Jan McNulty

Nathalie Harrison's Blog

Ignite your imagination with Northern Ballet’s Summer Course Northern Ballet is now taking bookings for their 2014 Summer Course for 6 - 13 year olds designed to get children moving during the summer holidays and give them the opportunity be creative and make new friends whilst experiencing and enjoying dance no matter what their level of experience. On the four-day Summer Course children will explore the adventures of Peter Pan in Neverland to gain inspiration to create their own story based on the characters and themes from the classic tale. The course also involves a daily ballet class and dance and storytelling sessions with Northern Ballet’s expert teachers who will help to turn the stories into a performance for family and friends at the end of the course. The Summer Course will be held at Northern Ballet’s state-of-the-art headquarters in Leeds city centre from 9am – 3.30pm on 18 – 21 August 2014. The course is priced at £120, (£110 with a Breezecard), concessionary rates available*. To book, or to find out more information visit northernballet.com/summeropen, call Shelley Firth on 0113 220 8000 or email Shelley.Firth@northernballet.com. Notes to Editors 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 works to make dance accessible to all and enable everyone to learn more about ballet in a variety of ways. Offering a range of school workshops, project, classes and courses as well as resources and activities at the theatre, Northern Ballet offers programmes for children and adults as well as specific projects for those with learning difficulties or physical disabilities. Northern ballet reaches more than 50,000 participants annually with these projects. northernballet.com *Concessionary rates available upon proof of Job Seekers Allowance, Income Support or Employment and Support Allowance.

Links – Friday, June 27, 2014 Review – American Ballet Theatre, Swan Lake, New York: Diana Barth, Epoch Times Reviews – Boston Ballet, The Second Detail, Resonance, Cacti, New York: Apollinaire Scherr, FT Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Season Roundup – Scottish Ballet, Russell Maliphant, Royal Ballet in Moscow: Leyla Guchmazova, Russia Beyond the Headlines Interview – Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta in Australia: Monica Tan, Guardian Opinion - Accessibility should be part of everyday arts practice, not just a special event: Chris Abbott, Guardian Reviews – Charleroi Danses, Kiss & Cry, London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Lindsey Winship, Standard Jeffrey Gordon Baker, London Dance Preview – Queensland Ballet, Romeo and Juliet, Brisbane: Natalie Bochenski, Sydney Morning Herald Review – Ahilan Ratnamohan, Michael Essien, I want to play as you …, London: Symone Keisha, Bachtrack Preview – ToCaBa, Miami: Juan Carlos Perez-Duthie: Miami Herald Review – West Side Story, Wichita: Bob Curtright, Wichita Eagle

Hello Mumontherun, and a belated welcome to the Forum. I do hope things will improve for your DD. I am sure you will find our other members a great support.

I know what you mean Aileen, especially when you think that Darcey Bussell's final performance was shown live on TV! I would think it is because the critics would have been expected to review earlier in the run and perhaps the papers would not want to pay for another review of the same production so quickly. I just hope the dance magazines will publish something.

LEMON AND GINGER???? I hope they are still selling that one when I go to see NB in November!!!

Very good point FelixGirl. I have no personal experience of anyone undertaking dance training but I do have experience of someone starting a university course - 3 full days a week, each day with a different tutor. After the first 2 weeks one of the tutors badly hurt his back and did not return to Easter. Contact was via email! I think this was absolutely appalling!

I saw three performances of the mixed programme at Quarry Hill last weekend. Concerto 6-22 was new to me when I saw it at the Linbury in May. I loved it then and I loved it even more after 3 more performances in Leeds! The dancers radiated joy when dancing it and that came over in waves. I particularly enjoyed Abigail Prudames, Matthew Broadbent and Mlindi Kulashi in the trio - all 3 so exuberant. Giulano Contadini and Matthew Koon continued to take my breath away in the adagio and I was very moved by Ashley Dixon and Kevin Poeung in the same section. The performances of Concertante were a tour de force. Saturday afternoon marked Michela Paolacci's final performance as a company member and her duet with Javier Torres absolutely set the stage on fire. And so to The Architect. This is Kenneth Tindall's third commission for Northern Ballet and is his most accomplished to date. It takes its inspiration from the story of Adam and Eve. I will say from the outset that the set, lighting and costumes are spectacular. The unitards are painted with what look like abstract muscles and veins (very subtle - not squeamish!) and the men have a number on the left hand side of the chest. The first Adam also has what may be a depiction of a DNA stream painted up his spine. There is a fabric Eiffel-tower line screen at the back of the stage and three tubes coming down from the ceiling. As the piece starts the tubes begin to move and it becomes obvious that there is a dancer inside each of them, who is then "born" - it's incredibly effective. The piece moves from birth to the original sin during its course. There is some truly magnificent visual imagery. It's not a piece where the dancers flow across the stage but Kenny has a way of moving people that just grabs you in and thrills. The apple work is quite astounding! I think if I have any qualms about this piece it is that the transitions between the scenes could be a bit smoother but I am sure these rough edges will be sorted by the time London audiences get to see the work at the Linbury next May. It goes without saying that the dancers give truly compelling performances. This is a work that can take multiple viewings and still leave the audience wanting more! These mixed programmes give members of the public an opportunity to see a different side of Northern ballet and it is a very satisfying thing indeed. They have been very cleverly programmed to let us see the dancers outside their normal story ballet mode, performing internationally lauded works by choreographers such as Hans van Manen and Lar Lubovitch and bringing their special expertise to them. The dramatic side of Northern Ballet still shines bright in their interpretations of Concertante and Concerto 6-22 and makes them scintillating to watch. It is also a privilege to be able to watch Kenneth Tindall growing in stature as a choreographer. These performances ended a Spring Season that I have found absolutely thrilling. I have seen some of the best performances I can ever remember by Northern Ballet, in Cleopatra, Cinderella and MSND as well as the mixed programmes. I would just like to thank everyone at Northern Ballet for giving us such a wonderful season and I hope everyone enjoys their well-earned Summer break. The Autumn season will be interesting with six dancers having departed and 12 new dancers joining. I am waiting with bated breath!

Links – Thursday, June 26, 2014 Reviews – Royal Ballet in Moscow, Triple Bill, Manon, Moscow: Laura Cappelle, FT Ismene Brown, Blog via Izvestia Review – American Ballet Theatre, Giselle, New York: Marjorie Liebert, Broadway World Review – Bejart Ballet Lausanne, 7 Danses Grecques, Etudes pour une Dame aux Camelias, Bhatki III, Bolero, Versailles: Patricia Boccadoro, Culture Kiosque Review - Dada Masilo, Swan Lake; Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, 4D; Tim Casson, The Dance WE Made, London: Giannandrea Poesio, Spectator Review - Baryshnikov and Dafoe, The Old Woman, New York: Brendan Lemon, FT Interview – Lourdes Lopez, AD Miami City Ballet: Michael Langlois, Ballet Review Review – Charleroi Danses, Kiss & Cry, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Review – River to River Festival, New York: Souleymane Badolo: Brian Seibert, NY Times Various artists: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Preview – Grown Women Dance Collective, Fallen Heroes, Rising Stars, Pleasant Hill & Pittsburgh: Mary Ellen Hunt, SF Chronicle Review – Savion Glover, OM, New York: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Fabulous Beast, Rian, London: Emily Brown, Bachtrack Preview – Trey McIntyre Project’s final performances, Jacob’s Pillow: Dance News Desk, Broadway World Review – Noism, Carmen, Yokohama: Naomi Mori, Bachtrack Preview – Ballet de Lorraine, In the Upper Room, Sounddance, The Vile Parody of Address, Tel Aviv: Ori J Lekinski, Jerusalem Post Review – Kimberly Gilbert, Enter Ophelia, distracted, Washington: Celia Wren, Washington Post Feature – You’re the Choreographer, an iPad’s Your Stage: Gia Kourlas, NY Times

I came across this when I started looking for links for tomorrow: Feature – You’re the Choreographer, an iPad’s Your Stage: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Of course, I had to down-load the app. Needless to say I am already hooked!

Dancing Times has tweeted that these performances have been cancelled. I've checked the ENO website and they are not showing up on there.

Links – Wednesday, June 25, 2014 Review – Daria Klimentova’s Final Performance (ENB, Romeo and Juliet in the Round), London: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Royal Ballet in Moscow: Review - DGV,Tetratkys, Rhapsody: Ismene Brown, Blog via Novye Izvestiya Preview – Manon: Ismene Brown, Blog via Rossia Kultura TV Review – Manon: Tatyana Kuznetsova: Ismene Brown, Blog via Kommersant Reviews - Eastman/Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, 4D, London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Mark Monahan, Telegraph Lynette Halewood, DanceTabs Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Josephine Leask, London Dance Review – American Ballet Theatre, Swan Lake, New York: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Preview – Ballet in New York this summer: Pia Catton, Wall St Journal Features – Boston Ballet, William Forsythe coaches company in The Second Detail: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times AD Mikko Nissinen talks prior to NY season: Robert Johnson, Star Ledger Review – Baryshnikov & Dafoe, The Old Woman, New York: Robert Greskovic, Wall St Journal Feature – Mark Wallinger, Artist, Why I love ballet: Andrew Dickson, Guardian Review – Carmen de Lavallade, As I Remember It, Jacob’s Pillow: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal Review – Smith/Wymore Disappearing Acts, Number Zero (a space opera), San Francisco: Rita Felciano, SF Bay Guardian Book Review – Steven McRae (photographs by Andrej Uspenski), Dancer in the Fast Lane: Katie Columbus, Stage En Pointe Review - Philippe Decouflé Company DCA, Panorama, Saitama: Naomi Mori, Bachtrack Review - Michael Ingle & Silas Riener, Untitled, New York: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Ballet Preljocaj, Les Nuits, Los Angeles: Mark Swed, LA Times Review – New Orleans Ballet Theatre, John and I, pdd from Madame Butterfly, Seventh Sun, Luma, Hello I’m Johnny Cash, New Orleans: Chris Waddington, The Times-Picayune Review – Owen Brown Jr & Jason Samuels Smith, Transformations: Rhythm’s Roots, New York: Brian Seibert, NY Times Preview – Chicago Tap Theatre, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune

I like the Loseley acacia honey and ginger (or any other icecream with ginger in it - let's face it, anything with ginger in it!). I prefer a smooth to a bitty chocolate tub and I love a nice strawberry too. I also like Magnums and suchlike but I have to be careful not to get chocolate all over me!

To paste a link: Highlight the URL of the link you want to paste. Right click and copy. On the forum, right click and paste: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/25/arts/dance/daria-klimentova-shines-at-english-national-ballet-in-romeo-and-juliet.html?_r=0 Don't forget to press enter at the end of the line so that it "blues up" as a link when you post. To name a link - do the copy as described above. In the post, write the words you want to use and highlight them. Then, on the line at the top of the box, next to the bulleted commands there is a small symbol that looks like a link. Click on that, name your link and right click and paste your URL into the appropriate box: Daria's final performance

I've posted the link because of the specialness of the occasion. I welled up just watching it!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152560453767147&set=a.10151180869747147.478685.842232146&type=1&theater

The obvious choreographers are Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan plus (if it falls within the remit) Petipa (for the classics) but there are obviously many more. Zoe Anderson has written a history of The Royal Ballet. It may be worth trying to borrow from a library or buying. Here is a link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Royal-Ballet-75-Years-ebook/dp/B004P1J8G2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403598039&sr=1-1&keywords=the+royal+ballet

Links – Tuesday, June 24, 2014 Review – American Ballet Theatre, Giselle, New York: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – American Ballet Theatre, Cinderella, New York: Carol Pardo, Danceview Times Review – Paris Opera Ballet, Le Palais de Cristal, Daphnis and Chloe, Paris: Patricia Boccadoro, Culture Kiosque Review – Dutch National Ballet, The Tempest, Amsterdam: Isabella Zijp, Bachtrack Review – Venice Dance Biennale 2014: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Gallery – Eastman/Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, 4D, London: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Review – Transitions Dance Company, 2014 Mixed Programme, London: Graham Watts, DanceTabs Review – Dada Masilo, Swan Lake, London: Graham Watts, London Dance Rosamaria Kostic Cisneros, Bachtrack Reviews – Baryshnikov & Dafoe, The Old Woman, New York: Tom Phillips, Danceview Times Elisabeth Vincentelli, NY Post Review – Liz Lerman, Healing Wars, Baltimore: Tim Smith, Baltimore Sun Interview – Jeffrey and Lia Cirio (Boston Ballet): Barnett Serchuk, Broadway World Review – Ballet Preljocaj, Les Nuits, Los Angeles: Dyanne Weiss, Liberty Voice Feature – “I went from ballet dancer to CEO and this is what it taught me”: Leigh Thomas, Guardian Review – Dances for a Small Stage, Summer Lovin’, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Review – Flying Steps, Red Bull Flying Bach, Chicago: Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

One of the dancers at Northern Ballet, Olivia Holland, is a talented artist. You can already buy her cards at Northern Ballet's HQ and now she is starting to sell through an online company - etsy. Here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OliviaHollandArts I see that as well as the cards you can buy original watercolours and can also commission Olivia.

I thought this Guardian article may be of interest. It highlights the benefits of a dance training (and career) in moving to a different area of work.

Links – Monday, June 23, 2014 Review – Royal Ballet in Moscow, Triple Bill, Manon, Moscow: Ismene Brown, Blog via Independent Gazette Review – American Ballet Theatre, Giselle, New York: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Feature – Andris Liepa, The Golden Cockerel, London: Alice Lagnado, Voice of Russia Reviews – Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Grace Engine, Tuplet, Necessity Again, New York: Rachel Rizzuto, Bachtrack Jennifer Fried, Broadway World Review – National Ballet of Japan, Prince of the Pagodas, Tokyo: Naomi Mori, Bachtrack Review - Jacqulyn Buglisi, Elisa Monte, Jennifer Muller, Lonely Planet, Whew!, We are all … our Father’s Sons, Butterflies and Demons, Miserere Nobis, New York: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Introdans, Russian Rumour, Utrecht: Sanne Thierens, Bachtrack Review – Ballet Hispanico, Show Girl, Sombrerisimo, Sortijas, Danzon; North Carolina Dances, Annatations, Mess, Acquiring Dawn, A Place Apart, Durham USA: Susan Broili, Durham Herald Sun

You've probably set "keep me signed in" when you've logged in on one occasion. I am set up like this as it is more convenient (but of course it only works from those PCs or other devices that are recognised). It doesn't actually mean that you look as though you are signed on all the time. The users on line at the bottom of the screen are users that have been active in the last 15 minutes.

I don't know if you can get to Leeds but Northern Ballet offers a course for complete beginners as well as beginners classes. I'm on my phone so posting links is problematic. I'm not a dancer myself but I have chums who are and I know how much pleasure it gives them. Please don't give up because of this dreadful experience.

Couldn't agree more BBB. When Christopher Gable introduced his particular style to Northern Ballet, it was preferred that we didn't applaud during the performance for the dramatic story ballets and this habit sticks with me to this day. I think it ruins the thread of the drama. Oh yes, applaud at the end of the Act but please do not have dancers taking curtain calls between acts. I will never forget seeing a Mariinksy Giselle dying at the end of act 1 and then taking a curtain call. AWFUL!! Completely ruined the mood. Sadly I can't see Daria's final performance but I hope you will all cheer her and Vadim on my behalf!

Perfect, Ben. Thank you!