Ian Macmillan

Links – Tuesday, 15 September, 2015 Review – Dutch National Ballet, Metaforen, Twilight, Two Gold Variations, Live, Amsterdam: Gerald Dowler, Financial Times Feature – The coming season in New York: Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Preview & Interview – Australian Ballet, Sleeping Beauty (McAllister), Melbourne: Philippa Hawker, The Age Barnett Serchuk, BWW Feature – Hofesh Shechter, Choreographer, Composer…and more: Mark Monahan, Telegraph Gallery – Royal Opera & Hofesh Shechter Company, Orphée et Eurydice: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Q&A – Benjamin Millepied, A year in at POB: Rebecca Milzoff, Vulture Review – English National Ballet, Lest We Forget, London: Tatiana Rathelot, Bachtrack Review – Cornfield Dance, Pas de Detour, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times News – Charles Askegard & Kyra Nichols join Pennsylvania Ballet studio staff: Ellen Dunkel, Philadelphia Inquirer Feature – Sooraj Subramanian & Shailesh Bahoran, Material Men, London: Guardian Exhibition – South of No North, Photography and Performance, London: Carmel Smith, Londondance

Links – Monday, 14 September, 2015 TV Documentary – The King who invented Ballet: Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Interview – Julio Bocca, Director at Ballet Nacional SODRE, Montevideo: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – Whim W’Him, Choreographic Shindig, Seattle: Alice Kaderlan, Seattlepi Feature – Nutnaree Pipit-Suksan, Silicon Valley Ballet & ex-SFB: Pawit Mahasarinand, The Nation Review – West Australian Ballet, Coppelia (Horsman), Perth: Rita Clarke, The Australian Dance Diary – New York, Fall 2015 and onwards: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Lucinda Childs Dance Company, Available Light, Philadelphia: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Jeanine Durning, To Being, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Dance Metro DC, Triple Threat, DC: Rebecca Ritzel, Washington Post Review – Louise Lecavalier, So Blue, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – Jillian Peña, Polly Pocket: Expansion Park, Rockville: George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Review – Russian National Ballet Theatre, Sleeping Beauty, Wellington: Ann Hunt, Dominion Post Gallery – Rambert, The 3 Dancers (Veldman), London: Stephen Wright, DanceTabs And make what you will of this: Elle

Links – Sunday, 13 September, 2015 Review (+ backstage politics) – Mikhailovsky Ballet, Le Corsaire, St Petersburg: Luke Jennings, Observer Interview – Bolshoi Theatre Chief, Vladimir Urin: Olga Zavyalova, Izvestia, translated by Ismene Brown Feature – Sarah Lamb, Royal Ballet Principal: Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Feature – Francesca Hayward, Royal Ballet Soloist: Ellie Pithers, Telegraph Review – Northern Ballet, 1984, Leeds: Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express News – Sylvie Guillem & Mitsuko Uchida win Praemium Imperiale International Arts Award: Staff, Culturekiosque Feature – Australian Dance Awards, 2015: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Preview – Boston Ballet, Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler: A Ballet by John Neumeier: Karen Campbell, Boston Globe Review – Amici Dance Theatre Company, 35 Amici Drive, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Review – Whim W’Him, Choreographic Shindig, Seattle: Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times Review – Summation Dance, At the Hour, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Feature – James Anthony & London Boys Ballet School: Karen Attwood, Independent on Sunday

Links – Saturday, 12 September, 2015 News – Delay in announcing Filin’s successor at Bolshoi: TASS, via Ismene Brown's Blog Review – English National Ballet, Lest We Forget, London: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Review – Northern Ballet, 1984, Leeds: David Upton, BTG Review – Houston Ballet, Manon(MacMillan), Houston: Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle Review – Emery LeCrone Dance, Ritornare, Lasciatemi Qui Solo, Innermost Part of Something, Partita No2 in Cmin, NY: Marianne Adams, Danceviewtimes Review – BEAT Festival, Opening performances, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Summation Dance, At the Hour, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Koosil-Ja, I Am Capitalism, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Feature/Gallery – American Repertory Ballet, Princeton: Lindsay Rittenhouse, NJ.com Preview – Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, We choose to go to the Moon, DC: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Preview – Danse-Cité, Pluton, Montreal: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette Diaries: - Next week in London, Trocks & Shechter: Judith Mackrell, Guardian - Chicago, Fall 2015: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Reviews – Texas Ballet Theatre, Dracula (Stevenson), Dallas: Kyle West, BWW Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, TheaterJones

Links – Friday, 11 September, 2015 Review – Sylvie Guillem, The UK’s final Life in Progress, Birmingham: Mark Monahan, Telegraph News – Alessandra Ferri Returning to ABT for Single Performance: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Review – English National Ballet, Lest We Forget, London: Siobhan Murphy, Londondance News – Twyla Tharp 50th Anniversary Tour: Staff, BWW News – San Francisco Ballet China Tour: Lou Fancher, SF Classical Voice Review – Louise Lecavalier, So Blue, Gia Kourlas, NY Times Documentary – Paul Taylor: Creative Domain: Rachel Saltz, NY Times Preview – Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Benefit Performances, Pittsburgh: Sara Bauknecht, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Diaries: - Top 10 Dance events in South Florida, 2015-16: Jordan Levin, Miami Herald - Fall Dance season in Pittsburgh: Jane Vranish, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette News – RNZB Choreographic Award this weekend: Amy Jackman, Dominion Post Gallery – Dane Hurst, Prud’Hon: The Moving Body, Dulwich: Stephen Wright, DanceTabs Photo Book – Les Danseurs, Matthew Brookes: Staff, Guardian Feature – Creating costumes for NYCB’s Thou Swell: Misty White Sidell, WWD Feature – Turnout leads to later problems? Markian Hawryluk, Houston Chronicle

I can't say that I've been pursued on the phone by Dance companies but, Lord knows, there have been many similar calls. So, last November, we invested about £60 to acquire a BT Call Guardian phone system and that has eliminated all such unwanted calls. The system requires that you tap-in those contact names & numbers that you will accept and these come straight through. Other unidentified calls are challenged and, if they choose, they can be put through for you to accept or not, as you decide. However, we have had no computer generated or other unsolicited calls since changing to this system.

John et al: For the Glasgow Herald, if you press the Subscription Options, you'll find that you can Register free for 6 articles over 4 weeks. That's been the case on the Herald for a very long time now - and as it happens, I had exhausted my ration but was able to get the URL and a sufficient sense of the content for inclusion in today's list. Dance-related articles in The Australian are normally in their Premium Content area, ie requiring a subscription, but I was able to include a free taster for a larger weekend (and premium) preview about Australian Ballet's new Sleeping Beauty on Saturday. If you clear your browser's cookies, you may get around the counting mechanism for some sites, but that might inconvenience you in other ways. And so on....... Regular Links users are likely to have noted that we now use a larger number of sites like DanceTabs - eg Fjord Review and Bachtrack - that offer substantial reviews and comment. What I do not know about the latter is exactly who is behind them, but I do know that we owe DanceTabs to Bruce Marriott's goodwill, enthusiasm and, critically, continuing good health. The point being that we ought not to expect such sites to be available in perpetuity. And none of us running this Forum is getting any younger........ I've also taken the liberty of expanding the title of this thread.

Links – Monday, 31 August, 2015 Feature – The Spectacular Rise & Fall of Edward Villella: Jordan Levin, Elliman Media Feature – Punc Amok, or The. NaMinGNoNsENse: Wendy Perron, Blog Preview – Jonathan Watkins/Northern Ballet, 1984, Leeds: Sarah Freeman, Yorkshire Post Reviews – Australian Ballet, 20.21: Symphony in 3 Movements, In the Upper Room, Filigree and Shadow, Melbourne: Eamonn Kelly, The Australian Melinda Oliver, Daily Review Review – Hong Kong Ballet, Pinocchio (Isberg), HK: Natasha Rogai, SCMP Review – Erasing Borders Indian Dance Festival, An Evening of Poetry, Danced, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – St Petersburg Ballet Theatre, La Bayadère, London: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Review – Chicago Dancing Festival, Closing Multi-Company Show: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Feature – Christopher Hampson, Chief Executive at Scottish Ballet: Phil Miller, Herald News – Keir Choreographic Awards for contemporary dance return in 2015: John Bailey, Sydney Morning Herald Review – Footnote New Zealand Dance, 30Forward, Wellington: Ann Hunt, Dominion Post News – Gelsey Kirkland Academy finds a new Brooklyn home: Pia Catton, WSJ Feature – Dance therapy brings joy and wellbeing to older people: Mark Tran, Guardian

Links – Sunday, 30 August, 2015 Obituary – Johan Renvall, ABT Principal: Anna Kisselgoff, NY Times Review – Paris Opera Ballet, Répliques, Salut, Together Alone, AndréAuria, Paris: Patricia Boccadoro, Culturekiosque Archive Feature (revived for his birthday) – Mark Morris: Marina Harss, The Nation Review – Madboots Dance, Beau, Sad Boys, Jacob’s Pillow: Janine Parker, Boston Globe News – The Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center, Los Angeles: Brian Seibert, NY Times Book Review – “Costume en Face,“ Tatsumi Hijikata: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Q and A – Rafael Bonachela, AD Sydney Dance Company: Jill Rowbotham, The Australian Review – Bangarra Dance Theatre, Lore: IBIS, Sheoak, Melbourne: Chloe Smethurst, The Age Review – Jo Lloyd, Confusion for Three, Melbourne: Liza Dezfouli, Australian Stage Feature – How Ballet can make you a better leader: Shellie Karabell, Forbes Edinburgh 2015: Review – Ballett Zürich, Kairos, Sonett: Luke Jennings, Observer Review – Ballett Am Rhein, Seven: Barry Didcock, Sunday Herald Reviews – Luke Jennings, Observer - Lost Dog, Paradise Lost - Jo Fong, An Invitation - Sweetshop Revolution, I Love You and I Loved You - Impermanence Dance Theatre, Da-Da-Darling

Links – Saturday, 29 August, 2015 Preview – David McAllister’s Sleeping Beauty for Australian Ballet: Sharon Verghis, The Australian Preview – Northern Ballet, 1984 (Jonathan Watkins): Jessica Duchen, Independent Feature – The Dramaturg – a little voice on the director’s shoulder: Sarah Hemmings, Financial Times Feature – A Dance Critic looks at TV Dance Shows: Martha Schabas, Globe and Mail Reviews – Martha Graham Dance Company, AXE, Echo, Depak Ine, Embattled Garden, Jacob’s Pillow: Brian Seibert, NY Times Janine Parker, Boston Globe Dance Play Review – Daniel Ezralow, Pearl, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Royal New Zealand Ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Scarlett), Wellington: Bernadette Rae, NZ Herald Next Week: - In London and Edinburgh: Judith Mackrell, Guardian - In New York: Staff, NY Times Feature – A Scottish Ballet dancer (and another) with a difference: Angela McManus, Herald News – New York Theater Ballet announces season: Joshua Barone, NY Times Review – Bailey Nolan, Dumbo, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Edinburgh 2015: Reviews – Ballett Zürich, Kairos, Sonett: Alice Bain, Guardian Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Mark Brown, Telegraph Lucy Ribchester, The List Review – Danza del Caribe, Itara: Natasha Tripney, The Stage Review – By the Bi: Sally Stott, WOW24/7

Links – Friday, 28 August, 2015 Review – St Petersburg Ballet Theatre, La Bayadère, London: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Review – Australian Ballet, 20.21 Triple Bill, Melbourne: Jordan Beth Vincent, SMH Review – Royal New Zealand Ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Christchurch: Ian Lochhead, The Press Preview – Quartiers Danses Season, Montreal: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette News – Bay Area Fall Dance Highlights: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle News/Gallery – Houston Dance Calendar, 2015-16: Staff, Houston Chronicle Review – Jo Lloyd, Confusion for Three, Melbourne: Jordan Beth Vincent, The Age Feature – Meet the Intimations Dance Troupe: Jessica Muise, Boston Herald Feature – Russian Companies for Bangkok International Festival: Staff, RBTH Interview – Choreographer Pär Isberg on Pinocchio for HK Ballet: Amanda Sheppard, TimeOut HK Edinburgh 2015: Review – James Wilton Dance, Last Man Standing: Kelly Apter, WOW24/7 Reviews – Mary Brennan, Heraldh - Korean Season, Pan - Silke Mansholt/Billy Cowie, Under Flat Sky, Edge of Nowhere - James Wilton, Last Man Standing - Maire Clerkin, The Bad Arm - Wendy Houston, Pact with Pointlessness - Ponydance, Ponies don’t play football And still touring internationally: Reviews – Michael Flatley, Lord of The Dance: Dangerous Games, Wellington: Lyne Pringle, Theatreview Ewen Coleman, Dominion Post

Links – Thursday, 27 August, 2015 Feature – Twyla Tharp on rehearsing her 50th Anniversary Tour: NY Times Review – New English Ballet Theatre, Dancing for Nepal, London: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Reviews – Misty Copeland in On the Town, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Peter Marks, Washington Post Review – St Petersburg Ballet Theatre, Swan Lake, London: Ismene Brown, Spectator Preview – DIAVOLO/Architecture in Motion, L’Espace du Temps, LA: Victoria Looseleaf, Fjord Review Feature – Amici Dance Theatre/Wolfgang Stange, 35 Amici Drive, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs News – Miami Contemporary Dance Company Shuts Down: Jordan Levin, Miami Herald News – Australian Dance Awards Hall of Fame Nominees: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines News – Digital Playground for Choreographers at The Place: Clare Evans, Londondance Edinburgh 2015: Reviews – Ismene Brown, Spectator - Israel Galvan, Lo Real - Company Chordelia, Nijinsky’s Last Jump - Ballett Am Rhein, Seven Reviews: Mary Brennan, Herald - Joan Clevillé Dance, Plan B for Utopia and Kelly Apter, WOW24/7 - Company Chameleon, Beauty of the Beast - 2Faced Dance, Dreaming in Code - Danza del Caribe, Itara Preview – Ponydance, Ponies don’t play football: Unattributed, Scotsman

On Twitter, Ms Rojo is not impressed: @TamaraRojo1: I wish brand would stop using ballet and ballerinas without any understanding of what that means http://home.bt.com/news/features/these-stunning-pictures-of-a-ballerina-dancing-through-london-will-make-you-wish-youd-never-hung-up-those-ballet-slippers-11363999878005#.Vd2_Lo90MAQ.twitter

Extreme? How, pray? And Virgin couldn't find a London-based dancer for identical poses? Remarkable.

I have lamented the RB's reluctance/refusal to commission anything from Cathy Marston ever since the end of her Artist in Residence years back in the days of ROH2 under Deborah Bull. Indeed, I even recall overhearing Ross Stretton say words on the lines of "Some interesting things there" to Monica Mason as they left the Clore or Linbury after one of her earliest shows - but that led nowhere, and I've long since accepted that the RB door is closed. I'm sure that any statistical survey would conclude that there is a 'problem' regarding female choreographers, and Observer critic and writer Luke Jennings has written at length on the subject more than once: In 2013: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/apr/28/women-choreographers-glass-ceiling In 2015: https://thirdcast.wordpress.com/2015/03/02/female-choreographers-further-thoughts/ There may well have been other articles that I can't find right now.

In the immortal words of Chairman Mao: "Let a hundred - or was it a thousand? - it was certainly a number conveying variety - flowers bloom!" Perhaps someone has unleashed a Forum Cultural Revolution?

... and I was 5 once .... but that was some time hence .... and now I come to think about it, there weren't all that many of us then either.

..... and not an Ian/Iain in sight nor, indeed, a John - unless you count Jack in that regard.

Links – Sunday, 16 August, 2015 Feature – Jonathan Watkins and 1984 for Northern Ballet: Karen Attwood, Independent on Sunday Review – St Petersburg Ballet Theatre, Swan Lake (Kolesnikova), London: Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Joyce Theater Ballet Festival, New York: Review – Emery LeCrone, Ritornare, Partita No2 in C Min, Lasciatemi Qui Solo, Innermost Part of Something: Lauren Wingenroth,DanceTabs Q and A – Martian Bussi, Dancing with Diggers: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Feature – Men in non-traditional jobs (Scroll to Australian Ballet’s Brett Chynoweth): Zohra Aly, Sydney Morning Herald News – Battery Dance Festival, New York: Jack Anderson, NY Times Edinburgh: Review – Sylvie Guillem, Life in Progress: Alan Morrison, Sunday Herald Review – Danza del Caribe, Itara: Donald Hutera, The List Review – Okareka Dance Company, K’Rd Strip: Donald Hutera, The List

Links – Saturday, 15 August, 2015 Reviews – St Petersburg Ballet Theatre, Swan Lake (Kolesnikova), London: Clement Crisp, Financial Times Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Graham Watts, Londondance Sarah Frater, The Stage Vanessa Keys, Telegraph Vera Liber, BTG Lynette Halewood, DanceTabs Feature/Preview – Sylvie Guillem, Life in Progress, Sydney: Nick Miller, Sydney Morning Herald Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival: - Reviews – La Otra Orilla, Moi et Lesautres: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Ken Ross, Mass Live - Review – Sarasota Ballet, The American, Monotones I & II, In a State of Weightlessness: Janine Parker, Boston Globe Sarasota Ballet Gallery: Sarasota Herald-Tribune The Pillow’s Past: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Feature – Polunin, Clark, Bruce, McGregor, Pop, Shifting Boundaries, The Future etc: Hazel Sheffield, Independent Feature – American Contemporary Ballet rediscovers a Russian Classic: Leilah Bernstein, LA Magazine Documentary – Feelings Are Facts: The Life of Yvonne Rainer: Craig Takeuchi, Straight.com Review – Adrien M/Claire B, Hakanaï: Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Preview – New Zealand Dance Company, Lumina Triple Bill: Bernadette Rae, NZ Herald Feature – Lam Chung-wing, POB’s First Chinese Dancer: Fionnuala McHugh, SCMP Who Knew? – The RB’s Alexander Campbell helping English Cricket: Daniel Lane, Sydney Morning Herald Edinburgh: Next Week – Israel Galvan, Ballett Am Rhein: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Reviews – Lost Dog, Paradise Lost (Lies unopened beside me): Kelly Apter, WOW24/7 Lucy Ribchester, The List Review – L’Enfant Qui …..: Sally Stott, WOW24/7 Review – Remote Control, Project HaHa: Lucy Ribchester, The List Reviews – Ballet Revolucion, Balletronic: Nick Awde, The Stage Lucy Ribchester, The List

Links – Friday, 14 August, 2015 Interview – Alexei Ratmansky and his Sleeping Beauty for ABT: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival: - Review – Sarasota Ballet, The American, Monotones I & II, In a State of Weightlessness: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times - Feature: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Joyce Theater Ballet Festival, New York: - Review – BalletX, Sunset, 0639 Hours: Lauren Wingenroth, DanceTabs Review – Osipova, Vasiliev and Others, Solo for Two, NY: Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, Bachtrack Interview – ABT’s Stella Abrera: Emil Guillermo, NBC News Feature – Isaac Hernandez, ENB Principal: Brian Rashid, Forbes News – Principal Rupert Pennefather to leave RB after 16 years: Georgia Snow, The Stage Gallery – St Petersburg Ballet Theatre & Irina Kolesnikova, Swan Lake: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Feature – Balé de Rua, Streetwise Afro-Brazilian Dancers: Monica Mark, Guardian Review – SummerWorks/Mexe, Capoeira programme, Toronto: Laura Beeston, Globe and Mail

As I recall, the first ballet that Cathy Marston created on leaving Bern was Elephant Man for Copenhagen Summer Ballet. She was commissioned to make another piece and it opens there tonight - Lolita. A short trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7z5xRqma5k And another taster: https://instagram.com/p/6UqNa3BPhl/ Tantalising, and I know I'll regret not seeing it.

As I look back over the years at my own 'entry points,' it seems they appeared at times by which I was ready to 'enter' as consequences of a number of things. I'd always been aware of classical music, but did not find or explore it any any depth until it began to fulfil something in me that I needed in my mid-40s. Similarly, I stumbled upon ballet, something I'd always known was available, almost 15 years after that through meeting the lady, now my wife, who had been a dancer with the Royal Ballet and who was still teaching and examining in the field. I may be unusual, but perhaps the answer lies in 'for everything there is a season' - and if that is more widely the case, we could stop worrying and let the future look after itself.

Links – Thursday, 13 August, 2015 Feature – Taking Ashton’s Sylvia to Teatro Colón: Marina Harss, NY Times Joyce Theater Ballet Festival, New York: Reviews – BalletX, Sunset, 0639 Hours: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Joshua Beamish/Move: The Company: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Reviews – Ashley Bouder Project, Unsaid, In Passing, Rouge et Noir: Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, Bachtrack Alexandra Villareal, Huffington Post Review – Chamber Dance Project, Mixed Bill: Christopher Atamian, Huffington Post News – NYCB’s Sara Mearns pulls out: Staff, BWW London Reviews: Ismene Brown, Spectator Sylvie Guillem, Life in Progress Carlos Acosta, Cubania Queensland Ballet, La Sylphide Review – Osipova, Vasiliev and Others, Solo for Two, NY: Joel Benjamin, TheaterScene Previews – Sarasota Ballet at Jacob’s Pillow: Staff, BWW Nick Reichert, YourObserver Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Historic Gallery, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Drive East Review – Ashwini Ramaswamy, Shankara Sri Giri, Varnam, Thillana,NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Edinburgh: Preview – Ballet Revolución, Balletronic: Lucy Ribchester, The List Review – Shows at Dance Base, Nijinsky’s Last Jump, Oog, Underneath, Between Us & Hunting Dust, Special Edition 2015: KellyApter, WOW24/7 Review – RemoteControl, Project HaHa: Billy Barrett, WOW24/7 Preview – Tao Dance Theatre, Weight x 3: Mary Brennan, Herald And last but far from least: Feature – Alastair Macaulay recalls Janet Baker’s voice: NY Times Essay – Between the Dancer and the Dance, First of a series: Apollinaire Scherr, Fjord Review

A contribution from Florida: http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/performing-arts/article30869652.html