Ian Macmillan

Links – Thursday, 11 February, 2016 News – Paris Opera Ballet 2016-17 Season Conference: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Interview – More from Mr Millepied: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times -- and, a week on, a reflection from Patricia Boccadoro: Culturekiosque Reviews – New York City Ballet, The Most Incredible Thing, NY: Robert Grescovic, Wall St Journal Christiane Nickel, Opening Ceremony Review – Zurich Ballet, Swan Lake (Ratmansky), Zurich: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Preview – Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo/J-C Maillot, Choré, LA: Joseph Carman, LA Times Review – Pacific Northwest Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (Maillot), Seattle: Pia Lo, Bachtrack Preview – Shanghai Ballet & others, Montreal: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette Reviews – Resolution 2016, London, 9 February: Lyndsey Winship & Ka Bradley, The Place - Drishti Dance, Antaraal - Bridget Lappin, The Art of Exposure - Laura Obiols, Hourglass Reviews – Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company/Alwin Nikolais, Crucible, Tensile Involvement, Mechanical Organ, Gallery, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat TV News – Cuba National Ballet comes home: Michael Voss, CCTV America Review – Mark Bruce Company, The Odyssey, Frome: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Preview – Fifth Annual Dance Lovers Evening: Mary Ellen Hunt, SF Chronicle Preview – Black Choreographers Festival, New Voices/New Works, SF: Lou Fancher, SF Critical Voice

For tomorrow's Links, this morning's POB Conference is nicely summarised by Roslyn Sulcas for the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/11/arts/dance/benjamin-millepied-paris-opera-ballet.html?_r=0

Links – Wednesday, 10 February, 2016 Obituaries – Violette Verdy: Anna Kisselgoff, NY Times Staff, Indiana University Sarah L Kaufman, Washington Post Jennifer Stahl, Dance Magazine Obituary: Yvonne Chouteau: Judith Cruickshank, Guardian Review – Pacific Northwest Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (Maillot), Seattle: Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times Review – Scottish Ballet, Cinderella (Hampson), Inverness: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Review – Dada Masilo, Swan Lake, NY: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Review – Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Going Home Star, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Feature – Dutch National Ballet, Mata Hari, Amsterdam: Jan Hennop, AFP via SCMP Interview – Sergei Polunin: Tatyana Kuznetsova, Kommersant via RBTH Review – Compañía Antonio Gades, Flamenca Suite, Carmen, Paris: Culturekiosque Interview/Preview – Flamenco Festival, Farruquito, London: Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Review – Stephanie Lake Company, Double Blind, Melbourne: Deborah Jones, Blog Interview – Rhiannon Faith: Carmel Smith, Londondance And now, coming to Sadler’s Wells: Preview – Flamenco on the hoof: Bartabas the Furious, Golgota: Stephen Moss, Guardian

Several Obits will feature in tomorrow's Links - and yes, it seems she was with Festival Ballet in 1954/55, though it seems to me that she was also dancing in Paris over the same years.

Sim: He is, indeed, French by birth - but see today's Links, where Australian writer, Valerie Lawson, describes him as 'a stranger in his own land.' http://dancelines.com.au/millepied-returns-life-lhomme-libre-paris-opera-ballet-boss-call-day/

Links – Tuesday, 9 February, 2016 News – Violette Verdy died yesterday - A recent appreciation: Marina Harss, The Nation Reviews – Zurich Ballet, Swan Lake (Ratmansky), Zurich: Louise Levene, Financial Times Jade Larine, Bachtrack Opinion/Review – Benjamin Millepied/Paris Opera Ballet, Tombe, Goldberg Variations, La Nuit S’Achève, Paris: Laura Cappelle, Financial Times Feature – Benjamin Millepied, a stranger in his own land: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Review – New York City Ballet, Balanchine Triple Bill, NY: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Reviews – Diablo Ballet, Apollo, My Way, Milieu, Walnut Creek: Carla Escoda, Bachtrack Claudia Bauer, SF Chronicle Preview – Alberta Ballet, Futureland, Waiting on a Gruff Cloud Wanting, rite, Calgary: Salena Kitteringham, Calgary Herald Review – RAW Dance Company, Untapped!, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Feature – Alwin Nikolais/Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Tensile Involvement & others, NY: Roslyn Sulcas, NY TImes Review – Jon Kinzel, Atlantic Terminus, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Alice Heyward, Now is not the place, Melbourne: Jordan Beth Vincent, The Age News – Australian Talented Youth Project, Parliament House, Canberra: Ron Cerabona, Sydney Morning Herald Review – The Three Yells, Her Name is Isaac, Seattle: Melody Datz Hansen, Seattle Times Review – Randee Paufve, Strangers Become Flowers, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Preview – Kate Weare Company, Unstruck, Dark Lark, Volver, Sarasota: Carrie Seidman, Herald-Tribune Review – Dance Brigade, Sin Palabras, Untitled Evidence, Reclaim Bae, SF: Carla Escoda, Bachtrack Documentary – Bolshoi Babylon reaches Moscow: Raymond Stults, Moscow Times Theatre Review – Nureyev’s Eyes, David Rush, New Brunswick: Patrick Maley, NJ.com

Question: If the 'classics' we have turn out to be not as classical as we thought, is 'the future' to be found in delving yet further and deeper back - vide Alexei Ratmansky's reconstructed Sleeping Beauty in New York, and now apparently in his Swan Lake premiered in Zurich a few nights back? Alastair Macaulay for the NY TImes reckons it's "the one by which we should judge all others." See today's Links or via this Tweet: http://twitter.com/nytimesarts/status/696647469480964098

Links – Monday, 8 February, 2016 Review – Zurich Ballet, Swan Lake (Ratmansky), Zurich: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Feature – Christopher Wheeldon/Royal Ballet, Strapless: Chris Wheeldon & Judith Mackrell, Guardian Review – Paris Opera Ballet, La Nuit S’Achève, Paris: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Reviews – Gemma Bond with ABT Dancers, Harvest: Being, Manner, Depuis Le Jour, Then & Again, NT: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Brian Seibert, NY Times Feature – What Washington Ballet needs in a new Director: Sarah L Kaufman, Washington Post Review – Washington Ballet & In Series, Carmen in Havana, DC: Rebecca Ritzel, Washington Post Review – New York City Ballet, The Most Incredible Thing, Estancia & others, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – RAW Dance Company, Untapped!, NY: Lauren Gallagher, DanceTabs Review – Dada Masilo, Swan Lake, NY: Joel Benjamin, TheaterScene Review – Company XIV, Snow White, NY: Darryl Reilly, TheaterScene Feature – Olga Larose, Wardrobe Mistress with de Basil Ballets Russes: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Feature – Tammi Gissell & Australian Indigenous Dance: Michelle Potter, Sydney Morning Herald Review – Liz Santoro/Pierre Godard, Relative Collider, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com

There's a substantial Chris Wheeldon feature, centred around his forthcoming Strapless, in one of the supplements to today's Times.

Restoration of the Old Regime? Here's Sarah Kaufman, main Dance critic for The Washington Post, drawing a parallel of sorts between the change at POB and the replacement of Ross Stretton at the RB by Monica Mason: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/02/05/why-benjamin-millepied-is-quitting-paris-opera-ballet-he-tried-to-do-too-much/?postshare=341454675689186&tid=ss_tw

And possibly adding to a perception of a change of mood at POB, it seems that William Forsythe will cease to be an associate choreographer there: http://twitter.com/bellafigural/status/695297046882951168

Catching up on the Twitter stream (grâce à Laura Cappelle): Dupont it is from next summer, others were considered; the decision was not rushed. Millepied appears to have had difficulty reconciling his choreographic career with being Boss; no questions taken on the matter of Ms Portman wanting to return to the USA; and he left before the end of the Conference. As to the future, Ms Dupont reckons that with 13 productions in a season, it's not sufficient to have just two 'Classics.' Eh voilà!

And some 25 minutes ago, the BBC began to carry the story. Were Kevin O'Hare to leave the Royal Ballet at short notice, I wonder if the UK media would generate the coverage evident across the Channel yesterday?

I've found nothing more of substance in English thus far, but looking at the welter of stuff in French issued over the past hours, there is a definite suggestion that all has not been running smoothly. In particular, Millepied seems to have made some pretty harsh remarks about the Company in a TV documentary in December, and the Director of the Opera "has some important things to say" at tomorrow's Press Conference. (And as I recall, his LA Dance Project did not expire when he moved to Paris. Convenient for Mrs M and Hollywood?)

A further indication that matters may be moving quickly - Libération is reporting that tomorrow's Press Conference will deal with the Company's "short term future": http://next.liberation.fr/culture-next/2016/02/03/benjamin-millepied-quitte-l-opera-de-paris_1430889

It now looks as if this may be confirmed at a Press Conference tomorrow: http://twitter.com/bellafigural/status/694950902289928192 and it may be happening quickly: http://twitter.com/bellafigural/status/694951134302183432

The link is necessarily in French, but Paris Match is carrying a report that Benjamin Millepied will be leaving his post as Director at Paris Opera Ballet. No date is given, but the 2016-17 Season is already fixed. Reasons speculated upon include the possibility of his wife, Natalie Portman, wanting to resume her film career, or that he is unhappy as an Administrator. If the news is confirmed, this will have been an extremely short-lived appointment - he took over in September 2014. http://www.parismatch.com/Culture/Spectacles/Benjamin-Millepied-sur-le-depart-907585 News of the appointment broke back in January 2013: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/2786-benjamin-millepied-to-be-next-director-at-paris-opera-ballet/?hl=millepied

Emma: It's perhaps just as well that you didn't get Fairy Queen, for I fear you might have had me as Oberon, your King - and I'm guessing that we'd not be at all well matched. Seems an unlikely role for me, I must say, I must have pressed the wrong buttons.

As I recall, the record of the Ashton Conference referred to above is in the ballet.co Archive - but that is not available at the moment whilst Bruce considers how to handle it all for the longer term. However, there might be some word soon: http://www.ballet.co.uk/ For now, might I urge patience - as many of you will recall, there is an awful lot of material there to be put into a form that can last, and do so safely.

Links – Thursday, 28 January, 2016 Obituary – Anna Laerkesen, formerly with Royal Danish Ballet: Anna Kisselgoff, NY Times Reviews – San Francisco Ballet, 7 for Eight, Magrittomania, Pas/Parts, SF: Claudia Bauer, DanceTabs Gilly Lloyd, SF Examiner Terez Rose, Bachtrack Review – San Francisco Ballet, Opening Gala, SF: Paul Parish, Bay Area Reporter Reviews – New York City Ballet, All Balanchine II, NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Brian Seibert, NY Times News – New York City Ballet to visit Paris this summer: Michael Cooper, NY Times Preview – Royal Ballet, After the Rain, London: Miranda Bryant, Evening Standard Feature – The mystery man of the Ballets Russes in Australia: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Preview – Australian Ballet, Vitesse Triple Bill, Melbourne & Sydney: Staff, BWW Previews – Dada Masilo, Swan Lake (Masilo): Pittsburgh: Jane Vranish, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette New York: Jack Anderson, NY Times Feature – 10 years of The Big Dance in the UK: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Reviews – Resolution 2016, London: 26 January - Catherine Love & Anna Rachel McBride, The Place - aKa Dance Theatre Company, Next Door - Poekert & Bysheim, oh, and one more thing … - BAMBULAproject, Building the Route Between Me and You Reviews – Jakop Ahlbom Company, Horror, London: Josephine Leask, Londondance Eleanor Turner, Exeunt - Gallery: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Preview – Live Vibe Generations, London: Lise Smith, Londondance Book Review – Girl through the Glass, Sari Wilson: Rebecca Ritzel, Washington Post Feature – Holy Body Tattoo to restage monumental: Marsha Lederman, Globe and Mail Gallery – London Mime Festival, Infinita: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs

No lighting issues where I was, and I found it an enjoyable evening - and I'm in danger of warming to Ms Osipova! Pigeons went well and I can report that one of the original gypsies had no complaints to make about the performance. Fonty: right now, there are over 100 seats free for tomorrow and 17 for the Saturday closing performance. Coming out last night, a lady (old enough to have been around in 1961, I'd say) was saying to a friend that she'd never heard of Pigeons, had thoroughly enjoyed it and was sure it would now be toured all over. She was somewhat surprised when I interjected to say that was probably unlikely given the unsold seats for both Ashton runs.

Links – Wednesday, 27 January, 2016 Feature – Balanchine’s Journey, Ballet to Broadway and Back: Marina Harss, Playbill via The Center Previews – This week in New York and Washington DC: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – San Francisco Ballet, 7 for Eight, Magrittomania, Pas/Parts, SF: Janice Berman, SF Classical Voice Review – The Dance Complex, Catalysts Mixed Program, Boston: Karen Campbell, Boston Globe Review – E-Side Dance Company, Gestalt, HK: Natasha Rogai, SCMP Feature – Flamingo Chicks, the inclusive ballet schools: Saba Salman, Guardian And thanks to Storm Jonas, yet another ‘viral’ dance sensation: Mirror

The official Barbican word: http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=19262

Links – Tuesday, 26 January, 2016 News – UK Critics’ Circle National Dance Award Winners, 2015: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Judith Mackrell, Guardian Gallery – Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Reviews – New York City Ballet, Two Programs (Balanchine & Robbins), NY: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Reviews– San Francisco Ballet, 7 for Eight, Magrittomania, Pas/Parts, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle J B Rosario, SF Examiner Review – balletLORENT, Snow White, Edinburgh: Robert McMillan, Reviews Hub Review – Royal Ballet of Flanders, The Nutcracker (Volpi), Antwerp: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Review – Parson Dance, Mixed Bill x6, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat News – Australian Ballet coming to London in July: Staff, BWW Interview – Genée Medal Winner, Leroy Mokgatle: David Jays, Guardian News – New Chief Executive for One Dance UK, Andrew Hurst: Carmel Smith, Londondance News – The snowstorm meant millions in lost revenue for DC arts: Peggy McGlone, Washington Post Review – Whim W’Him, IN-spired, Seattle: Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times Resolution 2016, London – Selected Reviews: Londondance Feature – Canberra School of Bollywood Dancing celebrates 10 years: Ron Cerabona, The Age And, yes, Sales Reps close the Brussels Motor show with a dance! Flanders News

As part of a series "Philip Glass at 80," the Barbican's 2015-17 Programme includes 3 performances of his dance/opera Les Enfants Terribles to be presented by the Royal Ballet, with choreography by Xavier De Frutos. The dates are 27/28/29 January 2017. Some background to the piece, for four singers and three pianos, based on a Cocteau novel and originally choreographed by Susan Marshall, can be found here: http://www.philipglass.com/music/recordings/enfants_terribles.php Bonne chance!