Ian Macmillan

Who needs Osipova when you could have the Trocks instead? Ismene Brown gets off the fence for World Ballet Day in her latest Spectator column: http://new.spectator.co.uk/2015/10/the-best-ballerinas-in-britain-at-the-moment-are-hairy-and-male/

Links – Thursday, 1 October, 2015 Review – La Scala Ballet, Sleeping Beauty (Ratmansky), Milan: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Reviews – Martha Clarke, Chéri, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Mark Monahan, Telegraph Judith Mackrell, Guardian Sarah Frater, The Stage Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Vera Liber, BTG Gallery – Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Review – Scottish Ballet, Maze, Motion of Displacement, Elsa Canasta, Glasgow & Edinburgh: Mary Brennan, Herald Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Thom Dibdin, The Stage Reviews – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui & Yabim Studio, Genesis, London: Graham Watts, DanceTabs Siobhan Murphy, Londondance Shelley Pinto-Duschinsky, Bachtrack Previews – Mariinsky Ballet, Cinderella (Ratmansky), Berkeley: Gilly Lloyd, SF Examiner Mary Ellen Hunt, SF Chronicle Reflection – National Ballet of China, Red Detachment of Women, NY: Madison Mainwaring, Fjord Review Review – Sydney Dance Company, Simple Symphony, Les Illuminations, Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald Review – Batsheva Dance Company/Young Ensemble, Decadence, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Preview – Full Circle Dance Company, 328-HOPE, Baltimore: Carolyn Keleman, Baltimore Sun Review – Ali Moini, Lives, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Yasuko Yokoshi, Zero One, NY: Martha Sherman, Danceviewtimes Interview – Kevin Irving, Director at Oregon Ballet: Celina Russell, The Oregonian + Advertising – “Come watch ballet. We’ll give you a beer.” The Oregonian Diary – October in Portland, Oregon: Celina Russell, The Oregonian Interview – Lea Anderson on recent projects: Staff, Londondance WORLD BALLET DAY – Live NOW – Here

T4B: Hang about! There's no sarcasm whatsoever in that response. The reality of this event is that it will run over 24 hours, starting in Australia in just 4 hours time, and it will run on into early Friday UK time - and the participating companies will naturally be shown within their normal working days. And in the UK, I rather fear that the participating companies' Summer breaks will have coincided very much with school holidays. But you're right, the timing of a day-long event will inevitably be inconvenient for those at work during part of it. I never enjoyed flying from Japan to California for some 11 hours overnight and landing the day before I left.

I've just received this via a ROH email. There's more detail than I've seen thus far under the various "Read More" buttons, but I don't know to what extent it helps you, Alison: http://worldballetday.com/program/

Spreading the word? Are you an 'urban millennial' and living in Oregon? If so, "Come watch ballet. We'll give you a beer." http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/09/pabst_oregon_ballet_coming_to.html So, now you've got that far, might we address the matter of the "bare-chested, on pointe ballet dancer"? Is it a chap - 'a finely trained athlete' -or is it a girl with a bodice to that tutu?

It appears that 1984 is to be made available online: https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2015/rscs-volpone-and-northern-ballets-1984-to-be-screened-on-digital-platform-the-space/

We hadn't planned to get up, but Mrs M woke up circa 4am so we went to have a look - and that meant going outside as we've no windows on the southerly azimuth in which the moon was to be found. Certainly a red/brown colour, though I suspect in the later stages of the phenomenon. Trying iPhone was hopeless. Equally impressive at that time was the apparent size and brightness of the stars generally - Orion very strong in the East and, in my younger Navigator years, it would have been a magnificent night for shooting Astro!

Links – Wednesday, 30 September, 2015 Reviews – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui & Yabin Studio, Genesis, London: Clement Crisp, Financial Times Judith Mackrell, Guardian Neil Norman, The Stage Vera Liber, BTG Gallery – Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Diary – This week in New York, NYCB and more: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Previews – The NYCB Gala, tonight: Pia Catton, WSJ and BWW Reviews – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Swan Lake (Wright), Birmingham: John Philpott, Worcester News Paul Marston, Birmingham Mail Review – Pacific Northwest Ballet, Tide Harmonic, Prodigal Son, The Concert, Seattle: Pia Lo, Bachtrack Review – Stars from NYCB and RDB, Misc Excerpts, Stamford, Conn: Carol Pardo, Danceviewtimes News – New Shadow Culture Secretary, Michael Dugher, takes a first look at Arts Council funding: PoliticsHome Tech Feature – How the ROH goes live: Holly Ashford, TVBEurope Gallery – Northern Ballet in rehearsal, 1984: Martha Leebolt, Vogue Feature – Sang Jijia, Chinese Choreographer: Xu Donghuan, SCMP Review – Wendy Houston, Stupid Women, London: Graham Watts, DanceTabs Review – Camille A. Brown & Dancers, Black Girl: Linguistic Play: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Interview – Sebastien Ramirez on Borderline, London: Lise Smith, Londondance Preview – Bovim Ballet, Private Presley, Jo’burg: Diane de Beer, Independent Online Review – A.O. Movement Collective, ETLE and the Anders, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, Inside Out, Berkeley:Beth Spotswood, SF Chronicle Review – ProArteDanza, Quad Bill, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Another Reminder – World Ballet Day TOMORROW: Londondance

Martha Clarke, presumably, and not Dior. And I take it too that you have seen the interview that went up on DanceTabs yesterday? http://dancetabs.com/2015/09/martha-clarke-director-and-choreographer-on-cheri/

I've also spotted a link that sheds some light on the technical aspects of streaming from the ROH: http://www.tvbeurope.com/royal-opera-house-goes-live-romeo-ad-juliet/

This discussion of the manner of Juliet's death made me go back for another look at a different version that, knowing what's coming right at the end of this short trailer, still makes me wince: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_p60al8GsM No dagger, but a large shard of glass.

There's a rather charming quarter-page photo of Naghdi and Ball in rehearsal on p4 of today's Times print edition - I can't see it online. (The pictures editor has been treating us to photos of dancers quite regularly in recent weeks - it was Olga Smirnova in full jeté mode over a third of a page yesterday.)

Links – Tuesday, 29 September, 2015 Review – Paris Opera Ballet, Millepied, Robbins, Balanchine, Paris: Laura Cappelle, Financial Times Review – New York City Ballet, Swan Lake (Martins), NY: Sondra Forsyth, BWW Feature/Radio – Mikhail Baryshnikov on his Arts Center’s 10th Anniversary: Elizabeth Blair, NPR via Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Feature – The Gender Divide in Ballet Leadership & Choreography: Jeanne Allen, NPQ Interview/Preview – Martha Clarke on Chéri, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Review – Compagnie CNDC-Angers, Place, How to pass, kick, fall and run, Angers: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Review – Pacific Northwest Ballet, Tide Harmonic, The Concert, Prodigal Son, Seattle: Alice Kaderlan, Seattle Times Review – Smuin Ballet, French Twist, Bouquet, Maslow, Broken Open, Bay Area: Janice Berman, SF Classical Voice Review – Hofesh Shechter, barbarians, London: David Jays, Arts Journal/Performance Monkey Features – Fall for Dance North, Toronto: Martha Schabas, Globe and Mail Michael Crabb, Toronto Star News: - BRB costumes on show in city store: Alison Jones, Birmingham Mail - RNZB costumes on show near Wellington: Erin Kavanagh-Hall, NZ Herald Feature – Royal Winnipeg Ballet/Jo-Ann Sundermeier, Giselle: Randall King, Winnipeg Free Press Review – Botis Seva, InNoForm, London: Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Feature – Joss Arnott & Evelyn Glennie Collaboration: Lyndsey Winship, Londondance Feature – Sarah Mearns and her fashion choices (I think): Vanessa Lawrence, W Magazine News – Michelle Dorrance amongst MacArthur Fellow nominations: Mike Boehm, LA Times (and elsewhere) Review – Cape Town City Ballet, Giselle (Kobayashi & Bonelli), Cape Town: Shirley-Anne Bezuidenhout, Artslink Review – Wendy Houston, Stupid Women, London: Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Feature – Scots Country Dance seeks to ‘modernise’: Martyn McLaughlin, Scotsman Review – DanceNow Festival, Encore Show at Joe’s Pub, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Reminder: World Ballet Day, This Thursday, October 1: BWW

The harlots being 'ladylike'? Like Lady Mary on Downton? Those I saw yesterday struck me as vulgar in the extreme, perhaps more so than on previous viewings. I fear my age must be showing.

Links – Monday, 28 September, 2015 Review – Mariinsky Ballet, Raymonda, Costa Mesa: Claudia Bauer, DanceTabs Review – New York City Ballet, Swan Lake (Martins), NY: Carla Escoda, Huff Post Feature – Lincoln Center at the Movies: Great American Dance: Stav Ziv, Newsweek Review – Guggenheim Works & Process, Balanchine’s Harlequinade, NY: Joel Benjamin, TheaterScene Feature – Toni Maticevski, Designing for Sydney Dance Company: Elissa Blake, Sydney Morning Herald Interview – Dane Hurst, Choreographer, at Dulwich Picture Gallery: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Featurette – Lucy Guerin to put dance into Young Vic Macbeth: John Bailey, The Age Review – K. Kvarnström & Co, Tape, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – In Your Arms, San Diego: Charles McNulty, LA Times

Well, if we're into picking apart areas of detail, can I add that something - anything almost - ought to be done to give Escalus, Prince of Verona, a real chance of imposing his will on the opposing Montagues and Capulets in the Act 1 crowd scene? Ben Gartside did his best, as least as well as anyone else I've seen, in the screened performance, but the choreographed miming really never convinces me that there's a commanding presence at work in that Piazza.

Just back from a catch-up screening of Tuesday night's show, and I certainly didn't feel there was a McCrae/Lamb mismatch or that neither was up to the task. I thought she did particularly well, especially in close-up. And I'll add a word of Congrats to Ryoichi Hirano for his Paris - for once it looked as if he really fancied Juliet, instead of just carrying out some dynastic duty as others have seemed to me in the past. Oh, and Gary Avis - impressive.

Links – Sunday, 27 September, 2015 Reviews – Royal Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (MacMillan), London: Luke Jennings, Observer Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Review – New York City Ballet, Swan Lake (Martins), NY: Lauren Gallagher, DanceTabs Review – Mariinsky Ballet, Raymonda, Costa Mesa: Jean Lenihan, Arts Journal/Fresh Pencil Review – Australian Ballet, Sleeping Beauty (McAllister), Melbourne: Gracia Haby, Fjord Review Reviews – Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Programme 2, London: Vera Liber, BTG Review – Camille A. Brown & Dancers, Black Girl: Linguistic Play, NY: Lauren Wingenroth, DanceTabs Feature – 25 Years of Birmingham Royal Ballet by numbers: Roz Laws, Birmingham Mail Quick Q&A – Choreographer MaryJane O’Reilly: Grant Smithies, Dominion Post Preview – Hussein Chalayan & Damien Jalet, Gravity Fatigue, London: Tamsin Blanchard, Telegraph Review – Houston Ballet, Mixed Rep Program, Houston: Theodore Bale, Culturemap Review – Flexn, Brisbane: Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore, Guardian Review – Alabama Ballet, ‘At Home’ Triple Bill, Birmingham: Rachel Hellwig, Arts Bham Preview – Patricia Hoffbauer, Dances for Intimate Spaces and Friendly People, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Huang Yi, Huang Yi and Kuka, DC: Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post Feature – Georgie Goater, The Fallen Mystery, Auckland: Nick Atkinson, NZ Herald

Links – Saturday, 26 September, 2015 Review – Mariinsky Ballet, Raymonda, Costa Mesa: Laura Bleiberg, LA Times Review – Australian Ballet, Sleeping Beauty (McAllister), Melbourne: Deborah Jones, Blog Review – Paris Opera Ballet & Company Wayne McGregor, Tree of Codes, NY: Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Reviews – Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Programme 2, London: Zoë Anderson, Independent Graham Watts, Londondance Review – Scottish Ballet, Maze, Motion of Displacement, Elsa Canasta, Glasgow: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Feature – Jennie Somogyi says Farewell to NYCB: Terry Trucco, Playbill Arts Reviews – Cas Public, Symphonie Dramatique, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Siobhan Murphy, Londondance Sarah Frater, The Stage - Gallery - Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs News – Amanda Skoog to be Exec Director at Shobana Jeyasingh Dance: Clare Evans, Londondance Preview – American Repertory Ballet, Ephemeral Possessions, New Jersey: James C Taylor, NJ.com Review – Yasuko Yokoshi, Zero One, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY TImes Review – Bruno Isakovic, Disclosures, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Diaries: - Next week in New York: Staff, NY Times - Fall Season 2015, San Diego Area: Pam Kragen, SD Union-Tribune - Next week in Moscow: Staff, Moscow Times Review – Velocity Dance Center, Fall Kick-Off, Seattle: Alice Kaderlan, Seattle Times Review – Botis Seva, Mixed Bill, London: Josephine Leask, Londondance News – Sergei Filin working with champion skater: Interfax Sport via Ismene Brown Review – ProArteDanza, Triple Bill, Toronto: Martha Schabas, Globe and Mail Preview – Lisbeth Gruwez/Voetvolk, Ah/Ha, Brussels: Ian Mundell, Flanders Today

I spent a good deal of my later professional career in planning - often for events well over 12 months in the future. I accept that it has to be done and, indeed, without attempting to do so, many inter-related activities might be well-nigh impossible. But, that done, hard experience shows that the further ahead you plan, the more you'll have to change. In ballet and dance, fairly high-risk environments for those involved, I certainly would not want to devote significant cash on the basis of casting forecasts months ahead.

I regret having to return to the topic of RAD DVD downloads to iPad but, for the last two weeks or so, with nothing done to change any settings, my wife has been finding a new problem. Essentially, when a dance from a Grade is selected, the system defaults to an entry, normally 'Pliés,' and not the item selected. Experience has shown that she can then fiddle the forward/back buttons to get from there to the item she wants. Is anyone else finding similar difficulties?

The ROH page on this is here: http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/symphonie-dramatique-by-helene-blackburn?gclid=CKPN58GOjcgCFSIOwwodBY8DtA I'm sure that it should prove interesting. Having seen Cathy Marston's J&R in Bern back in 2009, it's perfectly possible to tell the story with a small cast - 13, in her case, including a Mercutia rather than Mercutio. You Tube excerpts can be found on Google.

Once upon a time I went all the way to Switzerland for a R&J performance - I lie, it was a J&R performance - and I'd no idea who I might see until I got a programme for the evening. Great night, remember it still!

Anna: I stand to be corrected by colleagues, but I think that all that we've ever said is that it can be unreasonable to comment adversely on rehearsal performances, during which dancers may well choose to 'mark' some steps rather than go full out, thus saving themselves for the performances proper. ( I was in the chorus for a performance of Stravinsky's Rake's Progress last weekend, and a number of the soloists certainly adopted that approach during the main rehearsal on the previous day.) I can't think that there's a problem with positive comments!

I am, needless to say, delighted by this news, as I'd begun to despair of seeing something new by Cathy again on this side of the Channel. (Interestingly, missing from the production team credits is any mention of a Dramaturg - Cathy has teamed with Edward Kemp, now Director at RADA, on many of her ballets, including Tale of Two Cities for Northern back in 2008.)