Sophoife

Is it The Attic Term when Lawrie, a droning singer, volunteers to conduct so she can "be Sir Thomas Beecham and hum"? I don't have access to mine in order to check. IIRC she then suggests André Previn as his hands go like Concorde's nose. @Lindsay @DelphiumBlue @CCL?

Links – Tuesday 23 April, 2024 Reviews Aakash Odedra and Aditi Mangaldas, Mehek, Sadler’s Wells, London: Grace Times, City A.M. Ballet West / Repertory Dance Theatre / Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Alchemy (Coppélia / Passengers / The Parable), Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City UT: Haley Freeman, Daily Utah Chronicle Hung Dance, Birdy, Coronet Theatre, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Martha Graham Dance Company, American Legacies, New York City Center, New York NY: Siobhan Burke, The New York Times (paywall has been dropped) Ivy Lin, Bachtrack Vanemuine Theatre Ballet Company, Ash White, Tartu, Estonia: Maggie Foyer, Bachtrack West Australian Ballet, La Bayadère (Horsman), His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth WA: Isabelle Leclezio, Dance Australia Xi’An Acrobatic Troupe, Swan Lake, Royal Opera House, Oman: Wang Xuejing, Zhang Zhuoya, CGTN Previews Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Mixed programme, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville TN: Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean via AOL Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles and Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar, Mixed programme, Midwest Trust Center, Overland Park KS: Stephi Wild, Broadway World Ballet Hispánico, The Quinceañera Gala, New York City Center, New York NY: Music MCM, Martin Cid Magazine International Ballet, Swan Lake, Peace Center Concert Hall, Greenville NC: Kathy Laughlin, Greenville News Northern Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (Gable/Moricone), Theatre Royal, Nottingham: Fionn Burriows, Newark Advertiser Tampa City Ballet, If I Cry, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa FL: Sofía Ravazzoni, Tampa Beacon Obituary Dieter Graefe: Graham Spicer, Gramilano News Youth America Grand Prix results Chch girl, 14, wins world’s biggest ballet competition: Lisa Davies, 1News NZ Overview: Amy Brandt, Pointe Magazine Nashville Ballet 2024-25 Season Announcement: Stephi Wild, Broadway World EIN Presswire, Fox8 News Features Artist Profile: Dr. Merritt A. Moore ’10-’11 on Art, Science, and Saying ‘Yes’ to Both: Marin E. Gray and Hannah M. Wilkoff, The Harvard Crimson Dance moves: Amy Seiwert on becoming the new artistic director of Smuin Contemporary Ballet: Philip Mayard, The Bay Area Reporter Herts dance teacher’s fundraiser in memory of talented uncle: Noticeboard, In Your Area Bishop’s Stortford, Herts “It is possible!” – The Royal Ballet’s Emerging Choreographer Joseph Toonga on piqués and popping: Graham Spicer, Gramilano Tutu, Bloody Tutu: Another Dangerous Ballerina Hits the Screen, Abigail: Margaret Fuhrer, The New York Times What Real Dancers Think of Balletcore: Gavin Larsen, Dance Magazine

They don't really come back together, they're just grown-up enough to be able to work together. I love the whole series, home and school.

@Lindsay ah, The Play! Yes, one of my favourites, too, but cricket, Jan Scott and Nicola growing up somewhat do it for me.

@DelphiumBlue is in our hood.

I can't see 70s-era Marlows watching it! Pomona probably would, if it was transmitted during the holidays. The Cricket Term is one of my favourite books. Ever.

Conductor and wearer of woolly jumpers. Soprano Christine Goerke posted a lovely sequence of photos of herself and Sir Andrew battling it out with light sabres. Retired violinist Tasmin Little posted a tribute. I always associate the two of them, as he was conducting the first time I heard her play. I was eventually lucky enough to hear her play Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending under his baton with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Links – Monday 22 April 2024 United Kingdom Reviews – Sarah Crompton, Observer Hofesh Schechter II, From England With Love, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London The Royal Ballet International Draft Works, Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House, London Review – Aakash Odedra and Aditi Mangaldas, Mehek, Sadler’s Wells, London: Stuart Sweeney, CriticalDance Review – Elixir Festival – Charlotta Öfverholm / Susan Kempster, In a Cage of Light / Mother, Sadler’s Wells, London: Graham Watts, Gramilano Review – Lîla Dance, Fault Lines, The Place, London: Nicola Claire, SeeingDance North America Review – Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, Seeds of Toil: Three Asian American Stories of Resilience and Resistance, Kennedy Center, Washington DC: Emily Berger, Broadway World Review – Sydney Dance Company, ab[intra], The Joyce Theater, New York NY: Jerry Hochman, CriticalDance Preview – Ballet Arizona, All Balanchine (Prodigal Son / Square Dance / La Valse), Symphony Hall and The Four Seasons, Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix AZ: Laura Latzko, The Entertainer! Magazine Preview – Ballets Jazz Montreal, Essence: We Can’t Forget About What’s His Name / Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue / Les Chambres des Jacques, Port Theatre, Nanaimo BC: Nanaimo Staff, Nanaimo News Bulletin Preview – Gauthier Dance, Swan Lakes / Minus 16, Grand Théâtre de Québec, Québec City and Théâtre Maisonneuve, Montréal, QC: Nisan 22, Actual News Magazine Asia Preview with photos – Béjart Ballet Lausanne, 7 danses grecques / Adage pour deux / The Firebird / Boléro, National Center for the Performing Arts, Beijing, and Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts, Nanjing, China: Chen Nan, ChinaDaily News Megan Connelly new artistic director and head of school for the Australian Ballet School: Richard Watts, ArtsHub (scroll down) Russia pushes back against cancellations of ballet shows in Seoul: Kim Joo-heon, AJU Press Features How the first black classical ballet company ‘shocked the world’, Karen Valby’s The Swans of Harlem tells the story of a trail-blazing New York ballet company, through the lives of five dancers: Marianka Swain, The Telegraph ‘Romeo and Juliet’ to be final production for BalletMet’s artistic director, Next weekend, BalletMet’s season-finale performances of “Romeo and Juliet” to feature one departing artistic director, one retiring ballerina and two star-crossed lovers: Peter Tonguette, The Columbus Dispatch She’s taught dance for decades. Now, her beloved west-end class helps students with vision loss feel like they belong: ‘It’s been so heart-opening’, Allison Beula has learned the life-changing potential of accessible programming — and her Vibe-Balance dance class has become the event her students build their week around: Andrew Joe Potter, Toronto Star ‘Never too late’: Grannies of Grant Avenue Follies dance onto the airwaves, PBS highlights the Chinatown-based cabaret troupe of 11 spirited grandmothers keeping local history alive: Dorothy O’Donnell, 48hills The young New Plymouth ballerina pirouetting toward a bright future: Matthew Rilkoff, Stuff NZ ‘I want to show more crotch!’ Sean Bankhead on his raunchy dances for Beyoncé, Cardi B, Lil Nas X and more: Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian Audio Feature You can expect more than Swan Lake from the new Australian Ballet Resident Choreographer Stephanie Lake: Kathryn Robinson, presenter/Clare O’Halloran, producer, ABC Radio News Photo Feature Edwaard Liang at BalletMet through the years: Courtney Hergesheimer, Tim Johnson and Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch The Social Pages Los Angeles Ballet Fundraising Gala Blair Ingenthron with photos by Shutterstock for Los Angeles Ballet, Broadway World Staff, Michael Fairman TV

Such hardship. I'll have to do a re-read.

Allegedly I went from Ant and Bee to Shakespeare 🤯 one of my parents' friends has an old film, with audio, of me reading something to her eldest, from a collected works. We were four or five at the time. Such early precocity was not followed through!

To be equally fair, the late great Victoria Wood was excellent as Nana, Emilia Fox was suitably droopy as Garnie, and the whole "Mr Simpson is single" idea was WRONG. I also liked the children who played Posy and Petrova, and who could possibly go wrong casting Dame Harriet Walter and Gemma Jones as the Doctors? Dame Eileen Atkins as Madame Fidolia was good, but IMHO Granada/the BBC missed a trick in not casting someone like Marcia Haydée or Lynn Seymour 🤭 TIL that the girl who played Petrova also appeared in The Sarah-Jane Adventures! "Posy" also has an extensive list of adult acting credits.

Links – Sunday 21 April, 2024 Review - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Me, Myself and You / Solo / Following the Subtle Current Upstream / Century, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago IL: Kyle MacMillan, The Chicago Sun-Times Review - The Falling Company, Family Room, Scotiabank Dance Centre, Vancouver BC: Emily Lyth, Stir Review - Hofesh Schechter II, From England with Love, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London England: Siobhan Murphy, The Stage (paywalled) Review - Hung Dance, Birdy, The Coronet Theatre, London England: Matthew Paluch, Gramilano Review - Mark Morris Dance Group, Via Dolorosa, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, San Francisco CA: Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle Review - Sydney Dance Company, ab[intra], Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland OR: Amy Leona Havin, Oregon ArtsWatch News - Yamada Yuna wins YAGP classical girls 9-11 category: Staff, The Japan Times Staff, NHK World Staff, Nippon.com News - Ukrainian protests against participation of Mariinsky Ballet dancers in YAGP gala: Staff, The Odessa Journal Alisa Melik-Adamian, NikVesti News - Prima Ballerina raises $1.2 million for Main Intelligence Directorate Officers, Katerina Khanyukova: Staff, The Odessa Journal News - High Scorers Awards Ceremony 2023, The Russian School of Ballet and Dancing of the Russian Centre in Colombo, Sri Lanka: Staff, Sunday Observer Preview - Alabama River Region Ballet, Sleeping Beauty, Davis Theater, Montgomery AL: Staff, The Montgomery Independent Preview - BalletMet, Romeo and Juliet (Liang), focus on retiring dancer Caitlin Valentine, Ohio Theatre, Columbus OH: Bram Fulk, 10WBNS Preview - Béjart Ballet Lausanne, 7 danses grecques / Adage pour deux / The Firebird / Boléro, National Center for the Performing Arts, Beijing, and Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts, Nanjing, China: Staff, China.org.cn Huaxia, Xinhua News Sumaira FH, urduPoint (no, I don't know why either) Preview - Samsung Performing Arts Theater, International Dance Day Fest tribute to Jean-Georges Noverre, including folk dances, Ballet Manila and Ballet Philippines, Hong Kong Ballet, Galaw Co. Dance Theatre, etc. etc., Manila, Philippines: Staff, The Manila Times Feature - Breaker Rachael Gunn: ‘We are essentially being used to up the Olympic ratings’, B-Girl Raygun knows breaking’s ‘rawness’ will be lost in Paris, but the Australian community is ready for the sport to be legitimised: Jack Snape, The Guardian

I think @trog you may have misunderstood OP, or else I did! I read it as the Wikipedia page listing a truckload of rep, but the company's professional website only listing the last 11 years.

Links – Saturday 20 April 2024 Reviews Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol England: Paul Wright, Bristol 24/7 Elixir Festival: Company of Elders & ZooNation Youth Company, The Exchange, Sadler’s Wells, London England: Monica Cox, The Reviews Hub Elixir Festival: Dance On Ensemble, London Story / never ending (Story), Sadler’s Wells, London England: Maryam Philpott, The Reviews Hub Staff, Everything Theatre Hofesh Schechter II, From England with Love, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London England: Tamsin Flower, British Theatre Guide Teresa Guerreiro, CultureWhisper Richard Maguire, The Reviews Hub Mark Monahan, The Telegraph Matthew Paluch, Gramilano Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian New Adventures, Edward Scissorhands, Theatre Royal, Norwich England and touring: Lu Greer, The Reviews Hub Pacific Northwest Ballet, Sweet Fields / The Calling / The Seasons’ Canon, McCaw Hall, Seattle WA: Rich Smith, The Stranger Paco Peña, Solera, Sadler’s Wells, London England: Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Mary Pollard, Everything Theatre Rambert/Théatre de la Ville, Death Trap (Cerberus / Goat), The Lowry, Salford, England: Jo Beggs, The Reviews Hub David Cunningham, British Theatre Guide San Francisco Ballet, Mere Mortals, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco CA: Saul Sugarman, The Bold Italic Scottish Ballet, Swan Lake (Dawson), HM Theatre, Aberdeen Scotland: Rebecca Buchan, The Press and Journal West Australian Ballet, La Bayadère, His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth WA: Graeme Watson, Out in Perth Previews Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, summer season: Staff Report, The Aspen Times Astana Opera, La Bayadère, Astana Opera House Grand Hall, Astana Kazakhstan: Staff, EL.KZ Atlantic Ballet of Canada, Piaf, Moncton and Fredericton, Canada: Kate Barrio, Telegraph-Journal Ballet Arts, Beauty and the Beast, Carl Perkins Civic Center, Jackson TN: Staff, WBBJTV Ballet Hispanico, Buscando a Juan / House of Mad’moiselle / 18+1, New York City Center, New York NY: Zita Allen, Amsterdam News Ballet Idaho, Carmen / Walking Mad, The Morrison Center, Boise ID: Staff, KTVB7 Grand Kyiv Ballet, Swan Lake, The Newmark Theatre, Portland OR: Staff, KATU2 ABC Inland Pacific Ballet, Cinderella, Lewis Family Playhouse, Rancho Cucamonga CA: A.A. Cristi with photos by E.Y. Yanagi, Broadway World Joffrey Ballet, Midsummer Night’s Dream (Ekman), Lyric Opera House, Chicago IL: Neil Steinberg, Chicago Sun-Times Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Mixed bill, Tennessee Williams Theatre, Key West FL: Keys Weekly Luxembourg Ballet, Peer Gynt, CAPE, Ettelbruck Luxembourg: Staff, Delano Nashville Ballet, Romeo and Juliet, Tennessee Performing Arts Center Jackson Hall, Nashville TN: Chloe Rabinowitz, Broadway World Ozark Ballet Theater, Cinderella, Bentonville West PAC, Centerton AR: Monica Hooper, The Free Weekly Pacific Festival Ballet, Noah’s Ark, Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks CA: Staff, Simi Valley Acorn Queer the Ballet, Dream of a Common Language, Baruch Performing Arts Center, New York NY: Music MCM, Martin Cid Magazine Smuin Contemporary Ballet, Tupelo Tornado / Broken Open / Untwine / Starshadows, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco CA: Staff, San Francisco Bay Times Texas Ballet Theater, Beauty and the Beast, Dallas and Fort Worth TX: Staff, FTWToday James Wolburg/Alonso Vásquez, Swan Lake, ACT2PV, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Victor Espindola, Out & About Puerto Vallarta News Ramona de Saá has died, legendary Cuban ballet teacher: President of Cuba’s tribute: Staff, Prensa Latina and Cuban News Agency Carlos Acosta and Acosta Dance tribute: Ed Newman, Radio Habana Cuba Ballet Cymru programme supporting children with arthritis: Elizabeth Birt, South Wales Argus Chloe Seaton, ITV News Surgery posed a threat to his career. Now, this Nashville Ballet dancer returns to the stage: Forrest Sanders, News Channel 5 Nashville Venezuelan Ballerina, works at gas station, providing for her family: Jacquelyn Kisic, WINK News National Theatre to adapt Noel Streatfeild’s Ballet Shoes, Olivier Theatre, London England: Andrew Gans, Playbill Matthew Hemley, The Stage (paywalled) Stephi Wild, Broadway World Alex Wood, WhatsOnStage Staff Writer, Theatre Weekly News Desk, West End Best Friend World record number of dancers en pointe, Plaza Hotel, New York NY: The Associated Press, ABC News Staff, Hawaii News Now James Barron, The New York Times (paywalled) Features/Interviews Lady Camden aka Rex Wheeler, drag queen ballerina: Jan Wahl, San Francisco Bay Times Seth Collier, dancing from Australia to L.A.: Haley Hilton, Dance Spirit This major champion used ballet to get better at golf. Here’s how dance can benefit your game, too: Keely Levins, Australian Golf Digest Abigail Ending Explained: A Bloody Ballet Where Death Is A Divertissement: BJ Colangelo, Slash Film Where you can take adult ballet classes with Allison DeBona and Rex Tilton (formerly of Ballet West) in Salt Lake City, Utah: Cassidy Swain, ABC4 Good Things Utah The Social Pages Fashion Favorites Came Together For YAGP’s 25th Anniversary Gala: Freya Drohan, Vogue Swiss Fashion House Turns a Stunning River Oaks Manse Into a Grand Fashion Stage to Salute a Houston Ballet Power Woman – Akris and Jul[i]e Kent Fit Together, A Party With a Purpose: Shelby Hodge with photos by Miroma Photography, Paper City And because it's Saturday… Bolshoi Ballet: Standing at The Beeches Stud: Leo Powell, The Irish Field Or if horses under the bonnet are more your jam, Citroën Nods to Annoying Construction Delays with an Epic Ice Ballet: BETC Paris, Little Black Book Paywalled, but you may have access Reviews Dance Theatre of Harlem, Nyman String Quartet #2 / Pas de Dix / Blake Works IV, New York City Center, New York NY: Faye Arthurs, Fjord Review Martha Graham Dance Company, American Legacies, New York City Center, New York NY: Siobhan Burke, The New York Times Repertory Dance Theatre, Gamut: Hallelujah Junction / Marimba / Solfège, Jeanne Wagner Theatre at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Salt Lake City UT: Sophie Bress. Fjord Review Sydney Dance Company, ab [intra], The Joyce Theater, New York, NY: Brian Seibert, The New York Times News Mariinsky Dancers Barred From Youth Ballet Gala in New York, Two dancers from the Russian company were set to perform at a benefit for a prestigious competition for young dancers, but they were sidelined after protests by pro-Ukrainian activists: Javier C. Hernández, The New York Times Book Reviews Errand into the Maze: The Life and Works of Martha Graham by Deborah Jowitt, reviewed by Marina Harss, The New York Review (paywalled, but free to register to read) Candice Thompson, Fjord Review Features/Interviews Loving Him Meant Facing My Greatest Fear, Living with a disability, I shielded myself from dance. Then I met him: Chloé Cooper Jones, The New York Times Magazine FKA twigs Dances Martha Graham: ‘This Is Art in Its Truest Form’: Gia Kourlas: The New York Times

If you're talking about the national company from a certain island continent @Goeff Whitman, please don't make me cry. The only Ashton we've seen in twenty years is The Dream (twice), Marguerite and Armand (teamed with the fairies last year), and the second and third parts of a triple also including the fairies in 2015, which were Symphonic Variations and Monotones II. Tetley made work on the company. Balanchine does appear on a semi-regular basis. MacMillan does not. Manon and Concerto are the only two pieces of his I can remember in the last twenty years. Robbins - nothing since 2008.

Thanks for noticing my snark @DD Driver 🤣 As my mother would have said (she said it about the bed scenes in The Silver Rose), "It's so unnecessary!"

Links – Friday 19 April, 2024 Review – Sarah Aitken, Make Your Life Count, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth WA: Wolfgang von Flugelhorn, ArtsHub Review – The Australian Ballet, Carmen (Inger), Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW: Chantal Nguyen, The Sydney Morning Herald (scroll down) Michelle Potter, …on dancing Review – Elixir Festival: Dance On Ensemble, London Story / never ending (Story), Sadler’s Wells, London England: Matthew Paluch, Broadway World Review – KVN Dance Company, Coppélia, Towngate Theatre, Basildon England and touring: Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard International Review – Paco Peña, Solera, Sadler’s Wells, London England: Charlotte Kasner, SeeingDance Alice Kennedy, The Reviews Hub Review – Queensland Ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Scarlett), Playhouse Theatre QPAC, Brisbane Australia: Michele-Rose Boylan, Australian Arts Review Deborah Jones, FollowSpot Review – Rambert, Death Trap, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Wales: Beth Steer, The Reviews Hub Review – West Australian Ballet, La Bayadere (Horsman), His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth WA: “the reviewer wishes to remain anonymous due to the controversy around cultural appropriation in this production”, ArtsHub Film Review – Abigail, ballet vampire horror-comedy Tara Brady, The Irish Times Julian Malandruccolo, Keith Loves Movies Shelagh Rowan-Legg, Screen Anarchy Preview – Ballet Cymru, Romeo and Juliet, Torch Theatre, Milford Haven Wales: Elizabeth Birt, Milford Mercury Preview – Compagnie Maguy Marin, May B., Sadler’s Wells, London England: David Mead, SeeingDance Preview – Miami City Ballet, Swan Lake (Ratmansky), touring to Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, FL: Christine DiMattei, WLRN South Florida Preview – Peoria Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, Five Points Washington, Washington IL: Jody Holtz, WCBU Preview – Sarasota Cuban Ballet School/Carlos Acosta, On Before, Sarasota Opera House, Sarasota FL: Dylan Campbell, SRQ Magazine Preview – Schuylkill Ballet Theatre, A Tale of a Frozen Heart, Zwerling Auditorium, Schuylkill Haven PA: Hyun Soo Lee, Republican Herald Preview – Scottish Ballet, Swan Lake (Dawson), touring: STV News via YouTube Preview – Youth America Grand Prix, Stars of Today meet Stars of Tomorrow, David H Koch Theater Lincoln Center, New York NY: Staff, City Guide NY News – Posthumous tribute to Ramona de Sáa of Cuba’s National Ballet: Staff, Prensa Latina News – English National Ballet School appoints new Artistic Director: Arts People, Arts Professional News – Guinness World Record Dancers En Pointe: Siena Linton, Classic FM Morning Show, Fox5 Atlanta Precious Fondren, Gothamist Guy Lane, Guardian News – Sara Mearns to guest with National Ballet of Canada in Jewels, Toronto ON: Stephi Wild, Broadway World News – National Dance Awards 2023 nominations announced: David Mead, SeeingDance Graham Spicer, Gramilano News – La Scala names its new rehearsal studio the Carla Fracci Sala: Graham Spicer, Gramilano Interview – Eun-Me Ahn: Phoebe Roberts, The Brooklyn Rail Profile – Eric Best, Houston Ballet soloist: Nancy Wozny for Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit Feature – Resonant Rituals: Martha Graham’s Rite Forty Years After its Debut: Hannah Chang Foster, The Brooklyn Rail Link of the Week – 1990 Royal Ballet School Documentary: “A Place to Dance”: Bruce Marriott, LiftedLeg

Dance Academy is set at a fictional "National Academy of Dance" in Sydney. The girl who plays Tara is a very talented dancer IRL who trained at Tanya Pearson's school, but even in the first episode was clearly "too big for ballet". The character suffers a leg injury in season 1, a back injury (inflicted by an unqualified teacher) in season 2, and a "career-ending" injury in season 3. Not a good prospect. She does eventually dance with the company on a short term corps contract but hates the restrictions and runs out on a performance because Ben is in hospital. Abigail's drive for perfection and her viewing of her body as betraying her because of puberty is a common modern story trope; the food issue comes later and is part of her attempts at control over her body and life. Kat's precocious talent and almost complete lack of regard for the rules is laughable and she's accepted to dance at the Moulin Rouge at 16? The second season's focus on the "Prix de Fonteyn" predated by some years the RAD's changing the Genée to Fonteyn. Ben is immature (well, he's a year younger than the rest), and is unable to get in to his dream company, but by the time of the movie he's a principal in Austin, Texas. He works too hard which causes his leukaemia to recur. The series was clearly made with the cooperation of AusBallet, as contracted company dancers and works created for the company appear in the show. Dancers-turned-actors Kip Gamblin and Josef Brown appear as teachers. Amusingly, the doyen of the company, Sir Jeffrey, is played by Barry Otto, whose daughter Miranda appears in the movie as the company's AD. None of the characters' original dreams were realised in the end. The dreams changed to fit the available circumstances instead. @Lindsay, Gloria was in it for the training in order to make money, as was Marcia Rutherford. Lorna Hill, a vicar's wife in the 1950s, used her own daughter's training at the Wells School as background for the books. Of course they're written from a certain POV, and a lot of the content is dated, but we're reading from now 70 years later. Caroline is my favourite character. Mariella giving up her vet course to marry Robin is STUPID.

Mariella's thighs? Most likely. There was someone in Veronica who had big thighs too, I'm pretty sure. @DelphiumBlue can you remember who it was?

I had very carefully not read the ENB Carmen thread, nor any of the reviews of either ENB or TAB, before seeing this production last night. Underwhelming. Terrific, terrific performances by Dimity Azoury as Carmen, Adam Elmes as Don José and Maxim Zenin as Torero. I can only sigh for Jill Ogai whom I surmise to have been born for this role according to all the reviews, but golly gee Azoury was sexy, slutty, and it was no wonder the impressionable young man Elmes (who'd already committed murder before even arriving at the tobacco factory) was enthralled by her. Azoury is an experienced principal, paired with Elmes who only joined the company in 2020 so has barely had two years on stage and was promoted coryphée in 2023. He has stood out before now but last night I felt he looked and danced like a man, not a boy, if you see what I mean. As for Zenin, the only word is "wow"! Sinuous, slinky, but with that marvellous upright carriage (which he maintains when leaving the theatre in a long coat, baggy trousers and trainers), he is a real superstar in the making. The wank-fest in front of the mirrors was... entertaining! The production itself in terms of sets was clever, the moving triangular boxes were used effectively, but the costumes were...boring and cheap-looking. Rolling around on the stage, females' legs splayed in presumed sexual invitation or display, vocalisations (there's a reason they're dancers not singers)...filler and not good filler. Tends to give the impression the choreography ran out of steam for a "full length" production (1h44m including 25 minute interval). I didn't "get" the people in black rolling all over the stage, in fact I found them irritating, possibly because we had no indication on the stupid online cast sheet of who or what they were. Nor did we know the young men were called "Dogs". I note the PDF cast sheets from ENB listed and named Guards, Dogs, Cigarreras, Main Shadows, and Shadows. No such information was provided by TAB. So disrespectful and downright annoying. My fears about the music were not entirely allayed, but it was better than I had thought it might be. Music director Jonathan Lo obviously committed elsewhere (Cathy Marston's Atonement in Zürich with added bonus Lake Lucerne cruise with Brandon Lawrence and Sean Bates) so Daniel Capps led the Opera Australia Orchestra (one does wonder who was playing for OA's West Side Story just across the water, we saw and heard a bit at our interval) with sensitivity. I have to say that for a production based on the Mérimée text rather than the opera, and alleging focus on passion and violence, with an entirely male creative team (choreographer, assistants, and dramaturg), it succeeded admirably in blaming the woman for the violence. I wish I could have seen more than one performance, in order to be able to make a more full assessment.

Haven't had anything to do with the School for donkey's years @marycecilia so can't offer any insights I'm afraid. Concerns me somewhat that the company is losing such a wonderful resource though.

David Hallberg has announced that Megan Connelly, who has worked with the Australian Ballet since 2001, has been appointed artistic director and head of school at the Australian Ballet School. The official announcement by the Australian Ballet School is here. The company posted the following on its socials: Announcement on Instagram

Links – Saturday 13 April 2024 Reviews American Ballet Theatre, Woolf Works, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa, CA: Writer, T2Online.com The Australian Ballet, Carmen (Inger), Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW: Katie Lawrence, Bachtrack Dance Theater of Harlem, Nyman String Quartet No. 2 / Pas de Dix / Take Me With You / Blake Works IV (The Barre Project), New York City Center, New York NY: Gia Kourlas, The New York Times Elixir Festival: Mixed Bill, common ground[s] / Minutes around late afternoon / White Hare, Sadler’s Wells, London England: Louise Levene, Financial Times Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Richard Maguire, The Reviews Hub Sanjoy Roy, The Guardian Elixir Festival: Mohamed Toukabri, The Power (of) The Fragile, Sadler’s Wells, London England: Matthew Paluch, Broadway World Grace Spencer, The Reviews Hub Max Roach 100, The Joyce Theatre, New York NY: Cecilia Whalen, Fjord Review Megan Williams Dance Projects & Eve Beglarian, Smile, though your heart is aching, Mark Morris Dance Center, James and Martha Duffy Performance Space, New York NY: Kristen Hedberg, CriticalDance Nederlands Dans Theater, N.N.N.N. / The Point Being / Jakie, New York City Center, New York NY: Faye Arthurs, Fjord Review Nadia Vostrikov, The Ballet Herald Scottish Ballet, Swan Lake (Dawson), Theatre Royal, Glasgow Scotland: Lorna Irvine, Fjord Review Anarchy Dance Theatre, Second Body, The Coronet Theatre, London England: Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian Ballet Quad Cities, Dorothy Goes to Oz / Snow White, Adler Theatre, Davenport IA: Jonathan Turner, OurQCNews Previews American Ballet Theatre, Woolf Works, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa CA: Christopher Smith, The Orange County Register American Repertory Ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stiefel), New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, New Brunswick NJ: AA Cristi, Broadway World Ballet BC, For Ever (Chamber / SWAY / New Creation, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver BC: Joanne McGowan, Vancouver Sun Grand Kyiv Ballet, Giselle: Cheyenne Civic Center, Cheyenne WY: Grace Swanke, Wyoming News Now Wilshire Ebell Theater, Los Angeles CA: Beverly Press Park Labrea News Johnstown Concert Ballet, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pasquerilla PAC, Richland Township, PA: Kelly Urban, The Tribune-Democrat National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Kyrgyzstan, Masterpieces of World Ballet, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Staff, AKIpress Northern Ballet, Tortoise and the Hare, Palace Theatre, Mansfield Notts: Steve Eyley, Worksop Guardian Russian State Ballet, The Nutcracker, Shanghai Center Theatre, Shanghai China: Xu Wei, Shine News American Ballet Theatre 2024 Summer Season: Ballet Herald News Desk, The Ballet Herald Ballet hails the return of water to Rome’s ancient Caracalla baths, Aterballetto at the Terme di Caracalla, Rome Italy: Giulia Segreti, Reuters London City Ballet inaugural season dancers and tour announced: Ballet Herald News Desk, The Ballet Herald Sarasota Ballet 2024-2025 Season: Staff, Sarasota Magazine Features Gilbert Bolden III Isn’t Afraid of Camp: Emily Leibert, The Cut After Trisha Brown: Karen Hildebrand, Fjord Review Partners in the Arts: How an Atlanta Ballet couple makes room for baby in their pas de deux, Emily Carrico and Sergio Masero: Cynthia Bond Perry, ArtsATL A Dance Through Dusty Time: The Choreographic Bite of Beth Gill: Gia Kourlas, The New York Times Interview with choreographer Carlos Pons Guerra: dance is an inherently queer art: Paul Arrowsmith, Gramilano Liam Hutt’s bold journey: A new era for ballet: Sasha Hartzell, UNCSA News Moving On: Nashville Ballet Explores the Changing Language of Ballet, Talking to artistic director and CEO Nick Mullikin about how a classic art form continues to evolve: Amy Stumpfl, Nashville Scene What’s in your Bay, SF Ballet artistic director Tamara Rojo?: Gail Goldberg, 7x7.com Photo Features American Ballet Theatre celebrates North American première of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works, photos by Fabrizio Ferri, Emma Zordan: Nicole Rosky, Broadway World Short Previews Ballet Arizona Studio Company, Showcase (Verzola, Haskins, Duran), Dorrance Theatre, Phoenix AZ: Staff, Queen Creek Sun Times Ballet Palm Beach, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell, Rinker Playhouse, Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, West Palm Beach FL: Site Staff, Jupiter Magazine Cleveland Ballet, Sleeping Beauty, Connor Palace, Cleveland OH: Paris Wolfe, cleveland.com Complexions Contemporary Ballet/Howard University, Take Flight, Ira Aldridge Theater, Cramton Auditorium, Howard University, Washington DC: Misha Cornelius, The Dig Concert Ballet of Virginia, Frankenstein, JR Tucker High School, Henrico VA: Staff, Henrico Citizen First State Ballet Theatre, The Sleeping Beauty, Copeland Hall at The Grand, Wilmington DE: Karl Lengel, Delaware Public Media Fort Wayne Ballet, Romeo and Juliet, Arts United Centre, Fort Wayne IN: Corey McMaken, The Journal Gazette Greater Buffalo Youth Ballet, Cinderella, Flickinger PAC, Nichols School, Buffalo NY: Jaurdyn Johnson, 7WKBW Buffalo International Ballet Company, Gala of Soloists, Mallorca, Spain: Staff, Majorca Daily Bulletin Latin Ballet of Virginia, Marcel Marceau: A Silent Hero, Weinstein JCC, Richmond VA: Staff, Henrico Citizen Los Angeles Ballet, Firebird (Possokhov) / Serenade (Balanchine), The Pasadena Civic, Pasadena CA: LA Downtown News Monterey County Dance Theatre Student Company, Giselle, Robert Stanton Theater, King City CA: Ryan Cronk, Salinas Valley Tribune San Martín Contemporary Ballet, The gestures of salt / The echo of hands, Teatro Regio, Córdoba Argentina: Charles Hurd, News Rebeat Texas Ballet Theater, Dance at the Modern: Ode, Modern Art Museum, Fort Worth TX: James Russel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram David Seeley, Dallas Innovates Tupelo Ballet, Cinderella, Tupelo Civic Auditorium, Tupelo MS: Blake Alsup, Daily Journal Video Previews Bristol Ballet, Pas de Derby, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Chris McIntosh, WJHL Carolina Ballet, Giselle, Township Auditorium, Columbia SC: Steven Fulton, WIS10 NIU’s Ballet Folklórico Aztlán, Esencia De México, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL: Isabel Tapia, WNIJ Hola South Carolina Ballet, The Elvis Ballet, Koger Center for the Arts, Columbia SC: Chris Brathwaite, News 19 WLTX Intisar Faulkner, WIS10TV Southwest Virginia Ballet, Romeo and Juliet, Berglund Center Performing Arts, Roanoke VA: Kimberly McBroom, WDBJ7 Competition News 10-year-old ballet prodigy from Hawaii shines on national stage, Youth America Grand Prix finals in New York: HNN Staff, Hawaii News Now 6th-grader wins big at Berlin International Dance Festival: Hiroshi Miura, The Asahi Shimbun Ballet dancer Charlie-Beth Smith to perform in USA, Cecchetti International Classical Ballet Competition: Rhianne Talling, South Wales Argus Paywalled, but you may have access Review – Elixir Festival: Mixed Bill, common ground[s] / Minutes around late afternoon / White Hare, Sadler’s Wells, London England: Nicola Rayner, The Stage Review – West Australian Ballet, La Bayadère (Horsman), His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth WA: Melinda Webster, The West Australian Preview – West Australian Ballet, La Bayadère (Horsman), His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth WA: Tanya MacNaughton, The West Australian Feature – Houston Ballet principal dancer presents Houston debut of Skylar Campbell Dance Collective, Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle Feature - Why Jill Ogai is thrilled to be on Sydney Opera House stage with Australian Ballet, For the Australian Ballet’s principal ballerina Jill Ogai, playing the seductive lead of Carmen in the new Opera House production is a full circle moment: Lisa Mayoh, The Daily Telegraph Feature – Odesa’s Stanislav Skrinnik, ballet dancer by night and weapons manufacturer by day: Emmanuel Grynszpan, Le Monde Preview – Midwest Regional Ballet, Beauty and the Beast, Memorial Auditorium: Aaron Pyle, The Morning Sun And finally… Ski Ballet Makes (Another) Comeback at Verbier, Switzerland, Ski ballet was a dazzling display of finesse, control, and extreme skiing in a new way – until it stopped abruptly in the early 2000’s. Now, it’s back: Ella Boyd, Powder

The most recent production (2023) had new sets, but I can assure you the costumes were the same as usual - the Barry Kay designs for the film. This production has been hanging around AusBallet like a bad smell (the noisy beads on the Dryads' tutus! the absolutely horrid Fandango costumes with the side panniers and the clearly made-from-wool wigs!) since 1972. The choreography is very Nureyev, and very fabulous, but most of the costumes are hideous. 2023, 2013, 2007, 1999, 1994, 1993 (when Irek Mukhamedov was a guest artist), 1986...

Links – Friday, 12 April 2024 Reviews The Australian Ballet, Carmen (Inger), Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW: Gina Fairley, ArtsHub Annabelle Drumm, Sydney Arts Guide Natasha Ciesielski, Scoop San Francisco Ballet, Dos Mujeres, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, CA: Charles Lewis III, 48hills National Ballet of Canada, UtopiVerse / Islands / Suite en Blanc, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, ON: Denise Sum, danceviewtimes The Royal Ballet, MacMillan Celebrated – Danses concertantes, Different Drummer, Requiem, Royal Opera House, London England: Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard International The Royal Ballet International Draft Works, Linbury Theatre Royal Opera House, London England: Matthew Paluch, Broadway World Amanda Jennings, Bachtrack Teresa Guerreiro, CultureWhisper Max Roach 100, Joyce Theatre, New York NY: Marina Harss, Dancing Around Alvin Ailey II, Mixed Bill, Joyce Theatre, New York NY: Lord Strum, Broadway World NW Dance Project, Secret Stories, Newmark Theatre, Portland OR: Hannah Krafcik, Oregon ArtsWatch Oregon Ballet Theatre, Wooden Dimes, Newmark Theatre, Portland OR: Dean Speer, CriticalDance Previews Dance//Novella, Night is the Mother, The Dance Centre at Scotiabank Dance Centre, Vancouver BC: Stir dani tirrell, Leviticus or Love and to walk amongst HUMANS, Moore Theatre, Seattle WA: Marcie Sillman, The Seattle Times Dorrance Dance, SOUNDspace, Vancouver Playhouse, Vancouver BC: Janet Smith, Stir News Oregon Ballet Theater 2024-2025 Season: via En Face Magazine Dancer James Yoichi Moore preparing to jeté off PNB stage: Moira Macdonald, The Seattle Times 2024 Green Room Awards (Victoria, Australia) Australian Stage Features March Madness – Dance Blooms in NYC: Wendy Perron Interviews Lorin Latarro, Broadway choreographer: Caedra Scott-Flaherty, Observer Dance Lydia Abarca and Karen Valby, The Swans of Harlem (Pantheon, 2024): Phoebe Roberts, The Brooklyn Rail Paywalled, but you may have access News – Downtown Los Angeles Places Another Big Bet on the Arts, The pandemic was tough on city centers and cultural institutions. What does that mean for Los Angeles, whose downtown depends on the arts?: Robin Pogrebin, The New York Times