Ian Macmillan

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

Links – Saturday, 16 May, 2015 Opinion – Why dance needs a Simon Cowell: Ismene Brown, Spectator Feature – Ballet steps back into the past: Laura Cappelle, Financial Times Interview – Sylvie Guillem nearing retirement: Sarah Crompton, Telegraph Historical Gallery: Telegraph Review – English National Ballet, Le Corsaire, Singapore: Joy Wang Xin Yuan, Bachtrack Review – Northern Ballet, 5-part Mixed Bill, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Vera Liber, BTG Shelley Pinto-Duschinsky, Bachtrack Review – Rambert, Frames, Four Elements, Dark Arteries, London: Emily Brown, Bachtrack Gallery: Stephen Wright, DanceTabs Preview – Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, Closer, Kosmos, Harry, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Review – Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Death and The Maiden, Montreal: Robert Everett Green, Globe and Mail Feature – NYCB Principal, Amar Ramasar: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Interview – Wayne McGregor, Tree of Codes: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Review – Boston Ballet, Theme & Variations, fremd, Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, The Concert, Boston: Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Globe (NB the Photos button) Review – Washington Ballet, Tour de Force: Serenade Mixed Bill, DC: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Feature – Australian Ballet & Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Giselle: Janet Wilson, Sydney Morning Herald Review – Gelsey Kirkland Ballet, Don Quixote, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Royal Ballet of Flanders, Flanders Fields Mixed Bill, Ghent: Debora Votquenne, Flanders Today Feature – Neil Ieremia with Royal New Zealand Ballet, Passchendaele: Bess Manson, Dominion Post Blog – Dance and the Sense of Self: Real Life Real Dance, London: Luca Silvestrini, Guardian News – Columbia University acquires Arthur Mitchell Archives: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Staff, Columbia News Feature – Graham Lustig & Oakland Ballet: Rachel Howard, KQED Arts Review – Robert Moses’ KIN, SILT, SF: Claudia Bauer, DanceTabs Interview – Reggie Gray of FlexN: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Review – Sean Dorsey Dance, The Missing Generation, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Exhibition – Hip-Hop, from the Bronx to the Arab Street, Paris: Inti Landauro, Wall St Journal Next Week in: New York: NY Times Brighton & London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian News – Greenwich + Docklands International Festival: Clare Evans, Londondance Review – Yve Laris Cohen, Fine, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times

For tomorrow's Links - senior critic and dance writer, Ismene Brown, has expressed serious doubts about the value of the competition: http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/culturehousedaily/2015/05/why-dance-needs-a-simon-cowell/

Links – Friday, 15 May, 2015 Reviews – Royal Ballet, Woolf Works, London: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Verity Healey, Exeunt Magazine Siobhan Murphy, TimeOut London Reviews – American Ballet Theatre, Rodeo, Fancy Free, Lilac Garden, Pillars of Fire, NY: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Review – American Ballet Theatre, Les Sylphides, Pillar of Fire, Fancy Free, Theme & Variations, NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – New York City Ballet, Bournonville Divertisssements, La Sylphide NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Reviews – Northern Ballet, 5-part Mixed Bill, London: Sanjoy Roy, Guardian Zoë Anderson, Independent Review – Rambert, Frames, Four Elements, Dark Arteries, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs News – New York Summer Preview, Whelan, ABT, RB: Marina Harss, New Yorker Review – Zurich Ballet, Four Temperaments, Frank Bridge Variations, Falling Angels, Zurich: Sarah Batschelet, Bachtrack Preview – Daniil Simkin & Colleagues, Intensio, Jacob’s Pillow: Marina Harss, Boston Globe Review – Australian Ballet (Bodytorque), From Something, to Nothing, Sydney: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines News – ENB Choreographics to be streamed: Staff, London Theatre Review – Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Work/Travail/Arbeid Jérôme Bel, Gala Review – New Zealand Dance Company, Rotunda, Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald Cannes Film Festival – LA Dance Project, Vertigo, Cannes: David Ng, LA Times Review – Sydney Dance Company, Frame of Mind, Quintett, Melbourne: Gracia Haby, Fjord Review Review – Cats Paying Dues, Ever for Love, Remembrances, Entering the Waters, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – James Wilton Dance, Last Man Standing, London: Sara Veale, Fjord Review Gallery – American Ballet Theatre: Copeland, Simkin, Kent & Hallberg: Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair Video – Lindsay Kemp’s Last Dance: Guardian Review – 605 Collective, The Sensationalists, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Preview – Ballet Flamenco La Rosa, El Padre, Miami: Christine Dolen, Miami Herald

Links – Thursday, 14 May, 2015 Reviews – Rambert, Frames, Four Elements, Dark Arteries, London: Clement Crisp, Financial Times Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Zoë Anderson, Independent Judith Mackrell, Guardian Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Graham Watts, Londondance Sarah Frater, The Stage Vera Liber, BTG In Rehearsal – David Jays, Guardian Review – American Ballet Theater, Theme & Variations, Jardin aux Lilas, Rodeo, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times TV Documentary – American Ballet Theater: A History: Gia Kourlas, NY TImes Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Stav Ziv, Newsweek Review – Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley, Cinderella (Stevenson), San Jose: Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes Review – Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Mixed Bill, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Smuin Ballet, Petal, Ask Me + Excerpts, SF: Kate Mattingly, SF Examiner Review – Royal Ballet School & ABT Studio Company, Joint Programme, NY: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Interview/Preview – Tania Pérez-Salas/Compañía de Danza, Ex-tasis, Made in Mexico, LA: Tre’vell Anderson, LA Times Preview – Hari Krishnan/inDance Company, The Book of Sandalwood, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Preview – Karen Peterson and Dancers + Guests, Mixed Bill, Miami: Rebekah Lanae Lengel, Miami Herald Review – Rama and Dakshina Vaidyanathan, Dwita, NY: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes

Katherine: I regularly use Twitter as a way in to the NY Times and, indeed, others. However, I'm fairly certain that such access counts against my 10 free goes for the NYT.

Renewed acquaintance with Fille this afternoon - this time at Saffron Screen, in Saffron Walden. A full house of something over 200 at a guess, and booked out about a week ago. Most enjoyable and, dare I say, as someone who has been less enthusiastic about Miss Osipova than many here, she certainly softened my views very considerably with her performance as Lise. Saffron Screen is one of two developments in recent years added to the County High School in Saffron Walden. The other is Saffron Hall, a 700-seat first-class concert venue, with a magnificent acoustic - very largely financed, I understand, by a local businessman who has done well in the City. It is already drawing big London names and ensembles, and I have to say it's much better than anything up the road in Cambridge.

John: I agree on both Times publications, but somewhat to my surprise I did manage to get into The Australian recently via Google, but normally that's equally impenetrable.

Alison: I'd be a little surprised if a national paper had deliberately flouted the Data Protection Act after all the ups and downs of recent years. Perhaps you checked a box or, more probably, did not uncheck one, pertaining to permitting further communication from them?

So - all the way to 14 January next, and no mention of Zenaida Yanowsky. Is there anything that one should read into that, pray?

Links – Sunday, 3 May, 2015 News – Former Bolshoi Ballerina, Maya Plisetskaya, has died: AFP, Express Tribune (and elsewhere) Obituary – Sophia Kishovsky, NY Times Preview – Wayne McGregor & Woolf Works for the Royal Ballet: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Tour Preview – Scottish Ballet, Streetcar Named Desire, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Feature – Peter Martins staging a new La Sylphide for NYCB: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Review – Sarasota Ballet, Les Sylphides, Apres-midi d’une faune, Petrushka, Sarasota: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Tour Review – Rosie Kay, 5 Soldiers, Birmingham: Luke Jennings, Observer Q&A – Matthew Bourne: Candice Pires, Observer Review – Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Romeo and Juliet, London: Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Review – Emily Johnson, Shore, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat

News is breaking that Maya Plisetskaya died earlier to day in Germany: http://rt.com/news/255153-russian-ballerina-plisetskaya-dies/?

This has all been very worthy so far. However, in doing a quick trawl of certain sites for tomorrow's Links, I'm afraid I've seen the first expression of joy that the papers will have "all those lovely little dresses" to look forward to.

Judith Mackrell has quite a substantial preview piece that went up too late for today's Links. So, advance notice for tomorrow: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/may/02/royal-ballet-virginia-woolf-works-wayne-mcgregor

Links – Saturday, 2 May, 2015 Obituary – Terence Kern, MD at Ballet West, ex-London Festival Ballet: Salt Lake Tribune Preview – Helgi Tomasson on his Romeo and Juliet for SFB: Sean Martinfield, Huffington Post Review – New York City Ballet, Apollo, Agon, Symphony in 3 Movements + others, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Australian Ballet, Symphonic Variations, Monotones II, The Dream, Sydney: Valerie Lawson, DanceTabs Review – Sydney Dance Company, Quintett, Frame of Mind, Canberra: Michelle Porter, Sydney Morning Herald Reviews – Lyon Opera Ballet, Sarabande, Sunshine, Steptext, NY: Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, Bachtrack Brian Seibert, NY Times (Scroll down) Reviews – Royal Winnipeg Ballet, The Faerie Queen (Alleyne), Winnipeg: Paula Citron, Globe and Mail Holly Harris, Winnipeg Free Press Review – Trisha Brown Dance Company, In Plain Site, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Reviews – Rebecca Davis & Milka Djordjevich, Bloowst Windku; Mass, NY: Brian Seibert & Siobhan Burke, NY TImes Review – Orlando Ballet, Coppelia, Orlando: Matthrew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel Review – Barrowland Ballet, Whiteout, Glasgow: Alice Bain, Guardian Review – Hofesh Shechter & Friends, Fragments, tHE bAD, Manchester: David Chadderton, BTG Review – Amy Hodge, 7-75, London: Josephine Leask, Londondance Preview – Breakin’ Convention, 2015, London: Clare Evans, Londondance Review – Raghav Handa, Tukre, Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald Preview – Anjali Austin/Fuzion Dance Artists, Threads, Sarasota: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Next week in: London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Boston: Karen Campbell, Boston Globe New York: Staff, NY Times

Links – Friday, 1 May, 2015 Reviews – New York City Ballet, Apollo, Agon, Duo Concertant, Symphony in Three Movements, NY: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – Bolshoi Ballet, Ivan the Terrible (with Vasiliev), Moscow: Tatiana Kuznetsova, via Ismene Brown Blog Reviews – Australian Ballet, Monotones II, Symphonic Variations, The Dream, Sydney: Deborah Jones, The Australian Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore, Guardian Review – Royal Winnipeg Ballet, The Faerie Queen (Alleyne), Winnipeg: Robert Enright, CBC News Film Review – Ballet 422: Madison Mainwaring, Fjord Review News – Lil Buck at Versailles, as Apollo. Seriously: Claudia Barbieri, NY Times Reviews – Barrowland Ballet/Natasha Gilmore, Whiteout, Glasgow: Mary Brennan, Herald Gareth K. Vile, The List Review – Amy Hodge, 7-75, London: Zoë Anderson, Independent Review – Peggy Baker, locus plot, Toronto: Martha Schabas, Globe and Mail News – Alvin Ailey performances cancelled owing to situation in Baltimore: Chris Kaltenbach, Baltimore Sun

Perhaps Madame softened with time for I can say with certainty that such strictures over marriage and subsequent pregnancy did not apply in the early 1960s in the case of the lady who is now my wife. And there were other marriages during her time with the Company. Elsewhere, reverting to that Huff Post link from yesterday - any longterm ENB fans recognise the chap in photo 6?

It was running at 0745, should you wish to find it - and provided a different background to the start to this morning's Links trawl.

Links – Thursday, 30 April, 2015 Review – New York City Ballet, Opening Balanchine Programme, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY TImes Review – XIV St Petersburg Ballet Gala: Kommersant, Tatiana Kuznetsov via Ismene Brown Blog (She doesn’t care for McGregor or MacMillan) Reviews – Australian Ballet, Monotones II, Symphonic Variations, The Dream, Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald Sue Williams, Daily Telegraph Preview – Scottish Ballet, A Streetcar Named Desire, Chicago: Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times Review – Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Romeo and Juliet (Maillot), London: Graham Watts, Londondance Review – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Polish Pieces, Awassa Astrige/Ostrich, Revelations, SF: Paul Parish, Bay Area Reporter Opinion – Dance audiences are too caught up to be rude: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Feature – Choreographer Lemi Ponifasio at Venice Biennale: Linda Herrick, NZ Herald Report – Aerowaves – Spring Forward, Contemporary Dance Festival, Barcelona: Graham Watts, DanceTabs Essay – My problem with immersive theatre, and dance: David Jays, Arts Journal/Performance Monkey Essay – My kid is Avant-Garde: Jeffrey Gordon Baker, Dance Umbrella Preview – Hussein Chalayan & Damien Jalet, Gravity Fatigue, London: Anita Singh, Telegraph Preview – CanAsian International Dance Festival, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Preview – Veronica Paeper, A Spartacus in Africa, Joburg & CapeTown: Christopher Torchia, Daily Journal International Dance Day 2015 – take your pick Google

Links – Wednesday, 29 April, 2015 Review – San Francisco Ballet, Caprice, Four Temperaments, Swimmer, SF: Aimee Tsao, DanceTabs Reviews – Mark Morris Dance Group, Spring, Spring, Spring; Whelm, Grand Duo + others, NY: Robert Greskovic, Wall St Journal Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/dancebeat Review – Momix, Alchemia, Richmond, VA: Celia Wren, Washington Post Review – Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Ahnen, London: Shelley Pinto-Duschinsky, Bachtrack Preview – Houston Ballet, La Bayadere, Calgary: Stephen Hunt, Calgary Herald Review – Emily Johnson, Shore, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Preview – Joe Goode Performance Group, Poetics in Space, SF: Kate Mattingly, SF Examiner News – Wheeldon’s American in Paris a leading Tony Nominee: AP, NY Post (And elsewhere!) Opinion – Russian Morality Police Indict ‘Twerking’ and more: Georgy Bovt, Moscow Times Gallery – Dancers in Urban Settings: Omar Z. Robles via Huffington Post Book – Balancing Acts: Three Ballerinas Becoming Mothers, by Lucy Gray: Caroline Bologna, Huffington Post