Promethean Fire, New York: Marianne Adams, Danceview Times Reviews - BalletLORENT, Snow White, London: Neil Norman, Stage Rachel Elderkin, London Dance Review – Juilliard Dances Repertory, Roses, Moves, Symphony of Psalms, New York: Joel Benjamin, Theater Scene Review - English National Ballet & School, My first ballet: Sleeping Beauty, London: Claire Cohen, London Dance Feature - Bethany Kingsley-Garner, Scottish Ballet: Maria Croce, Daily Record Review - Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca, mixed programme, New York: Marsha Volgyi, Broadway World Review - Pennington Dance Group, mixed programme, Los Angeles: Jeff Slayton, Bachtrack Interview - Jennifer Winton on the transition from ballet to Dirty Dancing: Matt Tamanini, Broadway World

Liverpool lost Spring a long time ago - at least 10 years I would think - Manchester maybe 5 or 6 years ago.

The company tours the UK in the Autumn; it is the Spring Tour that has been largely lost to foreign touring. The Company also does a long season in London over Christmas and the New Year as well as instigating a week in the Spring at Sadler's Wells and the "in the round" season at RAH. They are a great company to watch, I wish I could see more of them but I can't fit everything in. I don't care what they are called!

We used to get ENB twice a year in both Liverpool and Manchester. First Liverpool was dropped in the Spring and then Manchester. When the Lowry opened in 2000 we also lost BRB and Rambert to Salford (and so did Manchester). However, it has to be said that I love going to The Lowry!

Michelle Potter has reviewed the Lamb/Hirano performance. This will be included in tomorrow's links: http://michellepotter.org/reviews/giselle-the-royal-ballet

My friend and I are seeing Shrew on 4th August.

I was just reading back through this thread and thought I would mention that Leanne Benjamin started her career at SWRB (now BRB) before moving to ENB and then following Peter Schaufuss to Berlin before coming back to the Royal. As she was at least a soloist by then it is not surprising that she quickly rose to principal at the Royal. She had plenty of experience in her previous companies.

You took the words right out of my keyboard Alison!

You haven't mentioned the film Mao's Last Dancer, part of the inspirational story of Li Cunxin (book and film the same name). The film stars the very wonderful Chi Cao as the adult Li.

But artistry is not just about technique. I have seen technical brilliance that has left me stone cold and in one performance left me on the verge of leaving at the interval (actually it was a male not female dancer). David Nixon, AD of Northern Ballet, made a comment to the dancers in class one Saturday morning when we were watching along the lines of "just because you can through your leg up behind your ear does not mean to say that is how you should do it if it is not called for by the choreography". I never saw Margot Fonteyn dance live but I have seen some stuff on TV over the years and boy, even on the small screen, she had that indefinable something that makes a great artist in spades. BTW, introducing a discussion about Nureyev on a topic about favourite ballerinas is taking it too far off topic!

And this one from today's Standard will be in the links tomorrow: http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/theatre/francesca-hayward-a-sugar-plum-life-a3213211.html "I just want always to move people. If someone cries, that’s brilliant" I wept at the beauty of her performance in Rhapsody.

That's a good point Alison. Some dancers, like Trinidad Sevillano, Desire Samaii, Altynai Asylmuratova, Martha Leebolt and (now also) Francesca Hayward for me walk on stage, breathe and I am lost! Of the other favourite dancers I listed they have all seared performances onto my mind even if I have not seen much of them. I agree that some dancers are better in some styles than others but those dancers I listed on my initial post have all had that certain something that has made them special to me (although I may prefer other dancers in certain roles).

JV2 brings emerging dance talent to Leeds for first time Formed by the internationally acclaimed Jasmin Vardimon Company, JV2 takes to the road this spring with a programme of both new and established work. Performing at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre for one performance only on 19 April 2016, JV2 presents JV2 2016, a triple bill that showcases the wealth of talent in the current company. Hand-picked by Artistic Director Jasmin Vardimon, JV2 is an ensemble of 16 young, talented international dancers, including six dancers who graduated from the Leeds-based Northern School of Contemporary Dance. JV2 is an educational initiative with the mission to develop, encourage and cultivate both young talent and young audiences. JV2 2016 features works choreographed by Jasmin Vardimon, AΦE and Vinicius Salles. Jasmin Vardimon’s work (in between), first created for the National Youth Dance Company in 2013 and premiered at Sadler’s Wells, echoes relationships between humans and the natural environment. AΦE, Ashford-based dance company founded by Esteban Fourmi and Aoi Nakamura in 2013, presents a work that questions the notion of presence, whilst choreography by Vinicius Salles offers an inquiry of social judgments and an acceptance of differences. Jasmin Vardimon says: ‘It’s a fantastic feeling to support young artists in their first steps in the professional world. I'm very proud of this company’s achievements and excited about the forthcoming tour.’ Tickets for JV2 2016 at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds are on sale now and can be booked online at theatreleeds.com or by calling the box office on 0113 220 8008. All tickets are priced at £10. - ENDS - Notes to Editors JV2 Now in its 4th year, JV2 has become a recognized training route for young performers from all over the world, and is just one of the training programmes offered by Jasmin Vardimon Educational Company; the charitable arm to the internationally acclaimed Jasmin Vardimon Company. JV2 offers the opportunity not only to nurture young talented performers, but young costume designers, photographers and lighting designers all collaborate on the production of the touring work. Young choreographers are also commissioned each year to create new work for the company which allows them creative freedom with a company of dancers and a national platform through performances at small and mid-scale venues in a spring tour. Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre The Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre is an intimate studio theatre situated inside the stunning home of Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre on Quarry Hill, Leeds. The building was winner of the 2011 National Lottery Award for Best Arts Project. The theatre was named as the best family friendly theatre in Yorkshire in the Netmums Theatre Awards. The theatre also received Best Family Venue, Best Family Event and Best Family Welcome at the 2013 Family Arts Festival Awards. The Stanley & Audrey Burton has signed up to the Family Arts Standards and supports Child Friendly Leeds.

DANCE GCSE TO INCLUDE WAYNE McGREGOR’S INFRA Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor’s one act ballet Infra has been added to AQA’s Dance GCSE syllabus. Available to students from September 2016 this is the first time McGregor’s choreography has become part of the GCSE curriculum. The inclusion of Infra in the AQA syllabus marks a change from the previous course which focused on traditional narrative ballet. The Dance GCSE explores various elements and genres of dance through performance and choreography, celebrating the art form and creating an appreciation of dance. Infra was created for The Royal Ballet in 2008 and is set to a score by Max Richter and features set designs by British artist Julian Opie. Wayne McGregor comments ‘Studying dance in schools contributes vitally to a well-rounded and wide-reaching general education for young people. Engaging creatively with the arts facilitates new modes of communication and self-expression, essential attributes for innovation in any domain. Dance sharpens a student’s ability to think with and through the body, while challenging them to combine a broad range of multiple intelligences to solve creative problems. I am thrilled that Infra will play a role in inspiring the next generation of talent.’ Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, adds ‘Infra is a ground-breaking work which showcases the possibilities of modern ballet. Wayne is a galvanizing force for dance in the 21st century and through his unique choreography he constantly challenges and extends balletic technique creating a new and exciting theatrical experience for dancers and audiences. I’m thrilled that thousands of young people will be able to study and learn from his genius.’ Seb Ross, AQA Performing Arts Qualifications Manager, said ‘We are delighted to have the work of renowned choreographer Wayne McGregor in our new GCSE Dance syllabus. Infra is a challenging and beautiful contemporary work and I’m pleased that AQA GCSE Dance students across the country will have the opportunity to study and enjoy the choreography.’ Wayne McGregor is renowned for his groundbreaking choreography and collaborations. He was appointed Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer in 2006 and has created 12 works for the Company. His most recent production was the critically acclaimed Woolf Works inspired by the writings of Virginia Woolf. Infra is a staple of The Royal Ballet repertory and has been performed around the world, most recently in New York as part of the Royal Ballet USA tour 2015. Obsidian Tear, McGregor’s latest work for The Royal Ballet premieres on 28 May. Ends Notes to Editors The Royal Ballet Based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, The Royal Ballet is Great Britain’s most prestigious ballet company and one of the great classical ballet companies of the world. Led by Director Kevin O’Hare, the Company has a wide-ranging repertory that showcases the great 19th century classics alongside heritage works including those of its two great 20th century choreographers Frederick Ashtonand Kenneth MacMillan. In addition, The Royal Ballet performs new works by Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor, Royal Ballet Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon and Liam Scarlett Royal Ballet Artist in Residence, three of the foremost international choreographers working today. The Royal Opera House is committed to enabling as many people as possible to experience and enjoy world class ballet. Each Season more than 740,000 people attend performances at the Opera House; 33,000 people participate in learning and participation events ranging from Monday Moves for blind and partially sighted people to Chance to Dance for talented children from underprivileged backgrounds.Many hundreds of thousands across the UK and overseas tune in to BBC radio and television broadcasts; more than 47,000 attend our free outdoor BP Big Screens – live relays from the Royal Opera House; and a further 730,000 have been able to watch our productions in cinemas worldwide.