Ian Macmillan

Links – Tuesday, 16 June, 2015 Reviews – American Ballet Theater’s Ratmansky Sleeping Beauty Season, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Wendy Perron, Blog Reviews – Royal Ballet, Don Quixote, DC: George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Frances Steiner, BWW Review – American Ballet Theater, La Bayadère, NY: Oksana Khadarina, Fjord Review Review – Royal Swedish Ballet, Juliet and Romeo (Ek), Paris: Patricia Boccadoro, Culturekiosque Preview – Béjart Ballet Lausanne, Beethoven’s Ninth, Lausanne: Michèle Laird, SwissInfo Review – Eifman Ballet, Rodin, LA: Victoria Looseleaf, Fjord Review Feature – Dance/USA Conference, Miami: Rebekah Lanae Lengel, Miami Herald Feature – Cuba’s modernist but incomplete Ballet School: Didier Faustino, De Zeen Feature – Seven reasons for watching ballet in Birmingham: Roz Laws, Birmingham Mail News – BRB appoints new Chief Executive, Jan Teo: Tamlyn Jones, Birmingham Post News – Joffrey Ballet matches Nureyev Foundation funding: Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times Review – The 7 Fingers, Traces, London: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Review – Rebecca Stenn Company, Riparius (Belonging to the River), NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Lydia Johnson Dance, What Counts, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – 12 Minutes Max Season, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com

Links – Monday, 15 June, 2015 Reviews – Royal Ballet, Don Quixote, DC: Oksana Khadarina, DanceTabs Alexandra Tomalonis, Danceviewtimes Review – Bangarra Dance Theatre, I.B.I.S, Sheoak, Sydney: Deborah Jones, The Australian Tour Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Mid-scale Mixed Bill, High Wycombe: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Review – San Francisco International Arts Festival: Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes Review – Word Dance Theater, Body/Soul (Isadora Duncan), DC: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Review – Ayelen Parolin, 25.06.76, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – New Works Festival, Barbarian Princess, I hate positive thinking, Seattle: Alice Kaderlan, Seattle Times Review – Anna Sperber, Ruptured Horizon, NY: Martha Sherman, Danceviewtimes Review – Dallas Neo-Classical Ballet, Le Train Bleu, Dallas: Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News This Week In – Boston: Karen Campbell, Boston Globe

Links – Sunday, 14 June, 2015 Tour Reviews – Northern Ballet, Perpetuum Mobile, Madame Butterfly, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Review – Semperoper Ballett, Impressing the Czar, Dresden: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Feature – Francesco Ventriglia, RNZB Director: Sharon Stephenson, Dominion Post Review – Bangarra Dance Theatre, I.B.I.S, Sheoak, Sydney: Emily Shaddick, Australian Stage News – Alvin Ailey says Farewell to 3 Dancers: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Leshan Song and Dance Troupe, Fault Lines, Sydney: Daniel Morgan Potts, Australian Stage Q and A – Lincoln Jones, Director, American Contemporary Ballet: Leilah Bernstein, LA Magazine News – BBC Radio 2 appoints choreographer ‘artist in residence’: Anita Singh, Telegraph Preview – Panic Lab/Joseph Mercier, R.I.O.T, Edinburgh Festival: Luke Jennings, Observer Review – Axis Dance, Mixed Bill, Oakland: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Feature – Tangastic! The lure of Argentine Tango: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Others of interest: Los Angeles stage website asks theatres to buy reviews: Mike Boehm, LA Times Exhibition – Audrey Hepburn, Portraits of an Icon (some from her dancing days): Kate Salter, Sunday Telegraph

.... and thankfully not a mention of "the power of a rhino" or whatever it was some years back.

Janet: Thanks, and I've had similar advice from elsewhere, so I've altered this morning's Links list accordingly. When the formal list has him as 'John Raymond Barron,' what are we non-cognoscenti to do?!

Links – Saturday, 13 June, 2015 Reviews – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Exodus Bill, NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Northern Ballet, Madame Butterfly, Perpetuum Mobile, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Reviews – Houston Ballet, Taming of the Shrew (Cranko), Houston: Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle Adam Castaneda, Houston Press Review – National Ballet of Canada, Sleeping Beauty, Toronto: Martha Schabas, Globe and Mail Feature – Sonia Rodriguez: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Review – New York City Ballet, Midsummer’s Night Dream (Balanchine), NY: Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Review – American Ballet Theatre, Sleeping Beauty (Ratmansky), NY: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Review – American Ballet Theatre, La Bayadère, NY: Marianne Adams, Danceviewtimes Tour Preview – Royal Ballet, Don Quixote, Chicago: Catherine L. Tully, TimeOut Chicago Review – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Milonga, London: Graham Watts, Londondance Review – Richard Alston Dance Company, Alston At Home Mixed Bill, London: Vera Liber, BTG Reviews – Bangarra Dance Theatre, I.B.I.S, Sheoak, Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald Kate Hennessy, Guardian Review – Pennsylvania Ballet, The Second Detail, Canvas, Grace Action, Extracts, Philadelphia: Merilyn Jackson, Philadelphia Inquirer Review – Alexandra Beller, Milkdreams, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Reviews – Canada Dance Festival, Ottawa: Paula Citron, Globe and Mail Tour Review – Royal New Zealand Ballet, Dear Horizon, Soldier’s Mass, Salute, Passchendaele, Hamilton: Karen Barbour, NZTheatreview News – Cuban National Ballet to revive Alberto Alonso’s Carmen: Staff, Radio Cadena Q and A – Joseph Toonga, Choreographer/Director: Sara Veale, Fjord Review Next Week in – Birmingham and London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Queen’s Birthday Honours: List Mark Baldwin OBE Lynn Wallis (RAD) OBE John (Christopher) Barron (Chief Exec, BRB) OBE Edward Watson MBE Elaine Lillian (Teacher) BEM Today’s Question – Darcey, the Boris Johnson of ballet? Times Diary

The List as I see it: Mark Baldwin OBE Lynn Wallis (RAD) OBE John Barron (Chief Exec, BRB) OBE (assuming this is the gentleman we know as Chris Barron) Edward Watson MBE Elaine Lillian (Teacher) BEM

I suspect most of us know of Ennio Morricone through his film scores but, thanks to Brendan McCarthy on Twitter, I've just watched a RAI5 video of a performance of his new Missa Papae Francisci, a Mass setting dedicated to the present Pope. The composer conducts the Rome Sinfonietta (just brass, lower strings, and percussion, by the looks of things) and the choirs of Rome Opera and the Academy of St Cecilia. The venue was The Gesu in Rome, a Baroque marvel and a favourite spot during my months in Rome some 30 years ago. There's an odd Introduction, but a glorious Finale over 'Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam,' most appropriate to the main church of the Jesuits, as some may know. http://www.rai5.rai.it/articoli/missa-papae-francisci-morricone/30466/default.aspx

There's a good deal of very positive comment about this interview circulating on Twitter this morning. Much of it concerns its sheer extent and depth, and it is an excellent example of something that I'm increasingly struck by whilst trawling for a morning's Links - ie that it is increasingly the case that it is to online sites, whether blogs or magazine-formats like DanceTabs, that one must go for depth of comment and space to develop an argument.

Something different last night. Steve Bingham, whom I know mainly as the professional Leader of the Cambridge Philharmonic's orchestra, is a very talented violinist and, over recent years, he has developed a real talent in multi-tracking and layering sounds over loops. His concert in Cambridge last night presented an eclectic mix of pieces for standard, acoustic violin - Bach, Debussy, Piazolla come to mind - and mixed these with pieces from his repertoire using loop and layering techniques with a 5-string, electronic violin. It was fascinating to watch and hear the loop layers being created - nothing came pre-recorded - with bass, pizzicato, counterpoints all being layered one upon another, and then hearing him play or improvise on top of it all. In truth, there is something about the essentially repetitive loop technique that means I wouldn't want a whole night of it, but two 40-minute mixed sets gave an enjoyable balance. I fear that the origins of a number of the loop pieces were unknown to me (Daft Punk?), but they ranged from a Beatles track to 'Tubular Bells' for one. A sample of his current work that ended the first half: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWRNwvJShiU&feature=youtu.be

Les Noces.

I suspect it will not convert many of those who cannot take to Song of the Earth, but Ismene Brown has just posted on the Spectator's Blog area what strikes me as a first class article on Kenneth MacMillan's use, or disregard, for the words sung: http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/culturehousedaily/2015/06/can-you-ballet-dance-to-words/

John: Whilst gladly admitting the charms of the two younger dancers, and earnestly wishing Miss Cuthbertson a prolonged and safe return to the stage, I do certainly have something of a predilection for the "commanding beauty" of Miss Yanowsky.

From Mr Crisp's 5* review in the FT today - I'd been waiting for it since Monday for Links - I extract le mot juste: "the commandingly beautiful Zenaida Yanowsky."

Links – Tuesday, 2 June, 2015 Review – American Ballet Theatre, The Sleeping Beauty (Ratmansky), NY: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Reviews – Royal Ballet, Afternoon of a Faun, In the Night, Song of the Earth, London: Graham Watts, Londondance Review – New York City Ballet, Balanchine Black and White III, NY: Oksana Khadarina, Fjord Review Review – Scottish Ballet, A Streetcar Named Desire, DC: Frances Steiner, BWW Review – National Ballet of Canada, Being and Nothingness, Shostakovich Trilogy excerpts, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Interview – Ivan Vasiliev (He’s getting married.): Mark Monahan, Telegraph Review – Les Ballets C de la B, Tauberbach, Montreal: Rebecca Galloway, Bachtrack Q and A – Freya Jeffs, Curator of Cottier Dance Project: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Review – Hong Kong Ballet, Bolero, Carnival des Animaux, Paquita, Extracts, HK: Natasha Rogai, SCMP Review – Niv Sheinfeld & Oren Laor, Ship of Fools, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times News – Window dancing at Saks, Fifth Avenue: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Preview – Singapore Dance Theatre, Ballet Under The Stars, Singapore: Lisabel Ting, Straits Times Dance Magazine, June Issue: Wendy Perron, Laura Cappelle, Hedy Weiss, Siobhan Burke, Marina Harss, Paloma Herrera and others: Contents Page

Links – Monday, 1 June, 2015 Reviews – Royal Ballet, Afternoon of a Faun, In the Night, Song of the Earth, London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Laura Thompson, Telegraph Review – American Ballet Theatre, The Sleeping Beauty (Ratmansky), NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – American Ballet Theatre, Giselle (Osipova), NY: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Review – School of American Ballet, Workshop Performance, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Feature – Eifman Ballet in the US, Rodin: Staff, Sputnik News Fashion – How a mutual obsession with the body creates striking results: Alexander Fury, Independent Review – Moscow Ballet ‘La Classique,’ Sleeping Beauty (Petipa/Melikov), Wellington: Ann Hunt, Dominion Post Review – Theo Clinkard, Chalk, Of Land and Tongue, Glasgow: Mary Brennan, Herald Review – Hope Mohr Dance, Stay, The Material of Attention, SF: Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes Review – Marc Brew & Tamsyn Russell, For No, I am, Purging Suite #1, Glasgow: Kelly Apter, Scotsman

Links – Sunday, 31 May, 2015 Reviews – Royal Ballet, Afternoon of a Faun, In the Night, Song of the Earth, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Review – American Ballet Theatre, The Sleeping Beauty (Ratmansky), NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – American Ballet Theatre, Giselle (Osipova), NY: Deborah Jones, Blog Reviews – Sylvie Guillem, Life in Progress, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Jeffery Taylor, Express News – Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet’s Final Bow: Brian Schaefer, NY Times Review – Eifman Ballet, Rodin, DC: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Review – Hope Mohr Dance, Stay, The Material of Attention, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Review – Whim W’him, RIPple efFECT, Black Heart, Alone is the Devil, Seattle: Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times Review - Dropshift, Imposter/Contained, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Feature – TV Series, Flesh and Bone: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Indian Classical Review – Dances of Divinity, Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald News – Former Sacramento Ballet dancers form new company: Nicole Comstock, Fox40

Links – Saturday, 30 May, 2015 Reviews – Sylvie Guillem, Life in Progress, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times JW, Economist Review – American Ballet Theatre, Giselle (Osipova, Vishneva), NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times NY Reviews – Deborah Jones, Blog American Ballet Theatre, Giselle (Abrera) New York City Ballet, La Sylphide & All Robbins Programmes Preview – Mark Morris Dance Group, Pacific, A Wooden Tree, Festival Dance, Whelm, Sydney: Elissa Blake, Sydney Morning Herald Reviews – Houston Ballet, Zodiac, Svadebka, The Letter V, Houston: Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle Adam Castaneda, Houston Press Reviews – Wendy Whelan, Restless Creature, NY: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Brian Schaefer, Out Magazine Stream Review – Royal Ballet, Manon: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Review – Phoenix Dance Theatre, Shift, Shadows, Tearfall, Bloom, Newcastle: Peter Lathan, BTG Feature – Funding National Ballet of Canada’s Le Petit Prince: Paul Waldie, Globe and Mail Feature – Robert Fairchild and Tiler Peck: Marianne Rohrlich, NY Times Feature – Picasso, Ballets Russes, Le Tricorne & a painting: Lance Esplund, Wall St Journal Preview – Boris Eifman Ballet, Up and Down, LA: Susan Reiter, LA Times Review – Graham 2, Mixed Bill, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – An American in Paris (Wheeldon), NY: Carla Escoda, Bachtrack Essay – The Institute of Controlled Falling: Ruth Little, Dance Umbrella Review – Lost Dog/Ben Duke, Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me), London: Siobhan Murphy, Londondance Review – Jane Comfort, Altiplano, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Dylan Crossman, Kimberly Bartosik, Bound, Ecsteriority4, NY: Martha Sherman, Danceviewtimes Review – St Petersburg Ballet Theatre, Swan Lake, Singapore: Joy Wang Xin Yuan, Bachtrack Review – Rosie Herrera, Cookie’s Kid, Miami: Jordan Levin, Miami Herald Next Week In: London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian

Osipova/McCrae and Vishneva/Gomes covered by Mr Macaulay here: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/30/arts/dance/review-an-abundance-of-giselles-with-debuts-and-farewells.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=nytimesarts

Links – Friday, 29 May, 2015 Reviews – Sylvie Guillem, Life in Progress, London: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Judith Mackrell, Guardian Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Graham Watts, Londondance Neil Norman, The Stage Vera Liber, BTG Award - Miss Guillem to become Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Emeritus: Vera Liber, BTG Review – American Ballet Theatre, Giselle (Herrera & Reyes Farewells), NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – American Ballet Theatre, Theme & Variations, Pillar of Fire, Fancy Free, NY: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Feature – ABT Sleeping Beauty awakes to vibrant ballet costumes: Marina Harss, NY Times Feature – Virginia Woolf should live on, but not because of her death: Holly Williams, Guardian Gallery – Royal Ballet, Afternoon of a Faun, In the Night, Song of the Earth: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs NY Reviews – Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Boris Eifman Ballet, Up and Down American Ballet Theatre, Othello (Lubovitch) Feature – NYCB, Balanchine Black and White: Terry Trucco, Playbill Arts Review – Boris Charmatz, Manger and others, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Feature – Unforgettable Ferri, Age is no bar to artistry: Charlotte Higgins, Guardian Feature – Four imminent retirements at National Ballet of Canada: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Feature – Misty Copeland: Sade Strehlke, Wall St Journal Preview – Birmingham Royal Ballet, The King Dances: Rox Laws, Birmingham Mail Review – Ben Duke/Lost Dog, Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me), London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Review – Dance International Glasgow (DIG): An Invitation, Purging Suite 1, For now, I am, Glasgow: Mary Brennan, Herald Preview – Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre, Chinatown Blues, LA: Deborah Vankin, LA Times News – Joffrey Director Ashley Wheater awarded Rosenberger Medal: Miriam Di Nunzio, Chicago Sun-Times Review – Kate Neal & Timothy Walsh, Semaphore, Melbourne: Chloe Smethurst, The Age Prizes for anyone who understands this: Gazette Herald

With the first run now at an end, a Guardian writer makes a general case for Virginia Woolf to be remembered for her work rather than for her death: http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/may/27/virginia-woolf-live-death-suicide-fiction

..... and that might very well consign this piece to the archives after a single run?

Janet: "kids ale" - thought that was illegal! Or maybe your text predictor has been at it?

Links – Monday, 18 May, 2015 Exhibition – Defining Beauty: The Body in Ancient Greek Art: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Mark Morris Dance Group, Dido and Aeneas, LA: Laura Bleiberg, LA Times Review – New York City Ballet, Bournonville Divertissements, La Sylphide, NY: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Review – West Australian Ballet, Tarantella, Concerto Barocco, Tschaikovsky PDD, Who Cares?, Perth: Rita Clarke, The Australian Review – Boston Ballet, Theme & Variations, fremd, Vertiginous Thrill,The Concert, Boston: Iris Fanger, Patriot Ledger Preview – Queensland Ballet, Peter Pan (McIntyre), Brisbane: Phil Brown, Courier-Mail Review – Robert Moses’ Kin, SILT, SF: Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes Feature – Bay Area Dancers remember Oakland Ballet: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Review – Boris Charmatz, Musée de la Danse, London: Sanjoy Roy, Guardian Review – Low Air Urban Dance Theatre & Ultimate Dancer, Home Trip, Holy Smoke, Glasgow: Mary Brennan, Herald

Links – Sunday, 17 May, 2015 Reviews – Royal Ballet, Woolf Works, London: Luke Jennings, Observer David Jays, Arts Journal/Performance Monkey Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Review – New York City Ballet, Walpurgisnacht Ballet, La Valse, Symphony in C, NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – American Ballet Theatre, Les Sylphides, Jardin aux Lilas, Rodeo, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – Paris Opera Ballet, Swan Lake (Nureyev), Paris: Patricia Boccadoro, Culturekiosque Review – Robert Moses’ Kin, SILT, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Review – Pilobolus, 5-part Mixed Bill, Seattle: Alice Kaderlan, Seattle Times Review – Lyon Opera Ballet, Sarabande, Sunshine, Steptext, NY: Marianne Adams, Danceviewtimes Feature – David Bintley, Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet: Phil Penfold, Yorkshire Post Lifestyle – Eric Underwood, Royal Ballet Soloist: Anita Singh, Telegraph Preview – Rebecca Patek, The future was looking better in the past etc etc etc, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times