Jan McNulty

Northern Ballet has published a photo gallery on the website. The photographs are by Emma Kauldhar of Dance Europe: http://northernballet.com/swan-lake/swan-lake-photo-gallery

Wow Ian, that is fantastic! Thanks for sharing.

Hello Gracefulasabutterfly and welcome to the Forum!

There's the 3-day Ballet Retreat in Leeds but it's non-residential and a bit more than you wanted to pay: http://www.theballetretreat.com

Hello Holly house 9 and welcome to the Forum!

Do students get an opportunity to choreograph? If they do, then I assume they may be given some guidance/mentoring as to how their work looks. Are students taught the history of ballet and productions so that they can learn through that method ideas for structuring their own works. I was under the impression that some students realised they had a talent for / love of choreography rather than dancing themselves while they were still students?

Paul said: This is something that David Drew used to discuss with me often. His point about having a unique repertoire was two-fold. Having genuinely resident choreographers meant they really understood their dancers' abilities which influenced the quality of their creations. The fact that Ashton and MacMillan were creative opposites only added to the creative tension. Having exclusive rights to the works that resulted meant that the RB had unique calling cards when it did its, extensive, overseas tours in those days. That does not happen now with itinerant choreographers staging their same works more widely for companies around the world, the web, co-productions and cinema broadcasts. That's an interesting point Paul. I assume that means that all the companies will eventually look the same stylistically and that is sad really.

One of my friends was up top yesterday and said exactly the same thing Alison. Good point!

I did a search on "audition leotards" and here are some previous threads. You may find some useful advice in some of them. http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/11790-audition-leotards-and-colours/?hl=%22audition+leotards%22 http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/8101-what-to-wear/?hl=%26quot%3Baudition+leotards%26quot%3B#entry107382

But there is a topic here were it could validly be discussed: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/11798-choreographers-development/#entry160130

I was under the impression that choreography is taught at the vocational schools and that sometimes students are identified as being potential choreographers while at school. I would hope that the teaching would include an in depth look at the choreographic greats.

I have also seen RDB, POB and NBoC as well as Stuttgart Ballet (in Glasgow with Wolfgang Stollwitzer in the title role TP!!!) performing Onegin.

Member Terpsichore has published a review of last night (Tyrone/Nao) on her blog: http://jelterps.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/a-good-outcome-from-unhappy-event.html?showComment=1457277100644#c1341944895247357610

I'm not quite sure what you mean here Floss. I have seen several productions where some sections have been cut and there has been minor re-ordering. The Gable/Morricone production springs to mind as does the Ashton. Maillot's must also have cuts as that is also one of the shorter versions.

Well, IMHO Birmingham Royal Ballet are a company absolutely at the top of their game with enormous talent spread throughout. I saw 4 performances at the Lowry last week (I had to miss Thursday because I was in Leeds) and in every single one of them the entire cast was committed, interested and exciting. Every single dancer, no matter established company member or student, was completely engaged in the action - it didn't matter where you looked you were seeing the great, good and peasantry of Verona! I'm not a huge fan of the Macmillan Romeo. I am a lot more familiar with the way it is performed at BRB than at RB and I prefer BRB's set and costumes with the exception of the dreadful mandolin dance and Escalus costumes. At the Friends' rehearsal on Wednesday afternoon, Dominic Antonucci performed the role in mufti and to me it looked much more powerful. And so to the performances! On Wednesday evening Joseph Caley and Momoko Hirata led the cast. I had enjoyed their performances in Birmingham greatly but they ratcheted it up to another level on Wednesday evening. Momoko had deepened her interpretation and gave an intelligent and very emotional performance. Joe Caley comes over as a young lad about town who falls headlong in love. They have, for me, great on-stage chemistry. And yes, I was sobbing by the end! James Barton and Jonathan Caguioa were terrific as Mercutio and Benvolio respectively. Rory Mackay plays Tybalt as an older character who thinks himself better than the general populace and most of the time wishes he could stamp them out of existence! Ana Albutashvili was again a passionate Lady Capulet; her grief at Tybalt's death is almost scary to watch! Feargus Campbell was a Paris who wanted a trophy wife and who knew he was doing the Capulet's a favour by marrying her. What a fabulous performance altogether! (I gather from friends that William Bracewell and Delia Matthews gave outstanding debut performances on Thursday afternoon and that Nao (Wonder Woman) Sakuma and Chi Cao were wonderful on Thursday evening.) I finally caught up with Iain Mackay and Jenna Roberts on Friday evening. I absolutely agree with every word said about them by Nottsballetlover and Two Pigeons. It was an emotionally intense performance of great beauty. Tyrone Singleton had a really dangerous edge as Tybalt - to the extent that I really would not want to meet him in a dark alley after he had danced this role!! Wonderful stuff. Mathias Dingman gave us a glorious virtuoso performance as Mercutio - utterly believable and scintillating to watch. Brandon Lawrence, of course, inhabited the role of Benvolio. Samara Downs was terrific as Lady Capulet. The soon to be retired Steve Monteith is a kind and gentle Paris who genuinely cares for Juliet. He has been one of my favourite dancers since he joined BRB and I was so pleased to see him as his BRB career comes to an end in a role that fits him like a glove. This had been another wonderful performance. Saturday afternoon was very, very special indeed and I felt truly privileged to have witnessed this performance. Due to Cesar Morales' indisposition, William Bracewell stepped up to the plate as Romeo to Yaoqian Shang's Juliet. In only his second performance as Romeo and with little opportunity to rehearse with Yaoqian he gave one of the best performances of Romeo I have ever seen. He was totally subsumed into the role but not only was his characterisation spot on but his dancing was just glorious, What can I say about Yaoqian - oh wow - she broke my heart. It is unbelievable to think she is so young and can give a performance of such incredible emotional intensity. There were shivers running down my spine from her first appearance. She and William were breath-taking together. I was in tears in the balcony pdd and sobbing out loud by the end. Max Maslen mad a terrific debut as Mercutio too. Brandon Lawrence, Rory Mackay and Feargus Campbell as Benvolio, Tybalt and Paris continued to impress. In years to come, those of us who saw this performance will be able to remind people of how we were there at the beginning of what I am sure will be stellar careers for Yaoqian and William. There wasn't a single principal on stage this afternoon either but I am sure we saw several principals in waiting! At this point I should mention Nurse as portrayed brilliantly by Marion Tait, Ruth Brill and Ana Albutashvili. Marion Tait could well have been Lady Capulet's nurse minding the next generation too. Ruth Brill and Ana Albutashvili were much closer in age to Juliet in their portrayal and were very spunky as well as caring and loving. There was one of "those" moments last night in Act 3 when Yijing's Zhang's Lady Capulet looked at Ana Albutashvili with a look that said "there is something going on and I know you know what it is"! Brilliant! BRB are lucky to have so many wonderful actor/dancers throughout the company. So a remarkable end to a remarkable week. Mr Christiansen can put that in his pipe and smoke it!!! And now for Saturday evening... We were sitting in the auditorium waiting ... and waiting ... for curtain up. About 10 minutes after the scheduled start time Company Manager Paul Grist appeared and made an announcement that Jamie Bond had literally been injured warming up at 19:20 and that Tyrone Singleton would be taking his place. (We heard in the interval that, fortunately Jamie does not seem to be seriously injured). So Saturday night unexpectedly became Tyrone's debut as Romeo with a Juliet (Wonder Woman) with whom he has never danced a major role before! The late start was so that he and Nao could rehearse the lifts in the balcony scene! Apparently they rehearsed Act 3 in the interval. Well what can I say ... you never would have guessed that they had not danced together before; they had tremendous on-stage chemistry and were utterly fabulous together. Tyrone always strikes me as a very aristocratic dancer so although he was a lad about town you could tell that he was an upper class lad abut town. He was also very romantic and fell headlong in love with Juliet. He was very moving in the final scenes in the tomb. Nao has been dancing the role of Juliet for many years but still comes over as an utterly convincing 13 year old. She truly is just awesome. Again I felt privileged to be witnessing this remarkable performance. Mathias Dingman and Jonathan Caguioa were perfect foils as Mercutio and Benvolio. It was wonderful to have another opportunity to savour Steven Monteith's lovely Paris. Valentin Olovyannikov was a tetchy, jerky Tybalt.

Lovely interview with Pippa Moore: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/what-s-on/theatre/is-this-britain-s-oldest-professional-ballerina-pippa-moore-on-why-age-is-no-barre-1-7761851

Well having seen Iain and Jenna on Friday night I find it hard to believe Mr Christiansen attended a performance! I shall have to calm down now too... Thanks TP!

Is it online TP?

Northern Ballet's Spring Tour opened with Swan Lake in Leeds on Thursday and, of course, I was there! David Nixon's production can in no way be described as traditional and I love it. It is set in New England just before the start of WW1. There is a prologue showing two young brothers playing by the lake. One jumps in and does not reappear. The other jumps in after him, just as the first brother climbs out. The second brother never comes back... Act 1 opens with a picnic party by the side of the lake in 1912, Antony is a troubled young man obsessed by the water and still thinking he is blamed for his brother's death. His closest friend is Simon and he is flirting with Odilia. Basically a love triangle between Antony, Simon and Odilia starts. Antony remains by the like as everyone else leaves, contemplating his feelings. Swans arrive and he is transported by them. (Although there are nods to the Ivanov Act 2, the choreography is original.) Act 2 is set at a birthday party for Antony, who is still confused by his feelings for both Simon and Odilia. In this act there is a sparkling Neapolitan danced with fun and virtuosity by Matthew Koon and Kevin Poeung. At the end of the act Antony impetuously proposes to Odilia. In Act 3, Antony's obsession with swans continues and his marriage is obviously unhappy. Odilia asks Simon to intervene and is then shocked by the feelings between the 2 men. Antony, in anguish, dashes back to the lake and joins the swans... This particular section is very moving. Opening night honours went to Javier Torres as Antony, with Giuliano Contadini as Simon, Martha Leebolt as Odilia and Ayami Miyata as Odette. The company looked on splendid form with Giuliano, Martha and Ayami all terrific in their roles. Javier gave the best performance I have ever seen him give; it really was his night. He was wonderful throughout and particularly moving in the anguish of Act 3 and the final scenes. I've got lots more performances booked!!

NAO SAKUMA IS WONDER WOMAN!

Soap stars went to the performance on Wednesday night, although I didn't see them: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/coronation-street-emmerdale-hollyoaks-lowry-10987794 I have to say that this is not my favourite production of R&J by any means. I have, however, enjoyed the wonderful performances I have seen over the years. Weather permitting, I am back at the Lowry tonight and all day tomorrow.

Well what lovely news Jane. Yes, I was one of those bowled over by his performances in London last year!

You obviously never saw Didy Veldman's fabulous production for NB! Have you seen the Petit version?

WORLD PREMIERE A Sadler’s Wells Production ¡Vamos Cuba! Tuesday 26 July – Sunday 21 August Tickets: £12 - £45 Performances: Tue - Sat at 7.30pm, Sat mats 2.30pm, Suns 2pm & 6pm Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com ¡Vamos Cuba!, brings an intoxicating mix of traditional and modern Cuban dance styles to Sadler’s Wells this summer, receiving its World Premiere on the main stage from Tuesday 26 July – Sunday 21 August 2016. Choreographed by Nilda Guerra, ¡Vamos Cuba! (Let’s Go Cuba!) is a spectacular new Sadler’s Wells Production created by the team behind the smash-hit Havana Rakatan. Set in the chaos of Havana airport, where families are parted, lovers reunited and time flies when you’re having fun, the show evokes the joys and vibrancy of Cuban life with all the passion and humour that embodies the Cuban spirit. The high-energy production includes salsa, mambo, rumba, cha-cha-cha and reggaeton, performed by a band led by Julito Padron, a DJ and a cast of the most sizzling dancers Cuba has to offer. Experience the joyous spirit of Havana as ¡Vamos Cuba! reveals contemporary Cuban culture through a mix of music and dance. Internationally established choreographer and director Nilda Guerra began her professional career in 1993 as a dancer at Havana’s Teatro Lírico. In 2001 she founded Ballet Rakatan, one of Cuba’s most prestigious dance companies, performing on world renowned stages including Sydney Opera House, New York City Center, Le Carre Theatre, Tokyo City Hall and Oslo Opera House among others. Havan Rakatan has been seen by more than 200,000 people worldwide and has enjoyed six West End seasons at the Peacock. Julito Padron, widely recognized in Havana as one of the most promising jazz musicians coming out of Cuba, is a member of Irakere the Cuban jazz band led by Chucho Valdés. While continuing his association with the famous band, he is developing his own repertoire and assembling his own group. An alumni of the Escuela Nacional de Arte in Havana, Padrón anchors his art in the Cuban musical tradition. His professional career includes working with masters Ignacio Piñeiro and Adalberto Alvarez. As outside influences, Julio Padrón acknowledges American jazz and Brazilian music. 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.

Hello Danceworks Ballet Academy and welcome to the Forum! Thanks for the information about your Summer School. In accordance with our Acceptable Use Policy could I please ask you to add a signature to your profile? "Commerce There is no bar to people representing commercial ventures from signing up to BalletcoForum with a view to spreading information about their wares or offering relevant services. That said, we are not an advertising hoarding and repeated postings of the same or similar information will not be tolerated, nor frivolous posts which merely seem designed to get the company name ‘up there’. Nor will we allow vendors to use BalletcoForum as their shopfront: if you have a selling business you should use your own website for trade and market testing, not this one. Members who have commercial interests must indicate that by adding a Signature line to their postings, stating the name and type of their business and giving their website and/or business email address for enquiries. (You set up a Signature via My Settings in the dropdown menu under your name.) If members wish to contact businesses, associate schemes or other commercial enterprises this should be done via the vendor’s website or email, not by starting threads on the forum."