Bruce

Bangorballetboy and All I think you are on a hiding to nothing trying to arrange things so that only one thread of many in each section is seen on the forum home page. I've not looked to do much with the forum because I only have some responsibility for a few weeks and it may just change. There is much else to do as well! And of course people need to come forward, investigate and help eachother etc. (and thank you for your support in this Janet). However 2 things I notice that I think all registered users could usefully know and actively use. When you are logged in then at the top right of the page is a 'View New Content' button. Click on that to see all the threads/conversations that have changed recently. When you have seen them all, or decided they are not for you, click the 'Mark Community Read' link right at the bottom of the page, and select 'Mark all as read' on the dropdown menu. As a check then go and click on the 'View new content' button again - and you will get a blank page with the text "Sorry, no new content found." - because there hasn't been any since you did the Mark. Come back in a few hours though and do the 'View New Content' and hopefully a thread or two will be shown as changed. So the general way of operating is to do the View and then do a Mark at the end of looking aorund. So that's a way of seeing all the action on the forum - good stuff. I'm sure there is lots of useful things like this and when decisions are made on the way forward those who look after the forum can find the goodies people need and figure how to convey to all.

Wednesday Links - 11 January 2012 OBITUARY: Miguel Terekhov, Dancer With Ballets Russes, Dies at 83 New York By Jack Anderson “Miguel Terekhov, a dancer with the two leading Ballets Russes troupes of the 1940s and ’50s and a co-founder, with his wife, of the School of Dance at the University of Oklahoma, one of America’s leading university dance programs, died on Jan. 3 at the home of a daughter in Richardson, Tex. He was 83 and lived in Oklahoma City.” NY TIMES INTERVIEW: Nikolay Tsiskaridze (Bolshoi?) The Bolshoi’s act of revenge? Moscow by staff “Tsiskaridze, who is one of Russia’s most celebrated artists, has received official notice that his contract as a ballet teacher at the Bolshoi will be cut short. “The theater maintains that it needs a ballet teacher who, unlike the eminent soloist, could work full-time. RT.com REVIEW: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui Riot of music and movement Babel (words) Australia, Sydney, Sydney Theatre by Jill Sykes “BABEL is an astonishing piece: an inventive hybrid of movement from East and West; dance and acrobatics; music sourced from Japan, Turkey and places in between… and powerful performers who bring a wide range of individual qualities to an epic presentation.” Sydney Morning Herald + gallery of pictures REVIEW: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui Babel (words) Australia, Sydney, Sydney Theatre Dancers: Chaudary, Fahlstrom, Fournier, Fury, Jalet, Kozuki, Leach, Leboutte, O’Hara, Porcel, Seabra, Svensson, Woods by Augusta Supple “But, this is a technically impressive piece of work – which has already delighted Sydney by its message of inclusivity and unity. And what’s not to love about that?” Australian Stage REVIEW: Taiwan International Ballet Star Gala Contemporary works outdo classics at ballet gala 6th International Ballet Star Gala: Come Neve al Sole, Mona Lisa, Adam, Don Quixote pdd, Le Cosaire pdd, Por Ti, Le Rendez-vous and others Taiwan, Taipei, National Theater Dancers: Amatriain, Ciaravola, Jelinek, Kochetkova, Kolb, Reilly, Rodriquez, Saiz, Semionov, Semionova, Simkin by Diane Baker “The Sixth International Ballet Star Gala on Saturday night at the National Theater was a delight from start to finish, but it was the contemporary pieces, more than the usual gala virtuoso works that really made the event special.” Taipei Times INTERVIEW: Scottish Dance Theatre – Janet Smith (Who is leaving SDT) and Pathways to the Profession event – about dance being a profession for disabled people Access all areas: The politics of dance Janet Smith leaves Scottish Dance Theatre with a lasting legacy of her work, says Mary Brennan Glasgow by Mary Brennan “For Smith, the Pathways to the Profession Symposium encapsulates what she and SDT have been putting into practice. Chaired by multi-disciplinary performing artist and writer Mat Fraser, who vividly lives up to his description as “the Jack of all disability performance trades”, the high-profile guest speakers from all sectors – education, professional training, arts industry employers and artists…” Glasgow Herald REVIEW: Paul White and Martin del Amo Dance piece Anatomy of an Afternoon a test of nerve Anatomy of an Afternoon Australia, Sydney, Opera House Dancers: White by Deborah Jones “This piece is beyond austere, it is strange, and I will add it doesn’t hurt to know your dance history. …White is extraordinary…” Australian REVIEW: Circa Dance piece Anatomy of an Afternoon a test of nerve Wunderkammer Australia, Sydney, Opera House by Deborah Jones “The fun is diluted only when the company tries, well, to be more fun. I found the attempts at comedy far less compelling than the physical work; irritating even. No one else seemed to mind.” Australian REVIEW: Molissa Fenley Whimsy and Tenderness in Motion: Frying Pans and Gentle Touches Credo in Us, The Vessel Stories USA, New York, Judson Memorial Church Dancers: Fenley, Kao by Claudia La Rocco “But the choreographer has her madcap and her romantic sides as well. Both of these were on display Monday night…” New York Times REVIEW: Michael Klien Doodles, Puddles, Responses and Chalk Choreography for Blackboards USA, New York, Invisible Dog Art Center Dancers: Klien by Claudia La Rocco “It happened. I watched it. And then I had lunch.” New York Times REVIEW: Kyle Abraham Dance showcase puts the ‘Focus’ on new moves Focus Dance: Live! The Realest MC USA, New York, Joyce Theater by Robert Johnson “Abraham has issues with hip-hop and the blustering cool of gangsta rap. For him, the loose knees, splayed hands and cheerfully self-hugging attitude of boyz-in-the-hood is the masculine alternative to voguing.” Newark Star Ledger REVIEW: Kate Weare Dance showcase puts the ‘Focus’ on new moves Focus Dance: Garden USA, New York, Joyce Theater Dancers: Gillespie, Kraus, Murphy by Robert Johnson “The men swing their arms and exhale sharply; the women prowl like caged tigers.” Newark Star Ledger REVIEW: Joe Goode Dance showcase puts the ‘Focus’ on new moves Focus Dance: The Rambler USA, New York, Joyce Theater by Robert Johnson “‘The Rambler’ has the theatrical know-how other Focus Dance participants need to acquire. It deserves a longer run.” Newark Star Ledger REVIEW: Jason Samuels Smith Dance showcase puts the ‘Focus’ on new moves Focus Dance: Anybody Can Get It USA, New York, Joyce Theater Dancers: Arnold, Dorrance, Sumbry-Edwards, Smith by Robert Johnson “For those who love technique…” Newark Star Ledger REVIEW: Larry Keigwin Dance showcase puts the ‘Focus’ on new moves Focus Dance: Triptych, Mattress Suite, Runaway USA, New York, Joyce Theater by Robert Johnson “knows how to put a dance together, but doesn’t always have a reason to do so.” Newark Star Ledger REVIEW: Monica Bill Barnes Dance showcase puts the ‘Focus’ on new moves Focus Dance: Mostly Fanfare USA, New York, Joyce Theater by Robert Johnson “…repeats herself.” Newark Star Ledger REVIEW: Trey McIntyre Project Dance showcase puts the ‘Focus’ on new moves Focus Dance: The Sweeter End USA, New York, Joyce Theater by Robert Johnson “…singularly shallow…” Newark Star Ledger REVIEW: AD Dance Company 2 stars Resolution! 2012: FAWN UK, London, The Place Dancers: Fisher, Wraith by Clifford Bishop “…Noble brought out a tenderness between Emma Fisher and Oliver Wraith, a solicitous shepherding of each other through this overwhelming piece of music that was a quantum leap from anything else in the whole evening.” Evening Standard REVIEW: The Ticket Theatre Dance 2 stars Resolution! 2012: Scratched UK, London, The Place Dancers: Bradburn by Clifford Bishop “Choreographer Lexi Bradburn seems to have the attention span of a cat in a zoetrope.” Evening Standard REVIEW: Eleanor Sikorski 2 stars Resolution! 2012: Chocolate UK, London, The Place Dancers: Sikorski by Clifford Bishop “Chocolate was the definition of a show that was more fun to perform than to watch…” Evening Standard INTERVIEW: Kate Champion Slap bang in middle of search for balance Sydney by Wendy Frew “IN KATE Champion’s new work, Never Did Me Any Harm, seven dancers and actors bump, glide, roll and collide in an archetypal Aussie backyard, lit with a grid pattern of strobe light. With the help of verbatim dialogue…” Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday Links - 10 January 2012 REVIEW: Mikhailovsky Ballet Duato Experiments With Sleeping Beauty The Sleeping Beauty Russia, St Petersburg, Mikhailovsky Theatre Dancers: Osipova, Vasilyev by Raymond Stults “Despite my reservations about its choreographic setting, the Mikhailovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty” does add up to a pretty good show, one likely to give much pleasure to the relatively undemanding viewers who probably form the majority among most ballet audiences.” Moscow Times REVIEW: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui The honesty of gesture Babel (words) Australia, Sydney, Sydney Theatre by Deborah Jones “But at almost every point there is something fascinating to experience and ponder…” Australian BOOK FEATURE: Australian Ballet History A memento of youth and aching beauty Book: Luminous: Celebrating 50 years of the Australian Ballet, $99 Emily Dunn looks behind the scenes at the Australian Ballet. Sydney by Emily Dunn “The collection of photographs, accompanied by a series of essays by prominent Australian arts writers, is the result of more than a year of researching and gathering images from the archives of the company, media outlets and ballet enthusiasts.” Sydney Morning Herald REVIEW: China Jinling Dance Company From Controversial Epic to a Generic Flower The Peony Pavilion USA, New York, David H. Koch Theater Dancers: Bo, Xinyu, Du, Yanfeng by Robert Greskovic “This government-sanctioned, two-hour “Peony Pavilion” proved colorful and accomplished in surface effects but sorely lacking in action, drama and stage theatrics.” Wall Street Journal REVIEW: China Jinling Dance Company Dancing ‘The Peony Pavilion’ with garish effects The Peony Pavilion USA, New York, David H. Koch Theater Dancers: Bo, Xinyu by Robert Johnson “Dancers Xu Xinyu and Han Bo are adequate, but not compelling, and the duet in which Han travels around Xu’s body in angled lifts, while couched in a giant lotus leaf, is the closest this production comes to inspiration.” Newark Star Ledger REVIEW: China Jinling Dance Company Chinese troupe brings vibrant life to tragic tale The Peony Pavilion USA, New York, David H. Koch Theater Dancers: Bo, Xinyu by Jocelyn Noveck “…an entertaining evening, full of vibrant colors, lush costumes, and traditional Chinese dance: Highly stylized, full of flexed feet and striking poses, with a healthy dose of acrobatics thrown in.” San Francisco Chronicle REVIEW: Taylor 2 Spotlighting a Choreographer Through Some Classic Works Images, Oracle, Funny Papers, Esplanade USA, New York, Pace University Schimmel Center Dancers: Ho, Kahan, Markham, Sanchez by Brian Seibert “Mr. Taylor’s compositions are solid enough to handle some roughness of execution, but the mixing of light and serious is what makes Taylor Taylor. Even with reduced numbers, a Taylor company has to get that right for the work to convince.” New York Times INTERVIEW: UK Arts – Dan Jarvis, Labour party Arts Minister Dan Jarvis: a very unlikely arts minister He has served with the Special Forces in Afghanistan. But is Dan Jarvis facing his toughest challenge yet – as shadow arts minister? London by Charlotte Higgins “As Jarvis himself says: “I have never tried to pretend I was in and out of the ballet every night of the week prior to getting this job, because I wasn’t.” His personal circumstances have also militated against a committed cultural life…” Guardian NEWS: DiverseWorks – Elizabeth Dunbar DiverseWorks names new executive director Houston by Molly Glentzer “We caught Dunbar during her first hour on the job. “Fresh beginnings,” she said. Houston Chron Place Resolution! REVIEW: The Ticket Theatre Dance 3 stars Resolution! 2012: Scratched UK, London, The Place Dancers: Bradburn by Zoe Anderson “Lexi Bradburn has fun with the panic of getting a show on, the performers making the best of it as the situation slides out of control…” Independent REVIEW: The Ticket Theatre Dance 3 stars Resolution! 2012: Scratched UK, London, The Place Dancers: Bradburn by Jenny Gilbert “…aimed for comedy and missed by a mile.” Independent REVIEW: The Ticket Theatre Dance Resolution! 2012: Scratched UK, London, The Place Dancers: Bradburn by Neil Norman “The fact that it coheres at all is a tribute to the company’s commitment.” The Stage REVIEW: The Ticket Theatre Dance Resolution! 2012: Scratched UK, London, The Place Dancers: Bradburn by Donald Hutera “Just the ticket? Alas, no.” The Place REVIEW: The Ticket Theatre Dance Resolution! 2012: Scratched UK, London, The Place Dancers: Bradburn by Misa Brzezicki “…and the combination of average dancing with sub-standard slapstick meant it simply meandered along to an inconsequential end.” The Place REVIEW: Eleanor Sikorski 3 stars Resolution! 2012: Chocolate UK, London, The Place Dancers: Sikorski by Zoe Anderson “The humour in Eleanor Sikorski’s Chocolate gets darker as the piece goes on…” Independent REVIEW: Eleanor Sikorski 3 stars Resolution! 2012: Chocolate UK, London, The Place Dancers: Sikorski by Jenny Gilbert “The evening’s singular treat.” Independent REVIEW: Eleanor Sikorski Resolution! 2012: Chocolate UK, London, The Place Dancers: Sikorski by Neil Norman “The use of gaudily wrapped chocolates as a kind of treasure and later as an image of fertility offers an impressionistic study of body image, pregnancy and addiction to sweeties.” The Stage REVIEW: Eleanor Sikorski Resolution! 2012: Chocolate UK, London, The Place Dancers: Sikorski by Donald Hutera “Perhaps the work’s implications could’ve been more deeply plumbed, and the result more profoundly bittersweet, but it showed originality.” The Place REVIEW: Eleanor Sikorski Resolution! 2012: Chocolate UK, London, The Place Dancers: Sikorski by Misa Brzezicki “Additional kudos is also due for putting that post- Christmas excess of Quality Street to good use.” The Place REVIEW: AD Dance Company 3 stars Resolution! 2012: FAWN UK, London, The Place by Zoe Anderson “The young company give a polished performance.” Independent REVIEW: AD Dance Company 3 stars Resolution! 2012: FAWN UK, London, The Place by Jenny Gilbert “The polish in Holly Noble’s FAWN was welcome.” Independent REVIEW: AD Dance Company Resolution! 2012: FAWN UK, London, The Place by Neil Norman “…four couples in black performing a series of neo-classical pas de deux with tremendous flexibility and muscle-cracking poise.” The Stage REVIEW: AD Dance Company Resolution! 2012: FAWN UK, London, The Place Dancers: Noble by Donald Hutera “She and her dancers tried hard – maybe too hard – but to little avail. I don’t know who was more trapped – them, or us?” The Place REVIEW: AD Dance Company Resolution! 2012: FAWN UK, London, The Place Dancers: Noble by Misa Brzezicki “Credit must go to the dancers however, for their complete lack of irony in performing those seemingly random incidences of pelvic thrusting…” The Place REVIEW: Tony Fitzgibbons and Matthew Robinson Resolution! 2012: (why wait for what for wait for when) UK, London, The Place Dancers: Fitzgibbons, Robinson by Sanjoy Roy “All it needs is more narrative coherence. Or less narrative.” The Place REVIEW: Tony Fitzgibbons and Matthew Robinson Resolution! 2012: (why wait for what for wait for when) UK, London, The Place Dancers: Fitzgibbons, Robinson by Lucy Jarvis “With no programme note and an ambiguous title, at times this confusion left me wondering what I was even waiting for.” The Place REVIEW: Daniel Walters Resolution! 2012: BooJack UK, London, The Place by Sanjoy Roy “The imagery is striking, but the piece doesn’t get into gear until the women start floundering in paper flotsam.” The Place REVIEW: Daniel Walters Resolution! 2012: BooJack UK, London, The Place by Lucy Jarvis “Furthermore, with such a strong focus on newspapers I am left pondering its relevance in today’s internet culture.” The Place REVIEW: The Maxwell Dance Project Resolution! 2012: The B-Sides UK, London, The Place Dancers: Lowe by Sanjoy Roy “The B-Sides is sharp, smart entertainment.” The Place REVIEW: The Maxwell Dance Project Resolution! 2012: The B-Sides UK, London, The Place by Lucy Jarvis “B-Sides is at its best during playful duets and when the energy is at its height.” The Place

Monday Links - 9 January 2012 Links today were actually done by Anna Merrick REVIEW: Miami City Ballet Viscera, In the Night, Ballet Imperial USA, Miami, Arsht Center Dancers: Catoya, Delgado P, Guerra, Kronenberg by Jeff Haller “Viscera will not disappoint lovers of ballet athleticism; romance is not much in evidence, even in the glorious second movement pas de deux powerfully interpreted by the company’s love couple, Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg and Carlos Miguel Guerra. ” ConcertoNet REVIEW: Nichole Canuso Takes USA, New York, 3LD Art & Technology Center Dancers: Canuso, Van Reigersberg by Brian Seibert “The technology of “Takes” effectively delivers Ms. Canuso’s message, but the content doesn’t communicate enough to make us care. ” New York Times Ballet San Jose: Big Next Steps by Janice Berman “The plan for Ballet San Jose to link up with the American Ballet Theatre began last August, said BSJ Executive Director Stephanie Ziesel as “a very simple lamenting between sisters. I was saying, ‘I don’t know what to do for this company.’” ” San Francisco Classical Voice Changes at West Australian & Queensland Ballet by Deborah Jones “West Australian Ballet’s Ivan Cavallari will leave Perth in December. Queensland Ballet’s artistic director, Francois Klaus, departs at the end of 2013. ” The Australian WA Ballet Artistic Director Ivan Cavallari is calling it quits by William Yeoman “WA Ballet Artistic Director Ivan Cavallari is calling it quits at the end of 2012 after overseeing five highly successful seasons which have seen Australia’s oldest ballet company reach unprecedented artistic heights. In 2013 he will take up the position of Artistic Director with Ballet du Rhin in Alcase, France.” Yahoo Feature: Terence Kohler dancer and choreographer by Deborah Jones “”I want to shape where classical ballet is going,” he says. “It’s beautiful to be able to speculate and to dream.”" The Australian Preview:Proximity Australian Dance Theatre by Verity Edwards “Inspired by two of his previous works which used live photography and focused on philosophical, poetic and physical contact, Stewart said he wanted to explore the perception of reality.” The Australian Preview:Misters and Sisters by Valerie Gladstone “Parker, 52, often uses his own experience as inspiration for his works, but “Misters and Sisters’’ is the most autobiographical show he has ever choreographed. ” Boston Globe Preview/feature:Liz Casebolt and Joel Smith by Susan Josephs “”What people respond to in our work is the reveal of our neuroses and process of working,” Smith says. “We also don’t take ourselves too seriously, but when people see our work, I think they realize that we’re serious about our craft and that we have a clear idea of what we want to achieve.”" LA Times Preview:Babel Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Damien Jalet by Joyce Morgan “When the pair began working on the piece, two words came to mind: language and territory, says Jalet” The Age Feature: Shen Yun by Epoch Times Staff “On its website, Shen Yun tells about their creative backdrop: “Animated backdrops transport the audience to another world. Projected behind the dancers, the hi-tech images lift the stage and set it amidst blossoming landscapes, deep forests, Mongolian prairies, or celestial paradises.”” Epoch Times Feature: Korea National Ballet by Park Min-young “KNB celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and is planning unprecedented shows. It is to meet the heightened expectations of local ballet fans, said Choi. ” Korea Herald Feature: Scottish Ballet dancer enjoys playing wicked fairy in Sleeping Beauty by Steve Hendry ““I just love the fact you can get such a reaction from the audience. You can really bounce off it.”” Daily Record

Sunday Links - 8 January 2012 Links today were actually done by Anna Merrick REVIEW: Miami City Ballet Viscera, In the Night, Ballet Imperial USA, Miami, Arsht Center Dancers: Albertson, Catoya, Delgado J, Esty S, Guerra, Kronenberg, Manning, Penteado, Rebello by Jordan Levin “an urgent, intricately structured piece (Viscera) set to a driving contemporary score by American composer Lowell Lieberman, Scarlett built on the attack, musicality and intensity that Villella has honed…” Miami Herald REVIEW: Mariinsky Ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse Russia, St Petersburg, Mariinsky Theatre Dancers: Ivanov, Matvienko A, Popov, Sergeyev by Luke Jennings “Ratmansky’s emotional touch is sure. He sends you out into the icy St Petersburg winter with a warm heart and the memory of two hours of glorious dance.” Observer Feature: Hofesh Shechter by Luke Jennings “Shechter’s work succeeds because it bypasses the cerebral, analytical place where most contemporary dance finds a lodging, and strikes directly at our buried fears and longings.” Observer Feature: ENB at the Coliseum by Genevieve Roberts “As they go out to perform the pas de deux in Summertime, and lose themselves in their dance, I see Vadim smile at Daria, everyone in the Coliseum enchanted by the magic between them. In a few steps they are a world away from tracksuit tops and woolllen, stripy leggings.” Independent Preview/Feature: Meg Stuart Blessed by Gia Kourlas ““Blessed,” Ms. Stuart said, explores how circumstances can change from one minute to the next. “What does it mean to survive?” she asked. ” New York Times

Saturday Links - 7 January 2012 Links today were actually done by Anna Merrick Interview: Hofesh Shechter and Antony Gormley: love of bodies by Mark Monahan “A monster pendulum and 100 drummers, pastoral strings and moments of ‘madness’. ” Daily Telegraph REVIEW: Paris Opera Ballet La Source France, Paris, Palais Garnier Dancers: Heymann by Michael Church “But the chief pleasure lies where it should, in the dance itself. In Mathias Heymann the Paris Opera has a dancer with the effortless charisma and exquisite line of the young Nureyev….” Independent REVIEW: Merce Cunningham Dance Company Park Avenue Armory Event USA, New York, Park Avenue Armory by Charles Isherwood “Its vitality, mystery and humanity are as clear to the innocent eye as they are, I expect, clarifying to the jaded. ” New York Times REVIEW: Merce Cunningham Dance Company Park Avenue Armory Event USA, New York, Park Avenue Armory by Susan Yung “an up-close view of the effortful ease of the style, of the underlying tension within the body that is essential to the great dynamism expressed in Cunningham’s work, giving it so much internal life. ” SundayArts REVIEW: Elizabeth Streb Kiss the Air! USA, New York, Park Avenue Armory by Susan Yung “truly like a three-ring circus, complete with a barking ringmaster.” SundayArts REVIEW: English National Ballet Strictly Gershwin UK, London, Coliseum Dancers: Chalendard, Glurdjidze, Klimentova, Konvalina, Muntagirov, Streeter, Scott by Clement Crisp “Deane has re-organised it with skill and an unfailing sense of popular theatre…” Financial Times REVIEW: Scottish Ballet 4 stars The Sleeping Beauty UK, Glasgow, Theatre Royal by Kelly Apter “As with all Page/McDonald creations, however, what’s most interesting is the narrative route they take to tell the story.” The List Sweeping changes at Ballet San Jose by Richard Scheinin “the company is struggling to complete the lineup for its truncated 2011-12 season, which so far has featured only longtime artistic director Dennis Nahat’s popular “Nutcracker.” But the future of Nahat — who, for many ballet patrons, is Ballet San Jose — has been a subject of intense speculation in recent days. ” Mercury News Touchdown Dances by Gia Kourlas “Suddenly, the back bump, in which players fling themselves against one another in the air, is everywhere: it’s a slam dance turned pas de deux.” New York Times REVIEW: China Jinling Dance Company The Peony Pavilion USA, New York, David H. Koch Theater Dancers: Bo, Liang, Xinyu by Gia Kourlas “what holds the greatest enchantment … is not a secret springtime romance, but Wang Ruiguo’s trippy lighting, especially when paired with Mo Xiaomin’s costumes for the ensemble…” New York Times REVIEW: Abraham-In-Motion Focus Dance: Live The Realest MC USA, New York, Joyce Theater Dancers: Abraham by Leigh Witchel “You don’t know what to feel — and that’s intriguing.” New York Post REVIEW: Kate Weare Focus Dance: Garden USA, New York, Joyce Theater by Leigh Witchel “There’s a beautiful 10-minute dance somewhere in “Garden,” but it’s 32 minutes long.” New York Post REVIEW: Laura Arrington Dance Hot Wings USA, New York, Abrons Arts Center Dancers: Babaoff, Dichter, Sigourney, Tenuto by Claudia La Rocco “there is little impetus to work hard when it seems that the people you’re watching haven’t worked nearly hard enough. ” New York Times REVIEW: Helix Dance UnEarth Canada, Toronto, Betty Oliphant Theatre Dancers: Keeling by Paula Citron “As always, Garneau’s dance language is highly controlled, filled with off-balances, high kicks and lunges. But there is a fluidity here as the dancers give themselves over to the emotion of the work. ” Globe and Mail Will Signature’s ‘Hairspray’ lead to a permanent wave of dance on D.C. stages? by Sarah Kaufman “Technology has played a crucial role in moving dancing ahead in the theater world, says Hope, the association executive. What cheap flights did for travel, video has done for the visual arts. “Being able to do video inexpensively, it’s sort of like the jet plane here,” he says.” Washington Post This week’s new theatre and dance by Judith Mackrell “The Royal Ballet: Romeo And Juliet, London, Hofesh Schechter & Antony Gormley: Survivor, London” The Guardian

Each day we add the latest links to reviews and interviews that we find on the major newspaper web sites around the world. If you find a link that we have missed do please post it up, preferably as a URL link. Last week's thread: See last weeks and earlier links here: http://www.ballet.co...ry/todayslinks/ Bookmarking this page: Click on the following link and then bookmark the links page that comes back - it's a special URL that will always bring you to the thread with the latest reviews: http://www.ballet.co.uk/todayslinks Reviews Database The review links we find go in a database - we have many thousands of entries and you can search it on company, dance, dancer, reviewer, publication, theatre, city or a combination of all of them! Just fill-in the boxes here: http://www.ballet.co...h/db_search.cgi Non Working Links: Some papers move pieces on their websites so it is impossible to guarantee links. If you find a recent link that does not work and you have found a working version by all means post it up. And thank you! Registering with papers: It's an increasing fact of life that papers ask readers to register before letting them have free access to pieces. Usually registration is a one off process and then, providing you've ticked any obvious boxes, you should be remembered as a registered reader and the links we give should take you straight to the pieces. In registering for papers many people get themselves a Yahoo or Hotmail email account and thus protect their main email from any inadvertent problems. Seeing Pieces Behind a Pay-wall Some papers have introduced a pay-wall. We don't generally list pieces we can't freely see. However some of the papers will show the article for free if the reader visits the page by way of a Google search. If we can do this then we list, but alas cannot give a 2 stage link - only the link that works if you are a subscriber. If you are interested but not a subscriber then use the details we give to search Google and take it from there. And Finally... We should not need to state this but these links are for our readers' use and not for other websites to take and pass off as their own. We ask all visitors to respect Ballet.co's site and the way it operates.

Friday Links - 6 January 2012 Links today were actually done by Anna Merrick Reflecting On Wheeldon by Wendy Whelan “I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I didn’t put much stock in his dream, though I found it endearing that he wanted to grow up to be a choreographer one day. ” Playbill Arts Why should we fund the arts? by David Edgar “Publicly funded arts institutions are under more pressure than ever to quantify the social benefits they bring, as would be done for schools and hospitals. But isn’t the crucial role of art to challenge the way society is run?” The Guardian REVIEW: English National Ballet Strictly Gershwin UK, London, Coliseum Dancers: Cao, Gruzdyev, Klimentova, Muntagirov, Robinson by Ismene Brown “shows are not conceived with dancers in mind but with box office, and box office this is, with costumes and lighting of high glitz and elegant cut,….” The Arts Desk REVIEW: English National Ballet 3 stars Strictly Gershwin UK, London, Coliseum Dancers: Birkett, Cao, Glurdjidze, Konvalina, Mills, Takahashi by Clifford Bishop “The best numbers feel like ballet daydreaming that it might be something else. ” Evening Standard REVIEW: English National Ballet 3 stars Strictly Gershwin UK, London, Coliseum Dancers: Birkett, Mills, Robinson by Patrick Marmion “The big problem really is that Strictly Gershwin feels like one of those K-tel greatest hits albums. The ecstatic pitch of the sound and spectacle grows more and more wearying…” Daily Mail REVIEW: Scottish Ballet The Sleeping Beauty UK, Glasgow, Theatre Royal Dancers: Ahmet, Blyde, Cavallari, Harrison, Hersh, Jeffs, Laplane, Martin, Mutso, Robertson, Sato, Zarallo, Kingsley-Garner, Kinross by Mary Brennan “the romantic vision at the heart of Ashley Page’s choreography is fully realised in performances that sparkle with beguiling personality as well as thrillingly assured technique.” Herald Scotland Feature: Ballet San Jose by REYHAN HARMANCI “Like a dancer careening wildly to the edge of the stage, Ballet San Jose, one of the most respected arts institutions in Silicon Valley, was on the brink of chaos last year.” New York Times 2012 DANCE HIGHLIGHTS – PUTTING SPRING IN THE STEP by Neil Norman “The lingering chill of February will be chased away by the Spanish heat of the Flamenco Festival.The performers include Carmen Cortés and her husband, guitar virtuoso Gerardo Núñez. February 7 to 19, 0844 412 4300/ www.sadlerswells.com ” Express Dominion Post pick of Dance performances 2011 by Not named “2011 will also be remembered for Pina, the astonishing documentary by Wim Wenders of Pina Bausch, the seminal figure in 20th-century European dance-theatre. ” Dominion Post Fire poi dancing classes by STACEY ANDERSON “Taking turns, each student swung two blazing poi in circular patterns, with varying degrees of grace and proximity to their panicked expressions. ” New York Times Cultural Life : Melissa Hamilton by Charlotte Cripps “YouTube is one of my greatest means of seeing other companies and dancers. I think it can be very detrimental for dancers only ever to see their own company. ” The Independent From Brisbane to the Bolshoi by Jennifer Ennion “Dancing in Russia has always been Chloe Dean’s goal, so being accepted into the acclaimed Bolshoi Ballet Academy is the ultimate dream come true.” Brisbane Times

For the context of this post see here: http://www.balletcof...discuss-future/ The committee that is going to look into how the community might go forward is now formed I'm pleased to say. And they are: Lee McLernon (Chair) Simonetta Dixon Ian Macmillan John Mallinson Anna Merrick Dave Morgan Under my sig I include some Terms of Reference and background/context around all this and which has been agreed with Lee. So the starting position is clear to all. The committee has only just been formed so it will take a while to get their modus operandi sorted I'd have thought and then I suspect they will make an announcement here about how they will prooceed. Further than that it's not really for me to say. I'll shamelessly end with the words I used before: I think there is much good will and there is a very real opportunity for the community to pull together and create something unique, better and more responsive than before - I most sincerely hope something comes out of it. Best wishes and great thanks is due to all involved. Bruce Marriott ################################################## BALLETCO COMMUNITY COMMITTEE TO REVIEW A FUTURE WAY FORWARD FOR THE COMMUNITY TERMS OF REFERENCE Background Balletco is going into archive from the end of January 2012. The TodaysLinks service is currently scheduled to close on 21 January 2012. The aim in going into archive is to present all the old forum discussions (which can't currently be seen but will be), the Reviews Database and its search, all the old magazines going back to 1997 together with other standing information. We plan to lose nothing, though it may take a few weeks to sort out. This initiative is to see how the community, in the spirit of Balletco, might go forward for itself and follows the regrets of many that Balletco is closing - most particularly the forum area, it has to be said. To facilitate discussion amongst the community and to enable existing forum use to continue a new forum has been set up at: http://www.balletcoforum.com Bruce Marriott is paying the hosting costs of the new forum for 3 months - until 20 March 2012. By this date the committee has to have decided what is the best way forward. This is about a fresh start for the community. www.ballet.co.uk as an address will be retained for the archive and generally the existing content will not be duplicated elsewhere - the archive is the long-term repository of all that has been achieved. The archive will however actively push people towards community initiatives that follow in the spirit of what we have been about. Work to be done It's for the committee to consult with the community, co-opt other members if helpful, sift ideas with a business sense and put in place the governance and financial aspects of a community driven future. Assuming a forum is involved, part of governance will be appointing moderators and agreeing the forum acceptable use policy. Worse case the committee may concludes that there is not an easy way forward for the numbers involved and users will each find a variety of other ways of interacting and reading up on dance. The committee will cease to exist on 20 March 2012, or before if something else is put in place. Assuming that something goes forward, some on the committee may wish to be involved but it is not mandatory. A number of people have offered to help - either technically or generally - and these names are being passed on to the committee (together with the brief context of the approach) for their consideration. Open Advice From Bruce Marriott Relying on one person has taken the community a long way. On the other hand it can be a difficulty too and I can't help but think a focused community-driven approach might flex better and the community also feel more involved. So I think the prize is to set up something that is run by community representatives. I would suggest that initially at least this is about putting in place a strong forum for the community. There is an opportunity to change the forum rules significantly so people & institutions can promote/inform of what they are doing perhaps, and for there to be a good number of moderators to encourage discussion and apply whatever the house rules might be. I personally think it's for the community to decide what it wants to do and for those with technical abilities to help support that rather than lead the way forward. Those with technical abilities can also inform of the possibilities, of course. There would seem to be a lot of sense in looking to build on the temporary forum at: http://www.balletcoforum.com It is run on servers provided by the software makers and support should be good. It seems to have dimensions besides the forum in terms of Blogs and Gallery functionality but I have not looked at the capabilities. The servers can scale automatically to cope with growth and you can see costs here: http://www.invisionp...ect_package.php A number of members have said they would willingly contribute to the costs, though it's not clear if enough would do so and that needs to be evaluated. It may be that a few bear all the costs of providing a reliable forum in year one while a broader scheme is put in place. Advertising may also help cover costs - but will need active management. It's certainly possible to run forums in very cheap web-space using free software. However if things go wrong it's not always easy to resolve with a mix of responsibilities, holidays and the real-life work commitment of people. Having lived with the stressful realities of nominally having complete control of one's own server space I'm now very much attracted to those who provide a dedicated service such as the new forum. Nothing will ever be perfect in IT but it strikes me as a more perfect way forward particularly re the forum solution. None of this is prescriptive - the committee need to bring new eyes to how the community can go forward. My pledge (which involves some time and money) is to look after the past properly and ensure that the support and inputs of many towards Balletco continues to be freely available.

Birmingham Royal Ballet The Nutcracker London, O2 Arena 27 December 2011 We are at the stage in arena ballet where nobody knows exactly what may work or not. The Royal Ballet did well at the O2 with MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, presented on an open stage, but The Nutcracker always has some transformation scene and that’s hard without a proscenium arch to present it properly. And Birmingham Royal Ballet’s transformation scene is a particularly wonderful one too – not the type of thing to sacrifice: indeed the whole production is thought by many to be the best in the land, so tamper at your peril. Word was that BRB were going to put in a false proscenium, but surely then people at the sides would not see so much of the action (it’s the horseshoe theatre problem writ large) with difficult sight lines for many. “I find the whole thing a very exciting challenge” said Peter Wright, the much loved and respected creator of it all. Aside from the huge artistic and technical aspects of bringing off a success, it all has to be financed and sold to what is a new, or at best occasional, audience and with big numbers needed too, orders of magnitude ahead of what a normal theatre takes. Enter Victor Hochhauser, the O2 and Universal Music Arts and Entertainment. And what they contrive to bring to the party is a billing of: The Nutcracker introduced by Joe McElderry X Factor and Popstar to Opera Star winner Joe McElderry will be taking to the stage at The O2 this Christmas when he introduces the celebrated family Christmas ballet The Nutcracker. From 27 to 30 December 2011 Victor Hochhauser and The O2 in association with Universal Music Arts and Entertainment will present six magical performances of Sir Peter Wright’s world acclaimed interpretation of the Christmas classic, with Joe McElderry performing a selection of festive songs prior to the curtain rising. The purist in me objects, but ballet needs to get out and boogie with new folks and so why not I suppose, though again it gave more pause for thought about if it would work or come over as a weird hotchpotch. True to their word, BRB had put in a vast proscenium arch but the stage bursts forward by 20 yards in front and there are doors to either side of the arch so entrances can be made to the front easily. In front of the stage is the orchestra, on the same level as those sitting in the flat stalls area – not good sight lines, I think, even if you could see through the orchestra, with the stage placed higher and so chopped off feet. You do though see all the set. I had a seat near the stage but to the side and to say that much of the scenery couldn’t be seen is a huge understatement. You can move back, as I did, and you see a bit more of the stage behind the proscenium but then the dancers are more distant. To try to help us all see better, high above the proscenium arch was a huge video screen homing in on the action, or the director’s cut of the action. I have to say that the Royal Ballet had more screens and angled at the audiences on the side, which was more effective. The evening duly started with the diminutive Joe McElderry, who did OK with 2 festive numbers and one from his new album. It didn’t do much for my spirits however and I just thought that the ‘cost’ at the other end of the evening would be in missing a nice train home from what is already a tedious place to get to. I hope somebody is doing market research on whether McElderry helped sell the show or hinder ticket sales. Nothing against him, but I do hope he didn’t sell seats and dance can present itself for itself in future. The handover from McElderry to Nutcracker ballet was well done – Wright had the Magician’s Assistant (James Barton), caper on, bow to him and go into furious applause to encourage us all in a another clap of thanks, before extravagantly scooping up the music-stand and guiding the lad off, all in excited character. It was very much a feeling of ballet reclaiming the night. And then we were off, with the overture, brief plot of act 1 rolling up the video screen, and the curtain raising to show the standard Stahlbaum home in all its richness. Wright usefully draws out the party to the front stage which means you see more than you might have. The RB Sinfonia sounded in fine fettle too, though rather quiet, and in act 2 they dialled up the amplifiers. The party itself was hard to track from so far away but the video showed some great bits of action… if with the downside that you missed lots of other action. Drosselmeyer was the great Robert Parker, but the magic bits, always a challenge anyway, just looked very unspecial and small in a place used to very, very, slick shows. The transformation all happened as it should, apart from an over-abundance of smoke for a while, and, on our side, we couldn’t see the fireplace and the Rats entrance from it – a highlight that always brings a lump to my throat. Enough could see it and there was applause for the effect. But all up I felt rather dispirited that an old friend of a work seemed to be struggling. But then things got better as the corps snowflakes did their thing, which you could see without video, but which video enhanced with little closeups. Clara was also free to dance with her Nutcracker prince – again well captured on the screen if a little distorted from our side view. Act 2 was the same, ballet in its classical element and the audience able to see its cleverness and beauty. John Macfarlane’s designs continue to hold up well I think and I can never see the Mirlitons without hoping that when I get to the pearly gates they are all there, doing their thing to greet me and raise my spirits on what would otherwise be a bit of a downer of a day. The Peter Wright production just seems naturally and effortlessly to do all the National and solo dances just right and the dancers looked in good form. The opening night Sugar Plum was Nao Sakuma. On Christmas TV we saw Miyako Yoshida dancing the role with the Royal Ballet back in 2000 and Nao has much of that quality – a smile that says it’s all wonderful, effortless and gorgeous. I’d like it that she is at the pearly gates along with the Mirlitons please. I wouldn’t be so keen on having Cesar Morales (her Prince) along though. He is a wonderful dancer, technically he doesn’t do a thing wrong and his landings are so silent. But that’s all you get – no winning personality bursts out and one thing arenas need is larger-than-life personality. So… dump the singer, dial up the orchestra, install some more video screens pointed at where people sit and I’d be happy. I think though I’d be happier seeing this production in a normal theatre still. But as presented it’s no bad night at all and I hope it draws some more people into those theatres. And it does prove a proscenium can be used if really needed. But better to choose pieces that don’t need it. A Swan Lake would go well here – English National Ballet take note.

Wednesday Links - 28 December 2011 REVIEW: New York City Ballet Nutcracker USA, New York, David H. Koch Theater Dancers: Angle, Fairchild, Hyltin, Marcovici, Mearns, Peck, Reichlen, Somogyi, Stafford, Taylor, Veyette by Alastair Macaulay "At the Nov. 27 matinee Sara Mearns was dramatic and compelling in a way that puts her in a league apart from other ballerinas today, but neither her technique nor her physique was remotely near its best..." New York Times REVIEW: Birmingham Royal Ballet The perfect production is left high and dry with X-Factor pixie Joe McElderry as baffling warm-up Nutcracker UK, London, O2 Arena Dancers: Barton, Morales, Parker, Sakuma by Ismene Brown "Fortunately for me, if unfortunately for BRB, there were many unoccupied spaces to enable a quick move to better positions, which rescues my review from a wholesale protest to a half-cheer." The Arts Desk REVIEW OF THE YEAR: New York Oh, Those Dancing Feet: The best of dance in 2011 New York by Susan Reiter "Orbs by Paul Taylor "He made us wait 29 years to see this work again, and it was worth the wait." CityArts REVIEW: Bavarian State Ballet Bayerisches Staatsballett, Nationaltheater Munich - Company proves more than equal to the challenge of MacMillan’s ‘Song of the Earth’ in a quadruple bill of first-class English ballet. 4 stars Steps and Times: Scenes de ballet, Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan, Song of the Earth, Voices of Spring pdd Germany, Munich, National Theater Dancers: Dino, Lacarra, Mikayelyan, Slavicky, Hancox, Markowskaja by Gerald Dowler "MacMillan’s monumental Song of the Earth is a challenge for any company – to evoke the spirituality and core humanity of this great work is no small task. Here, coached expertly by Donald MacLeary, the entire cast succeed in delivering a performance of rare cohesion and intensity." Financial Times

Tuesday Links - 27 December 2011 Birmingham Royal Ballet Nutcracker - preparing to move to O2 How to move a ballet Birmingham By Staff "Birmingham Royal Ballet's principal dancer Robert Parker and technical director Paul Grace spoke to BBC News about the exciting challenge of taking the classic Christmas ballet on the road." BBC News REVIEW: Texas Ballet Theater Nutty is as Nutty Does - What are Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and the Oz gang doing in The Nutcracker? Welcome to Ben Stevenson's wacky diversion for Texas Ballet Theater. The Nutty Nutcracker USA, Fort Worth, Bass Performance Hall Dancers: Judson, Kotelemets, McBride, Oliveira, Zweifel by Margaret Putnam "But if The Nutty Nutcracker has strayed into a totally different fairy tale, it isn't inclined to stop there. Characters from Star Wars and Swan Lake pop up in unexpected scenes, like the shaggy Chewbacca in the Arabian divertissement." TheaterJones worth a visit for the Swan Lake picture... Senior Ballet Troupe - Barborka Ballet keeps Polish seniors on toes Poland via Beijing By Maja Czarnecka "If we stayed at home all the time to do dishes, we'd just be like old grannies," said Ola Szczepanska." China Daily

Monday Links - 26 December 2011 REVIEW OF THE YEAR: Toronto Crabb: Dancing their way into our hearts Toronto By Michael Crabb "Top 10 dance events to hit the GTA in 2011 "1. For theatrical daring and hauntingly poetic imagery it was hard to beat Montreal’s Compagnie Marie Chouinard in Orpheus and Eurydice. Greek mythology was never this much fun. "2. For high-tech spectacle of the multi-million dollar variety, the National Ballet’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was eye-poppingly awesome." Toronto Star REVIEW OF THE YEAR: San Franncisco Dance 2011: Highs, lows and top 10 moments San Francisco Mary Ellen Hunt "High: Maria Kochetkova and Gennadi Nedvigin at San Francisco Ballet. In the greatest partnerships in ballet, the union is greater than the sum of its parts, and so it was with these two dancers throughout the 2011 season." SF Chronicle QUIZ OF YEAR: Black Swan film and Luke Jennings reviews G2 quiz of the year: culture Another fine year for the arts, but how much attention were you paying? Test your knowledge with our irreverent quiz on all things cultural London by Alex Needham "In January, the Guardian asked the cream of Britain's ballet to review Black Swan. Spot the quote we've made up..." Observer Joffrey Ballet Award Joffrey Ballet in Chicago wins national award for most well-reviewed 'Nutcracker' production Chicago By staff "Chicago's Joffrey Ballet has the country's "Best-Loved 'Nutcracker'" performance. "That's according to online ticket seller Goldstar, which selects a winner each year based on member reviews and ratings." Chicago Tribune American Ballet Theatre & Ballet San Jose Ballet San Jose, American Ballet Theatre in deal San Francisco by Jesse Hamlin "The deal with New York's ABT, which is not a merger, licenses Ballet San Jose to implement ABT's comprehensive National Training Curriculum for dancers. ABT teachers will train Ballet San Jose School instructors to teach the holistic curriculum, which focuses on the mind and the body." SF Chronicle REVIEW: Ballet Philippines Ballet Philippines’ lavish ‘Sleeping Beauty’ hurdles the odds The Sleeping Beauty, Inamorata: Hardin ng Balo, Everywoman Philippines, Manila, CCP Main Theater Dancers: Adea, Cordero, Arisola, Bankova, Fujino, Gabriel, Gequinto, Trofeo, Winder, Yadao by Elka Requinta "...a feast for the senses, patterned after the original 1890 Russian production in St. Petersburg. Lavish set designs (Ricardo Cruz) and poufy costumes shone and sparkled..." Inquirer.net Strictly Come Dancing - Christmas Special Strictly Come Dancing, Christmas Special, BBC One, review Michael Hogan reviews the Christmas special of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC's pro-celebrity dance contest. London by Michael Hogan "This wasn’t classy television but it was extremely Christmassy and enormous fun. A suitably celebratory way to round off a superb year for the ballroom institution. Ho ho quick quick ho." Telegraph

Jane Simpson Tests us all again.. http://www.ballet.co.uk/2011/12/the-last-balletco-quiz-of-the-year-2011/

Sunday Links - 25 December 2011 Merry Christmas Everybody Message/card link on new forum Merce Cunningham Company - many quotes from dancers and management on the position Merce Cunningham company dances to the end The late choreographer planned his troupe's demise. But the final performances this week may lead to new beginnings. NY via LA by Susan Reiter "We've seen an enormous increase in the number of companies licensing Merce's work," Carlson said. "Repertory companies are stepping forward with interest in making it something regularly programmed." LA Times REVIEW: Scottish Ballet 4 stars The Sleeping Beauty UK, London, Queen Elizabeth Hall Dancers: Blyde, Laplane, Martin, Mutso by Zoe Anderson "This Beauty is by far the strongest of Page’s updated classics for Scottish Ballet, with more warmth and sharper invention." Independent REVIEW OF THE YEAR: Boston A rich time for Boston Solid repertoires, wealth of variety Boston By Jeffrey Gantz "This wasn’t a watershed year for dance in Boston. No star choreographers emerged here in 2011. No outstanding new troupes formed. No internationally renowned ballet companies visited. "And yet it was an almost unimaginably rich year for dance in Boston. From Savion Glover to George Balanchine, we saw every kind of hoofing imaginable. Boston Globe REVIEW: Birmingham Rep The Snowman UK, Birmingham, ICC Theatre Dancers: Coppen by Diane Parkes "This Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company production was a huge hit when it was premiered in the city in 1993 and nearly two decades later it still cannot fail to charm." Birmingham Post REVIEW: Victoria Thierree Chaplin 3 stars Murmurs UK, London, Queen Elizabeth Hall Dancers: Jakobsson, Thierree by Zoe Anderson "Murmurs unravels itself on purpose, but sometimes trips over its own trailing threads. The work sags when it takes too long over changing scenery, or pushes too hard into whimsy." Independent REVIEW: Victoria Thierree Chaplin A sequence of moments rather than a distinguishable line or body of material that means whatever you want it to mean Murmurs UK, London, Queen Elizabeth Hall Dancers: Jakobsson, Martinez, Thierree by Ian Shuttleworth "Personally, I am interested in what the Thiérrées want it to mean, but of that I could glean no clue." Financial Times INTERVIEW/PREVIEW: Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre - Jose Mateo The ‘Nutcracker’ prince Jose Mateo brings holiday classic to Dorchester stage Boston By Keith Powers "We are looking for more than just audience, we’re looking for participants,” he said. “‘The Nutcracker’ is ideal for initiates." Boston Herald REVIEW: Peter Schaufuss Ballet The Nutcracker - A Happy Dream UK, Brighton, Brighton Dome Dancers: Bernadet, Christensen, Oki, Wise, Lopez by Richard Amey "There is much more to tell, but save me the trouble and see it yourself." Midhurst and Petworth Observer Pole Dancing Nutcracker The Sl*tcracker: Tchaikovsky's timeless Christmas ballet performed by pole dancers Boston via London By Daily Mail Reporter "She told ABC News: 'Slutcracker, the name just kind of popped into my head and my husband was like, you have to do that!'" Daily Mail

A Very Merry Christmas Everybody Our card, though currently their server is struggling (it must be catching...) http://www.rubberchickencards.com/card/BK5Vp

Saturday Links - 24 December 2011 INTERVIEW – Peter Wright, Birmingham Royal Ballet Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker: Peter Wright interview As BRB takes its ‘Nutcracker’ to the O2, Mark Monahan meets the show’s veteran producer, Peter Wright. London by Mark Monahan “I find the whole thing a very exciting challenge,” says Wright, “and we’ve done a lot of planning, particularly with the use of the stage. It’s completely different from Romeo and Juliet. You can’t do Nutcracker, with all its effects and changes of scene, without that arch – you have to have it.” Telegraph REVIEW: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater demonstrates its ever-expanding range Home, Streams, Journey, Minus 16 USA, New York, City Center Dancers: Green, Harder, Rushing by Robert Johnson “Created by trailblazing individuals, modern dance can only survive through solidarity. Could Ailey be the model, and the base?” Newark Star Ledger REVIEW: Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch Dancing in Character: Pina Recalled, Gelsey Returns Dancing Dreams (documentary on Kontakthof) Anywhere, Anywhere, Cinema screening by Joel Lobenthal “Pina gives us lengthy and representative samplings of her “dance-theater” pieces, but only by the most oblique means does the movie attempt to provide an interpretative handle on her life or work.” City Arts REVIEW OF THE YEAR: San Francisco Top flight YEAR IN DANCE 2011: Dancers excelled with exciting new work (and vintage classics), and redefined the concept of “performance space” San Francisco by Rita Felciano “YEAR IN DANCE If you are a trend spotter, you will have noticed two changes within the local dance ecology that probably will influence how we see dance in the foreseeable future…” SFBG REVIEW OF THE YEAR: Boston A whirlwind year of dance From Fela! to Merce By Marcia B. SiegeL “ive dance, especially ballet and contemporary dance, is still resistant to decent filming, though when Fela got the audience up on its feet to try some pelvic gyrations, I wanted to join in.” Boston Phoenix Australian Ballet in Images Celebrating the Australian Ballet Melbourne by staff “Photographs from the book “Luminous: Celebrating 50 years of the Australian Ballet” Melbourne Age INTERVIEW: Oakland Ballet – Graham Lustig Oakland Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’ breaks ice with kids San Francisco by Sara Hayden “I don’t want anybody to feel that what we’re doing is something elitist, that you have to have a degree to understand it,” Lustig says. “I think that that’s the greatest power of this art form – you don’t have to be verbally proficient to understand ‘The Nutcracker.’” SF Chronicle American Ballet Theatre & Ballet San Jose Ballet San Jose teams with NY’s American Ballet Theatre San Jose By staff “Under the partnership, Ballet San Jose is expected to be able to have access to the New York-based American Ballet Theatre or ABT’s resources, staff and implement its curriculum.” San Jose Business Journal REVIEW: New Jersey Ballet New Jersey Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’ feels like several holidays packed into one The Nutcracker USA, Morristown, Mayo Performing Arts Center Dancers: Davydov, Kojima-Noa, Noa-Pierson, Roje, Ryu, Sugawa, Verterich, Rubel, Yamamoto by Robert Johnson “A simple frolic when it starts, the “Nutcracker” ends as a feast for ballet lovers.” Newark Star Ledger REVIEW: Momix MOMIX in ‘Botanica’: a kinky frolic through the natural world Botanica USA, New York, Joyce Theater by Robert Johnson “…Pendleton does not extract a moral or a philosophical point of view from his startling, visual effects. In “Botanica” the flora and the fauna are decorative, whimsical and occasionally titillating—nothing more.” Newark Star Ledger REVIEW: Victoria Thierree Chaplin 3 stars Murmurs UK, London, Queen Elizabeth Hall Dancers: Thierree by Lyn Gardner “Murmurs is a little too long, spread a little too thin, and is inclined towards whimsy, but at best it is mysteriously enchanting.” Guardian REVIEW: Texas Ballet Theater ‘Nutty Nutcracker’ is over the top The Nutty Nutcracker USA, Fort Worth, Bass Performance Hall Dancers: Judson, Kilps, Priolo, Zweifel by Mark Lowry “In short, TBT’s Nutty Nutcracker is the Stahl-bomb. Let’s have more than one performance next year.” Star-Telegram

Each day we add the latest links to reviews and interviews that we find on the major newspaper web sites around the world. If you find a link that we have missed do please post it up, preferably as a URL link. Last week's thread: See last weeks and earlier links here: http://www.ballet.co.uk/category/todayslinks/ Bookmarking this page: Click on the following link and then bookmark the links page that comes back - it's a special URL that will always bring you to the thread with the latest reviews: http://www.ballet.co.uk/todayslinks Reviews Database The review links we find go in a database - we have many thousands of entries and you can search it on company, dance, dancer, reviewer, publication, theatre, city or a combination of all of them! Just fill-in the boxes here: http://www.ballet.co.uk/cgi/reviews_database_search/db_search.cgi Non Working Links: Some papers move pieces on their websites so it is impossible to guarantee links. If you find a recent link that does not work and you have found a working version by all means post it up. And thank you! Registering with papers: It's an increasing fact of life that papers ask readers to register before letting them have free access to pieces. Usually registration is a one off process and then, providing you've ticked any obvious boxes, you should be remembered as a registered reader and the links we give should take you straight to the pieces. In registering for papers many people get themselves a Yahoo or Hotmail email account and thus protect their main email from any inadvertent problems. Seeing Pieces Behind a Pay-wall Some papers have introduced a pay-wall. We don't generally list pieces we can't freely see. However some of the papers will show the article for free if the reader visits the page by way of a Google search. If we can do this then we list, but alas cannot give a 2 stage link - only the link that works if you are a subscriber. If you are interested but not a subscriber then use the details we give to search Google and take it from there. And Finally... We should not need to state this but these links are for our readers' use and not for other websites to take and pass off as their own. We ask all visitors to respect Ballet.co's site and the way it operates.

Many people have said how much they appreciated the forums and hoped something could continue. Ditto for other things Balletco do. The problems with the old forum have robbed people of a place to talk about things and for the community to see how it might go forward with Balletco itself going into archive. What I have done is set up a forum with a specialist provider (I have nothing to do with the technology you will be pleased to hear!) and I will pay for the service for 3 months - until 20 March 2012 You can see the new forum here: http://www.balletcoforum.com The prize is that the community draws together and creates something enduring in the spirit of Balletco's forums or more. There needs to be some overall direction and sifting of ideas in the discussions and I am forming a committee of established forum/Balletco users who will ultimately take a decision within the 3 months available about taking a community-driven intuitive forward or, in the worst case, not. I will give the benefit of my views/experience to the committee but ultimately it will their decision on how things proceed. They may decide that this forum at this new address is great or they may decide some other way forward is better - we will see. A number of people with technical ability have also indicated that they could help and it will be for the committee to review what's possible with what would be desirable and make decisions on who might do what to run it all effectively in the future. The committee will be announced early in January - in the meantime, all Balletco regulars do say what you feel about all this. I think there is much good will and there is a very real opportunity for the community to pull together and create something unique, better and more responsive than before - I most sincerely hope something comes out of it. ############################### Besides creating a space for people to talk about a better future there are the realities of today and the new forum has the following areas for people to use: Ticket Exchange - always been popular and trusted because of the need to register. Doing Dance - has been a very active community and very UK focused with much self help etc. News - for people to put news items What's Happening - for people to talk about performances and for now, everything else. I could add in all the other forums we have had but I think initially at least that gets people going and provides a tight focus. ############################### Forum Acceptable Use Policy etc. This will be initially as for the old forum. The committee will be able to change the policy as it sees fit and things unfold. I will moderate initially but over time the committee, or moderators appointed by them, will need to take over.