Ian Macmillan

Links – Wednesday, 9 March, 2016 Preview – Paris Opera, Iolanta/The Nutcracker (Lock, Cherkaoui, Pita), Paris: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Review – Ave Maya Gala 2016, London: Vera Liber, BTG - Gallery: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Review – Akram Khan Company, Kaash, London: Graham Watts, Londondance Review – National Ballet of Canada, La Sylphide, Toronto: Penelope Ford, Fjord Review News – Silicon Valley Ballet (ex-Ballet San Jose) has closed down: Karen D’Souza, San Jose Mercury News Gallery – Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker/Rosas, Golden Hours (As You Like It), London: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Review – Eiko, A Body in Places/ PLATFORM 2016, Guest solos, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat News – Leanne Benjamin appointed Member of the Order of Australia: Staff, BWW News – Dance (& more) for the Kennedy Center 2016-17 Season: Peggy McGlone, Washington Post News – Australian Ballet Sydney Season, April – May 2016: Staff, BWW News – Montreal Danse Danse 2016-17 Season: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette Review – Avant Chamber Ballet, Raymonda excerpt, Who Cares?/Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, Rite of Spring (Peugh), Dallas: Margaret Putnam, TheaterJones Review – Compagnie Virginie Brunelle, Foutrement, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com News – Royal Winnipeg Ballet in Truth & Reconciliation Forum: Amanda Siebert, Straight.com

We hear increasingly about the very real risks that the growing craze for small/medium UAVs*can cause for civil aviation. But there is a time and a place for them - one of these having been the airfield at Tornesch, near Hamburg, one evening in November last year, when 100 or so were involved in a mass display. That's all the introduction needed, I think: https://www.youtube.com/embed/mOBQXuu_5Zw UAV = Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

Given the hundreds, possibly thousands, of Dance Schools up and down the UK (and, no doubt, elsewhere), I'd have thought that statistical probability might suggest that most of their students are dancing as a hobby. I very much doubt that you'd be alone.

Happymum: Hmm - if that teacher's teaching is no better informed than her knowledge of male dancers, I'm sure that your son will fare much better elsewhere.

We got home later than planned, so we missed the first 30 minutes. Nonetheless, I thought the essence of the book was conveyed pretty well though, at the end, whilst Winston was clearly defeated, I'm not sure that anything showed him as now 'loving' Big Brother. I thought Martha Leebolt carried the Julia role very strongly and felt the through-written score worked very well - also, a big shout for the Proles and their fanatical devotion to BB.

Links – Saturday, 27 February, 2016 Review – Mariinsky Ballet, A Tribute to Maya Plisetskaya, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Mariinsky Ballet, Raymonda, DC: Hilary Stroh, Bachtrack Reviews – Pacific Northwest Ballet, Square Dance, Prodigal Son, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Reviews – Royal New Zealand Ballet, Selon désir, In the middle, somewhat elevated, Cacti, Wellington: Jack Yan, Lucire Ann Hunt, Taranaki Daily News Reviews – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (MacMIllan), Birmingham: Hedy Mühleck, Bachtrack John Philpott, Worcester News Feature – Love and Defection: Mayara Piñeiro & Etienne Díaz with Pennsylvania Ballet: Ellen Dunkel, Philly.com Review – Washington Ballet, In the middle, somewhat elevated, Prism, State of Wonder, DC: Sarah L Kaufman, Washington Post Review – New York Theatre Ballet, Chemical Bond, Such Longing, Antique Epigraphs, Song before Spring, NY: Carla Escoda, Huffington Post Reviews – Farraquito & Farruco, Buen Arate, London: Clement Crisp, Financial Times Graham Watts, Londondance 2nd Review – San Francisco Ballet, Swan Lake (Tomasson), SF: Gilly Lloyd, Examiner.com Reviews – Mark Bruce Company, The Odyssey, London: Lynette Halewood, DanceTabs Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Neil Norman, The Stage Vera Liber, BTG Review – Hubert Essakow, Terra, London: Sanjoy Roy, Guardian Feature – Accessing the Martha Graham archive (+ live solos), NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Kidd Pivot & Electric Company Theatre, Betroffenheit, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Preview – Dancing with an Xbox, Pattern Recognition, London: Robert Dex, Evening Standard News – Next week in London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian

Links – Friday, 26 February, 2016 Feature – The changing face of Dance in Australia: Jane Albert, Australian Financial Review Feature - Steven McRae, Manga hero, RB Principal, OU graduate: Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Gallery – Royal Ballet, Giselle, London: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Review – BalletBoyz, The Murmuring, Mesmerics, NY: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Review – Pacific Northwest Ballet, Square Dance, Prodigal Son, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Gallery Feature – Maya Plisetskaya’s appearances in Vogue: Lilah Ramzi, Vogue Reviews – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (MacMillan), Birmingham: Lucy Mounfield, Redbrick Roger Clarke, Behind the arras Review – Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Cinderella (Maillot), NY: Rose Marija, BWW Review – Silicon Valley Ballet (Ex-Ballet San Jose), Diana & Acteon, Glow-Stop, Prism, Minus 16, San Jose: Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes Review – Dada Masilo, Swan Lake, NY: Erica Getto, Fjord Review Gallery – Farraquito & Farruco, Buen Arate, London: Lidia Crisafulli, DanceTabs First Thoughts – Hubert Essakow, Terra, London: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs - Gallery - Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs News – Coming up in: - New York: NY Times - Boston: Boston Globe News – Gennadi Nedvigin, next AD at Atlanta ballet: Cynthia Bond Perry, AJC.com Preview – GOlive Dance/Performance Festival, London: Donald Hutera, Londondance Review – Vicente Amigo, In Concert, London: Graham Watts, DanceTabs Review – Resolution 2016, 17 February, London: Sara Veale, Fjord Review

Ticket holders for Opening Night will wish to know that Ms Osipova is injured, and that Ms Lamb will replace her: http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-change-sarah-lamb-to-dance-in-giselle-on-26-february-2016 Remainder of cast unchanged.

Do you mean this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4fMhsOglE8

Links – Thursday, 25 February, 2016 Obituary – Andris Toppe, Australian Dancer & Choreographer: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Reviews – Mariinsky Ballet, Raymonda, DC: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Review – San Francisco Ballet, Swan Lake (Tomasson), SF: Paul Parish, Bay Area Reporter Reviews – Paris, Laura Cappelle, Financial Times - Lyon Opera Ballet, Xylographie, Sunshine, Black Box, One Flat Thing, Reproduced - Compagnie Jean-Claude Gallotta, L’Etranger Review – Los Angeles Ballet, Don Quixote, LA: Teresa Heiland, Bachtrack Reviews – BalletBoyz, The Murmuring, Mesmerics, NY: Robert Greskovic, Wall St Journal Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Farraquito & Farruco, Buen Arate, London: Sanjoy Roy, Guardian Review – Las Ballets de Monte Carlo, Cinderella (Maillot), NY: Joel Benjamin, TheaterScene News – Madison Ballet, Wisconsin – Dancing through rough times: Jay Rath, Isthmus Preview – Oregon Ballet Theatre, Romeo and Juliet (Canfield), Portland: Grant Butler, OregonLive Preview – New choreographers in Dance Immersion, Toronto: Michael Crabb, The Star Features – Mass Dance to open New Zealand Festival, Wellington: Laura Dooney, Dominion Post 1 Dominion Post 2

A question for the ballet historians amongst us! Can anyone contribute any information at all about an Antonine Didier, a dancer with the Paris Opera, who was apparently sacked for 'indiscipline' in June 1825? Luke Jennings, dance writer and critic for The Observer, is trying to find out what he can about her ..... as he has inherited her bed! (PS: This question arises from an interesting exchange on Twitter earlier today that started here: http://twitter.com/LukeJennings1/status/702466729310613504 )

Links – Wednesday, 24 February, 2016 Interview – Kim Brandstrup, Choreographer: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Feature – Dutch National Ballet, Mata Hari, Amsterdam: Nina Siegal, NY Times Review – San Francisco Ballet, Swan Lake (Tomasson), SF: Janice Berman, SF Classical Voice Feature – Alexander Ekman, Cacti: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Interview – Francesco Gabriele Frola, NBC Soloist: Penelope Ford, Fjord Review Preview/Interview – Germán Cornejo, Immortal Tango, London: Staff, Londondance News – Nederlands Dans Theater, Auckland Programme (29 Jun – 2 Jul 2016): Staff, Scoop.co.nz News – Mark Morris choreographing Persian opera: Janos Gereben, SF Classical Voice Review – Maria Hassabi, Plastic, MoMA, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Gallery – Mark Bruce Company, The Odyssey, London: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Festival Review - Aurélien Bory/Kaori Ito, Plexus, Perth, WA: Cicely Binford, Australian Stage Review – Jack Lister/Dance Dialogues, Fonder Heart, Brisbane: Deborah Jones, Blog Preview – Farraquito + others, Improvisao, SF: Jesse Hamlin, SF Chronicle

For tomorrow's Links, a Feature piece for the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/24/arts/international/the-mysterious-mata-hari-in-dance.html?_r=0

Links – Tuesday, 23 February, 2016 Obituary – François Barbeau, Master of Costume Design: Deirdre Kelly, Globe and Mail Review – New York City Ballet, Paz de la Jolla, Jeux, This Bitter Earth, Ash, Infernal Machine, Four Temperaments, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – New York City Ballet, All Balanchine 1 Program, NY: Oksana Khadarina, Fjord Review Preview/Interview – Alessandra Ferri, Herman Cornejo, Bruce Levingston, Trio Concert Dance, NY: Victoria Looseleaf, Fjord Review Reviews – Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Dream, A Month in the Country, Birmingham: Louise Levene, Financial Times Mark Pullinger, Bachtrack Reviews – San Francisco Ballet, Swan Lake (Tomasson), SF: Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes J B Rosario, SF Examiner Wiebke Schuster, Bachtrack Review – Silicon Valley Ballet (formerly Ballet San Jose), Director’s Choice, San Jose: Janice Berman, SF Classical Voice Review – Jessica Lang Dance, The Calling, Thousand Yard Stare, Solo Bach, Among the Stars, i.n.k., Irvine, CA: Laura Bleiberg, LA Times Review – Los Angeles Ballet, Don Quixote, LA: Laura Bleiberg, LA Times Review – Stephanie Lake, Double Blind, Melbourne: Gracia Haby, Fjord Review Review – Eiko, Platform 2016, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – For Claude Shannon, NY: Brian Seibert: NY Times Review – John Scott & Valda Setterfield, Lear, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – Contemporary Korean Dance, Paris: Patricia Boccadoro, Culturekiosque Tour News – EDge, London Contemporary Dance School: Denise Drake, Londondance Review – Boston Ballet II, BB@Home Mixed Bill, Boston: Marcia B Siegel, ArtsFuse Feature – Dance styles that have caused public alarm: Luke Holland, Guardian Festival Review – Aurélien Bory/Kaori Ito, Plexus, Perth, WA: Jane Howard, Guardian

To my mind, after some years trawling links, Louise Levene is a very worthwhile reviewer and the hand of a sub-editor may have been at work on her review, depending on how much space was being given to the piece.

A 4* review from Louise Levene for tomorrow's FT: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bcb692b4-d71d-11e5-829b-8564e7528e54.html "A very satisfying afternoon."

There's a 2-page feature in today's Times 2 supplement on ENO's forthcoming production of Philip Glass's Akhnaten - some 3 hours, mainly in ancient Egyptian and Hebrew without surtitles, so possibly something that will test the Coliseum audience's for minimalism to a very considerable extent. The Director, Phelim McDermott, says "if you come, be prepared to go into altered states."

It looks as if Jonathan Goddard will be out for the rest of the run, with Christopher Akrill taking over: http://twitter.com/markbruceco/status/699203824578400259

Reece Clark has clearly impressed today. Now Luke Jennings on Twitter: http://twitter.com/LukeJennings1/status/698555770800095233

Links – Saturday, 13 February, 2016 Reviews – Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, “…como el musguito…”, London: Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Sanjoy Roy, Guardian Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Neil Norman, The Stage Gallery – Royal Ballet, Chris Wheeldon Triple Bill, London: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Feature – Martin West, Music Director, San Francisco Ballet: Sean Martinfield, Huff Post, SF Feature – Choreographer Crystal Pite: Marsha Lederman, Globe and Mail Review – Ballet West, Romeo and Juliet (Cranko), Salt Lake City: Heather Hayes, Deseret News Reviews – Resolution 2016, 11 February, London: Sarah Crompton & Amelia Forsbrook, The Place - Richard Chappell Dance, The Vast Rock - Jodie Cole, I Am Not In Love - M.E.N. (More Equality Needed), For Tomorrow We Die - Gallery: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Tour Review – Mark Bruce Company, The Odyssey, Bristol: Mark Kidel, Arts Desk Review – Arizona Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, Phoenix: Lynn Trimble, Phoenix New Times Review – Alberta Ballet, Futureland, Waiting on a Gruff Cloud of Wanting, rite, Calgary: Stephan Bonfield, Calgary Herald News – Pacific Northwest Ballet 2016-17 Programme: Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times News – Candoco at 25 – Anniversary Programme: Carmel Smith, Londondance Next Week: - In Birmingham & London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian - In New York: Staff, NY Times Review – Catalysts, New Choreographers, Boston: Marcia B Siegel, Arts Fuse Review – KVS, Les Ballets C de la B, Qattan Foundation, Badke, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Gallery – Tara Pilbrow, 2+1, London: Lidia Crisafulli, DanceTabs Review – Toronto Dance Theatre, Un Petit Peu Plus, This Shape, We Are In, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Review – Faye Driscoll Group, Thank You For Coming: Attendance, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune And let your fingers do the dancing: J Kelly Nestruck, Globe and Mail

What happens financially with 'co-productions'? Is there a sharing of production costs? If so, might we have expected to see an announcement like this somewhat earlier? In truth I can't recall quite how it went, but I'm sure we knew that Wheeldon's Alice and Winter's Tale were co-productions with National Ballet of Canada well before their first nights, just as we know now that Liam Scarlett's Frankenstein is a co-production with San Francisco Ballet.

Nicely said - and I'd have thought we come to any performance with the sum of our life experience to date, and hopefully there will have been a spot of love in there somewhere. It certainly seems to have worked for you!

Links – Friday, 12 February, 2016 Obituaries – Violette Verdy: Staff, Telegraph Judith Cruickshank, Guardian Interview – Laura Morera, Royal Ballet Principal: Margaret Willis, DanceTabs Review – Dutch National Ballet, Mata Hari, Amsterdam: Isabella Zijp, Bachtrack Review – Joffrey Ballet, Tipping Point, Forgotten Land, RAkU, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Review – San Francisco Ballet, Programs 1 and 2, SF: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Review – Dada Masilo, Swan Lake, NY: Martha Sherman, Danceviewtimes Feature – Eiko without Koma: Gia Kourlas, NY Tmes Features – Misty Copeland and Degas: Art of Dance: Stephen Mooallem, Harpers Bazaar Sebastian Smee, Boston Globe Julee Wilson, Huffington Post Review – BalletX, Show Me, One Heartbeat Above One Shadow Below, Big Ones: Philadelphia: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Reviews – Resolution 2016, London: Sanjoy Roy & Alice Westoby, The Place - Caldonia Walton, Living … in the Living Room - Sofie Burgoyne, Dancing together apart/Dancing apart together - Julie Cunningham, Guts Gallery – Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, ..como el musguito etc etc, London: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Documentary – Merrill Ashley, The Dance Goodbye: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Preview – Stephanie Lake Company, Double Blind, Melbourne: Philippa Hawker, The Age Review – Frank McConnell, And now…., Paisley: Mary Brennan, Herald Review – Soaking WET, Mixed Bill, NY: Joel Benjamin, TheaterScene Preview – Eliza Ladd/New College of Florida, Selfie of the Ancients, Sarasota: Carrie Seidman, Herald-Tribune

Bruce Marriott saw it on opening night, unfortunately affected by injury, as he makes clear in the DanceTabs review here: http://dancetabs.com/2016/02/mark-bruce-company-the-odyssey-frome/

An Obit from the Telegraph that I managed to miss this morning, with perhaps a few nuances of UK interest not covered in others: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12150544/Violette-Verdy-ballet-dancer-obituary.html