Ian Macmillan

Before this goes much further, could someone who believes that Derek Deane has ownership of Ashton's Swan Lake work perhaps provide some harder evidence for that than has been adduced thus far. I see no sign of anything of the kind on the 'Owners' section of the Ashton Foundation site, here: http://www.frederickashton.org.uk/owners.html If one follows the link to the Anthony Russell-Roberts site, it appears that ownership of the 1946 Swan Lake elements is vested in him: http://ashtonballets.com/?page_id=32 So, are there later Ashton elements not covered in either of these sites?

Links – Monday, 16 February, 2015 Review – New York City Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (Martins), NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Feature – Paul Taylor plans his Company’s future: Marina Harss, New Yorker Review – Summation Dance, Shift, At the Hour, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Scottish Dance Theatre, Dreamers, Winter Again, Dundee: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Review – Resolution! 2015, London: Sanjoy Roy, The Place Mountain Tsunami Productions, Myth Yukiko Masui, Unbox Sean Graham, Foreign Bodies/Race Tracks Review – Dance on Camera Festival, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Preview – Spanish/Latin Festival, Havana Rakatan, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Feature – Diana Waldron & West Australia Ballet: Liam Croy, West Australian

I seem to recall that when the Sunday Shopping law was introduced there was a clear ban on 'buying' before 11am - a nod in the direction of those who had opposed the change on traditional Sunday Observance grounds. 'Browsing' for a period beforehand was OK and, to my knowledge, is still in force in many places. Perhaps your local Boots is unclear re what's what? And, shod as I am in M&S slippers right now, I trust that yours are equally comfy!

Well, that's what is said here: http://rbth.co.uk/arts/2015/02/14/why_russian_children_still_love_the_ballet_43709.html Not too different from many other countries?

Melody: Re The Telegraph, I fear we see that here too - and in an increasing number of publications all around the English-speaking world. However, from what I can tell, the Independent here is still unlimited but its Dance coverage has shrunk to very little indeed.

Links – Sunday, 15 February, 2015 Review – New York City Ballet, Rōde,ō, Goldberg Variations, Concerto Barocco, Symphonic Dances, Cortège Hongrois, NY: Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Review – Royal Ballet, Swan Lake (Nuñez, Acosta), London: Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Review – Ballet Black, To Fetch a Pail of Water?, Depouillement, Second Coming, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Feature – NBC, Guillaume Côté & Le Petit Prince: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Review – Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, Atomos, London: Howard Luxton, BTG Review – Miami City Ballet, Allegro Brillante, Sweet Fields, Carmen: Jordan Levin, Miami Herald Feature – Why Russian children still love ballet: Maria Fyodorishina, RBTH Review – Tango Fire, Flames of Desire, London: Neil Norman, Express Gallery – Flamenco Festival, Sadler’s Wells, London: Various, Guardian Review – Cincinatti Ballet, Alice (In Wonderland) (Webre), Cincinatti: David Lyman, Cincinatti.com Reviews – Resolution! 2015, London: Donald Hutera & Claire Cohen, The Place Efecto Chopped, Cul de Sac Red Road dance Theatre, The Sense of an Ending (excerpt) Humanah, Egress Documentary – Dancing in Jaffa: Mark Kermode, Observer And probably a first for us: Feature – Why Lion Dancing in Baizhifang is a dying art: Xu Donghuan, SCMP

Links – Saturday, 14 February, 2015 Review – Royal Ballet, Swan Lake (Nuñez, Acosta), London: Giannandrea Poesio, DanceTabs Reviews – New York City Ballet, Two Mixed Bills, NY: Marianne Adams, Danceviewtimes Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Reviews – Ballet Black, To Fetch a Pail of Water?, Depouillement, Second Coming, London: Graham Watts, Londondance Rym Kechacha, Bachtrack Review – Ballet Next, Baroque’d Triple Bill, NY: Lauren Gallagher, DanceTabs Feature – NDT2, Sandy Lee & City Dance Studios, San Francisco: Rachel Howard, SF Chronicle Feature – Contemporary Dance in Music Video: Lise Smith, Dance Umbrella Blog – Dancers/Athletes/Artists?: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Book – Curtains? The Future of the Arts in America, Michael M. Kaiser: Wendy Smith, Washington Post Review – Martha Graham Dance Company, Satyric Festival Song, Lamentation Variations, Chronicle, Embattled Garden, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Next Week In: London and On UK Tour: Judith Mackrell, The Guardian New York: Staff, NY Times Miami – The Trocks: Miami New Times Preview – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Mixed Bill, Miami: Jordan Levin, Miami Herald Reviews – Joffrey Ballet, Unique Voices, Chicago: Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times Michelle Meywes, Chicagoist Feature – The Millepied/Forsythe connection in Paris: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Preview – Royal New Zealand Ballet, Don Quixote: Amy Jackman, Dominion Post Reviews – Resolution! 2015, London: Graham Watts & Marianne Tuckman, The Place Old Kent Road, Fall Out Lindy Nsingo, Fall Apart James Morgan & Charley Fone, A Dance for the End of the World Review – Kam-Ri Dance Theatre, The Typist, Scotland: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Review – Huang Yi, Huang Yi and Kuka, NY: Tom Phillips, Danceviewtimes Feature – ‘Primary Steps’’ - The Royal Ballet School’s Outreach Programme: Sally Weale, Guardian News – ABT’s Xiomara Reyes to guest with Washington Ballet: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Blog Feature – New York Theatre Ballet moves downtown: Marina Harss, NY Times Review – Douglas Dunn, Aidos, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Preview – Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Mixed Bill, Houston: Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle Feature – Prix de Lausanne Winner, Harrison Lee: Joel Meares, Sydney Morning Herald Reviews – Zoielogic Dance Theatre, Safe, Eastleigh: Neil Norman, The Stage Liz Allum, BTG

The Australian papers are catching up with Harrison Lee: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/dance/ballet-dancer-harrison-lee-wins-prestigious-prix-de-lausanne-prize-20150213-13dqnd.html

They get another push from BBC Scotland, I see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-31453252

Links – Friday, 13 February, 2015 Obituary – Derek Rencher, Sadler’s Wells & Royal Ballet: Staff, Telegraph Reviews – Royal Ballet, Swan Lake (Nuñez, Acosta), London: Graham Watts, Londondance Allan Hunter, Daily Express Review – New York City Ballet, Rode,o, Four Dance Episodes & others, NY: Robert Greskovic, WSJ Review – Martha Graham Dance Company, Lamentation Variations Quad Bill, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Reviews – Ballet Black, Second Coming, Depouillement, To Fetch a Pail of Water?, London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Vera Liber, BTG News – National Ballet of Canada, 2015-16 Programme: Globe and Mail Toronto Star Review – Joffrey Ballet, Unique Voices Triple Bill, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Review – Scottish Ballet, The Nutcracker, Newcastle: David Whetstone, The Journal Review – Hong Kong Ballet, Turandot, HK: Kevin Ng, Bachtrack Reviews – Ultima Vez, What the Body Does Not Remember, London: Siobhan Murphy, DanceTabs Lise Smith, Londondance SF Preview – NDT2, Shutters Shut & others, SF: Andrea Pflaumer, SF Examiner Review – Sally Marie & John Ross, Questions and Dancers, London: Jeffrey Gordon Baker, Londondance Reviews – Resolution! 2015, London: Hailey McLeod & Josephine Leask, The Place Nina von der Werth, Macbeth Justyna Janiszewska, transcience Sivan Rubinstein, Samba and Tears NY Preview – An American in Paris (Wheeldon): Michael Riedel, NY Post Review – Huang Yi, Huang Yi & Kuka, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Videos – Sergei Polunin, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Lil Buck: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Blog Documentary – Justin Peck & Ballet 422: Susan King, LA Times Sarah Stodder, SF Weekly Feature – Michelle Rodriguez, Healer of the Ballet Elite: Christopher Ross, WSJ Review – James Graham, Dance Lovers, SF: Rachel Howard, SF Chronicle Documentary – Dancing in Jaffa: Peter Bradshaw, Guardian Review – Etched Dance Productions, 3 in 2 1, Auckland: Matt Baker, via Theatreview Feature – Ballet, Pregnancy and Motherhood: Rachel Moss, Huffington Post

Nina, basically Ms Craine was somewhat taken by Ms Osipova's performance, and by Mr Golding's: "Yet in the ballroom scene, when Onegin has cruelly humiliated Tatiana by rejecting her declaration of love, Osipova let rip in a solo so explosively full of hurt and pleading that it was almost as if I had never seen the choreography before. It’s this kind of raw release that makes her performances so dangerous and exciting. Golding doesn’t quite know how to stand still and be someone else on stage, but the high-octane choreography of Cranko’s pas de deux for Onegin and Tatiana generated a powerful dramatic line in his dancing."

Then there is behaviour like this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-31160309

Have I missed something? Nowhere on the current website, all changed back last summer, is the 'Royal' term used regarding the ballet company. The current usage appears to be "Ballet Vlaanderen" or "Ballet Flanders."

An announcement on the Opera House site - seems he's to have a deputy, Tamas Moricz: https://operaballet.be/nl/het-huis/blog/sidi-larbi-cherkaoui-wordt-artistiek-directeur-ballet-vlaanderen

If I'm to believe some Tweets with an Antipodean source, today is World Tutu Day. If so, who said so? And why?

From today's Links, Kelly Apter of The Scotsman saw a performance in Stirling: http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/theatre-comedy-dance/ballet-review-romeo-and-juliet-stirling-1-3676658 .... and was reasonably impressed.

Links – Monday, 2 February, 2015 Review – New York City Ballet, Concerto Barocco, The Goldberg Variations, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Feature – Bolshoi boss Vladimir Urin says he’s become conservative: Kommersant via Ismene Brown's Blog Feature – Young Carers work with Matthew Bourne at Sadler’s Wells: Holly Williams, Independent Reviews – Jasmin Vardimon, Park, Glasgow: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Mary Brennan, Herald Review – Daniel Léveillé, Solitudes Solo, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Reviews – Resolution! 2015, London: Graham Watts & Miriam Garnett, The Place Alyssandra Katherine Dance Project, Obstruct & Connect The Long and Short of it Dance Company, atma-graha Hannah K Vincent Dance, Cymatics Review – Ballet West, Romeo and Juliet, Stirling: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Feature – Open Day at the Academy of Northern Ballet: Ben Barnett, Yorkshire Post And should you wish to buy Ivy House, Anna Pavlova’s former home: Ham&High

Links – Sunday, 1 February, 2015 Review – Royal Ballet, Onegin (Osipova, Golding), London: Laura Thompson, Telegraph Review – Royal Ballet, Onegin (Nuñez, Soares), London: Luke Jennings, Observer Feature – Swan Lake turns 120 at the Mariinsky: Natalya Preblagina, TASS via RBTH Reviews – Mariinsky Ballet, Chopin: Dances for Piano, NY: Oksana Khadarina, Fjord Review Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, Bachtrack Review – San Francisco Ballet, Giselle, SF: Claudia Bauer, DanceTabs Feature – David Hallberg at The Bolshoi: Maggie Shipstead, CN Traveler Preview – Boston Ballet, Lady of the Camellias (Caniparoli): Karen Campbell, Boston Globe Previews – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Coppelia, Edinburgh: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Mary Brennan, Herald Review – Dance Theatre of Harlem, Mixed Bill, Sarasota: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune News – Coming soon in Boston: Karen Campbell, Boston Globe Preview – NDT 2, Subject to Change, Shutters Shut, Sara, NY: Jack Anderson, NY Times Feature – Something Sampled, Flexing as Street dancers tackle a Ballet project: Brian Seibert, NY Times Reviews – Resolution! 2015, London: Lyndsey Winship & Philippa Newis, The Place Anecdotal Evidence, Speak Up Patricia Zafra, Underneath the Skin The Company, Zion Gallery – Tango Fire, Flames of Desire, London: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Review – Guanxi Nanning Arts Theatre, Legend of the Sun, London: Vera Liber, BTG Review – Scott Wells and Dancers, The why ask why we dance dance, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle

Links – Thursday, January 29, 2015 Review – Mariinsky Ballet, Rite of Spring, Spectre de la Rose, Dying Swan, Paquita Grand Pas, DC: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post News – Mariinsky to return to Washington in 1916? Staff, Sputnik Review – Mariinsky Ballet, Chopiniana, Without, In the Night, NY: Robert Greskovic, WSJ Review – Mariinsky Ballet, Swan Lake, NY: Marianne Adams, Danceviewtimes Reviews – Royal Ballet, Onegin (Multiple casts), London: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Ismene Brown, Spectator Reviews – San Francisco Ballet, ‘Infinite Romance’ Opening Gala, SF: Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes Paul Parish, Bay Area Reporter Review – San Francisco Ballet, Serenade, RAkU, Lambarena: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Review – Richard Alston Dance Company, Rejoice in the Lamb, Burning, Nomadic, Madcap, London: Sarah Frater, The Stage Review – Tango Fire, London: Clement Crisp, Financial Times Reviews – Resolution! 2015, London: Marianne Tuckman & Donald Hutera, The Place FlickerrDanceCompany, Terpsicore Shaky Isles Theatre, Spinning Coins Guarini Dance Company, Patuà Review – Moriah Evans, Social Dance 1-8: Index, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Reviews – American Realness Festival, New York: Karen Sherman; Liz Santoro & Pierre Godard: Martha Sherman, Danceviewtimes Miguel Gutierrez; Jack Ferver: Martha Sherman, Danceviewtimes 2 Luciana Achugar, Otro Teatro: Martha Sherman, Danceviewtimes 3 Reviews – Mime Festival & BalletBoyz, London: Ismene Brown, Spectator Review – Kate Champion/Force Majeure, Nothing To Lose, Sydney: Deborah Jones, Blog Review – Aakash Odedra, Inked, Murmur, London: Matthew Paluch, Londondance Preview – Ray Mercer/Giordano Dance Chicago, Shirt off my Back, etc, Chicago: Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times And as it’s never too late for a Nut: Feature – Keeping it fresh in The Nutcracker: Julie Diana, Playbill Arts

Whilst in Washington just now, it appears that the Mariinsky is discussing another visit there next year: http://sputniknews.com/art_living/20150128/1017453908.html (Sputnik is the Agency that used to be Voice of Russia, so it's probably an informed article.) They may well be seeking to maximise payments in non-rouble currencies these days.

So, "the back end server is at capacity." How unfortunate - just when folk may be wanting to tell the ROH where to stick their system!?

Perhaps I'm not alone in noting that one of our number was one of the Award sponsors this year? Lee, well done - you certainly put in the hours in your devotion to the art. As, I believe, does your wife.

Janet: The FT window that I get, and which was a nuisance through most of my last Links stint, says 3 articles free. It certainly was a good deal more than that before. If you can remember the Headline in the moments during which it appears, and then put that into Google, you're likely to get clear access. Changing browsers and clearing the cache didn't work for me last week, I'm afraid.

Putting away my wife's programme from the other night, I see that the cover girl, as so often in ENB promotional material, is Begoña Cao, looking particularly stunning in the inverted Odile mirror image. The photographers seem to love her exotic looks (DaveM?). Yet, if I'm right, she did not do a single lead performance?

Links – Sunday, January 18, 2015 Reviews – BalletBoyz, Young Men, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Feature – Ballet West Dance School: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Review – Moscow City Ballet, Giselle, London: Sara Veale, DanceTabs Review – Mira Calix/Sydney Dance Company, Inside There Falls, Sydney: Michelle Potter, DanceTabs Reviews – Resolution! 2015, London: Keith Watson & Hailey McLeod, The Place RedTape Dance Company, Pensar é Destruir Hannah Buckley, Woman with Eggs Rachel Burn, Happening Feature – Choreographer Richard Alston’s Cultural Highlights: Observer And, seemingly as glorious as ever: Review – The Trocks in Calgary: Stephan Bonfield, Calgary Herald