Sophoife
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Posts posted by Sophoife
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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
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3 minutes ago, Lindsay said:
@Sophoife It's a close-run thing! And the Nicola-Tim growing apart and then 'coming back together' to arrange the carol service in the Attic Term is so subtly done. They are such quality novels, disguised as 'standard' school stories.
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.
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@Lindsay ah, The Play! Yes, one of my favourites, too, but cricket, Jan Scott and Nicola growing up somewhat do it for me.
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1 hour ago, CCL said:
It is absolutely wonderful, isn’t it! Nice to ‘meet’ a fellow aficionado!
@DelphiumBlue is in our hood.
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3 hours ago, CCL said:
Here’s a coincidence- I belong to a Facebook group that discusses the books of Antonia Forest, and there was a post today about…Ballet Shoes and the 1970s BBC version!
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.
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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.
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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
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5 minutes ago, DelphiumBlue said:
Alas no….
Such hardship. I'll have to do a re-read.
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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!
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2 minutes ago, CCL said:
To be fair, it was ‘re-imagined’ the last time a version of it was made for television. ‘Garnie’ and Theo were rivals for the love of Mr Simpson, if I remember correctly? That put me right off!
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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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!"
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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
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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.
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16 hours ago, Dawnstar said:
Masquerade at the Wells is probably the book you're thinking of.
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?
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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.
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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.
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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:
QuotePlease join us in congratulating the incredible Megan Connelly on her appointment as the Artistic Director and Head of School at @theaustralianballetschool! 👏🎉🩰
Megan has been part of our Artistic Team since 2001, most recently in the crucial role of Rehabilitation Specialist guiding our artists through pregnancies, injuries, surgeries, and rehabilitation, extending or saving the careers of hundreds of dancers.
Megan’s dedication to The Australian Ballet will be greatly missed, but all of us at the company are thrilled by this news. Swipe to see the excitement in the studio as @officialdavidhallberg shared the news with our dancers.
We look forward to continuing to strengthen the partnership between our company and The Australian Ballet School under Megan’s leadership, building on the legacy of outgoing Artistic Director Lisa Pavane.
Congratulations Megan!
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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
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On 11/04/2024 at 19:20, stucha said:
Georgiades never designed Don Q at the Australian Ballet. The costumes were by Barry Kay and the sets by Anne Fraser and it was this production which entered the the Royal Ballet repertoire in the early 2000s. The most recent production had new sets and costumes based on Nureyev's famous film version for the Australian Ballet which were by Barry Kay.
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...
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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
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Audience Behaviour - Thread 2
in Performances seen & general discussions
Posted
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?