Sophoife

So I learned when trying to look up some "stats" a few weeks ago!! 😳

On the subject of Miyako Yoshida, I saw her dance Stanton Welch's Madame Butterfly in Sydney and she broke my heart. So Clement Crisp can get in a box, so there!

I'll start. He guested with AusBallet in Ratmansky's Cinderella, with the original Cinders, Leanne Stojmenov, in her retirement season. The role was made on Daniel Gaudiello, who with his wife Lana Jones was sitting next to me. Dan said at interval that Alexander was the only person besides himself to have danced every step Ratmansky gave the role. He was wonderful in the role, a real Prince with a heart and mind as well as beautiful dancing and (according to Leanne) partnering. Incidentally he did three Cinders' Princes: Bintley at BRB, Ratmansky with TAB, and Ashton at RB.

Miwako Kubota!!! Danced every single principal role that came along with AusBallet but never promoted from senior artist. The ballerina of my heart.

Uhh...literally every company shares their performance venue with at least one other company, be that opera or plays or both. Stuttgart, Paris, Berlin, Mariinsky, Bolshoi, ABT/NYCB/Met Opera, San Francisco, Australian Opera and Ballet - neither of which have a proper home theatre anyway... It would be enormously economically unsound to have a venue of the size the Royal Ballet needs for its existing productions and company size dedicated solely to the Royal Ballet. To keep running costs covered, they'd have to be performing six to eight shows a week, for at least 42 weeks a year. Imagine the number of over-use injuries!! A long (30-odd shows) run of Nutcracker alone ends up with all sorts of casting changes due to illness and injury.

@Richard LH I've replied via DM as it's a leetle teeny bit off topic 😘

AusBallet does this too. Subscribers buy in September/October for the whole of the following year, and then a day or so before a season starts, or even in the middle of one, suddenly they'll offer through their socials $99 tickets in A and B reserves, which is a saving of up to $150 per ticket. Slap in the face to the regulars much? Complaints have been made and zero effs apparently given.

A friend in Sydney has just told me of a genius hack for this type of thing: she's a member of a group of a dozen or so ballet, theatre and opera fans who have between them rented a three-bedroom apartment in inner-suburban Sydney. Not CBD but less than 20 minutes from the Opera House on train or light rail. Rent is about $6K per month. Each member of the group pays an annual amount into a joint bank account set up to pay the rent and other outgoings. Two people are the official tenants, and each generally stays there for about three months on a rotating basis, managing cleaning, laundry, basic foodstuffs, and coordinating the others' stays. They have the ensuite bedroom, and the other two, twin beds, share a bathroom. If desperate the living room sofa bed comes in to play. She tells me it's been working since 2018, and that due to the size of the group and the location of the apartment, it works out that if a person spends 12 nights a year there, they save 30-35% or more depending on what class of hotel they'd normally book. More than that and the relative cost goes further down. She was even able to volunteer to be the managing tenant for a six-month period when her daughter was undergoing cancer treatment in Sydney! I've told her I'm interested in joining the scheme for 2025 as the AusBallet Melbourne season will again be severely truncated and expensive Sydney will be a better option. I would happily manage a Forum flat somewhere in London for this sort of opportunity!!

Links – Saturday 2 March, 2024 Review – Philadelphia Ballet, Giselle, Academy of Music, Philadelphia PA: Ellen Dunkel, The Philadelphia Inquirer Review – Company Wayne McGregor/Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, A Body for Harnasie, Katowice, Poland: Caroline Roux, Financial Times Review – Dimitris Papaioannou, Ink, Sadler’s Wells, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Graham Watts, Gramilano Preview – Ballet X, Spring Series, Wilma Theater, Philadelphia PA: Rita Charleston, The Philadelphia Tribune Preview – Miami City Ballet, Spring Mix, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami FL: Ashley-Anna Aboreden, Miami New Times Preview – The best theatre to stream this month: Peaky Blinders, Prima Facie and more: Chris Wiegand, The Guardian News – Former Ballet BC dancer Kirsten Wicklund to take helm at Ballet Edmonton: Janet Smith, Stir News – Hudson River Museum hosts ballet performances to celebrate start of Women’s History Month: Staff, KULR8 News – Ballet West announces 2024/25 lineup featuring classics, new shows: Fresh Living, 2KUTV News – Miami City Ballet Reveals 2024/2025 Season: Stephi Wild, Broadway World Photo Feature – Philadelphia Ballet, Giselle, Academy of Music, Philadelphia PA: Scott Serio, Broadway World Feature – Why Armadillo World Headquarters Became a Hippie Ballet Hub: Rosie Ninesling, Austin Monthly And finally… Video – Air India unveils new safety video celebrating Indian dance forms: Mark Caswell, Business Traveller

Senior artist Nathan Brook has announced his forthcoming retirement. He's had a great career so far, but there was so much more to come! 😞 No injury is cited, he won the Telstra Rising Star Award in 2021, and he's not yet 30.

Then you'd be watching basically no ballet in Australia as none of the three main companies (AusBallet, WA Ballet, Queensland Ballet) provide casting more than a couple of weeks out, and on many occasions that interval is more like a week. It's extremely frustrating as someone who doesn't live in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth as I have to organise my travel and accommodation well in advance, I can't just think, oh yes X is on tomorrow, I'll get a ticket today.

I'm really quite surprised TBH that the only man they've filmed/whose film is available more than once in the same role is Gary Avis.

ROH Shop: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 2011 Lauren Cuthbertson/Sergei Polunin 2017 Cuthbertson/Federico Bonelli Nutcracker 2007 or 2009 they can't make up their minds Miyako Yoshida/Steven McRae/Gary Avis 2016 Cuthbertson/Bonelli/Avis 2018 Marianela Nuñez/Vadim Muntagirov/Avis Swan Lake 2009 Nuñez/Thiago Soares 2018 Nuñez/Muntagirov

AusBallet's Japanese Titanias (Ako Kondo and Yuumi Yamada) wore the wig but Benedicte Bemet did not, in the three performances I saw last November. Last time they did it, Miwako Kubota, Ako Kondo and (definitely not Japanese, also not dark haired) Madeleine Eastoe wore it, but at least two others (both dark haired) did not. I reached out to the company both times, but have not yet received an acknowledgement let alone a reply regarding whether the wig is a choice or an imposition.

Links – Saturday 24 February, 2024 Review – Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Deep River, Rose Theater, New York NY: Brian Seibert, The New York Times (paywalled) Review – American Ballet Theatre, Swan Lake, John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington DC: Justin Rustle, MD Theatre Guide Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham UK: Graham Watts, Bachtrack David Mead, SeeingDance YankieChow, Redbrick Review – Boston Ballet, Winter Experience, Citizens Bank Opera House, Boston MA: Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Globe Review – Houston Ballet, Cinderella, Wortham Theater Center, Houston TX: Natalie de la Garza, Houston Press Review – San Francisco Ballet, British Icons, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco CA: Michael Wade Simpson, CultureVulture Review – Twyla Tharp Dance, Ocean’s Motion / Brel / The Ballet Master, The Joyce Theater, New York NY: Jerry Hochman, CriticalDance Review – Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker with pianist Pavel Kolesnikov, The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, NYU Skirball, New York NY: Gia Kourlas, The New York Times (paywalled) Review – Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater, Rites of Passage (RITES), Reed College Greenwood Theatre, Portland OR: Elizabeth Whelan, Oregon Arts Watch Review – Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and Dayton Ballet, In Modern Moves and Swan Lake, Victoria Theatre and Schuster Center, Dayton OH: Russell Florence Jr, Dayton Daily News Preview – Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Revelations, touring North America including Austin TX: Helen Li, The Daily Texan Preview – Royal New Zealand Ballet, Tutus on Tour, around New Zealand: Nic Duff, Otago Daily Times News – Birmingham’s brutal cuts to its culture are a warning to us all: Richard Morrison, The Times (share token) Steve Orme, British Theatre Guide News – ROH Celebrates International Women’s Day: Teresa Guerreiro, CultureWhisper Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide News – Alexander Campbell new AD of RAD: Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide News – The (Royal) British (Ballet) are coming (to Becket): Jacob’s Pillow announces Summer 2024 festival lineup: Josh Landes, WAMC Northeast Public Radio News – The National Ballet of Canada: a farewell to Guillaume Côté, and a “hello London” with the National Ballet on tour: Graham Spicer, Gramilano News – New ballet debuts at Lincoln Center as part of Black History Month: Magee Hickey, PIX11 Feature – Resilience leads to career in choreography, Alice Topp: Rebecca Fox, Otago Daily Times (paywalled) Feature – How HMT’s backstage changed everything for Scottish Ballet’s Matthew Strachan: Lottie Hood, The Press and Journal Feature – Sandra Fortune-Green, Capitol Ballet Ballerina Who Represented US in Varna and Moscow, Impacts Future Generations Through Teaching: Monica Stephenson, Pointe Magazine (paywalled) Feature – BHM Spotlight: How Ballerina Ingrid Silva Started a Fight for Inclusivity With Her Pointe Shoes: Renan Botelho, Footwear News Feature – 2 young Ukrainian refugees find safe haven in dance at Philadelphia school: Maggie Kent, 6ABC Feature – 2 years on, Ukraine evacuees dance in Japan for peace in motherland: Staff, Japan Today Interview – Lead Ballerina Mónica Gómez Shares Insight to the Unique Style and Story of Houston Ballet’s CINDERELLA: Miranda Keating, Broadway World Interview – Alonzo King, Jason Moran and Lisa Fischer on Deep River’s Lincoln Center Debut: Caedra Scott-Flaherty, ObserverDance Interview – New York City Ballet’s Justin Peck: ‘Trump’s win changed the whole arc of the piece’: Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian Interview – Ballerina Alice Minoiu: “Being able to be the artistic director of such an event gives you the freedom to give life to your own imagination and vision” ballet gala in Bucharest: Oana Vasiliu, Business Review

Isobelle Dashwood is a member of a very talented and hard-working family. She has a younger sister currently at RBS US, and a brother who graduated ABS and is at West Australian Ballet. Isobelle herself was promoted direct from corps de ballet to soloist, skipping coryphée. There are a number of tall men in the company with whom she has been partnered. As the current season in Sydney is his first with the company, I've not yet seen Davi Ramos dance. Rehearsal footage of Le Corsaire and Raymonda does not mean they will be dancing together as neither is in the current repertoire nor are there any galas upcoming for which they might be preparing either piece. Gala and guesting opportunities are far more limited in Australia than in Europe or the USA. We shall see.

Have a look at the various Insta posts from dancers who were in London...🤭

🤣🤣🤣 I couldn't either, so I searched "Isobelle Dashwood" using forum search!!

We had this height discussion with specific reference to Sangeun Lee last year. The shortest female dancer at AusBallet is Yuumi Yamada, who is not quite 5'0". There was also a thread in 2018.

No, Callum has beeyootiful curly hair and he's had this awful haircut. This is what he looks like normally, @Emeralds (still from video of his promotion to principal after Anna Karenina in 2022).

Yes, they are. Off-the-shoulder black top and blue leggings girl and DREADFUL haircut boy with beautiful large eyes: principals Jill Ogai and Callum Linnane.

Well, I mean, if you're there... remember we (audience and dancers) don't have that much exposure locally to a company like that...

Links – Friday 23 February, 2024 Obituary – Sydney King, pioneering Black ballet teacher: Karen Warrington, The Philadelphia Inquirer Review – The Australian Ballet, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ©, Capitol Theatre, Sydney NSW: Natasha Ciesielski, Sydney Scoop Katie Lawrence, Bachtrack Chantal Nguyen, Sydney Morning Herald Martin Portus, Stage Whispers Review – Ballet West, Swan Lake, Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City UT: Les Roka/Chris Myers, The Utah Review Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham UK: Alison Brinkworth, Birmingham Mail Maria Cusine, Express & Star Review – Joffrey Ballet, Studies in Blue, Lyric Opera House, Chicago IL: Jennifer Lunz, Splash Magazines Review – New York City Ballet, Opus 19/The Dreamer / Solitude / Symphony in Three Movements, Lincoln Center, New York NY: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc Review – Oregon Ballet Theatre, Peter Pan, Keller Auditorium, Portland OR: Robert Ham, Portland Mercury Review – Phoenix Dance Theatre, BELONGING: Loss. Legacy. Love, Leeds Playhouse, Leeds UK: Donald Hutera, Times (+ share) *** Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian Review – ProLab Dance, when we were Ocean, Planetarium, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Portland, OR: Hannah Krafcik, Oregon Arts Watch Review – Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Nelken, Sadler’s Wells, London UK: Rupert Christiansen, Spectator Review – Washington Ballet, Jazz Icons, Kennedy Center, Washington DC: Oksana Khadarina, The Ballet Herald Preview – Ballet National de Marseilles x LA(HORDE), Roommates, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London UK: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Preview – Grand Kyiv Ballet, Giselle, touring 60 US cities: Rizwan Shah, BNN Breaking/The People’s Network Preview – Smuin Contemporary Ballet, Celebrating Michael Smuin (Fly Me to the Moon, Zorro!), Blue Shield of California Theater YBCA, San Francisco CA: San Francisco Bay Times News – Royal Academy of Dance appoints Alexander Campbell as artistic director: Georgia Luckhurst, The Stage Staff, Arts Professional News – Guillaume Côté to retire: Andy Johnson, Zoomer Radio News – International Ballet Competition to take place in Budapest this weekend, Grand Audition 2024: Staff, Hungary Today News – Matthew Ball to guest in Sleeping Beauty at BRB: Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide News – Royal Winnipeg Ballet, 2024-25 Season: Jen Zoratti, Winnipeg Free Press News – Vail Dance Festival Announces 2024 Season: Staff, En Face Magazine Feature – Houston Theater is Transformed into a Vienna Dream Palace in a Sweeping $1.6 Million Ballet Ball Like No Other: Shelby Hodge, Paper City Magazine Feature – How Tiler Peck Learned to Trust Her Gut – And Recover From a Career-Threatening Neck Injury: Hannah Dylan Pasternak, Self.com Feature – Texas choreographer helps kids build confidence, dance away from screentime, Derek Turner of Corpus Christi Ballet: Barbi Leo, KENS5 Feature – New York City Ballet Dancer Christina Clark Is Celebrating Every Stage: Olivia Manno, Dance Magazine Feature – Paris Opera House dancers experience local culture before staging gala shows: Ma Yue, Shine Feature – Stir Q&A: Vancouver International Dance Festival’s Virginie Brunelle talks about strings, artificial grass, and beauty: Janet Smith, Stir Video Feature – Alonzo King on the LINES Ballet’s upcoming performance: PIX11 News, YouTube *** Revised times share token inserted

Thanks @Emeralds and sorry @Vanartus - I did delete the thread, as it was misleading, and I couldn't edit it as it was 32 minutes after posting. On carefully re-reading his Insta post, he is taking a break, not retiring for good (we all hope). Sadly yes, your excellent post and link went the way of all flesh...would you mind awfully re-posting it?

I do hope that's not looking in my direction 😘