Blossom

Really enjoyed the performance last night back in SCS with a view of the stage and the scenery from a lovely central position which I had forfeited on opening night in order to see which ballet VIPs were present from a side SCS seat. Isabella Gasparini was lovely on opening night but she has definitely benefitted from a little bit more time to hone her performance and Danses Concertantes was overall more slick. Again loved the journey back in time and the playful nature of the ballet. I have to admit that I much preferred the first cast for Different Drummer. Osipova played Marie rather differently to Hayward, she is also a much physically stronger dancer which I didn't think suited the role as well. Reece Clarke was gorgeous to watch but he is a very different physique to Marcelino Sambe who I had watched being coached in the studio insight and then on first night and the choreography just seemed to sit better on his frame. There was also a lot more physicality of emotion in Sambe's portrayal. Having said that, I have someone staying from NY who went with a friend and she simply adored Clarke who was her favourite of the night. Requiem was equally powerful and love the choral music - and notably, much more so than opera. Loved having another chance to see Matthew Ball who I didn't realise I would be seeing again - bonus. I spotted the table of Forum people in the bar, most of whom I don't know, but was with a friend so unable to come and say hello last night. Looking forward to 9 April.

I can never get tickets for the RBS show - sometimes a date issue but often just booked out. Another great chance to see some of the same content - and closer up - is at their Next Gen performances at the Linbury and there are plenty of tickets available.

Links, Tuesday 26 March, 2024 Review – Kidd Pivot, Assembly Hall: Stuart Sweeney, Critical Dance Review – Synchopation, Bridewell Theatre, London: Nicola Clare, Seeing Dance Review – Hong Kong Ballet, Rule Breakers: Kevin Ng, Seeing Dance Review – Shanghai Ballet, A Sigh of Love: Natasha Rogai, South China Morning Post Review – Australasian Dance Collective, Three, Denise Richardson, Dance Australia Preview – Dance at Norfolk and Norwich Festival, Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Preview - Boston Ballet Brings 4 Magical Experiences To Spring Set List: Ameera Hammouda, Boston Uncovered Preview - American Ballet Theatre to Present 2024 Spring Gala: Ballet Brilliance in May: Chloe Rabinowitz, Broadway World Preview - 5 dance performances to see in San Diego this spring: Julia Dixon Evans, KPBS Preview - Jacobs School’s ‘Star on the Rise: La Bayadère ... Reimagined!’ replaces caricature with character: Julia Hodson, News at Indiana University Feature/Video – Watch the solo of ‘Solitude’: Gia Kourlas & Stephan Alessi, New York Times Feature - A Second Act for Ballet in Iran: Brian Seibert, New York Times Feature - Backhausdance Does Orange County Proud: Victoria Looseleaf, Classical Voice Article - How Swan Lake became a cultural phenomenon: Zuzana Lachendro, New Statesman Article - Passing the torch: Three Sacramento arts organizations navigate leadership transitions: Jessica Laskey, Capradio via Solving Sacramento News - Jersey's national dance company Ballet d'Jèrri celebrate first birthday: Katya Fowler, ITVX Article – Contemporary dance is aging well but it’s ready for new ideas: Grace Times, Yahoo via City AM Article - Misty Copeland Reflects On The ‘Generational Trauma’ Felt by Black Ballet Dancers: Matt Marshall, San Diego Voice & Viewpoint via CNN

Noooo completely missed them going on sale- checked this morning and lunchtime for 9 May but was in meetings from 2 and obviously missed out again.

At DNB they sell signed, used pointe shoes from dancers at various levels to raise money for a really reasonable price (no more than a pair of brand new shoes). There is a nice opportunity to invest in dancers lower down the ranks on whom you might be placing your bets for success.

Links, Sunday 24 March, 2024 Review – Yorke Dance Project, California Connections, Linbury Theatre, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Review – Marc Brew, Accident, a Life, Tramway, Glasgow: Mark Brown, Telegraph Review, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Program B: Century, Dancing Spirit, Revelations, Jillian Verzwyvelt, Ballet Herald Review – American Contemporary Ballet, Jazz, Los Angeles, Victoria Looseleaf, Fjord Review Review – Alberta Ballet, Hansel and Gretel, Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium: Angela Johnston, Edmonton Journal Preview – Why we’re all dancing to Carmen’s tune, Debra Craine, The Times Preview - How Do You Solve a Problem Like ‘Bayadère’? Send In the Cowboys: Marina Harss, New York Times (paywall) Preview - It's ladies' night at Avant Chamber Ballet's Women's Choreography Project: Kimberly Richard, NBC DFW Film Preview - ‘Madu’ captures dizzying journey of viral dance star, Stephen Shaefer, Boston Herald Book Review - Osiel Gouneo, Black Romeo, a biography, Jeanette Andersen, Seeing Dance Article - Misty Copeland reflects on the ‘generational trauma’ felt by Black ballet dancers, Matt Marshall, CNN Article – The Dance Data Project, Judy Carmack Bross, Classic Chicago Magazine Article - What it takes to go from tin shed dance classes to performing for 3000 people, Chantal Nguyen, Brisbane Times And finally… Article - The truth about ticket prices — is greed killing the West End? Dominic Maxwell, The Times (paywall)

Agreed, but makes it easier to decide where to take a trip!

Oooh i think a trip for Paquita may be on the cards. If I could swing a second trip I would also see Onegin.

Completely in agreement with this. For me, stepping into the past is such a positive - it was a true window into the early days of MacMillan and the very beginnings of his creative relationship with Giorgiadis. I prefer this to a lot of the over-intellectualised new works we see from modern choreographers who lack the diversity of dance styles MacMillan was capable of.

I really don't know how I am going to manage the wait til next Wednesday for next viewing.

Musings from this evening as it was just fabulous and I wasn’t completely convinced I would love it all for various reasons but delighted I have 2 more viewings. Danses Concertantes - thrilled to see Isabella Gasparini leading. The funny hats made it quite difficult to see who was who despite knowing who was cast. Didn’t help that I had mixed up casts in my head and was wondering where Giacomo Rovero was for the first 10 mins. Loved the quirky style and the elements of golden age of movie musicals tap and jazz influences. Gorgeous Georgiadis set and quirky costumes to match the choreo. Amazing to think this was their first partnership and MacMillan’s first piece. Left the auditorium feeling enriched by ballet heritage and had an opportunity to enthuse to Lady MacMillan on my way back to my seat. Different Drummer was unbelievably ahead of the times (and the same could be said about Requiem). The narrative was quite absorbing because of Sambe’s characterisation. His whole body appeared to shrink and shrug in submission and it was hard to distinguish what was ‘the truth’ and what he was simply imagining. Thomas Whitehead’s character of the Captain was a brilliant caricature in terms of make up and mime. Francesca Hayward’s red hair for the piece seemed to be channeling Diane Buswell from Strictly which was a little distracting… Continued to see what a good fit she is for MacMillan, especially in the complex lifts. A bit confused by the Jesus character so looking forward to a second viewing. Loved some of the use of the soldier corps, there was one section where they seemed to be in rewind as they moved off the stage. This was my daughter and her friend’s favourite piece in terms of the narrative, structure and dancing which I found interesting. Requiem was quite emotionally overwhelming. I didn’t expect it to be so completely reeled in and equally engaged with the music as the dancing. Some of the lifts for the corps looked like they should be an impossibility, as did the much pictured lift where Lauren Cuthbertson was passed around a tight group of raised hands. Despite the connection with grief, the piece felt incredibly gentle and soothing and I just wanted it to keep going. I didn’t want it to end. Lead were gorgeous to watch- Melissa Hamilton, Lauren Cuthbertson, Joseph Sissens, Matthew Ball and Lukas Braendsrod. Ball, as well as his dancing, was a striking Adonis! Counting down the days till next Wednesday.

I think that's fair enough. I'm guessing that this will be quite a gruelling triple to prep for based on some of the things the originators said at the insight. I'm sure that the Ashton will be equally pressured, so a long run of Swan Lake is probably not the best mix from a casting/prepping perspective, although lovely to have so many things I want to see so wouldn't want them to change things! What could have been more helpful all round is fewer Swan Lake casts and making it an either/or. Having said that, delighted it gives the gorgeous first soloists a much deserved opportunity to shine - as well as to see what Isabel Lubach is made of!

Links, Tuesday 19 March, 2024 Review – Ballet Icons Gala, London Coliseum: Siobhan Murphy, The Stage Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Amanda Jennings, Bachtrack Charlotte Kasner, Seeing Dance Review – Paris Opera Ballet, La Fille Mal Gardee, Opera Garnier, Paris: John O’Dwyer, Seen and Heard International Review – La Scala Ballet, Le Corsaire, Hong Kong: Kevin Ng, Hong Kong Economic Journal Natasha Rogai, South China Morning Post Review – Norwegian Ballet, Vildanden (The Wild Duck), National Opera House, Oslo: Graham Watts: Gramilano Review – New York City Ballet, Quadruple Bill: Leigh Witchel, Dance Log NYC Review – Boston Ballet, The Winter Experience, Citizens’ Opera House, Boston: Nubya Filho, Her Campus Selorna A. Ackuayi, Harvard Crimson Review – Adelaide Festival: Maggie Tonkin, Dance Australia Restless Dance Theatre, Private View Streb Extreme Action, Time Machine Preview - Video: Trailer For NYC Ballet's 2024 Spring Performance THE FUTURE: Joshua Wright, Broadway World Preview - New Jersey Ballet to Celebrate 65th Anniversary Season with World Premiere of Lauren Lovette's "Jewel Box" at NJPAC: Staff, New Jersey Stage Preview - Ballet Theatre of Maryland Will Perform SLEEPING BEAUTY Next Month: Stephi Wild, Broadway World Preview – Ballet Austin Gets Macabre for Stephen Mills’ POE / A Tale of Madness Kyra Laubacher, Pointe Magazine And for the video trailer: TL Stanley, Ad Week Article - Q&A: Misty Copeland on Ushering in the Next Generation of BIPOC Ballerinas: Eva Crouse, Worth Magazine News - Misty Copeland to speak in upcoming McFadden Memorial Lecture: Chloe McGowan, Indianapolis Recorder Article - How Artists are Keeping Mountains of Dead Pointe Shoes Out of Landfills: Haley Hilton, Dance Magazine Article - Marcella Hymowitz And Dennis Basso On Style, Ballet And The YAGP Gala: Nadja Sajev, Forbes Article - Government to review Arts Council England to ensure "creative excellence": Georgia Luckhurst, The Stage

Links, Sunday 17 March, 2024 Review - New York City Ballet, Mixed Bill, Sadler’s Wells, London: Joy Waterside, Everything Theatre Review - Company Wayne McGregor, UniVerse: A Dark Crystal Odyssey, Sadler’s Wells, London: Adam Stevenson, The Reviews Hub Review – Company Wayne McGregor, Autobiography (v95): Maggie Foyer, Critical Dance Review – San Francisco Ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, San Francisco War Memorial Opera House: Toba Singer, Culture Vulture Review – Ballet X, Spring Series, Wilma Theatre, Philadelphia, Lewis Whittington, Culture Vulture Review – Australian Ballet, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Melbourne, Paul Selar, Arts Review Preview – Joburg Ballet brings global talent to KKNK stage: Bernerlee Volmer, IOL Article – Royal Opera House launches Chance to Dance in Bradford: Emma Clayton, Telegraph & Argus Article - Going Dutch: A trio of Canadian women notch dance milestones in the Netherlands: Rebecca Ritzel, Globe & Mail Article - Svetlana Zakharova performances in South Korea are cancelled: Graham Spicer, Gramilano Feature - Misty Copeland: A life in motion: Staff, Afro.com And paying it forward…. Article - Professional ballerina teaches Renton youth: Bailey Josie, Renton Reporter

Tickets spoken for.

I've decided to upgrade to a seat for opening night! SCS 37 and 38 now available. £9 each. Happy to sell separately.

Are you sorted? Decided to upgrade to a seat for this performance. I have central SCS, happy to sell separately.

A fantastic insight live in the studio and the first one my daughter has joined me for- she was a bit star struck. Love that one of my kids has the ballet big too. The discussion and the rehearsals were a real treat, especially having not seen any of the works before. There is something really special about Kenneth MacMillan’s works and it was fascinating to see the dancers and coaches really breathe life into them. The conversation element is brilliant - a way for us as the audience to really get close to the genius of MacMillan and understand better that baton passing from generation to generation.

Links, Tuesday 12 March, 2024 Review – Royal Ballet, Swan Lake, ROH, London: Maggie Foyer, Seeing Dance Review – New York City Ballet, Mixed Bill, Sadlers Wells, London: Alastair Macauley, AlastairMacauley.com Bruce Marriott, Lifted Leg Review – New York City Ballet, Copland Dance Episodes, New York, Leigh Witchel, Dance Log NYC Review – Pontus Lidberg, On the Nature of Rabbits, Joyce Theater, New York: Jerry Hochman, Critical Dance Candace Thompson, Fjord Review Review – Various, Flamenco Festival, New York: Marina Kennedy, Broadway World Review - Arno Schuitemaker, If You Could See Me Now, Janet Smith, Stir Preview - Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company, Solera, Sadlers Wells: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Preview - SF Ballet gears up for first full run of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' in nearly 40 years: Garth Grimball, SF Examiner Article – Royal Ballet Principal dancer Francesca Hayward nominated Lead Ambassador of Royal Ballet School’s ATAP: Graham Spicer, Gramilano Feature - Artistry in seven shades of grey, Matthew Lawrence, Dance Australia Feature - Wayne McGregor: ‘People think of me as an outsider, but I’ve never felt like one’: Kat Lister, inews Feature - Yuri Possokhov: A Choreographer of Many Facets, in Movement: Aimee Ts’ao, SF Classical Voice Feature/Preview - SF Ballet soloist Sasha Mukhamedov talks Balanchine, returning to ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’: Lauren Harvey, The Daily Californian Article/Preview - Robert Moses’ ‘New Legacies’ takes on the specter of censorship: Mary Carbonara, 48 Hills News - Queen Margrethe to design set for ballet at Copenhagen Tivoli: Staff, The Local DK News - Cincinnati Ballet names new president and CEO: Nikki Kingery, Cincinnati Business Courier

Is it worth considering that he mightn’t have danced in Don Q in order to concentrate on his family?

Links, Monday 11 March, 2024 Review – Northern Ballet, Romeo and Juliet, Leeds: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Elizabeth Hayward, Always Time for Theatre Review – New York City Ballet, Mixed Bill, Sadler’s Wells, London: John O’Dwyer, Seen and Heard Review - Far from the Norm, Until We Sleep, Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome & Ballet National de Marseille & La(Horde), Roommates, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London: Sarah Crompton, Guardian Review – New York City Ballet, Quadruple Bill: Leigh Witchell, Dance Log NYC Season in review – At City Ballet, 2 sparkling premiers and many moments to remember: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Preview - Boston Ballet showcases classic ‘Cinderella’: Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald Preview - Foreign travel and fresh repertoire inspire City Ballet’s ‘An American in Paris’: Marcia Lutrell, San Diego Union Tribune Feature - Then & Now: Boston Ballet’s Cinderella: Alanna Love, En Face Magazine Article - La Bayadère: Should it be cancelled? Karen van Ulzen, Dance Australia Article - The ballet world is in transition: are dancers artists or athletes? Sarah Rainsford, BBC News (via Yahoo news) Article - Leading drama, dance schools fight for survival after ‘decade of neglect: Linda Morris, Syndey Morning Herald

Which date are you looking at specifically?

Links, Sunday 10 March, 2024 Review – New York City Ballet, Mixed Bill, Sadlers Wells, London: Alastair McCauley, Slipped Disc Nancy Brie, West End Best Friend Vicki Jane Vile, Broadway World Charlotte Kasner, Seeing Dance Review – Northern Ballet, Romeo and Juliet, Leeds: Christine Goode, On Yorkshire Magazine Review - Wayne McGregor and Ben Cullen Williams, A Body for Harnasie, Royal Festival Hall: Nicola Claire, Seeing Dance Review - American Contemporary Ballet, Jazz Review, Los Angeles: Jillian Verzwyvelt, Ballet Herald Review - Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Lunar Halo, Taipei: David Mead, Seeing Dance Review – Ballet Philippines, Limang Daan, Cultural Centre of the Philippines: Yumi Pascual Paras, Phillipines Star Life Preview – La Scala Ballet returns to China – on tour to Hong Kong and Shanghai: Graham Spicer, Gramillano Article - Dancers get a turn as choreographers in Portland Ballet’s ‘New Works’: Megan Gray, Portland Press Herald

Huge, huge thanks for sharing this. In a way, I am rather glad to have seen this online and not in person as I am now looking rather red and puffy eyed. The speech he made just reinforces that he truly is the nicest man in ballet. I do hope we get to see and hear so much more of what he is up to at the RAD- including a significant feature in World Ballet Day!

I can't imagine what it was like on the other side of the curtain last night before the performance - I certainly needed to calm my nerves in anticipation of Cesar Corrales being back on the ROH stage! It really was wonderful to see him back, although it did feel like he was playing it safe last night. Having said that, I really enjoyed his performance in terms of not just the dancing, but the quality of his acting. He seemed to be a particularly young and innocent Siegfried, which led to Odile's deception having double the impact.. I felt particularly in Act IV that Corrales deeply connected with Odette and was intensely regretful. Mayara Magri is one of my preferred Odette/Odiles - her Odette is a character of beauty and timeless classical style, contrasting with her sly, predatory Odile. I do particularly enjoy her partnership with Corrales which I hope will get back to full, explosive power after a bit more stage time and a bit more confidence on his part. It's such a shame that the next performance is Young ROH only - and would love to find a way to sneak in, perhaps I could be an usher for the evening?! Also really enjoyed Sae Maeda and Leticia Dias as Siegfried's sisters but particularly Joonhyuk Jun's elegant and effortless Benno - amazed at the softness of his landings. There was so much to enjoy in terms of the whole company last night from the beautiful swans of the company to the incredibly stylish character dances and the fun of Ashton's Neapolitan that I wouldn't want to do anyone a disservice by mentioning some names and not others. Last night was a reminder of exactly what puts this company on top. I could easily watch Swan Lake over and over again with the rich set designs and gorgeous costumes, Tchaikovsky's incredible score and the talent of the Royal Ballet to boot, but unfortunately due to holiday clashes, I now have to wait a painful 2 months until my next performance, so will have to survive on all of your fabulous reviews.