Ian Macmillan

I have to say that, what with one thing and several others, I find it hard to think that Leanne Cope will ever return to the RB now - and the same may apply to Robert Fairchild as regards NYCB. Time will tell ......

Links – Friday, 17 April, 2015 Reviews – Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Auf dem Gebirge hat man ein Geschrei gehört, London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Mark Monahan, Telegraph Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Louise Levene, Financial Times Neil Norman, The Stage Vera Liber, BTG Review – Australian Ballet, Giselle (Stella Abrera), Sydney: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Feature – From the barre to the barracks: a dancer’s Army boot camp: Shelley Eva Haden, Guardian Blog News – Misty Copeland makes cover of Time Magazine: Michael Cooper, NY Times -- Feature/Video – Nadia Comaneci, Time Streaming Preview – Bolshoi Ballet, Ivan the Terrible: Oleg Krasnov, RBTH Report – Erik Bruhn Prize Competition, Toronto: Denise Sum, Danceviewtimes Feature – BBC Young Dancer Competition: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Preview – YAGP Final Benefit Gala, NY: Pia Catton, WSJ Review – Beth Gill, Portrait Study, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Preview – Jacques Poulin-Denis, (Very) Gently Crumbling, Montreal: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette Review – David Raymond & Tiffany Tregarthen, Me So You So Me, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Not getting enough Dance? Feel deprived when on holiday? This could be for you: Left Field Luxe (No doubt others are available.)

Links – Thursday, 16 April, 2015 Reviews – Diana Vishneva, On the Edge, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Judith Mackrell, Guardian Mark Monahan, Telegraph Louise Levene, Financial Times Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Sarah Frater, The Stage Vera Liber, BTG Gallery – Dave Morgan, DanceTabs News – Royal Opera House 2015-16 Programme: Richard Fairman, Financial Times Judith Mackrell, Guardian Blog Hannah Furness, Telegraph Official RB programme: Here with more here and discussion continues: from here Review – Washington Ballet, Swan Lake (Copeland, Mack), DC: Oksana Khadarina, DanceTabs Review – San Francisco Ballet, Programs 6 & 7, SF: Paul Parish, Bay Area Reporter News – Sarasota Ballet 2015-16 Season Announced: Carrie Seidman, Herald-Tribune News – Aurélie Dupont’s final performance next month: AFP, Guardian Reports – Dance UK Conference: Emerging Artists, Training, Creativity & Choreography: Claire Evans, Londondance and also here Review – Ballet Hispanico, Conquer, Show.Girl, El Beso, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Film Preview – MOVEment, 7 short films with Choreo/designer collaboration: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Gallery – Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Auf den Gebirge …,London: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Preview – Paul Taylor Dance Company, 3 Program Season, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Preview – Joffrey Ballet, New Works, Chicago: Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times Preview – Ballet Creole, Agua Como Vida Programme, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star

I've seen four reviews so far for tomorrow's Links, and the common thread is a tendency for the show to be a bit dull and overlong.

Links – Wednesday, 15 April, 2015 Feature – Sylvie Guillem, a life in progress: Sarah Crompton, Economist/Intelligent Life Feature – Kevin O’Hare: Everyone wants the Royal Ballet Choreographers: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Review – Washington Ballet, Swan Lake (Copeland, Mack), DC: Carla Escoda, Bachtrack Review – Ballet San Jose, This Might Be True, Eighty One, User’s Manual, San Jose: Aimee Tsao, DanceTabs Review – Dance Theatre of Harlem, Agon, Coming Together, In the Mirror of Her Mind, Return, NY: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Documentary Preview – American Masters – American Ballet Theatre: A History: Pia Catton, WSJ Blogs News – Ako Kondo, new Australian Ballet Principal: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Melanie Kembrey, Sydney Morning Herald Review – Olga Pericet, Flamenco Sin Título, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Scottish Dance Theatre, Miann, London: Graham Watts, Londondance Review – Scottish Dance Theatre, Innocence, London: Claire Cohen, Londondance Speculation – An American in Paris looks strongest in Tony race: Michael Riedel, NY Post

Links – Tuesday, 14 April, 2015 Reviews – New York City Ballet, Serenade, Agon, Symphony in C, DC: Oksana Khadarina, DanceTabs Ashley McKean, Danceviewtimes Reviews – Washington Ballet, Swan Lake (Copeland, Mack), DC: Brian Seibert, NY Times George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Reviews – San Francisco Ballet, Prog 7- Swimmer, Four Temperaments, Caprice, SF: Janos Gereben, SF Examiner Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes Jaime Robles, Bachtrack Review – San Francisco Ballet, Prog 6 – Shostakovich Trilogy, SF: Terez Rose, Bachtrack Reviews – Paris Opera Ballet, Nutcracker (Nureyev), La Source: Paris: Patricia Boccadoro, Culturekiosque Review – Dance Theater of Harlem, Homecoming Mixed Bill, NY: Robert Greskovic, WSJ Blog – Widening the debate on British Dance Training: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Reviews – Christopher Wheeldon & others, An American in Paris, NY: Alexis Soloski, Guardian Terry Teachout, WSJ Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times Ronni Reich, NJ Star-Ledger Gallery – Curtain calls after Broadway opening of An American in Paris: BWW Reviews – Pacific Northwest Ballet, Swan Lake (Stowell), Seattle: Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times Alice Kaderlan, SeattlePi Review – Stephen Petronio Company, Locomotor/Non Locomotor, RainForest, NY: Martha Sherman, Danceviewtimes Tour Feature – Carlos Acosta & On Before, Southampton: Hilary Porter, Southern Daily Echo News – Ardani 25 Dance Gala, Osipova, Watson, Vasiliev et al, London: DanceTabs Review – Jasmin Vardimon, Maze, Margate: David Jays, Guardian Reviews – Shwe Man Thabin, Burmese zat pwe Mixed Bill, NY: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – National Youth Dance Company, Frame[d], London: Shelley Pinto-Duschinsky, Bachtrack Review – The Medea Project, Birthright?, SF: Michael Rosen, SF Chronicle Review – Toronto Dance Theatre, Returning Empathis, Making Belief, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Review – RUBBERBANDance Group, Empirical Quotient, Boston: Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Globe Preview – Seppe Baeyens, Tornar, Brussels: Tom Peeters, Flanders Today If not already seen, and in advance of the formal announcement tomorrow: News – Royal Ballet 2015-16 Season + Discussion: Start here

Something different today - the austere St John Passion (in Latin) by Arvo Pärt, recorded in 1988 in Durham Cathedral with, unusually, a Quartet, the Hilliard Ensemble, at the centre as Evangelist. Those who find something in Pärt's hypnotic Spiegel im Spiegel, used by a number of choreographers, may find this Passion most satisfying.

Links – Friday, 3 April, 2015 Essay – The Naked Skeleton, Some Notes on the Danse Macabre: Madison Mainwaring, Brooklyn Rail Review – American Ballet Theater, Cinderella (Ashton), DC: Oksana Khadarina, DanceTabs Review – Scottish Ballet, A Streetcar Named Desire, London: Rym Kechacha, Bachtrack Review – Australian Ballet, Giselle (Gielgud), the Madeleine Eastoe Farewell, Sydney: Jill Sykes, The Age Interview – Declan Donnellan & Hamlet at The Bolshoi: Anna Galaida, RBTH Review – Liz Gerring Dance Company, Glacier, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – Reggie Gray & Peter Sellars, FLEXN, NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – Rashaun Mitchell, Light Years, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times News – Olivier Awards 2015, Dance Nominees: Clare Evans, Londondance News – Dance Theatre of Harlem, City Center Season: Zita Allen, NY Amsterdam News Review – Gelsey Kirkland Ballet, Cavalry Halt, Harlequinade, NY: Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn & Ellen Dobbyn-Blackmore, Huffington Post News – Two Ailey Dancers Moving to St Louis: Gia Kourlas, NY Times News – Mikhailovsky Ballet chief under Government investigation: Vedomosti via Ismene Brown Essay – Houses Without Masters: Reflections on Platform 2015: Siobhan Burke, Brooklyn Rail Feature – Adult Ballet Classes Make Me High: Caroline Davidson, Telegraph

Links – Thursday, 2 April, 2015 Reviews – Scottish Ballet, A Streetcar Named Desire, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Judith Mackrell, Guardian Mark Monahan, Telegraph Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Reviews – Liz Gerring Dance Company, Glacier, NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Alastair Macaulay, NY Times London Reviews – Ismene Brown, Spectator Birmingham Royal Ballet, Carmina Burana Royal Ballet, Four Temperaments, Untouchable, Song of the Earth News – Twyla Tharp, 50th Anniversary Plans: Staff, BWW Preview – Norwegian National Ballet, Ibsen’s Ghosts, Houston: Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle Review – Juilliard School, Dark Meadow, Biped, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat News – BBC Young Dancer 2015 Category Finalists Announced: BBC Feature – Spotlight Dance and Music Finals, Los Angeles: Jeffrey Fleishman, LA Times

Lindsay: Perhaps surprisingly, Mr C is really rather keen on many of the Street Dance manifestations to be seen in town from time to time, so his horizon is posssibly not as limited as one might think. As to malicious, he certainly does not write in half-measures, whether positively or negatively. And as to influence, I note that Louise Levene's name has appeared against a number of London FT reviews in recent days - might that portend some change over the horizon?

Links – Wednesday, 1 April, 2015 Review – Royal Ballet, The Four Temperaments, Untouchable, Song of the Earth, London: Vera Liber, BTG Review – Ballet West, Games, Presto, The Sixth Beauty, The Lottery, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Feature – Alessandra Ferri & Woolf Works: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Feature – Australian Ballet’s Madeleine Eastoe faces retirement: Valerie Lawson, Sydney Morning Herald Feature – Ballet Dancers Leap into Instagram: Pia Catton, WSJ Reviews – Robert Greskovic, WSJ Armitage Gone! Dance, On the Nature of Things, NY Peter Sellars & Reggie Gray, FLEXN, NY News – US companies (Limón, Heginbotham, Bodytraffic) to tour overseas: Brian Schaefer, NY Times Reviews – Dance Massive 2015, Melbourne: Gracia Haby Victoria Chiu, Do You Speak Chinese; Melanie Lane, Merge: Fjord Review Paula Lay, Sue Healey, Vicki Van Hout, Shelley Lasca: Fjord Review Review – East London Dance, Club Life, East London: Josephine Leask, Londondance Review – LDTX, ‘Spring Equinox’ Mixed Bill, Beijing: Catherine Sutherland, Bachtrack News – Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker to be awarded Venetian Golden Lion Award: Alan Hope, Flanders Today And as it’s April 1: Guardian (On days like this we miss ballet.co and its Head Jester)

Links – Tuesday, 31 March, 2015 Obituaries – Mary Clarke, Critic, Author and Editor: Jonathan Gray & Judith Mackrell, Guardian Staff, Telegraph Reviews – Royal Ballet, The Four Temperaments, Untouchable, Song of the Earth, London: Clement Crisp, Financial Times Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Neil Norman, The Stage Review – Bolshoi Ballet, Jewels, Hong Kong: Natasha Rogai, SCMP Reviews – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, 2 Mixed Bills, Boston: Alan Helms, DanceTabs Karen Campbell, Boston Globe Report – Erik Bruhn Prize Competition, Toronto: Penelope Ford, Fjord Review Review – Miami City Ballet, 2 Triple Bills, Palm Beach: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Review – Los Angeles Ballet, Sleeping Beauty (Christensen/Neary), LA: Lewis Segal, LA Times Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Serenade, Carmina Burana, London: Sara Veale, Fjord Review Review – Ballet San Jose, Bodies of Technology, San Jose: Janice Berman, SF Classical Voice Review – Paul Taylor, Shen Wei, Jose Limon Companies, Rite of Spring, Passacaglia & Fugue, Promethean Fire, Troilus & Cressida (Reduced), Diggity, Big Bertha, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – Ballet West, The Sixth Beauty, Presto, Jeux, The Lottery, NY: Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, Bachtrack Review – Milwaukee Ballet, Giselle (Pink), Milwaukee: Carla Escoda, Bachtrack Reviews – Ballet B.C., Triple Bill, Vancouver: Pia Lo, Bachtrack Andrea Rabinovitch, Vancouver Observer Review – Peter Sellars & Reggie Gray, FLEXN, NY: Ivan Talijancic, Bachtrack Exhibition – ‘Avant,’ Behind the scenes at Northern Ballet, Leeds: Lindsay Pantry, Yorkshire Post News – Scottish Ballet seeks new Chief Executive: DabceTabs Feature – How to get a job as a Ballet Dancer: Nehemiah Kish, via Claire Burke, Guardian Review – Serge Bennathan, Monsieur Auburtin, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com And the latest thing from San Francisco – No Rejection Dance: Tony Bravo, SF Chronicle

Elegant words from Jonathan Gray, Mary Clarke's successor at Dancing Times, with Judith Mackrell revealing how her Dance writing career started: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/mar/30/mary-clarke

Links – Monday, 30 March, 2015 Feature – Merce Cunningham’s RainForest, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Reviews – Royal Ballet, The Four Temperaments, Untouchable, Song of the Earth, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Judith Mackrell, Guardian News – Svetlana Lunkina finally resigns from Bolshoi: Izvestia via Ismene Brown Review – Miami City Ballet, Heatscape, Raymonda Variations, The Concert, Palm Beach: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – American Ballet Theatre, Theme & Variations, Pillar of Fire, Rodeo, DC: Oksana Khadarina, DanceTabs Review – American Ballet Theatre, Cinderella (& Julie Kent’s Farewell), DC: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Review – Joffrey Ballet, Incantations, Son of Chamber Symphony, Bells, Episode 31, SF: Aimee Tsao, DanceTabs Reviews – Ballet San Jose, Bodies of Technology, San Jose: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Claudia Bauer, Monterey Herald Review – Jessica Lang Dance, Mixed Bill, DC: Rebecca Ritzel, Washington Post Review – Ballet B.C., Mixed Bill, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Preview – Liz Gerring Dance Company, glacier, NY: Jack Anderson, NY Times Review – Gotham Chamber Opera/Martha Graham Dance Company, The Tempest Songbook, NY: Anthony Tommasini, NY Times Late Review – Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, Rite of Spring, The Word, Promethean Fire, NY: Marianne Adams, Danceviewtimes Feature – Russian National Ballet Theatre, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Feature – Annabelle Lopez Ochoa & Juanjo Arques work in Moscow: Brittany Roberts, Moscow Times Review – David Neumann’s Advanced Beginner Group, I Understand Everything Better, Rockville, MD: George Jackson, Danceviewtimes

Before too many more performances, and in the hope that references to "mournful German dirges" might be put into context, this extract from the official Kenneth MacMillan website might help: http://www.kennethmacmillan.com/ballets/all-works/1960-1966/song-of-the-earth-das-lied-von-der-erde.html Besides the explanation of MacMillan's thinking, it includes video of Darcey Bussell's memorable final minutes on the ROH stage - and, without that repeated 'Ewig,' I personally would find the steps for the final trio inexplicable. But we're all different.

Bruce: She does it her way, to quote a former multiple retirer.

He's on Radio 4, Front Row, right now. I'll be interested to see reactions here to the music volume - should anyone think it rather loud, it seems he'd have preferred it louder.

John: BBC London News had just run a short feature - roughly on "shock horror at the Royal Ballet" lines and oblivious to some years of Wayne McGregor there - and "social, non-hierarchical and favours group work" looks to be about right.

Mary Clarke, a name that will have been familiar to many Forum members, has died - a brief notice has been posted by Dancing Times: http://www.dancing-times.co.uk/news/item/1750-mary_clarke_1923_2015

Can I ask if anyone else has had their RAD download purchases effectively wiped out by activating the recent 17 March RAD 'bug fixing' update, as appears to have occurred on my wife's iPad? Not only that, but the formatting of what now appears (thumbnails plus 'Buy Now') seems to have gone awry. The circumstantial evidence that the update has caused all the problems is that, on a iPad Mini where the update has not been activated, all is well. An Uninstall + Reinstall has not helped.

DDD: Title adjusted and moved into 'Not Dance.' Despite some years now of running an iMac, I'm no expert - but can you see if the DVD registers at all under 'Devices' in your 'Finder'? (I'm assuming that much is identical to iMac.) If it's not doing that much, there may well be some compatibility problem. And does it play OK in a DVD Player, do you know?

There's a substantial feature on this by Debra Craine in today's Times 2 - as ever, behind the paywall.

From today's Links, Luke Jennings mentions Scarlett as the likely choreographer and gets in his tuppenceworth about what should/should not be in any new RB production: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/mar/22/swan-lake-royal-ballet-review-mcrae-obraztsova?CMP=share_btn_tw

Just thought I'd drop in that the Ballet Company at the Koblenz Theater will be giving the premiere of Cathy Marston's latest full-length piece "Swan Maidens" tonight. I understand that it draws from the Swan Maiden myths, plus something of Ibsen's Nora from "A Doll's House" and, as so often in the past, she has collaborated once again with Edward Kemp (Director at RADA) as Dramaturg. There was a preview piece - in German, of course - in the Rhein Zeitung, via the theatre site: http://www.theater-koblenz.de/stuecke/swanmaidens/f/presse/0.html

In terms of my own experience, I often wonder whether the whole age-related issue is neither here nor there. I 'found' classical music in my 40s and ballet/dance when almost 60. All of those genres were always out there for me but I came to them when ready, and for reasons that would have had nothing at all to do with the best efforts of Artistic Directors to attract me. But I may be unusual.