Ian Macmillan

The January Dancing Times is out and, touching on an issue that has popped in and out of this thread, Gerald Dowler has the first of a series of articles on "Preserving the Legacy." It sets out the general problem - "what happens to a dance work after the death of its creator," whilst the next article will investigate the legacies of Balanchine, Robbins and Tudor. There is an indication that another will deal with the role of notation in 'establishing an ur-text,' and my inference from elsewhere in this introductory piece is that there will certainly be yet another on Ashton, MacMillan and Cranko.

Floss: A thread on the ENB Nutcracker was started at 0923 this morning: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/11336-english-national-ballet-the-nutcracker-2015-16/ The 'Performances Seen' section of the Forum is not, nor will it be, considered as an exclusive RB enclave. And whilst I stand to be corrected by colleagues, my recollection is that the Ballet Alert format was considered in the first weeks of this Forum and a decision was taken not to adopt it. The Forum's general approach is essentially something that grew out of its late ballet.co progenitor. And the Moderators would welcome any move by lurking users to make it less London-centric than I fear it may be considered. It is, in the end, what its users make it.

Thomas Tallis - "Spem in Alium" - with full 40-part choir, and 40 matching dancers in eight groups of five. Oh, and choreographed by Cathy Marston. I think that's about it ....

Links – Monday, 14 December, 2015 Feature – Best Dance of 2015 (and a turkey): Luke Jennings, Observer Review – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Two Mixed Bills, NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – Urban Bush Women, Walking with ‘Trane, NY: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Preview – Dušan Týnek Dance Theatre, Joseph’s Coat, Sarasota: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Preview – Lucy Guerin Inc, Pieces for Small Spaces, Melbourne: John Bailey, The Age Feature – A new ballet syllabus in Australia: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Review – Tere O’Connor, The Goodbye Studies, NY: Deborah Jowitt, DanceBeat Review – Bangarra Dance Theatre, Ochres, Sydney: Claudia Lawson, Fjord Review Today's selection of Nuts: Review – Mark Morris Dance Group, The Hard Nut (Morris), NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – National Ballet of Canada, The Nutcracker (Kudelka), Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Feature – SF Ballet Musicians reflect on 40 years of Nutcracker: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Review – Menlowe Ballet, It’s a Wonderful Nutcracker, Atherton: Claudia Bauer, SF Chronicle Report – Ballet of Santiago de Chile, The Nutcracker, Santiago: Igor I. Solor, Digital Journal

For the record, that article was not yet online as this morning's Links were collated.

Links – Sunday, 13 December, 2015 In London & Edinburgh: Reviews – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, The Sleeping Beauty, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Review – Carlos Acosta & RB Colleagues, A Classical Selection, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Review – Scottish Ballet, Cinderella (Hampson), Edinburgh: Mark Brown, Sunday Herald A Transatlantic scattering of Nuts: Review – American Ballet Theatre, The Nutcracker (Ratmansky), Costa Mesa: Laura Bleiberg, LA Times Feature – National Ballet of Canada – a look behind the Nutcracker curtain: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Video clip, Globe and Mail Feature – Sarasota Ballet, John Ringling’s Circus Nutcracker: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald Review – Tulsa Ballet, The Nutcracker (Angelini), Tulsa: James D. Watts Jr, Tulsa World Review – Alabama Ballet, The Nutcracker (Balanchine), Birmingham: Rachel Hellwig, ArtsBHAM ….. then there’s this from Miami: Very good quality walnuts, I might add And across the world: Feature – Cairo Opera Ballet Company: Omnia Farrag, Daily News Egypt Feature – Plenty of pink at Gaza Ballet School: Nidal Al-Mughrabi, The Star Online Reviews – Sydney Dance Company, New Breed Quad Bill, Sydney: Deborah Jones, Blog Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Review – yMusic, Bill T Jones, Dianne McIntyre, Come Around Part IV, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times News – Miami Hispanic Dance Organisations find a new home: Lee Stephens, Community Newspaper Preview – Noche Flamenca, Antigona, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Jess Curtis/Gravity, International Collaborations 6, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle

Links – Saturday, 12 December, 2015 Obituaries: - Bryony Brind, RB Principal: Judith Cruickshank, Guardian Sam Roberts, NY Times - Joan Ravenscroft, with pre-WW2 companies: Gillian Beetham & Jenny Lewis, Guardian - Gloria Contreras, Choreographer: Anna Kisselgoff, NY Times Review – Paris Opera Ballet, Polyphonia, Alea Sands, Rite of Spring, Paris: Laura Cappelle, Financial Times TV Film Preview – Rudolf Nureyev: Dance to Freedom: Louise Levene, Financial Times Review – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, The Sleeping Beauty, London: Lynette Halewood, DanceTabs Louise Lewis, BTG Reviews – Carlos Acosta & RB Colleagues, A Classical Selection, London: Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Tatiana Rathelot, Bachtrack Rachel Elderkin, BTG News – Helgi Tomasson to take SF Ballet home to Iceland next May: Vala Hafstad, Iceland Review Review – Urban Bush Women, Walking with ‘Trane, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Diary – Next week in London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Review – Camille A. Brown & Dancers, Black Girl: Linguistic Play, LA: Victoria Looseleaf, Fjord Review Review – BalletCollective, Invisible Divide, NY: Susan Yung, Brooklyn Rail Review – Rebeca Medina, Paraíso, NY: Tara Sheena, Brooklyn Rail And finally: Bruising Ballet

A choice item from New Zealand with which to revive this thread: http://wellingtontimes.ca/bruising-ballet/

Indeed - and that scenario has all the essence of the standard 3-Act show. Act 1, Boy meets girl (OK it's two sisters here); Act 2, things happen; Act 3, all live happily, or all die. Now, do we have a composer on here ...... a designer .......?

Links – Friday, 11 December, 2015 Reviews – Royal Ballet, The Nutcracker (Wright), London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Reviews – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, The Sleeping Beauty, London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Mark Monahan, Telegraph Jenny Gilbert, Arts Desk Carla Escoda, Bachtrack Reviews – Carlos Acosta & RB Colleagues, A Classical Selection, London: Siobhan Murphy, DanceTabs Zoe Anderson, Independent Josephine Leask, Londondance Sam Smith, Londonist Gallery – Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Review – Scottish Ballet, Cinderella (Hampson), Edinburgh: Graham Watts, DanceTabs Review – World Ballet Stars Gala, Cojocaru, Kobborg et al, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Love Songs, Cry, Untitled America: First Movement, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Interview – Vladimir Urin and his fear of failing at the Bolshoi: Teatral via Ismene Brown Radio Feature – Reasons to see The Nutcracker: Marina Harss, WNYC News (+ various Video clips) Book Feature – Never too late to dance in Nutcracker? Nora Krug, Washington Post Feature – Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker by the numbers: Erin Kayata, Boston Globe Review – Sydney Dance Company & Carriageworks, New Breed 2015, Sydney: Michelle Potter, DanceTabs News – “The Bonnies’ Choreography Awards, 2015: Carmel Smith, Londondance Preview – Belinda McGuire, Three Muses, Toronto: Martha Schabas, Globe and Mail Review – Sara Shelton Mann with David Szlasa, Erasing Time, SF: Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes Preview – Debbie Allen Academy, The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, LA: Jessica Gelt, LA Times ICYMI – State Street Ballet at Denver Airport: 9 News and elsewhere!

Links – Thursday, 10 December, 2015 Obituary – Bryony Brind, Royal Ballet Principal: Staff, Telegraph Seasonal Fare: Reviews – Royal Ballet, The Nutcracker (Wright), London: Graham Watts, Londondance Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Mark Pullinger, Bachtrack Review – New York City Ballet, The Nutcracker (Balachine), NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Reviews – Scottish Ballet, Cinderella (Hampson), Edinburgh: Thom Dibdin, The Stage Review – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, The Sleeping Beauty, London: Neil Norman, The Stage And on the A La Carte Menu: Reviews – Carlos Acosta & RB Colleagues, A Classical Selection, London: Mark Monahan, Telegraph Judith Mackrell, Guardian Jenny Gilbert, Arts Desk Sarah Frater, The Stage Photo Gallery – 12 of the greatest ballerinas of all time: Telegraph Feature – The Best of Dance in 2015: NY Times Critics, NY Times Review – Mariinsky Ballet, Swan Lake, Tokyo: Joy Wang Xin Yuan, Bachtrack Film & TV – Bolshoi Babylon & Nureyev, Dance to Freedom: Ismene Brown, Spectator Review – White Lights Festival, Thomas Adès Programme, NY: Marianne Adams, Danceviewtimes Review – Keigwin & Company, Wait Nearby, Sidewalk, 3 Ballads, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Pavel Zuštiak & Palissimo Company, Custodians of Beauty, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat

The first published Obituary, I think, from tomorrow's Links: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12041904/Bryony-Brind-ballet-dancer-obituary.html

The performance is also being streamed to many UK cinemas this afternoon - at 3pm local time, at the ones I know about.

It's a pity that the ballet.co Reviews archive is no longer available - but I hope I'm not alone in recalling Eric Taub's graphic and hilarious description of a Rose Adagio at an American Ballet Theatre Gala that became increasingly desperate for the ballerina concerned - her name escapes me now - and, indeed, for her suitors, as they were grabbed for support. It would have been around 6 or 7 years ago?

It is, I suppose, just within the bounds of possibility that she might (NB the conditional tense) have the views of some here in mind - though I do not doubt that she may feel she encounters 'trenchant Middle Englanders' elsewhere as she goes about her days. I've no idea which pubs she frequents, for example, or who she meets at dinner parties, assuming these are still in vogue in her circles. (Me - I'm Scottish by birth and I was doing Skiffle back in the later 1950s, so I definitely feel I'm excluded.)

Katherine: Wasn't there a saying from some Industrial chief to the effect that 50% of his advertising budget was wasted, but he didn't know which 50%? In the same way, it's probably true that 40% of the printed Globe and Mail isn't read by those who buy it and the publishers are unlikely to know just which pages those are - but online, a cookie here and there makes it very simple for the publishers to know what's being read. Those of us doing Links - and thanks for the compliment - know that too well as we try to husband our allocations of free access on various papers! And that almost certainly has some bearing on the fact that some papers that were regular sources for ballet/dance material when I started on Links no longer have any at all.

Sim: I became aware of it as I started my shutdown last night, and it had run over the previous two hours or so - with some additional contributions from Cloud Dance Festival. Should you want to see what started it, have a look here or on the Twitter feed on DanceTabs: http://twitter.com/LukeJennings1/status/671413724805267456 From what I can tell, the last word was with Wayne McGregor at around 1130: http://twitter.com/WayneMcGregor/status/671474115967123456 Between those two posts I have to say that they both used Twitter's 140-character limit to a more creative extent than in any other argument that I recall there.

Links – Sunday, 29 November, 2015 Feature – Benjamin Millepied at Paris Opera Ballet: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Review – Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Nutcracker (New production), Seattle: Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times Review – Australian Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty (New production), Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald Review – Joseph Mercier/PanicLab, Swan Lake II: Dark Waters, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Preview – Tere O’Connor, The Goodbye Studies, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Feature – Lily Kind/Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Voices of Fuzión, Sarasota: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Review – Bangarra Dance Theatre, Ochres, Sydney: Rebecca Whitton, Australian Stage Review – New Chamber Ballet, Gravity & 4 others, NY: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes If you need circa 70 Nutcracker features and reviews, Google is your friend. (Sorry, the button that opened up another 60 links seems to have been dropped now, 11am.)

Out of interest, does anyone have memories of Ken MacMillan's House of Birds that suggest it might be worth seeing again?

Links – Saturday, 28 November, 2015 Review – Mariinsky Ballet, Sylvia, St Petersburg: Elena Kushtyseva via Ismene Brown Feature – Behind the scenes at Scottish Ballet’s Cinderella: Angela McManus, Herald Review – National Ballet of Canada, Romeo and Juliet (Ratmansky), Toronto: Martha Schabas, Globe and Mail Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Nutcracker (Wright), Birmingham: Roz Laws, Birmingham Mail Reviews – Russell Maliphant Company, Conceal/Reveal, London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Mark Monahan, Telegraph Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Vera Liber, BTG Tour Review – Rambert, Transfigured Night, Dark Arteries, The 3 Dancers, Edinburgh: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Tour Reviews – English National Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (Nureyev), Manchester: Georgina Wells, BTG Gill Potts, Oldham Chronicle Webchat – Carlos Acosta, Tuesday 1 December: Post questions here, Guardian Diary – Next week in New York: Staff, NY Times Video – Learning ballet in a Rio favela: Frederick Bernas, Guardian Interview – Leila McMillan on Flying Low technique: Carmel Smith, Londondance News – British Dance Edition, 2016, in Wales: Carmel Smith, Londondance Review – Whitirea Dance Graduates, Behind Closed Doors, Wellington: Sam Trubridge, Theatreview

Links – Friday, 27 November, 2015 Review – National Ballet of Canada, Romeo and Juliet (Ratmansky), Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Interview – Javier De Frutos, his craft, and doing bonkers: Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Gallery – Russell Maliphant Company, Conceal/Reveal, London: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Preview – Robert Battle/Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Awakening, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Tour Review – English National Ballet, Romeo and Juliet, Manchester: Charlotte Dobson, Manchester Evening News Documentary – Bolshoi Babylon: Laura Bleiberg, LA Times Review – David Morales & Others, Lorca Madly in Love, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Preview – Kevin Ormsby & Chris Walker, FACING Home: Love & Redemption, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star News – 2016 Keir Choreographic Award Finalists: Staff, The Age Plus, a Boston Ballet bonus: Surviving “Nutcracker”: How two local Dance Dads get through the nuttiness: Jody Feinberg, Patriot Ledger

I would not normally mention this but, should anyone want a view from someone there at the time in 1961 - my wife was a member of the Company and danced in the original production. I mentioned the gay, Fire Island, subtext notion to her last night. Her reply would not meet our Acceptable Use Policy, but could be summarised as 'fanciful in the extreme.'

Links – Thursday, 26 November, 2015 It’s Thanksgiving, so ‘tis clearly the season: Feature – New York goes Nuts – Take Your Pick!: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Feature – Boston Ballet’s MD Jonathan McPhee, the Nutcracker King: Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Globe Review – Joffrey Ballet, The Nutcracker (Joffrey, last performances), DC: Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post Preview – José Mateo Ballet Theatre, The Nutcracker, Boston: Karen Campbell, Boston Globe Feature – The Bay Area goes Nuts too: Staff, SF Examiner Meanwhile, elsewhere: Feature – Dance for Parkinson’s & English National Ballet: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Feature – Miami City Ballet at 30: Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Feature – Sylvie Guillem’s Last Dance: Elizabeth Zimmer, Playbill Arts Review – Twyla Tharp, 50th Anniversary Program, NY: Marcia B. Siegel, Arts Fuse Preview – Scottish Ballet, Cinderella (Hampson), Edinburgh: Staff, Evening News Feature – Harrison James, Soloist at NBC: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Review – China National Peking Opera Company, Warrior Women of Yang, London: Graham Watts, Londondance Review – Basel Ballet, Tewja, Basel: Sarah Batschelet, Bachtrack Review – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, Sleeping Beauty, Salford: Georgina Wells, BTG Review – Gabriel Missé & Guillermina Quiroga, Tango Triple Bill, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Reviews – Complexions Contemporary Ballet, NY: - Chronicle: Gia Kourlas, NY TImes - Mixed Bill: Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, Bachtrack News – Dance London Inspires! Awards: Carmel Smith, Londondance Feature – Misogyny, metaphor, or a cheeky nod to ballet’s carnal past? Brian Schaefer, Out

From Luxury Daily - I have to keep up, you know - I bring you "Max Mara performs pas de deux in parkas for winter transition": http://www.luxurydaily.com/max-mara-performs-pas-de-deux-in-parkas-for-winter-transition/

Links – Wednesday, 25 November, 2015 Reviews – Twyla Tharp, 50th Anniversary Program, NY: Robert Greskovic, WSJ Martha Sherman, Danceviewtimes Joel Benjamin, TheaterScene Reviews – Ballet Hispanico, If Walls Could Speak, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Lauren Wingenroth, DanceTabs Feature – Dance This Week (Nut allergy sufferers beware): Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Aakash Odedra Company, Murmur 2.0, London: Sarah Kent, Londondance Feature – Miyako Yoshida on Syivie Guillem: Ayako Takahashi, Japan Times Feature – Pacific Northwest Ballet, A new Nutcracker (Balanchine & Falconer), Seattle: Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times Review – Devi Dance Theater, Somapa Thai Company & Others, Sita, Gentle Warrior, DC: George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Feature – Sebastien Ramirez, Choreographing for Madonna: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Preview – Rambert, Dark Arteries, Edinburgh: Mary Brennan, Herald Review – NordDance with various companies, Edinburgh: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Review – Dance Rites Competition, Sydney: Martin Portus, Daily Review