Jan McNulty

Hello Sam and welcome to the Forum! Please keep posting and let us know how you get on.

I was at the first night and have got a couple more performances booked at WYP and in Manchester. These are my impressions from the first night. I will be honest, when NB announced their new work was to be 1984 I was filled with dread. I saw the film in 1984 and had no good memories of it at all. I read the book a couple of months ago and felt a bit more hopeful. I went to the 1984 Revealed event and a day of open rehearsals and felt even more hopeful but you can't get away from the fact that it is a meaty, downbeat subject with no happy ending. So... Jonathan Watkins production of 1984 is an outstanding piece of dance drama! Having read the book, I expected the crowd scenes to have a repetitive feel to them as people, on the whole, are not depicted as individuals. The choreography is interesting and yes, it is repetitive but that fits in well with the context. The music is also pounding and repetitive and again that fits in with what I had envisaged for this piece. The set and the lighting are very clever and give a great impression of the dystopian world where everyone is constantly being watched. The movement is generally confined to a tight triangle of light which gives a really claustrophobic feel and makes the stage look really packed in the crowd scenes even though only 18 dancers are used in the production. Overall this production has, in my opinion, distilled the essence of the novel into a 2 hour dance drama. I agree with Sheila that the movements for the Proles are not really very different from the movement of the Party but that is a minor quibble. There is a beautiful duet for Winston and Julia in the countryside that ends Act 1. Julia has a couple of lovely solos and they have several touching moments together in Act 2. The moment where they realise they have been watched the whole time and betrayed by someone they had placed trust in is positively heart-stopping and from then to the final seconds I just forgot to breathe! As we have come to expect from Northern Ballet, the dancers give 110% commitment to their roles; the 2-minute hate scene is particularly effective. There is also a beautiful moment when all the dancers are watching the message on the screens and Winston and Julia surreptitiously hold hands before moving away from each other. Of the crowds, Hannah Bateman and Vicky Sibson stand out. Toby Batley's performance as Winston was a tour-de-force; he was totally subsumed into the role. His on-stage partnership with Martha Leebolt is rightly legendary and they were just breath-taking together. Martha was sublime as the rebellious Julia. Javier Torres was outstanding as O'Brien; it was so easy to see how Winston and Julia were taken in by him. His brutalisation of Winston was terrifying. Just to note that there is no really graphic violence. Hiro Takahashi was excellent as Mr Charrington. We were thrilled to learn later that George Orwell's son had been in the audience. To sum up, it is not an easy subject but it is an outstanding and compelling dance-drama production. I am looking forward to Thursday afternoon and a different cast and then both performances on Saturday. It will also be interesting to see how this production translates to a traditional proscenium stage.

A review from The Telegraph

Sheila posted her comments on the News thread, so I moved them here as the more appropriate thread.

Hello Flexible Fred and welcome to the Forum! I do hope you will continue to join in and let us know about your DD's progress.

Links - Saturday, Sept 05 2015 Review – Martha Graham Dance Company, Axe, Depak Ine, Echo, Embattled Garden, Jacob’s Pillow: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal Preview – Northern Ballet, 1984, Leeds: Vincent Dowd, BBC Interview – Kathleen Breen Combes, Boston Ballet: Alan Helms, DanceTabs News – This week’s new dance in Leeds and London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Preview – Dance Umbrella: “Grief, Age, Falling and Getting Up”, London: Liz Lerman, London Dance News – Fall (Autumn) Dance Preview in New York: Elizabeth Zimmer, Village Voice Play with Dance review – McQueen, London: Graham Watts, London Dance Preview – Brisbane Festival: Flexn’s bone-breaking moves tell stories of social injustice: Andrew Taylor, Sydney Morning Herald Feature – Pacific Northwest Ballet’s new look Nutcracker: Mimi Jung, King5 Edinburgh Festival 2015: Roundup Review – Report from the Fringe: Rachel Elderkin, London Dance

The casting for the first 4 performances is now on Northern Ballet's website: http://northernballet.com/1984/casts

Sometimes it is the way it is worded Katherine...

Becky, I hope I am not being too blunt but I cannot see the point (pardon the pun) of trying things just in the hope that they will work. After all, pointe shoes are not cheap as you have said yourself. It will probably be much cheaper and less stressful in the long run to miss half a term of pointe and work on everything else. Make appointments now to see the fitters Anna has recommended so that you are not disappointed nearer the time.

I rather like the name Jade (despite what the dictionary gives for meanings other than a name).

The Arcadian Car Park may be an easier option, it's much bigger and you can usually find a space even near Christmas. It is 2-3 minutes walk from the BRB studios. It's the one I usually use. http://www.apcoa.co.uk/parking-in/birmingham/arcadian.html There are 2 much cheaper, council run car parks on Pershore St (pay and display) - one a multi story and one open air. Because they are cheaper and also very handy for the Bullring they do tend to get full - especially in November and December.

Links - Friday, Sept 04 2015 Feature – Twyla Tharp’s Troupe Prepares for a Milestone Tour: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Feature – Bounding across space and time, via DVD: Alastair Macaulay, Brian Seibert, Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Satellite Collective, BAM Fisher bill, New York: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – Royal New Zealand Ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Auckland: Raewyn Whyte, NZ Theatreview Feature – West Australian Ballet Company rehearsals in full swing for Coppelia, Maylands: Pamela Medlen, ABC Feature/Preview – Texas Ballet Theatre, Dracula, Dallas: Katie Dravenstott, Theater Jones Feature – Dancer Mickael Jou takes self-portraits: Ellen Scott, Metro Review – Alekhya Punjali, Trisha, Hyderabad: Gudipoodi Srihari, The Hindu

This is somewhat off topic but I believe David Bintley's intention was that people should want to book to see the company rather than specific dancers. I think that was his aspiration rather than assuming that the change took place when he took over. Because I have nearly always had to travel to see lots of ballet and because I was working, I have always had to take pot luck with whom I would be seeing and it has never bothered me. When the casting is published, if there is another cast I want to see, time and money permitting I book another performance. I don't like the concept of having to actively opt out of receiving a phone call.

Funnily enough I haven't received such a letter or phone call but I know others who have. I think this campaign has been going on for at least a year. I think it is a step too far, but I think other companies (and not just ballet) are also doing things like this. I had a phone call from the Liverpool Everyman/Playhouse earlier this year along similar lines.

Hello Jennyboydance and welcome to the forum! I hope you will keep posting and let us know how your DS progresses.

Links - Thursday, Sept 03 2015 Comment – Is Dance Criticism Dead: Marcia B Siegel, Arts Fuse Review – Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance, New York: Apollinaire Scherr, FT Interview – Alison McWhinney, ENB: Carmel Smith, London Dance News – La La La Human Steps closes down: news desk, CBC News – Julie Kent has new role at American Ballet Theatre: Michael Cooper, NY Times News – John McFall, AD Atlanta Ballet, steps down on 1st June 2016: news desk, Atlanta Intown Paper Preview – Malpaso Dance Company at Laguna Dance Festival, Laguna: Michael Miller, LA Times Preview – Visceral Dance Chicago, Chicago: Dance News Desk, Broadway World Review – Asia Pacific Dance Festival, Honolulu: Pawit Mahasarinand, The Nation

While doing some preparatory work for the links tomorrow I came across an article about a biography of Anna Pavlova suitable for 5-8 year olds. It is available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Swan-Life-Dance-Anna-Pavlova/dp/1452118906/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441222763&sr=8-1&keywords=laurel+snyder Here is the article about the author and the book: http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/entertainment/books-literature/ballerinas-backstory-helped-atlanta-childrens-auth/nnW4x/

For many years I worked in a mainly male environment. When they used to tease me about going to Bradford for a week to see ballet I used to ask them that if Liverpool and Everton played every night for a week would they go to that? The answer was always, of course we would it would be a different match every night. They just could not see that ballet is exactly the same!

The Duchy Ballet Company is holding auditions in St Austell this month: http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/dance/story-27714849-detail/story.html https://www.facebook.com/pages/Duchy-Ballet/41390984321?fref=ts

Yabin Studio & Eastman / Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui GENESIS生长 UK Premiere Monday 28 & Tuesday 29 September 2015 Performances at 7.30pm Tickets: £12 - £38 Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com Commissioned by Yabin Studio, choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and produced by Yabin Studio and Eastman Acclaimed contemporary dancer and choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and leading Chinese dance artist Yabin Wang bring the UK premiere of their new work, GENESIS 生长 to Sadler’s Wells on 28 & 29 September 2015. The first dance work to have been commissioned from a European choreographer by a dance artist working in mainland China, GENESIS生长 had its World Premiere at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing in 2013, and has since toured throughout Europe. Set to live music with roots in Africa, India, Japan, China and Poland, GENESIS生长 is a show about origin. We are born and then we die, and in the meantime we undergo constant testing and increasing estrangement from the natural world. The production translates philosophical ideas about life, the pressures imposed on us by society to perform and conform, into beautiful sequences of movement in which east and west, life and death, come together. GENESIS生长 marks the first London appearance of Yabin Wang. She will dance alongside six other dancers, three from Eastman and three from Yabin Studio, her company. It features an electronic score by composer Olga Wojciechowska, set designs by Liu Kedong and costume design by Li Quing. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist. He has created more than 20 works including zero degrees, Babel Sutra and m¡longa and is acknowledged as one of Europe’s most exciting choreographers. He continues to work with a variety of theatres, opera houses and ballet companies from around the world including Dutch National Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, GöteborgsOperan Danskompani, Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon in Tokyo and Stuttgart Ballet. Cherkaoui received international acclaim for his choreography in Joe Wright’s feature film Anna Karenina (2012). Earlier this year, Cherkaoui was announced as the new Artistic Director of Royal Ballet Flanders, a role he has taken on alongside his work with Eastman. Most recently Larbi worked with Benedict Cumberbatch on the movement for Hamlet at Barbican directed by Lyndsey Turner. Yabin Wang founded Yabin Studio in 2009 and has since produced numerous dance performances under the name of Yabin & Her Friends. Yabin Studio produces full-length dance programmes and commissions choreographers from the US, Europe and China to create new work. Trained in classic Chinese dance at the Beijing Dance Academy, Wang choreographed and danced in Zhang Yimou’s internationally renowned feature film House of Flying Daggers (2004). In 2014, Artistic Director of the English National Ballet Tamara Rojo invited Wang to choreograph work for a new triple bill entitled She Said, alongside two other female choreographers Aszure Barton and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. The new work will premiere at Sadler’s Wells in April 2016. Looking forward to her London debut, Yabin Wang said, “I was very proud to take this major step in commissioning work from an acclaimed European choreographer and am delighted to be bringing it to Sadler’s Wells. GENESIS生长 builds on the ethos of Yabin & Her Friends – to bring together the best in the dance world to create world class works. It’s all about the participation and collaboration by and of Chinese dance artists with dance artists from other parts of the world.” On working with Yabin Wang, Larbi said, “She first mentioned the possibility of working together four years ago, and we have been developing the idea ever since. I always work on several projects in parallel. That gives me the chance to work on a production over a number of years to allow it time to mature...it is thanks to her invitation that GENESIS生长 was created.” A Sadler’s Wells co-production Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist The Monument Trust supports co-productions and new commissions at Sadler's Wells Notes to Editors: Listings information Yabin Studio & Eastman / Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui GENESIS生长 UK Premiere Monday 28 & Tuesday 29 September 2015 Performances at 7.30pm Tickets: £12 - £38 Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com About Sadler’s Wells Sadler's Wells is a world leader in contemporary dance, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the very 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 90 new dance works to the stage and its international award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour the world. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 appointed world class Associate Artists, three Resident Companies and an Associate Company and nurtures the next generation of talent through hosting the National Youth Dance Company, its Summer University programme, Wild Card initiative and its New Wave Associates. Located in Islington in 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 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England. About Yabin Dance Studio Founded by Chinese dancer and choreographer Yabin Wang in 2009 in Beijing, Yabin Dance Studio produces full length dance programmes and commissions new works from choreographers from the US, Europe and China. It has produced numerous dance performances under the name of Yabin & Her Friends. The seventh.production, The Moon Opera, premieres in China in October 2015 and features contributions from international artists in collaboration with Chinese artists in adherence to the Studio’s founding mission to “unite local and foreign talents to create and perform”. About Eastman Founded in January 2010, Eastman was set up to produce and spread the work of artistic director/choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Cherkaoui’s work provides the audience with a vast array of projects and collaborations; ranging from con-‐‐ temporary dance, theatre, ballet, opera, musical and other forms of performance. His non-‐hierarchical thinking on movement, body language and culture is the basis of his artistical approach. Set in his native harbor city of Antwerp (Belgium), Eastman forms the central point for all of Cherkaoui’s work. Since the foundation in 2010, Cherkaoui created amongst others Babel (words), Play, Rein, TeZukA, Puz/zle , 4D and 生 长 GENESIS under the wings of Eastman. Eastman also coordinates all the work of Cherkaoui for other organizations. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is associate artist at Sadler’s Wells (London, UK). International partners of Eastman include Sadler’s Wells (London), la Monnaie (Brussels), Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Grande Halle de La Villette (Paris), Theaterfestival Boulevard ‘s Hertogenbosch, Festspielhaus Sankt-‐Pölten, Fondazione Musica per Roma. Eastman is resident at deSingel International Art Campus (Antwerp) and is supported by the Flemish authorities and BNP Paribas Foundation.

What would you put in Room 101? Some ideas from Northern Ballet: http://northernballet.com/1984/video/room-101 Synopsis for 1984: http://northernballet.com/1984/scenario

Robert Fairchild to tribute Gene Kelly at 2015 Pearl Jubille: http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/AN-AMERICAN-IN-PARISs-Robert-Fairchild-to-Tribute-Gene-Kelly-at-2015-PEARL-JUBILEE-20150901

Links - Wednesday, Sept 02 2015 Obituary – Blondell Cummings, dancer & choreographer: Margalit Fox, NY Times Feature – Akram Khan says dance is as important as maths and being a doctor: Nick Clark, Independent Feature - Dores André, San Francisco Ballet: Claudia Bauer, DanceTabs News – Dance this week in New York: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Martha Graham Dance Company, AXE, Echo, Embattled Garden, Jacob’s Pillow: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Daniel Ezralow, Pearl, New York: Robert Greskovic, Wall Street Journal Feature – In the Upper Room (Tharp): Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Review – Footnote New Zealand Dance, 30 Forward, Christchurch: Julia Harvie, NZ Theatreview Preview – Texas Ballet Theatre, Dracula: Dangerous New Terrain, Dallas: Jeremy Hallcock, Dallas Observer Review - Madboots Dance, BEAU, (SAD BOYS), Jacob’s Pillow: Brian Seibert, NY Times Blog – Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre gets on the grid in Chicago: Alexandra Kochis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Edinburgh Festival 2015: Review – Zurich Ballet, Kairos, Sonnett: Thom Dibdin, Stage Review – Edinburgh Mela World Dance Feste: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Review - Rigolo Nouveau Cirque, Wings in my Heart: Kelly Apter, Scotsman/WOW 247

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET IN BBC FOUR TELEVISION WORLD PREMIERE The King Who Invented Ballet: Louis XIV and the Noble Art of Dance and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s newest work The King Dances to be broadcast on BBC FOUR on Sunday 13 September at 8pm. Birmingham Royal Ballet Director David Bintley is swapping the Birmingham Hippodrome stage for The Palace of Versailles in his latest TV appearance. Following on from the success of the March 2014 documentary Dancing in the Blitz: How World War II Made British Ballet, David Bintley presents his second programme for BBC FOUR for which he goes back in time to 17th Century France to discover the roots of classical ballet as we know it. Filmed over the last year, The King Who Invented Ballet is a 60 minute documentary which shows how Louis XIV’s patronage and passion for dance brought about the evolution of ballet from an instrument of propaganda in the French royal court into a professional art form in its own right. Framed through Bintley’s own personal fascination with Louis XIV, the film charts how ballet developed during the reign of Louis (also known as the Sun King) whilst also following Bintley’s creation of The King Dances, a brand new one-act ballet for Birmingham Royal Ballet which received its world premiere at Birmingham Hippodrome in June and which will receive its television world premiere on BBC FOUR directly following the documentary. During Louis XIV’s reign, dance was central to the lives of the nobility. Louis, himself a keen dancer, ensured that it would develop into an art form that could be taught, preserved and shared, commissioning the invention of dance notation and the foundation of the world’s first ballet school- the Académie Royale de Danse. The King Who Invented Ballet looks at the central social importance of dance in Louis’ era and features specially shot pieces that help to illustrate what 16th and 17th century dance was like and how it changed from being dominated by the male nobility to introducing the first professional female ballerinas- the pioneers of women in dance. David Bintley also visits stunning locations including Waddesdon Abbey in Aylesbury, The Paris Opera, The Louvre, The Palace of Versailles and the Biblioteque Mazarine to bring to life the world of Louis XIV and explore the artistic and political legacy he left behind. Bintley’s new ballet for Birmingham Royal Ballet, the 35 minute The King Dances explores Louis’ journey to kinghood. It is inspired by the Ballet de la Nuit, the seminal dance work from 1653 that introduced the fourteen year old Louis as the Rising Sun and the saviour of France after a period of civil war known as the Fronde. Featuring an original score by Stephen Montague, costumes and deigns by Katrina Lindsay and lighting by Peter Mumford, The King Dances is performed by fourteen male dancers and one female dancer. It was filmed specially for its television world premiere on BBC FOUR at Birmingham Hippodrome in June 2015. ENDS. Notes to editors: The King Who Invented Ballet: Louis XIV and the Noble Art of Dance and The King Dances will be shown on BBC FOUR on Sunday 13 September 20.00-21.40 Producer/ Director: Paul Wu Executive Producer: Mark Cooper for BBC Music Television The King Dances will tour in October 2015 in a triple bill of works from Birmingham Royal Ballet entitled Variations. Tour dates are as follows: Sadler’s Wells Theatre London, 16 – 17 October Theatre Royal Plymouth, 30 – 31 October

Is your toenail ingrowing?