Bruce

The Committee looking int the future has just put up a progress report and made suggestions and requests for help. All users should read and respond as they can please: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/3-balletco-forum-available-again-plus-opportunity-to-discuss-future/page__view__findpost__p__2437 More info and responses on that thread please, not this one. Thank you.

The Committee looking int the future has just put up a progress report and made suggestions and requests for help. All users should read and respond as they can please: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/3-balletco-forum-available-again-plus-opportunity-to-discuss-future/page__view__findpost__p__2437 More info and responses on that thread please, not this one. Thank you.

As I indicated ealier: "More info and responses on that thread please, not this one. Thank you." This thread is now locked.

Hi Doing Dance Folks(!) I just spotted a new post in the "Discuss this Forum/Site and Future Possibilities" forum: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/3-balletco-forum-available-again-plus-opportunity-to-discuss-future/page__view__findpost__p__2437 It's all relevant but this section particularly: "The committee also notes that whilst "Doing Dance" is the most heavily used part of the forum we do not have the benefit of input from anyone who regularly posts in that section. If you do and would be willing to join us to assist in shaping the future direction of the forum, please let us know (it would be great if any willing to do so were based in or around London)." More info and responses on that thread please, not this one. Thank you.

The original T&Cs came with the old forum and were always in place. No 5 changed a little over time - to try and be more explicit as various challenges to what I generally called the "no self promotion" rule arose. It is a changed world now and everybody generally looks to be able to whizz up somewhere else and make their point regardless of if they are in the trade or not - which is why on setting up the committee I gave my open advice that this should be strongly reviewed. I think there should be change. However the forum has been praised in the past for being a place quiet reasonableness and with people on promotional message some of that might stand to change. Good forum moderators will be needed to both gently guide when things are wandering off and also to stimulate discussion. There were some other things that were not in the Forum Acceptable Use policy but were house rules and posted up in the old About Us section: The main one was that if anybody wanted to post highly critically they had to do it in their own real name and not hide behind an anonymous Username. I think this should be retained. Re YouTube and sites that show pictures the old rule was that they should only be linked to if the site they were on appeared to have cleared copyright properly in order to present them. I'm in a minority I know but I think the routine stealing of copyright pictures and video is piss poor behaviour. However many newspapers now will include videos with no questions asked as to if they are legal or not and many blogs and other sites are not vexed at all by provenience and the use of stolen material. A rubbish carry on but as I say I'm in a minority. My 2p - for the committee to come up with rules and the people to moderate.

PRESS RELEASE AUDITIONS PRODUCERS OF THE KING AND I ARE LOOKING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO PLAY THE KING OF SIAM’S CHILDREN IN BREATHTAKING NEW PRODUCTION Chance to perform at Birmingham Hippodrome Music and Lyrics presents Curve Theatre Leicester's production of Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I starring Ramon Tikaram and Josefina Gabrielle at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 1 – Saturday 5 May. Producers are now looking for young people to play the King of Siam’s children. Children must have dark hair and be bright and confident on stage. They must be able to sing and dance and be available for all rehearsal sessions starting in February until the performance dates. To be part of this amazing experience, children (and parents/ guardians) will have to commit to a heavy rehearsal schedule in addition to the performance dates. Children will also be expected to perform on either Wednesday 2 or Thursday 3 May in the matinee in addition to evening performances. It is therefore essential that schools are aware of this commitment . Auditions will be held in Birmingham on Monday 20 February from 4pm until 8pm. Children will have to be accompanied by parents/guardian and be expected to wait until they are called. Children will be separated into 4 groups: Boys 5 – 9; Girls 5 – 9; Boys 10 – 14; Girls 10 – 14. Children are not required to prepare an audition piece. Children have to be available to attend ALL rehearsal dates 15, 16 and 17 April all day (non negotiable). Three 1 hour workshops will be held between 20 February and 14 April Children must be registered prior to audition. To register please email KingandI@birminghamhippodrome.com with name and age. Full information will then be emailed back. Strictly no telephone enquiries. Tickets For The King and I are available online at www.birminghamhippodrome.com or 0844 338 5000. Calls vary from 5p per minute. 5% transaction charge. -ENDS- 10 February 2012

A Service of Thanksgiving for the life of ALEXANDER GRANT CBE will be held at St.Paul’s Church, Covent Garden on Thursday, 26 April, 2012 at 12 noon to which all are welcome

A bit surprised nobody was interested enough in this to start a thread... Sergei Polunin in Narcisse. © Dave Morgan Ithaca: Aaron Sillis, Ivan Putrov © Dave Morgan Dave Morgan: Ivan Putrov's Men in Motion – 27 pictures Jann Parry also did an overnight review of the show

You lucky thing seeing POB! Thank you Celine - long time no see and much appreciated by all.

Royal Ballet Draft Works London, ROH Linbury 24 January 2012 Good to see Draft Works in the larger Linbury Theatre and as ever much fun to spot rising choreographic and dance stars closer than normal. Some are experienced, some not, but this is all work in the raw of working lighting, costume and recorded music, though some pushed at these constraints. Good, too, that Wayne McGregor (Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer) suggested people pass on their impressions of the pieces to the choreographers after the performance. What follows are mine but do note this is just one view of the night rather than handing out any judgements in stone - as if! If I wasn't drawn to a piece then inevitably there would be others who enjoyed it and if I liked a piece there would be some who would not be so impressed, for sure... So in the end I say a huge well done to all involved... Robert Binet - At the River Styx Introduced as the new Choreographic Apprentice, Binet offered a confident classical duet based on Orpheus and Eurydice to some melancholic Biber. He was greatly helped by his choice of dancers - Yuhui Choe and Ricardo Cervera, communicative and very well rehearsed. Binet (a Canadian) is young and circulating the world, sucking in experience, it seems. A little overlong but all up a pleasant, assured, apprentice piece with little kicks and flounces of freshness - his own stronger voice will surely come later. Ludovic Ondiviela - Feathers in your Head I liked this a lot. Again he was helped by his dancers, Lauren Cuthbertson and Bennet Gartside, both apparently unmade up and looking 'ordinary'. About Alzheimer's, it convincingly coupled Ondiviela's smoother classical voice to the more twitchy contemporary voice he's gained with Wayne McGregor in the building, to give a mixed-up world none of us want to experience. Probably the best piece of his I've seen and great to see him grow over the years in Draft Works. Fernando Montano - Gallardo (Gallant) A show-off tango piece that despite all the sell and knowing audience eye contact held no magnetism for me. Montano introduced it by saying he wanted to create a work on 2 girls but none were available and so he did something on himself and 2 chairs. He often appears in his own work and has many talents, not least as an engaging dancer and with a happy crowd-pleasing personality but it's not clear to me yet that he is one of life's natural choreographers. But he is a natural performer that's for sure. Declan Whitaker - Overtone A solo for himself and the only choreographer not to introduce his piece. It meant some words in the programme which I think would have been a help to many of the pieces on the night. Of course I didn't have a chance to read the notes before the show but that is beside the point! Viewed blind, I thought it was a homage to Michael Clark with leaned-back pelvis forward walking and also arms rigidly held behind the torso and giving occasional flutters. But others didn't see the influence as strongly it has to be said. Very much lost in his own electronic world of wonder it worked well as an abstract piece and never in a month of Sundays would I have realised the inspiration was the slow movement of glaciers. Marked as somebody I'd like to see again. Kristen McNally - Lonesome Gun In a very nice way one thinks of McNally as being 'mad as a hatter' and this cowboy-meets-Quentin-Tarantino/Pulp Fiction piece featured a good collection of Stetsons as a starter. Consistently McNally turns in the most original experimental work based on arresting themes - and I applaud her for it. I might not always make sense of all the bits but I always grin or warm to some deeper moments. After The Good The Bad and The Ugly start there was an intense duet for Thomas Whitehead and Hayley Forskitt - later-day inhabitants of the West, I fancy, and a beautiful solo to some naive guitar from the film The Proposition (by Nick Cave). I always think where next? When and where might her quirky self settle down choreographically? And we still have no idea, but my goodness what an amazing ride it is. I think, though, she needs much more opportunity to hone her ideas and skills. Erico Montes - Within the Hours Montes always comes across as very serious in his approach to creating work and keen to differentiate what he does from the rest. In this case his was the only piece of the night to have live music (piano and cello) and it is a custom score too. He also secured the service of 7 seasoned dancers and filled the stage with, for the most part, classroom classicism. He confidently creates groups and poses, adds some quirks, like dips and high arms and I see an affable piece but I want to fast forward through it all the time. Thomas Whitehead - i lean & bob A new choreographic find, Tom Whitehead creates his first piece and a short, fun and punchy thing it is too. To some jaunty Latin music (Kringle by Analogik) Sian Murphy and Ryoichi Hirano emerge from the audience to bop away in an all-American, Twyla Tharp, social dance style for 4 minutes. My goodness that's a mouthful and far too heavy for a much appreciated piece that left you wanting a little more. Simon Rice - Grace I haven't followed Simon Rice since his days with the Royal Ballet performing as the Jester in Cinderella and such like and he helpfully explained that he's moved on into physical theatre and recently has a contemporary company, Abundance. I rather warmed to his work for 4 girls (from his company and not RB) which constantly flowed and circled. I won't say any of the movement was a startling revelation but its never-let-up-at-all quality and the strong dancing made me happy. A good contrast to much else on the night. I look forward to picking up the threads with Rice. Tamara Rojo - Into the Woods There was a lot going on in this piece in which Rojo has choreographed on others for the first time. One of ballets greatest communicators on stage, and in person the height of clarity when she talks, I thought I had this piece well sussed. A duet for young Camille Bracher and older soloist Jose Martin her leg was attached to a rope and she couldn't escape his love; fights happen followed by reconciliation and she comes to accept the rope and bounds him in it too. That's love for you and a neat way of showing the ups and downs of it all, I thought. But there is another darker telling: that this is based on a Natascha Kampusch child-abuse theme, where Kampusch is the Austrian girl abducted aged 10 and held in a basement for 8 years and after release felt (in part at least) sorry for the man who had done this to her. Armed with this chilly take on 'love' I'd very much like to see it again. Well I'd like to see it again anyway - an absorbing piece. Valentino Zucchetti - Brandenburg Divertissement The highlight of the evening for many and easy to see why it was last up - to send everybody out happy. A well-constructed piece of neo-classicism that would have Balanchine smiling at just how cleverly a new boy can move 8 dancers to fill a stage and dazzle. Where others perhaps toiled classically Zucchetti seemed effortlessly to hit the button. Good piece for a school is that.

Thanks for putting up so quickly Jane! I put up on the front page shortly after and this morning have added 3 pictures - he is such a powerful presence in all: http://www.ballet.co.uk/2012/01/sergei-polunin-leaving-royal-ballet-instantly Some Tweets gone out or going out: "A truly explosive performance" from a review of Polunin's graduation performance in Aug 2007 by reader Ian Macmillan: http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_07/aug07/im_rev_royal_ballet_school_0707.htm Sergei Polunin - links to over 250 reviews that have mentioned him: http://www.ballet.co.uk/cgi/reviews_database_search/db_search.cgi?dancer_names=Polunin

Dave Morgan Pictures Daria Klimentova (Grishko Award for Best Female Dancer) and Gary Avis (Oustanding Male Performance classical winner). © Dave Morgan Gallery – National Dance Awards 2011 - Dave Morgan, 42 Pictures

2011 National Dance Awards Winners. © John Ross Pleased to say that John Ross now has a gallery up of 39 Pictures: Gallery – National Dance Awards 2011 - John Ross

The 12th National Dance Awards The Place, London: 23rd January 2012 The Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards for 2011 took place today in London at The Place’s Robin Howard Dance Theatre. The awards are decided by the 60 members of the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle after an extensive round of nominations and voting. To be eligible, performances had to be given in the UK between 1st September 2010 and 31st August 2011 2011 CRITICS’ CIRCLE NATIONAL DANCE AWARDS WINNERS OUTSTANDING MALE PERFORMANCE (CLASSICAL) Gary Avis / The Royal Ballet OUTSTANDING FEMALE PERFORMANCE (MODERN) Sylvie Guillem for ‘6,000 Miles Away’ BEST INDEPENDENT COMPANY Luca Silvestrini’s Protein BEST CLASSICAL CHOREOGRAPHY David Bintley for ‘Cinderella’ by Birmingham Royal Ballet BEST MODERN CHOREOGRAPHY Akram Khan for ‘Vertical Road’ OUTSTANDING FEMALE PERFORMANCE (CLASSICAL) Sophie Martin / Scottish Ballet OUTSTANDING MALE PERFORMANCE (MODERN) Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui for ‘Dunas’ JOHN DOYLE CONSTRUCTION AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COMPANY Mariinsky Ballet JANE ATTENBOROUGH DANCE UK INDUSTRY AWARD David Burnie / Director of Administration and Finance, The Place THE DANCING TIMES AWARD FOR BEST MALE DANCER Steven McRae / The Royal Ballet GRISHKO AWARD FOR BEST FEMALE DANCER Daria Klimentová / English National Ballet DE VALOIS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT Ashley Page / Artistic Director, Scottish Ballet A full list of dancers, choreographers and companies nominated for National Dance Awards can be found at www.criticscircle.org.uk or direct here: UK National Dance Awards – Nominees Press Release Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Awards committee, Graham Watts OBE, said: ‘These awards emphasise the UK’s thriving dance culture and it is wonderful to see so many superb artists and companies nominated by the dance critics for 2011. We are especially delighted to have come to the home of contemporary dance in London for the awards ceremony.’ For the second year, the Master of Ceremonies was the Chief Executive of The Place, Kenneth Tharp OBE, who said: ‘The National Dance Awards are a hugely important moment in the annual calendar for us all to celebrate the most memorable achievements in dance from the past year. As both a natural home and springboard for the careers of so many artists, we are delighted this year to be hosting the awards here at The Place for the first time. Warmest congratulations to all those who have been nominated.’ The 2011 National Dance Awards Sponsors are: Grishko, Dancing Times, John Doyle Construction, The Ballet Association, Lee McLernon, Paul & Shirlie Morrell, The Critics’ Circle and Dance UK for the Jane Attenborough Dance UK Industry Award. ENDS

I'm afraid it was a serious comment. National Ballet of Canada have just parked their Cranko R&J (not exactly a bad production or one without historical significance) and invested in a new one from Ratmansky. There is always room for another take on a famous piece. Part of the problem at the Royal is they have a number of apparently 'untouchable' productions and it stifles fresh art - witness the Wheeldon Alice being the first new full evening work the company has done in 17 years (or thereabouts). That's not right. My 2p anyway!

Nice one John - always loved Thribb! Just a reminder that the reviews collected over all these years end up in a database you can search here: http://www.ballet.co.uk/cgi/reviews_database_search/db_search.cgi And in going into archive Balletco will maintain the ability to search all the reviews collected. One of our earliest off-site links (November 1996) is to a Nicholas Dromgoole (Sunday Telegraph) Royal Ballet 'Prince of the Pagodas' review. Sadly the link no longer works but armed with the details I could do a search and have found it again: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4706169/Salamanders-monkeys-and-a-rose-of-tempered-steel.html Nice comparison of Yoshida and Bussell... Eric Pickford, Fiona Chadwick - the memories come flooding back! Overall conclusion: "A second look at The Prince of the Pagodas only confirmed my admiration for this masterwork."

Saw the Rojo/Acosta R&J last night. One's never sure if it's the last performance of a pairing or not but if it is they went out blazingly well. I've actually got very tired of the MacMillan R&J, indeed I feel it would be nice if it could be rested from the RB rep for 10 or 15 years and a new R&J put in to bat. We would all come back to the MacMillan version far fresher, I'm sure. But last night was a cracking cast and the company as a whole have their eye well into it and painting the drama at every level. And for the first time in a few years I really looked at what MacMillan did with less jaundiced eyes and revelled in the clever way the scenes roll into each other and the harmonious way dancers are arranged on stage all the time. We love the pdd, rightfully so but last night I saw again the work I've lost. I still think it is too long but I'm buggered if I can see where I'd make substantive cuts! It was a good night indeed for the company - and for me.

End of TodaysLinks - 21 Jan 2012 Hate to say this but tomorrow will be the last day of such links - 21 Jan 2012. Anna, Ian and I have all done our final stints and John Mallinson is our last man standing - fitting because although we are all brilliant at doing links, John is a tiny bit more brilliant at producing rabbits from the net hat! I'll do a totting up for a final magazine piece about the service and all who have helped over the years. Many will miss TodaysLinks - not just the daily presentation of the great and the obscure but the fact that you could look up the past. A shame it takes so much energy to do at the scale we do and it can't continue. More later, but in the meantime enjoy the last 2 days....

I just posted this up on Balletco, but a copy here would be useful... DanceTabs: a new Magazine This is the last thing I expected to be announcing – a new magazine called DanceTabs that will live at www.dancetabs.com (nothing to see yet folks so no need to click!) I think my post about Balletco going into Archive captured many of my feelings after 15½ years following through on many different aspects of what a ballet/dance website could be… and the sheer workload making it no longer possible or fun. But it was great fun when I started and over Christmas I thought much about what I am passionate about in dance and could I nudge things forward in a way that is both fun and productive. Balletco started very much because I felt fans and the audience needed to have a place to talk about ballet and dance. That’s so much the case now wherever you look on the net. What drives me now and has this last year or two is providing a place for professional criticism and coverage of dance/ballet. It’s a shrinking world for pukka criticism and I really worry about the professional voice being lost in a sea of much social happiness. DanceTabs is just going to be a magazine – no forum, no TodaysLinks (and its huge attendant database) – just Reviews, Galleries, Interviews and News items. The contributors will largely be names you know already and to which I look to add - I continue to want it to take a world view. It will use technology similar to the Balletco redesign but will be hosted in specialist space I don’t have to worry so much about. The gallery area will be hosted differently. Time is short – the launch will be in early February and while I would like to do different designs I may just use the recent Balletco ones with a few light modifications. None of this should impact on the work of the committee looking to take the community spirit of Balletco forward and which increasingly focuses on the forum aspects. It also does not change Balletco going into archive – that will still happen. Some of you may think that this was all part of some grand strategy known at the outset – it wasn’t and I didn’t expect to do anything substantive again in dance. It will be interesting to see where this initiative gets to – it’s not a popular thing to do, to concentrate on professional views, instead of looking to be a big social cheese(!), but it’s something I’m passionate about and want to see done right by – or as right as I can make it. I’ll say more later; in the meantime I hope you will celebrate with and for me and I wish you great dance in 2012 and beyond.

The thread about the formation of the Committee is here: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/58-balletco-community-committee-formed/ It also has important information on the Background and context of this as Balletco itself is going into archive. Also included is my open advice - it predates Trogs post and I see things a bit differently.

Friday Links - 13 January 2012 INTERVIEW: Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo – Tory Dobrin, Paul Ghiselin and others Trockaderos revel in paradox Chicago by Sid Smith “These older ballets have such a wealth of choreography in terms of their steps,” Dobrin says. “A lot of contemporary ballets are interesting, but the actual steps employed just aren’t as sophisticated. Costume some of these old works that we do in spandex, and you’d say, ‘Wow, a modern hit.’ A lot of people who love ballet respond to that.” Chicago Tribune REVIEW: Hofesh Shechter Is it possible for a show with 200 drummers to be a damp squib? It is now Survivor UK, London, Barbican by Ismene Brown “Empty vessels make the most noise. That pithy old aphorism floated into my head a scant few minutes into the much-heralded new work by the undoubtedly talented, but here way off-beam, Hofesh Shechter.” The Arts Desk PREVIEW: New York City Ballet Wheeldon and Dealin’: New York City Ballet returns with Balanchine and Wheeldon works New York by Susan Reiter “This season’s major premiere sounds a lot more promising. Christopher Wheeldon, while no longer the company’s resident choreographer, remains a regular contributor to the repertory and continues to be one of the ballet world’s most significant and in-demand choreographers. His 18th work for the company, set to Bizet’s robustly melodious L’Arlesienne Suites No. 1 and 2, features a cast of 20, including five principal couples.” City Arts REVIEW: Parsons Dance A solid jump for Joyce Round My World, Swing Shift, A Stray’s Lullaby, Caught USA, New York, Joyce Theater Dancers: Bourne by Leigh Witchel “…it’s a pleasant surprise to see his current show is still entertaining, but with more substance – and less cheddar.” New York Post REVIEW: Parsons Dance All Lines Lead to a Circle In David Parsons’s Orbit Round My World, Swing Shift, Step Into My Dream duet, Caught, A Stray’s Lullaby USA, New York, Joyce SoHo Dancers: Bourne by Brian Seibert “Yet in the middle of a Parsons program, the inscrutability was actually refreshing. Even with its flaws, Ms. Skarpetowska’s dance made you think.” New York Times ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Place Resolution! REVIEW: AD Dance Company Sarah Crompton reviews The Place’s enterprising dance programme – 3 stars Resolution! 2012: FAWN UK, London, The Place Dancers: Noble by Sarah Crompton “It didn’t scream its originality, but deserves five stars for effort and promise.” Daily Telegraph REVIEW: The Ticket Theatre Dance Sarah Crompton reviews The Place’s enterprising dance programme – 3 stars Resolution! 2012: Scratched UK, London, The Place by Sarah Crompton “…a promisingly amusing idea …with a lot of aimless noodling…” Daily Telegraph REVIEW: Eleanor Sikorski Sarah Crompton reviews The Place’s enterprising dance programme – 3 stars Resolution! 2012: Chocolate UK, London, The Place Dancers: Sikorski by Sarah Crompton “It felt like a thin idea endlessly expanded…” Daily Telegraph REVIEW: Replica Dance Company Resolution! 2012: 414 UK, London, The Place Dancers: Bendell, Pickard by Josephine Leask “Pickard has a remarkable physical pathos which pulls us right into their intense but short-lived romance.” The Place REVIEW: Replica Dance Company Resolution! 2012: 414 UK, London, The Place Dancers: Bendell, Pickard by Natalia Okeke “Time stands still just for a while, long enough to be stunned by this performance by Hannily Bendell and Thomas Pickard.” The Place REVIEW: Eithne Kane and Dominick Mitchell Bennett Resolution! 2012: When Kane Met Conspicuous UK, London, The Place Dancers: Bennett, Kane by Josephine Leask “While punishing to witness this duo, I can’t help but admire their stamina.” The Place REVIEW: Eithne Kane and Dominick Mitchell Bennett Resolution! 2012: When Kane Met Conspicuous UK, London, The Place Dancers: Bennett, Kane by Natalia Okeke “…a strange and athletic choreography.” The Place REVIEW: Ffin 2 Resolution! 2012: The Art of Riot UK, London, The Place by Josephine Leask “Powerful lasting impressions make up for some naïve choreography.” The Place REVIEW: Ffin 2 Resolution! 2012: The Art of Riot UK, London, The Place Dancers: Fine, Sandford by Natalia Okeke “Perhaps tackling a theme too large for a small company to embody, this was not quite the success that I’d hoped for.” The Place ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REVIEW: Force Majeure A lively slap in the face Never Did Me Any Harm Australia, Sydney, Wharf 1 Dancers: Crowley, Howard, McCracken, Mu by Deborah Jones “I doubt anyone will leave the theatre changed or surprised, although they will have been delighted.” Australian Dance and Diplomacy – DanceMotion USA DanceMotion USA to take shows to countries off the beaten path Washington By Rebecca Ritzel “The Brookland venue hosted 160 performers and diplomatic guests at an event celebrating DanceMotion USA, the State Department initiative that will send four American dance companies to countries that are mostly off the beaten tourist path. The Boise, Idaho-based modern Trey McIntyre Project is headed for Asia. Philadelphia hip-hoppers from Rennie Harris Puremovement are off to the Middle East. New York’s Sean Curran Company will perform modern dance in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic…” Washington Post REVIEW: Daniel Linehan Juxtaposing Movement And Speech Not About Everything, Zombie Aporia USA, New York, Abrons Arts Center Dancers: Lac, Linehan, Rosengren by Gia Kourlas “In this solo (Not About Everything) he demonstrates a significant goal of his work: to show the contrast between movement and language, or action versus sound.” New York Times NEWS: BBC Radio Dance Nation series – Deborah Bull Deborah Bull to explore dance’s social role in R4 series London by Matthew Hemley “Royal Opera House creative director Deborah Bull is to front a five-part BBC series looking at the role dance has played socially in Britain’s history. “Deborah Bull’s Dance Nation will be broadcast on Radio 4, and is being made by independent company Just Radio.” Stage Toronto Arts Funding – not cuts Toronto budget: Arts funding won’t be cut Toronto by Martin Knelman “The executive committee of city council voted in favour of sustaining arts funding levels at the same level that prevailed in 2011. “Translation: If this decision is endorsed by full council next week as expected, arts funding totalling $19 million will be provided through the Toronto Arts Council, local arts service organizations and direct funding to the city’s major arts organizations.” Toronto Star PREVIEW: Shen Yun Performing Arts and Chinese New Year Carnival 2012 Troupes present two views of China Toronto By Michael Crabb “Both groups variously claim to celebrate China’s regional and ethnic diversity. So why, you might ask, don’t they join forces and make the whole affair even more mind-blowingly spectacular? The answer has to do with politics.” Toronto Star REVIEW: Peter Schaufuss Ballet Romeo and Juliet UK, Brighton, Brighton Dome Dancers: Oki, Wise by Richard Amey “SIR FRED has left his Romeo and Juliet in hands safe and sure.” Midhurst and Petworth Observer Dance Fitness – Bhangra Urban Athlete A Wedding Dance That’s Also a Workout New York By Shivani Vora “Apparently I’m behind the times. Dance studios, gyms and clubs in New York City and beyond focus on the fitness aspects of bhangra, a centuries-old folk dance from northern India that farmers still perform to celebrate the harvest NY Times

Dave Morgan Pictures - Sarah Lamb and Federico Bonelli cast Romeo shows off to Juliet (Federico Bonelli, Sarah Lamb) © Dave Morgan An unlikely prayer meeting (Romany Pajdak, Sian Murphy, Claire Calvert) © Dave Morgan Juliet mourns her dead Romeo (Srah Lamb, Federico Bonelli). © Dave Morgan Dave Morgan: Royal Ballet Romeo and Juliet – 30 pictures Your thoughts on the show please...

Thursday Links - 12 January 2012 REVIEW: Royal Ballet Romeo and Juliet UK, London, Covent Garden Dancers: Acosta, Avis, Chapman, Kura, Martin, McGorian, Rojo, Rosato by Zoe Anderson “This revival is full of insights, of characters reacting in the heat of the moment. Even the crowded market scenes, the weakest of this production, are full of vivid detail.” Independent REVIEW: Royal Ballet 4 stars Romeo and Juliet UK, London, Covent Garden Dancers: Acosta, Avis, Martin, Rojo by Clifford Bishop “The chemistry they shared was visceral even when one of them was supposed to be dead. Acosta hauled her about in the crypt scene like a mournful scavenger worrying a piece of meat.” Evening Standard REVIEW: Royal Ballet Romeo and Juliet UK, London, Covent Garden Dancers: Acosta, Rojo by Lise Smith “The Royal Ballet is justly proud of this production…” Londonist REVIEW: Royal Danish Ballet Hübbe has turned Napoli into a triple bill of sorts, where every act comes with its own wildly different period setting and aesthetics – 3 stars Napoli France, Paris, Palais Garnier Dancers: Birkkjaer, Bojesen, Cuni, Jeppesen, Watson by Laura Cappelle “If only the whole felt like more than the sum of its parts in this version of Napoli.” Financial Times PARTY PICS: Miami City Ballet – Liam Scarlett premiere Miami City Ballet Presents its Second Program of the Season Miami by Cinthya Karen “Miami City Ballet started its second program of the season with the World Premiere of Viscera and London’s most successful young choreographer, 25-year-old Liam Scarlett. “The performance …received a standing ovation.” HauteLiving REVIEW: Paul White and Martin del Amo Faun falls short of expectations Anatomy of an Afternoon Australia, Sydney, Opera House Dancers: White by Jill Sykes “It could be that the weight of the project squeezed out some of these artists’ natural instincts – or that, as a viewer, expectations were simply set too high.” Sydney Morning Herald REVIEW: Paul White and Martin del Amo Anatomy of an Afternoon Australia, Sydney, Opera House Dancers: White by Emily Garrett “An unforgettable experience. Book your tickets now!” Australian Stage REVIEW: Noche Flamenca Heaven Sent Flamenca – Noche Flamenca’s profound singing/dancing The Rhythms of Joy: USA, New York, Joe’s Pub Dancers: Argenta, Barrio, Granados, Santangelo by Judy Gelman Myers “Thank God for Noche Flamenca. Or rather thank Martin Santangelo, Noche’s artistic director, and Soledad Barrio, the company’s leading lady…” City Arts PREVIEW: Jane Weiner/Hope Stone Dance Company + Ayman Harper Hope Stone Dance and (theLID moving experiments) Houston by Molly Glentzer “He didn’t really find his niche — seriously avant-garde theater — until he joined William Forsythe’s company in 2004, he said. “When I got to Bill, it was like chaos. With him, sometimes you don’t know what to do until you go onstage…” Houston Chron Place Resolution! REVIEW: CoDa Dance Resolution! 2012: You Remind Me of Someone I Once Knew UK, London, The Place Dancers: Collins, Godfrey by Lyndsey Winship “…is at its strongest when its at its starkest – the two very good performers, Kimberley Collins and Georgia Godfrey, in matching movements, slow and grounded.” The Place REVIEW: CoDa Dance Resolution! 2012: You Remind Me of Someone I Once Knew UK, London, The Place Dancers: Collins, Godfrey by Germaine Cheng “A despairing situation often forces people to have a different perspective on time.” The Place REVIEW: Hamish MacPherson and Martine Painter Resolution! 2012: Meeting Place UK, London, The Place Dancers: MacPherson, Painter by Lyndsey Winship “Some genuine laughs out loud and a nice visible logic at play.” The Place REVIEW: Hamish MacPherson and Martine Painter Resolution! 2012: Meeting Place UK, London, The Place Dancers: MacPherson, Painter by Germaine Cheng “he piece reflected a thoroughly considered approach, building up a number of simple movements in a formulaic way…” The Place REVIEW: Do Not Dance UK Resolution! 2012: Local Group UK, London, The Place by Lyndsey Winship “Random – that’s the only word for it.” The Place REVIEW: Do Not Dance UK Resolution! 2012: Local Group UK, London, The Place by Germaine Cheng “The work is bookended by an ensemble of dancers moving in various permutations around the stage, repeating the same sequence so many times that I was willing them to stop.” The Place

"Thanks Bruce. No so much looking to have only one thread in each section, as trying to work all how to see all the topics in the "About Balletco" section! I'm sure I'll work it out eventually." You see all the threads in a given Forum by clicking on the forum title - on the left of the listing of fourm. On teh right (for each forum listed) is the thread most recently contributed too in that forum..

"When the pictures of general rehearsal will be' posted?? Who danced??" A little please in there would be useful and encouraging.