Lynette H

ROH and travel firm Ultimate Travel Company have launched a number of ballet / opera themed holidays which include visits to the ROH as well as performances abroad. Here's details of one to St Petersburg: http://www.theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk/luxury-holidays-by-destination/europe-russia-and-central-asia/russia/escorted-tours/st-petersburg-ballet-tour I thought it was interesting to note that this tour starts in the UK with a performance of an "exciting new production by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House" on 6 November 2013 - would this perhaps be the new production of Don Q for next season which has been mentioned previousy ?

I see Liam Scarlett is making a new work for the Ballet Boyz at Sadlers in March (a double bill wiyth a Maliphant piece). Sampled now runs for two weeks in June and the tickets look very good value.

The programme runs from 4:30 to 6:30pm. not sure when she will be appearing.

Very fine dancers. I was very taken with Martin Lawrance's new work Madcap, which I thought was his best work to date, brimming with energy but still within a strongly defined structure.

Mine haven't arrived either.

The detailed programme for Dance Umbrella 2012 is now available here: dates are from 5 to 14 October. http://www.danceumbrella.co.uk/2012-programme The format is different from previous years. (Their budget was cut back by the Arts Council). The venue is a theatre in the new St Martins School of Art premises at Kings Cross. The format is different too: there are three items each evening which you can buy individually, so you can drop in and see only one if that interests you or book for all of them. There are a number of Jonathan Burrows pieces. This approach to programming is similar to that for the festival at Kings Place (14 - 16 Sept) which is very close by the St Martins venue - they programme a diverse range of short pieces, typically each 45 minutes a tme packed into 3 days. They offer a multibuy discount. Link to the Kings Place listings here http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/festival The Kings Place items are music rather than dance though there are a couple of (free!) Indian dance items.

At the exhibition, there is also a film of snippets of rehearsal footage, with a couple of minutes on each choreographer. I couldn't find a link to this on the National Gallery site.

A link to the National Gallery Web site with exerpts of the ballets: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/metamorphosis-titian-2012-ballets

There is a long and detailed artiicle on Sergei Polunin in the latest issue (Sept / Oct 2012) of Intelligent Life magazine by Julie Kavanagh. This includes interviews with him and with members of his family and with staff at RBS and RB. I don't know if this will be available on line. (I'm sure the links team will locate it if it is). If not you may want to locate a print edition.

I've just seen this production. Two dancers appear at every performance, drawn from a list of seven. There are Christina Arestis*, Olivia Cowley*, Emma Harris, Natalie Harrison*, Kristen McNally*, Pitra Mello-Pitman*, Karis Scarlette*. Asterisks indicate those indicated in the programme as appearing by kind permission of the Royal Ballet. (I don't recognise the last name though.) The choreography is credited to Ed Watson Cindy Jourdain, formerly of the RB appears in an acting role as Livia (a modest role - but it's a rather male dominated play, very much dominated by Timon himself. SRB is terrific). The production runs to the end of October, and it's one where the £12 Travelex tickets are on offer. It was full - quite an achievement for what's viewed as one of Shakespeare's more difficult plays.

There are some RB dancers appearing in the production of Timon of Athens at the NT. (Timon is Simon Russell Beale). There are some rehersal photos on the NT web site for the production which include a picture of Olivia Cowley, Natalie Harrison, Chistina Arestis and Kristen McNally. This review in the Gurdian says the choreography is by Ed Watson. http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/jul/18/timon-of-athens-review-olivier?intcmp=ILCMUSTXT9386

There is some detail on the National Gallery's web site about events related to the exhibition here http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/metamorphosis-titian-2012/*/tab/2 This includes free talks from two of the artists creating the set designs for Metamorphosis, on 23rd and 27th July.

Back now. Somewhat bemused by the way casting info is displayed though - doesn't seem to come up for mixed bills in any sensible way.

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Jane, is the Ratmansky new or is it an existing work of his ?

The designs for Sweet Violets have been very successful in capturing the atmosphere of Sickert's paintings. Have a look at this one of a music hall http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/sickert-the-new-bedford-n06174 There was an exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery in 2007/8 on Sickert and the Camden Town Nudes. I wonder if Scarlett saw this at the time ? There's some details on the following linl: the picture of the nude and the man sitting on the bed is directly referenced in Sweet Violets http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/exhibitions/2007/sickert/index.shtml A further search turned up a Sickert picture named Sweet Violets (though I understand that the title is related to a song not a picture) http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/images/gallery/25c8c8ed.html

I've been wondering about this too. I have a recollection that some time in the 1990s (I think) there were adverts in the dance press for a production of Le Train Bleu which a French or German company was planning to bring to the UK - maybe the Coliseum ?. But it never happened. It gave me the impression that there might still be a production "live" out there somewhere. Does anyone recall this ?

Seems a bit odd that Takada gets only one shot at Odette, and on a midweek matinee too. Is there a schools peformance or something that she might be doing as well ?

I'm afraid I didn't take to the redesign for Rite. Black costumes on a black stage with a black backdrop. It's asking a lot of your lighting designer isn't it ? It was well lit but most of the detail of the costumes that you can see in the pictures just disappeared in the theatre. I think its a good idea to bring in new designers. But I suspect that people who design clothes do so with the intention of them being seen from relatively close quarters. Stage costumes are a rather different matter: you need to be able to "read" them from quite a distance, and these just didn't work in that respect. I preferered their previous designs (which I preferred to the RB ones, in fact). Very good dancing in Rite though - they have always done this well. The programme is uneven in outcome, though you have to applaud their ambition. Gutsy performance from Ksenia as Firebird.

She really was extraordinary - totally assured and in control, and gave a really finely detailed reading of the character. There were heaps of bouquets at the end, richly deserved. Hard to believe it was a debut but it was. A really beliveable adolescent Alice.

Details of the nominations are on the Oliviers web site at http://www.olivierawards.com/nominations/view/item137170/mastercard-best-new-play/ The dance items are as follows: Best new dance production http://www.olivierawards.com/nominations/view/item137194/best-new-dance-production/ (Akram Khan - Desh , Ballets C de la B - Gardenia, Some likeit Hip Hop, Metamorphosis) Outstanding achievment in dance http://www.olivierawards.com/nominations/view/item137195/outstanding-achievement-in-dance/ (Ed Watson for Metamorphosis, Sylvie Guillem for 6000 miles away, the Alice in Wonderland design team, Tommy Franzen for Some Like it Hip Hop)

You can download the pdf with fuller details at http://www.roh.org.uk/uploadedFiles/Press_and_Media/Press_Releases/Ballet%20and%20Dance%202012%202013.pdf There is a stray reference to a gala in the autumn as well as more detail about some of the Linbury shows.

It is very text based - the movement aspects are less than you might be expecting from previous DV8 productions. Its 80 minutes, no interval, and no admissions once its started, so don't get there late. Last night started at 7pm and I think a few people managed to miss the entire peformance. (Tonight and subsequent performances start at 8pm).

There's an article on Wayne Sleep and the dance item in the Hockney exhibition in the RA magazine http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/ra-magazine/spring-2012/secret-knowledge-wayne-sleep,350,RAMA.html

The flyer and publicity for this announced "performances will include pieces from Anna Pavolva's repertoire such as Paquita, The Pharoah's Daughter, Le Roi Candaule, Giselle, La Bayadere, The Sleeping Beaurty, Marcobomba, and including rarely performed pieces such as Egyptian Nights and Dragon Flight which will be restored especially for this gala". Well, they weren't specially restored. Of the list above, only a Giselle pas de deux and a Bayadere solo made it on the night. Much (though not all) of the rest was standard gala fare - Corsaire, white swan pas de deux. Romeo and Juliet pdd (Cranko version) and a number of modern pieces with no obvious connection with Pavlova. Some wonderful dancers of course (good to see Polunin and Rojo in Raymonda) but some distance from the tribute as advertised.