Jan McNulty

I've just seen on the television news the very sad news that actor Warren Clarke has passed away. Although I never saw him on stage there are so many television series he enhanced over the years - my particular favourite being Dalziel and Pascoe. Condolences to his family and friends. BBC Guardian Independent

I know as a ballet watcher that you can never guarantee whom you will see because of all sorts of unforeseen circumstances but many people could well have booked especially to see her and it is galling that she is not performing because she is replacing another dancer elsewhere.

Many years ago, a friend and I had independently booked to see something in Nottingham. There is no central aisle and she was in the middle of the row. We met in the first interval and she said that the people in her row had not been happy with her leaving the row but we arranged to meet again in the second interval. I was a bit concerned when she did not turn up but assumed she was stuck in a queue for the ladies. When she appeared at the end of the performance she was in a terrible state and thought she was having a heart attack. The theatre staff rang for an ambulance. Fortunately it turned out to be a bad panic attack caused by the fact that the people on her row made it impossible for her to get out in the second interval. Absolutely disgraceful. I wish you had succumbed to temptation Fonty!

We've booked for the Wednesday and Thursday Lin!

The Gatsby party hit Bradford last night! The enthralled audience was treated to a scintillating performance led by Toby Batley and Martha Leebolt, that sparkled like vintage champagne. This production has lost none of its allure and continues to be a party I want to be at. All the leads (Toby, Martha, Kenny Tindall as Tom, Jessica Morgan as Myrtle, Hannah Bateman as Jordan, Jeremy Curnier and Antoinette Brooks Daw as Young Gastby and Daisy and Isaac Lee Baker as George) have deepened their performances as time has gone on. They are all oh so believable... It's the tiny little gestures that can mean so much, Jordan is introduced to us practising her golf swing and Hannah just had it nailed last night, She really was the sportswoman intent on improving her game. Jeremy Curnier was outstanding last night, very much the young man yearning for his love. The duet for Gatsby and Daisy in the tango scene was so gloriously danced last night that I quite forgot to breathe! All being well, 3 more performances this week!

Hello Nicholas and welcome to the Forum!

Perchpetuum Mobile was Christopher Hampson's first professionally commissioned work made for English National Ballet in (I think) the early 1990s. It uses music by JS Bach. We saw this work on a mixed programme a couple of years ago at Quarry Hill and I can remember enjoying it tremendously. The central section is a truly beautiful duet. NB issued a Youtube interview with Christopher Hampson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4u3kO2n5BY#t=44 There is a page with some information on NB's website, including a couple of pictures in the gallery: https://northernballet.com/?q=madame-butterfly-with-perpetuum-mobile

Phoenix Dance Theatre’s 2014 London season: 25 – 29 November - Linbury Studio Theatre, ROH, London WC2 A trademark mixed bill from Phoenix dance including a Christopher Bruce world premiere. Under Artistic Director Sharon Watson, Phoenix Dance Theatre proudly presents its week-long, London 2014 season, featuring a double bill by Christopher Bruce CBE including Shadows, a brand new work created especially for Phoenix Dance Theatre and a restaging of Christopher’s energetic study of life in the 1940’s, Shift. Alongside the Christopher Bruce double-bill, Phoenix presents the London premieres of new work from Darshan Singh Bhuller and choreographic duo Ivgi & Greben. Having choreographed works for leading dance companies across the globe, this is the first time that Phoenix will perform any of this renowned choreographer’s Christopher Bruce’s work. Set in the mid-twentieth century Shadows is a moving and thoughtful piece of dance theatre, taking the family dynamic as its central theme, exploring some of the deepest fears and daily struggles faced by people all over the world. Bruce’s Shift, is an energetic study of factory workers in the 1940’s. Performed to the last movement of Swing Shift by Kenji Bunch, the dance builds its choreography out of a vocabulary of production-line tasks. Speaking about Shadows, Christopher Bruce said “To me, many of Arvo Part’s compositions evoke images of a European history and tradition steeped in over a thousand years of human experience and, frequently, suffering. These themes, and particularly the turbulence of twentieth century events, have influenced my reaction to his work “Fratres”. In my dance the action can be read literally or metaphorically, within the intimacy of an insular family environment or on a more universal scale. I am happy to leave the audience to interpret the work individually.” Powerful, relentless and hard hitting, Document is the first UK work by exciting Amsterdam-based choreographic duo Ivgi & Greben. Set to music by long term collaborator Tom Parkinson this brooding new piece sees five dancers grappling with the darkest aspects of human emotion, building to fill the stage with blistering, intense movement. Inspired by his father’s journey from East to West, Mapping is former Phoenix Artistic Director Darshan Singh Bhuller’s first work for the company since 2006. One of the leading voices in British dance, this new work sees Bhuller looking down on the world from above, and is packed with his signature thrilling, dynamic and inventive choreography. Mapping 1, 2 & 3 were originally developed with Ballet Central and the full re-working of Mapping represents the final choreographic journey of this piece. Tues 25 – Sat 29 Nov at 7.45pm - Linbury Studio Theatre, ROH, London WC2 www.phoenixdancetheatre.co.uk NOTES TO EDITORS: Sharon Watson – Phoenix Dance Theatre Artistic Director Sharon Watson was appointed as the 7th Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre in May 2009. Trained at the London School of Contemporary Dance, Sharon danced with Spiral and Extemporary Dance Theatre before joining Phoenix as a dancer from 1989 to 1997. During this time Sharon choreographed Never Still and Shaded Limits for Phoenix as well as creating new works for the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, National Youth Dance Company, Union Dance and a specially commissioned piece for the opening ceremony of the Royal Armouries in Leeds. She formed ABCD in 1998 and returned to Phoenix in 2000 as the company’s Rehearsal and Tour Director. In 2006 she embarked upon a fellowship with the Clore Leadership Programme and in 2008 she was one of 26 aspiring leaders from around the globe selected to attend Dance East’s fourth Rural Retreat. Sharon was named as one of the Cultural Leadership Programme’s Women to Watch, a list of 50 influential women working in arts and culture in the UK selected by a distinguished panel made up of figures from the cultural and creative industries. Phoenix Dance Theatre Formed in 1981 in inner-city Leeds, Phoenix Dance Theatre has grown to be one of Britain's leading international dance companies. As a repertory company, Phoenix aims to bring together the best choreographers from the international contemporary dance world. A diverse company of dancers works with these choreographers and the Artistic Director to create innovative work, which is communicative, highly accessible and represents the cultural diversity and experience of life in multi-cultural society.Phoenix is inclusive and open to people from all backgrounds. The company has a commitment to widening access to dance through its education, audience development and creative programmes. Phoenix Dance Education’s highly acclaimed programme of education work promotes participation in the arts as a stimulating and creative pursuit within schools and community settings. The company takes on dance apprentices and dancers are encouraged to develop their skills as teachers and choreographers. Sharon Watson was appointed as Artistic Director in 2009. A more detailed history of Phoenix is available atwww.phoenixdancetheatre.co.uk

Northern Ballet to reach new audiences through extended tour Northern Ballet is delighted to announce it will introduce a new strand of touring from 2015, widening the Company’s already extensive reach to an impressive 500,000 people from 2015 – 2018 and furthering its commitment to developing new and existing audiences for dance. The new mid-scale tour will see the Company perform in Doncaster, Blackpool,Liverpool, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Richmond, Bromley, Stoke and Aylesbury. With the addition of these venues, Northern Ballet will give in excess of 850 performances in more than 40 cities over the next three years, a significant increase on previous years. While some of the Company will remain at its headquarters in Leeds taking part in new inspiring Choreographic Labs, working towards creating new choreography for narrative dance, the rest of the dancers will give two contrasting performances, showcasing Northern Ballet’s expertise in powerful storytelling and awe-inspiring dance. The Company will perform a special adaptation of David Nixon’s heartbreakingly tragic Madame Butterfly and Christopher Hampson’s Perpetuum Mobile. Audiences will be swept away by the passion, prowess and versatility of Northern Ballet’s dancers. In each of the venues the Company will also perform its latest children’s ballet, Elves and The Shoemaker. David Nixon OBE Northern Ballet’s Artistic Director said: ‘This strand of work will allow us to expand the diversity of our programming. Over the coming years I will be inviting guest choreographers to create new one-act narrative ballets on Northern Ballet. This will be presented with a piece from our mixed repertoire programming giving both the dancers and audience a broader offering of work. I am excited to have the opportunity to engage more artists, choreographers, designers and composers to work with the Company. This will offer more opportunities to our dancers and an increased amount of new work previously not possible within our resources.’ Mark Skipper DL, Northern Ballet’s Chief Executive adds: ‘We are committed to reaching as many people across the UK as possible and remain dedicated to producing new and exciting work. Audiences in some of these venues have considerably limited opportunities to engage with dance. Providing these new opportunities for people to see us perform at their home theatres reflects our ambition to introduce new audiences to our extraordinary work and demonstrates the unrivalled value we offer. By performing in these nine venues we can reach an additional 54,000 people over the next three years. As a northern based company we receive far less funding than companies based in London who tour considerably less. We have significantly increased our fundraising targets over the next three years from £2million to £3million. This increase reflects our desire to continue to develop artistically and will help us to produce a wider range of exciting new full-length and shorter works that we can now tour more widely. Our lean business model and expertise in touring means we are the only ballet company in the UK that can support the addition of a mid-scale tour such as this on top of our existing commitments. This expertise, bold fundraising aspirations, the creative drive of our Artistic Director and an increase in funding from Arts Council England for 2015-2018, have made this new tour possible.’ The programme in these additional touring venues will be the perfect introduction to Northern Ballet for new audiences and another opportunity for existing audiences to enjoy two special performances in one evening. The nine venues are often in close proximity to the other theatres at which the Company performs its full-length narrative work, mixed programmes and children’s ballets, giving greater opportunities to see all of Northern Ballet’s work. For more details of Northern Ballet's tour, on sale dates and booking information, please visit northernballet.com/whatson. -ENDS- Notes to Editors Voted Best Company at the 2014 Taglioni European Ballet Awards, Northern Ballet is one of the UK’s five large ballet companies. Based in Leeds it performs throughout the UK as well as overseas. Northern Ballet’s productions mix classical dance and theatre, embracing popular culture and taking inspiration from literature, opera, or giving a unique interpretation of popular classical ballets. Northern Ballet is the busiest touring ballet company in the UK and is typically on the road for around 32 weeks of the year. The Company of 46 dancers tours a combination of full-length new work and established repertoire to cities throughout the UK and is the only large scale ballet company to do so. The Company tours widely with its ballets for children, the first two of which were adapted for TV by CBeebies, and also performs a mixed programme showcasing the versatility of its dancers. Visit northernballet.com for more information on the Company and tour. Listings information – Madame Butterfly and Perpetuum Mobile Doncaster Cast Thu 21 – Sat 23 May Performances 7.30pm Box Office 01302 303 959 castindoncaster.com Blackpool Grand Theatre Tue 26 – Wed 27 May Performances 7.30pm Box Office 01253 290 190 blackpoolgrand.co.uk Liverpool Playhouse Fri 29 – Sat 30 May Performances 7.30pm Box Office 0151 709 4776 everymanplayhouse.com Wolverhampton Grand Theatre Tue 2 – Wed 3 June Performances 7.30pm Box Office 01902 429 212 grandtheatre.co.uk Leicester Curve Fri 5 – Sat 6 June Performances 7.30pm Box Office 0116 242 3595 curveonline.co.uk Richmond Theatre Tue 9 – Wed 10 June Performances 7.30pm Box Office 0844 871 7651 atgtickets.com/richmond-theatre Bromley Churchill Theatre Fri 12 – Sat 13 June Performances 7.30pm Box Office 08448 717 620 atgtickets.com/ bromley Stoke Regent Theatre Tue 16 – Wed 17 June Performances 7.30pm Box Office 0844 871 7649 atgtickets.com/regent-theatre Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Fri 19 – Sat 20 June Performances 7.30pm Box Office 0844 871 7607 atgtickets.com/aylesbury-waterside-theatre Listings information – Elves and The Shoemaker Doncaster Cast Sat 23 May 12.30pm & 2.15pm Box Office 01302 303 959 castindoncaster.com Blackpool Grand Theatre Wed 27 May 12.30pm & 2.15pm Box Office 01253 743 346 blackpoolgrandtheatre.co.uk Liverpool Playhouse Sat 30 May 12.30pm & 2.15pm Box Office 0151 709 4776 everymanplayhouse.com Wolverhampton Grand Theatre Wed 3 June 12.30pm & 2.15pm Box Office 01902 429 212 grandtheatre.co.uk Leicester Curve Theatre Sat 6 June 12.30pm & 2.15pm Box Office 0116 242 3595 curveonline.co.uk Richmond Theatre Wed 10 June 12.30pm & 2.15pm Box Office 0844 871 7651 atgtickets.com/richmond-theatre Bromley Churchill Theatre Sat 13 June 12.30pm & 2.15pm Box Office 08448 817 620 atgtickets.com/ bromley Stoke Regent Theatre Wed 17 June 12.30pm & 2.15pm Box Office 0844 871 7627 atgtickets.com/regent-theatre Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Sat 20 June 12.20pm & 2.15pm Box Office 0844 871 7607 atgtickets.com/aylesbury-waterside-theatre Information correct at the time of printing. Productions and dates are subject to change without notice.

I joined the queue at #309 at around 1005. Decided not to hang around and took Chunkydog for a walk instead. Got home around 1120 and booked what I wanted, including getting the multibuy discount. I'm very disappointed that there are no matinees for a couple of shows I wanted to book, so I have not booked them. The booking process itself was painless.

I don't know about decorated shoes but this thread may give you some alternative ideas: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/2121-christmas-present-ideas-for-dancers/?hl=+christmas%20+presents

Hello BadBallerina and welcome to the Forum! I am glad you are finding it helpful. Please let us know how you get on but please, make sure your parents are aware and are happy that you have joined us.

A potted list of what is coming: 9 & 10 January: The Royal Danish Ballet 14 – 18 January: BalletBoyz 16 January: =dance Magpie Dance 22 & 23 January: Plexus 26 & 27 January: Richard Alston Dance Company 27 January – 14 February: Tango Fire 2 & 3 February: Jonathan Burrows and Matteo Fargion 5 – 8 February: The Associates 7 February: Questions and Dancers 10 & 11 February: Ultima Vez 13 & 14 February: Wayne McGregor | Random Dance 16 February – 1 March: Flamenco Festival 17 – 28 February: Cirque Éloize 4 – 29 March: Rasta Thomas’ Romeo & Juliet 5 & 6 March: TWERK 10 – 15 March: English National Ballet 18 March: Wild Card - Casson & Friends 20 & 21 March: Candoco Dance Company 21 March: =dance Equation 22 March: =dance Corali 24 – 28 March: Northern Ballet 31 March – 2 April: Scottish Ballet 2 – 12 April: English National Ballet and English National Ballet School 3 & 4 April: Family Weekend 10 April: National Youth Dance Company 15 – 26 April: Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch 23 – 26 April: London Children’s Ballet 24 April : Wild Card – Katye Coe 2 & 3 May: Breakin’ Convention 5 – 23 May: Titanium 9 May: BBC Young Dancer 2015 12 – 16 May: Rambert 19 & 20 May: Boris Charmatz 20 May: Director’s Conversation Alistair Spalding & Boris Charmatz 22 & 23 May: Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Boris Charmatz & Amandine Beyer 26 – 31 May: Sylvie Guillem 28 & 29 May: Hetain Patel 4 – 6 June: Alain Platel, Fabrizio Cassol, Rodriguez Vangama & Serge Kakudji 9 – 13 June: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui - m¡longa 9 June – 12 July: The 7 Fingers 16 – 18 June: Philippe Decouflé Company DCA 20 – 28 June: Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company 30 June – 5 July: TOROBAKA 7 – 11 July: INALA 8 – 11 July: Dutch National Ballet 14 July – 9 August: Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man 16 – 19 July: Latitude Festival 24 – 25 July: Hercules

Alison, they did but it was so long it would not publish.

Olivia Holland, of Northern Ballet, is a very talented artist. She has done some Christmas Card designs that can be purchased as single cards. I am hoping she will do packs too. Here is the link to her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/oliviahollandshop?fref=ts

The Spring / Summer 2015 Season at Sadler’s Wells The Spring / Summer 2015 season is on sale from Monday 10 November 2014 at 10am Sadler’s Wells & Lilian Baylis Studio Ticket Office: 0844 412 4300 The Peacock Ticket Office: 0844 412 4322 or sadlerswells.com To view the Spring / Summer 2015 season brochure click here An interactive iPad version of the Sadler’s Wells season brochure is available for free download – search ‘Sadler’s Wells’ on the Apple App store. For more information: sadlerswells.com/iPadApp

Exactly Fonty. Me too.

Not entirely or exclusively Fonty, as I can think of opera houses in Belfast, Buxton and Manchester to name but 3.

The way your paragraph read to me it seemed to assume that the Opera House should be in the capital. I should point out that in the mid-1980s - mid-1990s I did most of my ballet watching in London and then I discovered I preferred going to other places. As, if we are lucky, we get one week of ENB and one week of Matthew Bourne per annum in Liverpool I have to travel to most of the dance performances I see (and by that I mean that the minimum distance I travel to the theatre is 40 miles). Another example - is Melbourne better known than Sydney?

So why is the capital of dance in the USA New York? As far as I am aware the capital of the USA is Washington. I think we Northerners get fed up of the assumption that it is easier for us to come to London rather than the Arts come to us. Most of the big scale musicals go to commercial theatres and good luck to them, even if they are absolutely not my cup of tea. I went to a Friends' event at the Lowry a couple of years before. The Lowry now has a lot more commercial theatre than it used to because that is the way it has to try and make money (even though it is an Arts Council subsidised venue) and that enables the theatre to continue to bring a great dance programme up North. Not dance but there are still a lot of producing theatres around the country and that is to be applauded. I look at their programmes and they seem in many cases to be a lot more adventurous than the standard West End offerings.

There was a feature about this advert (and similar) on Breakfast News this morning. The feature compared the fuzzy warm approach with the hard sell of products approach of other companies. Showing my age, I always remember the excitement surrounding some of the Woolies Christmas adverts and who would be starring in them!

That is wonderful Cathy, your heart must be bursting with pride. Jx

Links - Friday, November 07, 2014 Obituary – Kevin Berry, Arts Journalist: Liz Arratoon, Guardian Review – DV8, John, London: Lyndsey Winship, Standard Review – Thomas Adès Bill, See the Music, Hear the Dance, London: Donald Hutera, London Dance Review - Gibney Dance, Double Plus series, New York: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Shaun Parker and Company, AM I, Melbourne: Jordan Beth Vincent, DanceTabs Review - Dancing Dad, London: Lyn Gardner, Guardian Review – Riotous Company, Insomnia, Manchester: David Chadderton, British Theatre Guide Review - Black Grace, Xmas Verses, Auckland: Dr Linda Ashley, NZ Theatreview

Broadbrush figures: Population of London urban area - 10m Population of rest of England 43m Why should the majority of people living in England not have have equity with those living in the London urban area? There is an issue with ballet outside the capital which I cannot think of a way around without taking financial risk. For many years (certainly during most of my time as a ballet watcher) the touring companies have tended to take works they know would sell and gradually we have got out of the habit of mixed programmes and more adventurous works. It really is a chicken and egg situation because the audience would have to be built up gradually to get used to mixed programmes again but could the companies afford to take the losses while they do so?

As far as I am aware trains from Victoria do not go to Oxford Road but trains from Piccadilly do. For anyone using Transpenine routes you need to be aware that there is a new route between Liverpool and Leeds that goes via Victoria not Piccadilly.