Jan McNulty

Links - Thursday, Sept 17 2015 Reviews – Australian Ballet, Sleeping Beauty (McAllister), Melbourne: Valerie Lawson, DanceTabs Heather Bloom, Australian Stage Reviews: Ismene Brown, Spectator: English National Ballet, Lest We Forget Northern Ballet, 1984 Amici Dance Theatre, 35 Amici Drive Reviews – Royal Opera & Hofesh Shechter Company, Orphee et Eurydice, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Siobhan Murphy, London Dance Featurette – Paris Opera Third Stage: Aimee Grant Cumberbatch, Telegraph Documentary Review – Paul Taylor: Creative Domain: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Review – DANCE NOW Festival, New York: Olga El, Broadway World Feature – Dwight Rhoden, choreographer: James D Watts Jr, Tulsa World Featurette – Paloma Herrera poised to take final bow in Buenos Aires: Pablo Bardin, Buenos Aires Herald Preview - Smuin Ballet, Dance Series One, Mountain View & on tour: Leeta-Rose Ballester, San Jose Mercury News

The Royal Ballet and Nowness have collaborated on a short film with Principal Lauren Cuthbertson. Directed by Andrew Margetson the film features choreography by Alastair Marriott. The clip can be viewed from the link below. https://www.nowness.com

UK PREMIERE Christian Rizzo d’après une histoire vraie Sadler’s Wells, EC1R 4TN Monday 16 & Tuesday 17 November Performances at 7.30pm Tickets £20 Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com French choreographer, set designer, director and visual artist Christian Rizzo presents the UK premiere of d’après une histoire vraie (based on a true story) at Sadler’s Wells on Monday 16 & Tuesday 17 November. This explosive, expressive choreography for eight male dancers is Rizzo’s exploration of Turkish war dances. Rizzo takes inspiration from his memories of a folk dance show at a festival in Istanbul in 2004, creating this piece using the feelings that the masculine, Turkish folklore performance evoked in him. Channelling these emotions into d’après une histoire vraie, Rizzo examines dance as it relates to communities, and how movement ties individuals together. Normally known for his thoughtful and introspective approach to choreography, this fierce and dynamic work sees Rizzo break away from his established canon. The movements and the music of d’après une histoire vraie play with both popular and contemporary forms. While taking cues from folkloric dance, Rizzo continues in his choreographic studies of falling and touching. Initially concentrating on minimal, ritualistic movements, his cast of dancers are propelled by two drummers, whose rapid-fire percussion lead the audience towards a neo-traditional rock rave. The drumming by Didier Ambact and King Q4, bordering between tribal and psychedelic rhythms, creates the tense atmosphere of battle, accompanied by Caty Olive’s atmospheric lighting. Christian Rizzo said: “This is collegial dance. It questions our notions of community. It digs into the ground while at the same time looking for elevation. Rather than recreating a pre-existing dance in its entirety, I wanted to understand why I felt such empathy with that precise moment in Istanbul and with that form of dance, and why their impact still resonates with me now.” Christian Rizzo is Director of the Centre Chorégraphique National de Montpellier. He was awarded the 2013 prize for choreography by the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques (SACD). d’après une histoire vraie won the Syndicat de la Critique’s grand prix for dance in 2013. NOTES TO EDITORS Christian Rizzo Christian Rizzo was born in 1965 in Cannes. His artistic career began in Toulouse, where he started a rock band and designed a line of clothing, after which he studied fine arts at the Villa d'Arson in Nice, then unexpectedly branched out into dance. In the 90s he performed with a number of contemporary choreographers including Mathilde Monnier, Herve Robbe, Mark Tompkins and Georges Appaix, and sometimes created soundtracks and costumes for them as well. He also worked with choreographers with a different artistic approach, such as Vera Mantero, Catherine Contour, Emmanuelle Huynh and Rachid Ouramdane. In 1996 he founded L'association Fragile and began presenting events, dancing objects, solos and group pieces, as well as various projects and commissioned work in fashion and the visual arts. Since then, over thirty projects have borne fruit, not counting his pedagogical activities. Christian Rizzo teaches on a regular basis in art schools in France and abroad, as well as in establishments devoted to contemporary dance. Sadler’s Wells Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance house, 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 award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour internationally. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 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, 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.

ZooNation Dance Company Into the Hoods: Remixed Friday 23 October - Saturday 14 November 2015 Performances: Tue - Sat at 7.30pm, Sat at 2.30pm & Sun at 2pm & 6pm Tickets: £15 - £38 (Under 16s half price) Ticket Office: 020 7863 8222 or www.peacocktheatre.com Into the Hoods: Remixed, the newly revamped version of the award-winning production that stormed the West End in 2008 returns to The Peacock from 23 October – 14 November 2015, under the direction of Sadler’s Wells’ Associate Artist, Kate Prince before embarking on a national tour in 2016. ZooNation Dance Company uses its trademark narrative hip hop dance theatre style to tell the story of two school children, lost in the ‘Ruff Endz Estate’. The audience follow the children, who have been tasked by the Landlord to find an iPod touch as white as milk, trainers as pure as gold, a hoodie as red as blood and some weave as yellow as corn. Along the way, they meet DJ Spinderella, wannabe singer Lil Red, vivacious rapper Rap On Zel, budding music producer Jaxx and embark upon a storybook adventure into the heart of a pulsating community. The original Into The Hoods received universal praise at two Edinburgh Fringe runs (2006/07) and during its West End run in 2008, winning a What’s On Stage Award for Best Ensemble Performance and an Olivier nomination for Best Theatre Choreography. Its success has had a huge impact on the profile of hip hop dance in the UK; the production became the first ever hip hop dance show to open in the West End and subsequently became one of the longest running dance shows in the West End’s history. The much-loved show returns to the stage with all the wit and charm of the original, but updated with new designs, new costumes, and a remixed soundtrack, ready for a 2015 audience. Into The Hoods: Remixed features music from James Brown, Queen Latifah, Jay Z, Jennifer Hudson, Kool + The Gang, Salt n Pepa, Chemical Brothers, Kano, MC Hammer and new original work from Danilo ‘DJ’ Walde (Some Like it Hip Hop, The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party). The newly revamped show is once again directed and written by Kate Prince and features an updated creative team with musical direction by Danilo ‘DJ’ Walde, set design by Ben Stones, video design by Andrzej Goulding, costume design by Ben Stones and Russell Royer and lighting design by Andy Murrell. The production also features Carrie-Anne Ingrouille as associate director, Rowen Hawkins as associate choreographer. The full choreographic team includes Rowen Hawkins, Kendra Horsburgh, Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, Rhimes LeCointe, Shaun Niles, Kate Prince, Kenrick Sandy, and Mikey Ureta. The 2015 cast features Some Like it Hip Hop stars Natasha Gooden as Lil Red and Duwane Taylor as Wolf. The cast also features Corey Culverwell and Mikey Ureta, former members of ZooNation Youth Company and Groove on Down the Road, who were finalists on Britain's Got Talent with their crew BoyBand. They will be playing the roles of Jaxx and the Giant. Newcomers to ZooNation include Jade Hackett as RapOnZel, Daryl Baker as Prince and Dutch dancer Lucinda Wessels as Spinderella. Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince founded ZooNation Dance Company in 2002. In 2008 Kate choreographed the West End cast of Into the Hoods for a special performance for Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday Concert in Hyde Park. In 2011 she wrote, directed and co-choreographed ZooNation’s production Some Like it Hip Hop which enjoyed a critically successful sell-out run and returned to London again the following year, before embarking on a UK tour and playing a third season at The Peacock in the Spring of 2013. In 2012 she collaborated with Felix Harrison, Josh Cohen and Danilo ‘DJ’ Walde to create the short film and the original music for The Holloway Launderette for the BAFTA and Channel 4 ‘Big Dance Shorts’. Kate’s most recent work includes, writing, directing and co-choreographing ZooNation’s productions Groove On Down The Road for the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, and The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, which was the first hip hop dance piece to be commissioned by the Royal Opera House. Kate was lead choreographer for the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Handover Ceremonies in 2008 with dancers from ZooNation, CandoCo and the Royal Opera House. She has choreographed for two seasons of So You Think You Can Dance (BBC) and for the movie StreetDance 3D. She also choreographed a special performance at the Laurence Olivier Awards 2011 to music from West Side Story played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the opening ceremony of the Tour de France 2007. Kate choreographed for the musical Shoes directed by Stephen Mear, Ballyturk at the National Theatre written and directed by Enda Walsh, and It’s A Mad World My Masters at the RSC directed by Sean Foley. Last year she choreographed the West End musical I Can’t Sing! The X Factor Musical, working alongside writer Harry Hill and director Sean Foley. Into the Hoods: Remixed is co-produced with Sadler's Wells and co-commissioned by Curve, Leicester and supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Kate Prince is a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist and ZooNation Dance Company is a Sadler’s Wells Resident Company Notes to Editors: Listings information ZooNation Dance Company Into the Hoods: Remixed Friday 23 October - Saturday 14 November 2015 Performances: Tue – Sat at 7.30pm, Sat at 2.30pm & Sun at 2pm & 6pm Tickets: £15 - £38 (Under 16s half price) Ticket Office: 020 7863 8222 or www.peacocktheatre.com In 2016 Into the Hoods: Remixed will visit the following venues as part of a National Tour, Please refer to the venue websites for details of on sale dates and how to book. Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton Grand 25 – 27 February Blackpool, The Grand Theatre 1 – 2 March Dartford, The Orchard Theatre 8 – 9 March Leicester, Curve 14 – 15 March Truro, Hall for Cornwall 18 – 19 March Sheffield, The Lyceum 22 – 23 March Brighton, Brighton Dome 25 – 26 March Southampton, Mayflower Theatre 28 – 29 March Canterbury, Marlowe Theatre 1 – 2 April Manchester, Manchester HOME 5 – 9 April Into the Hoods: Remixed is made possible by strategic touring funds from Arts Council England. The ZooResidence Project which will use Into the Hoods: Remixed, to bring innovative dance to diverse audiences across the country. Using live shows and digital outreach, the wider project will engage grass roots groups and local networks to involve local people as participants and spectators in wrap around audience engagement projects in 5 key locations. ABOUT ZOONATION ZooNation is a groundbreaking hip hop dance theatre company, bringing together a professional dance company with training and performance opportunities for young people. ZooNation Dance Company was founded in London in 2002 by director and choreographer, Kate Prince. In May 2010 ZooNation became a Resident Company at Sadler’s Wells and Kate Prince became an Associate Artist. The company’s main focus is creating pieces of full-length narrative hip hop dance theatre. These include the five-star, award-winning show Into the Hoods – which went on to become the first ever hip hop dance shows and one of the longest running dance shows in West End history. ZooNation’s next production, Some Like It Hip Hop, also received five-star reviews and several award nominations, touring the UK and playing in London for two West End runs. Groove On Down The Road, featuring ZooNation Youth Company (ZYC) aged 10-21 was commissioned by the Southbank Centre and played for two seasons at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Most recently, ZooNation created The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, for the Christmas season in the Linbury Studio. The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party was the first hip hop piece to be commissioned by the Royal Opera House, and was streamed live online, and made available on BBC iPlayer. ZooNation Dance Company has also performed at many major high-profile events including the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Handover Ceremonies, Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday Celebrations in Hyde Park, the 2011 Laurence Olivier Awards and The Opening Ceremony of the Tour de France 2007. In addition to performances, ZooNation trains over 170 young people at their Saturday Academy in London. ZooNation Academy of Dance (ZAD) offers 4 to 21 year olds weekly classes covering a range of hip hop styles from locking and popping to breaking and nu skool, all taught by the company’s highly acclaimed dancers, and has recently announced a new partnership with Lyric Hammersmith to create ZAD West. ABOUT CURVE Curve is a spectacular state-of-the-art theatre based in the heart of the Leicester’s vibrant Cultural Quarter. Opened in 2008 by Her Majesty The Queen, the award-winning building, designed by acclaimed architect Rafael Viñoly, offers a completely unique visitor experience. Unlike any other theatre in the UK, Curve has no traditional backstage area. Audiences can enjoy the full theatre making process, peek behind the scenes and maybe even spot an actor or two dashing from the stage to their dressing room or enjoying a coffee in our Café. The curved façade is made from 1,192 tonnes of steel and 46000m² of glass. Managed by Leicester Theatre Trust, Curve is a registered charity providing engaging world- class theatrical experiences for our local communities. It enable people of all ages and backgrounds to access, participate in and learn from the arts, nurturing new and emerging talent, and creating world-class theatrical experiences. 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 internationally. 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.

Links - Wednesday, Sept 16 2015 Reviews – Paris Opera Ballet & Company Wayne McGregor, Tree of Codes, New York: Apollinaire Scherr, FT Siobhan Burke, NY Times Wendy Perron, Dance Magazine Craig Hubert, Blouin Art Info News – Paris Opera Introduces a Digital ‘Third Stage’: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Reviews – Australian Ballet, Sleeping Beauty (McAllister), Melbourne: Chloe Smethurst, Sydney Morning Herald Stephanie Glickman, Herald Sun Preview: Sally Bennett, Herald Sun Reviews – Northern Ballet, 1984, Leeds: Louise Levene, FT not credited, Morning Star Reviews - Royal Opera & Hofesh Shechter Company, Orphee et Eurydice, London: Andrew Clements, Guardian Michael Church, Independent Alexandra Coghlan, Arts Desk Barry Millington, Standard George Hall, Stage David Karlin, Bachtrack Mark Valencia, What's on Stage Review – Jeanine Durning, To Being, New York: Martha Sherman, Danceview Times Feature – Raven Wilkinson, “Before Misty Copeland there was Raven Wilkinson”: Alyssa Rachelle, Atlanta Blackstar News – Misty Copeland added to roster for Pearl Jubilee Anniversary Gala: News Desk, Broadway World Review – New Chamber Ballet, In the Parlour, La Mandragore, Gravity, Friction, New York: Caryn Cooper, Broadway World Interview - Botis Seva, choreographer: Carmel Smith, London Dance And finally... Feature – New York City Ballet at NY Fashion Week Opening Ceremony: Connie Wang, Refinery 29

RIP Brian Close. I can remember watching him play (on TV) in the 1970s - but I don't think I realised how mature he was a player then. A true gentleman of sport.

I would have said it was suitable for an 11 year old. The mixed bill in Hull (the only date in the Autumn) starts with an abstract work - Christopher Hampson's Perpetuum Mobile, which is very classical and very pretty. Madame Butterfly is a reduced version of the full length but distills the essence of the story. It is, of course, a tear-jerker. Here's the thread discussing this programme when it toured earlier in the year: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/9775-northern-ballet-perpetuum-mobilemadame-butterfly-tour-spring-2015/

The Birmingham Repertory Theatre Production of The Snowman The Peacock, WC2 Wednesday 25 November 2015 - Sunday 3 January 2016 Tickets: £15 - £35 Performances: Times vary, see listing information below Family ticket: £110 (4 tickets, must include at least 1 child) Ticket office: 020 7863 8222/ www.sadlerswells.com “Sheer theatrical magic. Go see The Snowman and melt” The Times Created by The Birmingham Repertory Theatre 22 years ago, The Snowman has been delighting young and old alike for 18 years at the Peacock Theatre with its wonderful mix of storytelling, spectacle and magic. Based on Raymond Briggs' book The Snowman and featuring Howard Blake’s much-loved score, Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s production has become “an essential part of London’s Christmas calendar” (Time Out), and has been seen by over half a million people since it first came to the Peacock Theatre in 1998. The enchanting show tells the story of a young boy’s adventures when his snowman comes miraculously to life on Christmas Eve. Featuring a dazzling array of colourful characters including dancing penguins, magical reindeer, a beautiful snow princess, her wicked beau Jack Frost and of course, Father Christmas himself, The Snowman is a Christmas treat for all the family. The Snowman first appeared as a beautifully illustrated picture book by Raymond Briggs in 1978. It has since inspired the classic Oscar Nominated, BAFTA Award winning animated film, directed by Diane Jackson and produced by John Coates, and was first transmitted by Channel 4 on Christmas Eve, 1982. The magical stage production features Howard Blake’s timeless musical score played by a live orchestra, and includes the signature song ‘Walking in the Air' which reached number 3 in the UK charts when sung by choirboy Aled Jones in 1985. Suitable for all ages, The Snowman is the perfect introduction to dance for the very young. ‘One of those shows that gets me through the winter. Magical flight to a winter wonderland.’ The Daily Telegraph Listings information: The Birmingham Repertory Theatre Production The Snowman Peacock Theatre Wednesday 25 November 2015 - Sunday 3 January 2016 Performances: 11am, 2.30pm & 7pm Wednesday 25 November 2015 - Sunday 3 January 2016 Performance times vary on selected dates. See Sadler’s Wells website for full schedule. No performance: 25 Dec & 1 Jan Suitable for all ages Tickets: £15 - £35 Family Ticket: £110 (4 tickets inc at least one child) Audio-Described Performance: Saturday 12 December at 2.30pm Touch Tour: Saturday 12 December at 1pm Ticket office: 020 7863 8222 / www.sadlerswells.com

Ham and Passion Tour Dates Announced DeNada Dance Theatre is happy to announce its tour dates for Ham and Passion: a Triple Bill of Dance by Carlos Pons Guerra. The tour, which spreads over autumn 2015 and spring 2016, will take the company to six cities across the UK, opening in Leeds' stage@leeds on 2 October and closing in Bradford's Theatre in the Mill on 26 February 2016. Ham and Passion is an evening of seductive, provocative and emphatically Spanish contemporary dance theatre that will subvert the senses. This gender-bending night explores the history of homosexuality in 20th century Spain, as well as commenting on current notions of gender and sexual identity. Kitschy, filmic and darkly comical, DeNada Dance Theatre’s first triple bill promises to be an evening of luscious, thought-provoking entertainment- a feast of meaty and greasy dance soaked in a salsa of passion. The triple bill opens with Passionaria, a fantasia of ham and sequins. Set to Manuel de Falla’s haunting score for El Amor Brujo, it is a story of exorcism happening backstage in a dingy cabaret of Civil War Barcelona, where a drag artiste has just murdered her abusive fascist lover. Next up is Young Man!.This tale of ham and passion is inspired by Roland Petit’s ballet, Le Jeune Homme et la Mort, and is a duel of seduction that puts the figure of the Spanish macho to the test, delving into the fatality of innate passions. Completing the triple bill is O Maria, a divine comedy of ham and bondage set in a stifling kitchen of 1950's Seville, where a divine apparition unleashes a torrent of unquenchable desires for a religious woman with a feeding fetish and her tightly bound husband. Choreographed by Carlos Pons Guerra, Ham and Passion is performed by an international cast of dancers- Azzurra Ardovini (Italy), Victoria Da Silva (Spain), Phil Sanger (UK), Lisard Tranis (Spain) - to an eclectic soundtrack of Latin vintage classics and Manuel de Falla's El Amor Brujo, with costume and set design by Ryan Dawson Laight (Drunk, Le Gateau) and lighting by Barnaby Lionel Booth. can catch Ham and Passion at any of the following venues: stage@leeds LEEDS 2 October at 7:30 PM Tickets: 0113 343 8730 // www.stage.leeds.ac.uk Blue Elephant Theatre LONDON 14 & 15 October at 8:00 PM Tickets: 020 7701 0100 // www.blueelephanttheatre.co.uk The Performance Hub WALSALL 7 November 7:30 PM Tickets: performancehub.eventbrite.co.uk Harrogate Theatre HARROGATE 5 February 7:30 PM Tickets: 01423 502 116 // www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk mac birmingham BIRMINGHAM 25 February at 8:00 PM Tickets: 0121 446 3232 // www.macbirmingham.co.uk Theatre in the Mill BRADFORD 26 February at 7:30 PM Tickets: 01274 233200 // www.brad.ac.uk/theatre Recommended age: 14+ due to partial nudity and suggestive imagery. DeNada is currently planning workshops, lectures and open classes around the tour, so please watch this space for participation opportunities. We hope to see as many of DeNada's followers and new faces as possible during the tour- follow the ham's adventures on @DenadaDT #hamandpassion. The tour of Ham and Passion is funded by Arts Council England and Instituto Cervantes, and is kindly supported by a number of organisations that are listed on the Company website. http://www.denada-dance.com/news/2015/9/14/ham-and-passion-tour-dates-announced

I enjoyed the documentary very much. David Bintley is both erudite and articulate, which makes for easy viewing. I saw The King Dances earlier in the summer and loved it but I didn't think it came over as well on the small screen. It is really dramatic from the start with the flaming torches in the flesh, and this level of drama didn't come across. I still enjoyed the performance though and am looking forward to seeing it again at Sadler's Wells in October.

We were posting at the same time Tinkerbell! I'd put a link to the FB page on the Auditions 2016 thread!

Moorland International Ballet Elite has announced its audition dates on its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/683506615014701/photos/a.723512171014145.1073741829.683506615014701/1040221709343188/?type=1&fref=nf

According to the interview with Nao, published in last week's links, Chi is guesting in Australia! http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/birmingham-royal-ballet-dancer-nao-9985702 I am assuming there will be more casts on show in Birmingham, and I also assume casting should be out some time this week.

Hello Ballet111 and welcome out of the lurking shadows! Now that you have broken the posting ice, I do hope you will continue to post and let us know how your dd gets on.

Casting has been announced for Sleeping Beauty: http://new-adventures.net/sleeping-beauty/news/casting-announced-for-sleeping-beauty-uk-tour

I saw the cast led by Isaac Lee-Baker, Dreda Blow and Ashley Dixon this afternoon. Of course it was the same choreography but they looked very different! Isaac seemed more naive than the world-weary Toby and I think the effect on his duets with Julia was to make them look softer. It was another outstanding performance. I am seeing both performances on Saturday, so will reflect on how my feelings may have changed from the start of the run. A review of this cast from the Huddersfield Examiner.

Barrowland Ballet Tiger Tale Sadler’s Wells Lilian Baylis Studio, EC1R Friday 23 October at 3pm and Saturday 24 October at 11am & 3pm Tickets: children £7 adults £12 Ticket Office: 08444124300 or www.sadlerswells.com Sadler’s Wells welcomes leading Scottish dance company Barrowland Ballet to the Lilian Baylis Studio, performing the London premiere of Tiger Tale on Friday 23 & Saturday 24 October, following an international tour. Combining live music, theatre and dance, the show is a moving, intimate performance about a family whose world is turned upside down when a tiger invades. Created by Barrowland Ballet’s Artistic Director Natasha Gilmore and award-winning playwright Robert Alan Evans, Tiger Tale tells the story of a family suffocated by the relentlessness of their everyday routine who has forgotten what it is they love about one another. A daughter’s unhappiness goes unnoticed by her otherwise preoccupied parents. The invasion of a tiger proves chaotic, but brilliantly funny, and ultimately reignites love within the family. With captivating dancers and live music, this insightful story of family relationships offers audiences the chance to sit up close to the action, surrounding the performers on all four sides of the performance studio. Audiences are also given the opportunity to explore the set at the end of the show. Natasha Gilmore, Artistic Director of Barrowland Ballet, said: “Tiger Tale looks at risk, how it's easy and safe to stay in a routine, even if it's suffocating. This work looks at the danger of being locked in routine and the necessity of taking risk. I'm excited to give both adults and children a dance theatre experience that is sophisticated and thrilling and takes unexpected risks. It's a universal story about families that communicates beyond language barriers." Based in Glasgow, Barrowland Ballet is one of Scotland’s most exciting and successful contemporary dance companies, whose works are delivered wit and humour and create an intimate connection with audiences of all ages. Directed and choreographed by Natasha Gilmore with music from Kim Moore Age guidance 5+ NOTES TO EDITORS 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, its 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. Barrowland Ballet Barrowland Ballet is one of Scotland’s most exciting and successful contemporary dance companies. Based in Glasgow, the company name reflects their mix of popular culture, high art, their East Glasgow base and their belief that dance is for everyone. Built around the artistic work of choreographer Natasha Gilmore and inspired by her personal experiences, the works are delivered wit and humour and create an intimate connection with audiences. The insightful observations of human behaviour and relationships enable audiences to identify with the stories which will resonate with their own experiences. Gilmore has forged her identity as a multi-art form artist by using original composition, text, intriguing designs and film to create her bold choreographic style. Collaborating is a strong element of Barrowland Ballet’s ethos and Natasha has worked with some of the UK’s leading artists.

It is the list of professions where I believe it is easier for non-EU nationals to get permission to work here. Does anyone else remember that we had a discuss a while ago because it looked as though our home companies would have more difficulty, for example, recruiting Australians if ballet dancers were not included on the list? I saw the item on the news and it seemed mainly to be about a disconnect between visa allocations by immigration and recruitment by NHS. The ballet dancer bit was just a throwaway remark.

ENB usually announce casting early compared to the companies I follow!

A slightly expanded interview (and some photos) with Nao in the Daily Mail, I assume this means Nao and Yasuo will be cast in Birmingham!

The company has opened at the Lowry before Birmingham in the Autumn for the last couple of years. Do hope you get to see Brandon! Now you know why I whinge about the cost of coming to London too!

Casting for Swan Lake at The Lowry has been published: http://brb.org.uk/masque/index.htm?act=WhatsOn&urn=34949&tsk=fullcast ARE YOU READING THIS TWO PIGEONS!!!! I myself am ridiculously over-excited!!!

It may also prevent you from being treated like something the advisor trod in on the way to work!

Robin Dingemans & Nick Bryson The Point At Which It Last Made Sense Friday 9 October 2015 Performance at 8pm Lilian Baylis Studio, EC1R Tickets: £17 (£8.50 concessions) Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com Following on from the success of the =dance strand, Sadler’s Wells continues its commitment to presenting dance by deaf and disabled artists with The Point At Which It Last Made Sense in the Lilian Baylis Studio on Friday 9 October 2015. The Point At Which It Last Made Sense is a multi-iteration work using dance, sound and video. This collaboration between choreographers Robin Dingemans and Nick Bryson shows beauty in all its aspects, from the profound to the superficial and everything in between, thereby challenging the advertising norms we are immersed in. Through a series of extraordinary images, moments of reflection and startling poses a young couple lip-sync to perfect advertising voices. The piece is an emotional study of vulnerability, compassion and the superficial nature of our marketing-overloaded lives, which invites the audience to draw conclusions about the advertising industry and its strong role in our society. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the previously advertised cast for The Point At Which It Last Made Sense has changed. The show will now be performed by dancers Marlieke Burghouts and Michael Turinsky. Robin Dingemans is a choreographer, performer and teacher and workshop leader who works primarily in Sweden and the UK. In 2009 he was nominated for Outstanding Male Performance by the UK Critics Circle National Dance Awards. Dingemans has performed in works by Weld Company, Fevered Sleep, Station House Opera, DV8 Physical Theatre, Protein, Theatre Rites and many more. Dingemans’ work plays freely with the boundaries of choreography, experimenting with the devising process and potential outcomes, which include dance for the stage, non-traditional performance spaces, video, social dances, publication of writing and other mediums. Originally from New Zealand, Robin has been based in Europe since 1998. Nick Bryson is an Irish choreographer, performer and co-founder in 2007 of Legitimate Bodies Dance Company. His artistic career includes international collaborations with artists Damian Punch, Annika Luschin and Niamh Condron. Bryson has toured work extensively throughout Europe and America including Hanging in There, The Goldilocks Zone, Touching Distance, Second Hand Landscapes and many more. He is currently dance artist in residence in Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, County Wicklow. He has taught improvisation and somatics in US universities, Maryland, Purdue and Luther College. Michael Turinsky, academically trained as a philosopher, is currently living and working as a theorist, dancer and choreographer in Vienna. Artistic collaborations with Sonja Brown, Andreas Constantinou, Barbara Kraus, Bert Gstettner, Claire Vivianne Sobottke, Teresa Vittucci, Cornelia Voglmayr, Doris Uhlich and others. Choreographic works include Rücksicht auf Darstellbarkeit (2008), Narcissus project (2008), heteronomous male (2012/2013), Signature Series (2013), my body, your pleasure and Micro Boom (2014). . Marlieke Burghouts is a dancer, choreographer, teacher and workshop leader who works primarily in Europe. In 2014, she received the Trinity Laban bursary award, allowing her to attend the M.A. Choreography at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. Her graduation performance was staged in London and Eindhoven (NL). She has created and presented work at Dansateliers Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Marlieke has danced for TNSP, the People Movers, Ekilibre Dance Company among others in New York City, and Compagnie Lumen in Lausanne, Switzerland. She is currently based in Amsterdam and leading dance workshops for semi-professional and professional dancers. A Greenwich Dance & Trinity Laban Partnership Compass Commission. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England, Arts Council of Ireland, Co-commissioned by Pavilion Dance South West, with further support in Ireland from The Firkin Crane, Legitimate Bodies Dance Company, Birr Theatre and Arts Centre, and UK from South East Dance, Escalator Dance, The Place and Roehampton University. Notes to Editors: Listings information Robin Dingemans & Nick Bryson The Point At Which It Last Made Sense Friday 9 October 2015 Performance at 8pm Lilian Baylis Studio, EC1R Tickets: £17 (£8.50 concessions) 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. In 2014-15 Sadler’s Wells presented =dance, a year-round programme of work which focused on the excellent and innovative work being created by deaf and disabled artists and inclusive companies.

And from "A Younger Theatre"