Ian Macmillan

In our daily trawl for ballet or dance-related Links, it's fairly rare to come across something from South Africa. However, something popped up by way of Twitter earlier today that seems worth sharing. Joburg Ballet which, according to the Company website, was only established in 2012 as a professional company, is planning a production of La Bayadère using students from its associated Academy to bolster its numbers. All in all, it seems an ambitious venture and some idea of what has been involved can be seen in the three video features here: http://blog.laugesorensen.com/?p=113

Links – Friday, January 16, 2015 Feature – Alice, and Questions about Live Streaming: Liz Schafer, Times Higher Education Review – Royal Danish Ballet, Bournonville Celebration, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Reviews – BalletBoyz, Young Men, London: Clement Crisp, Financial Times Siobhan Murphy, DanceTabs Mark Monahan, Telegraph Judith Mackrell, Guardian Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Neil Norman, The Stage James Fitzgerald, Londonist Vera Liber, BTG Gallery – Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs News – Ballet-themed drama film, Polina, for next year: Elsa Keslassy, Variety Preview – Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Concerto for Two Violins, Writing Ground, Miami: Guillermo Perez, Miami New Times News – Royal Ballet adding New York visit to its 2015 summer tour: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times News – BRB to hold Open Day at refurbished HQ: Vera Liber, BTG Review – Sydney Festival, Vicki Van Hout, Long Grass, Sydney: Julia Cotton, Sydney Morning Herald Gallery – Korean National Ballet, Seventh Symphony, Rite of Spring: Sunkyung Reina Jang, DanceTabs Reviews – Resolution! 2015, London: Philippa Newis & Josephine Leask, The Place AniCo, Our Physical Intentions Zosia Jo, Herstory Urban Interface Dance Co, Crossing the Line Review – Jack Ferver, Night Light Bright Light, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Preview – The Trocks, Vancouver: Marsha Lederman, Globe and Mail Feature – Infinite Romance and offstage weddings at SF Ballet: Carolyne Zinko, SF Chronicle And for anyone wondering what Deborah Bull has been doing: Feature – Young People and The Arts, Lessons from 50 Years of Arts Policy: Deborah Bull, Guardian

BRB will be opening its newly-refurbished HQ to the public on Sunday 25 January, from 11am to 4pm: http://www.brb.org.uk/2015-open.html

What appears to be the complete BBC programme is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/corporate2/mediacentre/latestnews/2015/year-of-song-and-dance Take your pick from the Darcey coverage: http://news.google.com/news/story?cf=all&ned=uk&hl=en&ncl=dKYU9-0NJi_DcRM

Ditto Robert Greskovic for the WSJ: http://www.wsj.com/articles/where-men-take-the-lead-1421278408 Curiously, no sign of anything this morning in the NY Times.

Links – Thursday, January 15, 2015 Feature – Man to Man, transmitting experience at ABT: Marina Harss, New Yorker Reviews – Royal Danish Ballet, Bournonville Celebration, NY: Robert Greskovic, Wall St Journal Marina Harss, Blog Lauren Gallagher, DanceTabs Preview – Mariinsky Theatre’s US Tour: Natalia Kurova, RIA Novosti/RBTH London Reviews – Ismene Brown, Spectator English National Ballet, Swan Lake (2 casts) Royal Danish Ballet, Bournonville Celebration Feature – Dance in BBC’s Year of Song and Dance, 2015: Details and Highlights: BBC Media Centre Darcey Bussell and BBC Young Dancer 2015: Anita Singh, Telegraph (and elsewhere!) Preview – Wendy Whelan, Restless Creature, SF: Janos Gereben, SF Examiner Review – Lucy Guerin Inc, Weather, Paris: Laura Cappelle, Financial Times Review – International Mime Festival: Gandini Juggling/Ludovic Ondiviela, 4x4, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Lyn Gardner, Guardian Neil Norman, The Stage Vera Liber, BTG Reviews – Resolution! 2015, London: Josephine Leask & Miriam Garnett, The Place Lo-Giudice, The Teeth Behind the Kisses Salah El Brogy Company, The Race #PPL Dance, A Kid That Grows Up Preview – Christopher House/Deborah Hay, I’ll Crane for You, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star

Marina Harss was impressed: http://marinaharss.com/2015/01/14/dancing-with-the-danes/

My wife was at last night's performance and was very impressed by the Corps throughout. However, like others earlier, she was significantly less impressed by Ivan Vasiliev's Prince, and she was most decidedly unimpressed by the tempi adopted for parts of Act II that, she felt, did Ms Cojocaru no favours at all.

Links – Wednesday, January 14, 2015 Academic Paper – The Philosophy of Dance: Aili Bresnahan, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Review – Royal Danish Ballet, Bournonville Celebration, London: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Preview – Wendy Whelan, Restless Creature, SF: Mary Ellen Hunt, SF Chronicle Feature – Val Caniparoli, 20th Anniversary: Sean Martinfield, Huffington Post Exhibition – Bolt, Gallery for Russian Arts and Design, London: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Review – Indian Dance Festival, Chennai: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Feature – Nobody’s Victims, Looking beyond ‘Victim Art’: David Jays, Arts Journal/Performance Monkey (Expands on the 8 Jan Guardian link) Preview – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Coppelia, Edinbirgh: Kelly Apter, The List Reviews – American Realness Festival, NY: Miguel Gutierrez & Tere O’Connor: Brian Seibert, NY Times Michelle Ellsworth & Jeremy Wade: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Blog Feature – Animation dance – Hip Hop’s New Move: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Review – Chitrasena Dance Company, Dancing for the Gods, Sydney: Deborah Jones, Blog Review – Baila Brazil, Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald TV series – Danser! Tracking Quebecois Ballet School Graduates: Kathryn Greenaway, Montreal Gazette

Alison: If they do as in the past, you'll find that all of this week's conversations will be available as a podcast from next week. It was mainly on her early days back in Australia this morning - on to Ken MacMillan tomorrow by the sound of things.

JSD: Welcome to the Forum. As it happens, your enquiry coincides with a bit of domestic clearing out that has produced a video version of the previous RAD Inter syllabus, plus a CD with the music therefor. There's also a 1996 video of the then Elementary syllabus that I understand later became the old Inter syllabus, if you're interested. If interested, contact me via the Forum PM system, accessible at top right of the screen.

Links – Tuesday, December 30, 2014 Review – Royal Ballet, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Review – Paris Opera Ballet, La Source, Paris: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Feature – Scottish Ballet, 2015-16 Season: Mary Brennan, Herald Looking back at 2014: Melbourne: Chloe Smethurst, The Age London: Lise Smith, Londondance London: Neil Norman, The Stage Chicago: Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times Sarasota, Carrie Seidman, Herald-Tribune News – Dance in Guggenheim “Works and Process” series: Lori Holcomb-Holland, NY Times Preview – Dance International, Glasgow: Mary Brennan, Herald Review – Peut-être Theatre, The Tin Soldier, London: Jeffrey Gordon Baker, Londondance

Posted Today, 09:51 AM Links – Monday December 29, 2014 Review - English National Ballet, The Nutcracker, London: Jeffrey Taylor, Sunday Express Review - Scottish Ballet, The Nutcracker, Edinburgh: Hanna Weibye, The Arts Desk Review - Australian Ballet, The Nutcracker (tv broadcast of new recording): Michelle Potter, On Dancing Profile - Shantala Shivalingappa and her Indian dance heritage: Marina Harss, The Nation Looking back on 2014: Six of the best, NY: Brian Seibert, New York Times The year in retrospect: Wendy Perron The best and worst, USA: Wendy Perron, Dance Magazine Feature - Jean-Jacques Sempé, a selection of New Yorker dance covers: Mina Kaneko & Francoise Mouly, New Yorker

Posted Yesterday, 09:32 AM Links – Sunday December 28, 2014 Feature - Partnering in ballet: Marina Harss, New York Times Feature - Tsiskaridze and the “half-educated Western people” : Ismene Brown blog / Gazeta.spb Profile - BRB’s Luke Schaufuss: Luke Jennings, The Observer Preview - East Village Dance Project, The Shell-Shocked Nut, NY: Gia Kourlas, New York Times

Re the link to The Australian - it is indeed on their Subscription pages. However, if you copy this headline into Google, it should bring the article up as first entry and you should probably be able to gain access to it: All irk and no play make for a night to forget I have no real idea why this happens, and it doesn't always work, but I've just made it work for me, having been denied access by going through the paper's Theatre page. The things you pick up after some years of doing Links!

Links – Saturday, December 20, 2014 Feature – Evan McKie, Discovering a Canadian style? Martha Schabas, Globe and Mail Review – American Ballet Theatre, The Nutcracker (Ratmansky), NY: Robert Grescovic, Wall St Journal Review – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Odetta, NY: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Review – National Ballet of Canada, Nijinsky (Neumeier), Toronto: Penelope Ford, Fjord Review Review – Smuin Ballet, The Christmas Ballet: Uncorked, SF: Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes Feature – Nutcrackers around Baltimore: Tim Smith, Baltimore Sun TV Feature – Darcey Bussell goes looking for Audrey: Elizabeth Grice, Telegraph Review – Scottish Ballet, The Nutcracker (Darrell), Edinburgh: John McLellan, Edinburgh Evening News Review – Rambert Dance Company, New Choreography, London: Vera Liber, BTG Feature – Pacific Northwest Ballet’s last Stowell/Sendak Nutcracker: Shirley Qiu, Seattle Times Review – Tere O’Connor, Bleed, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Austin McCormick, Nutcracker Rouge, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Feature – NYCB Nutcracker - Ashley Hod & Claire Von Enck: Leigh Witchel, NY Post Next Week – Christmas Shows in London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Reviews – Arthur Pita, The Little Match Girl, London: Neil Norman, The Stage Vera Liber, BTG Feature – Auditioning for Canada’s National Ballet School: Kathryn Greenaway, Montreal Gazette Review – Eiko Otake, A Body In a Station, Philadelphia: Madison Mainwaring, Brooklyn Rail Report – Xavier Le Roy Retrospective, MoMA NY: Jaime Shearn Coan, Brooklyn Rail Interview – Neil Greenberg on This: Stormy Budwig, Brooklyn Rail Feature – Rep Your Style promoting Street Dance categories: Ali Rosa-Salas, Brooklyn Rail

.... or look into this morning's Links, as it's there too.

Links – Friday, December 19, 2014 Reviews – Comparing NYCB Sugarplums + Doug Varone, Triple Bill, NY: Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Reviews – Arthur Pita, The Little Match Girl, London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Jeffrey Gordon Baker, Londondance Review – Rambert Dance Company, New Choreography, London: Siobhan Murphy, DanceTabs News – Jacob’s Pillow Festival Program, 2015: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune (re Sarasota Ballet) Op-Ed – Could diplomatic warming help US-Cuba cultural exchange? Maria Gallucci, International Business Times Photo Feature – Why Dance? 39 Reasons Why: Katherine Brooks, Huffington Post Feature – SFB’s Maria Kochetkova: Lorraine Sanders, SF Chronicle Review – Forced Entertainment, The Possible Impossible House, London: Siobhan Murphy, DanceTabs Review – Kov, Carvalho, Harper, Vuong 10, London: Josephine Leask, Londondance Review – Maree ReMalia, Abby Zbikowski, Now Is Now, Destabilizer, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times DVD Promo – Royal Ballet, The Winter’s Tale: Staff, Guardian Preview – José Mateo, The Nutcracker, Boston: Emily Wright, Boston Globe 100 years ago yesterday, Nutcracker premiered in St Petersburg with some critical reaction as here: Arika Okrent, Blog

..... and no doubt someone must have said it would never catch on! And, sure enough, they did ...... see link below!

Links – Thursday, December 18, 2014 Review – Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, As always - Joy Unconfined!, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – National Ballet of Canada, The Nutcracker (Kudelka), Toronto: Pia Savoie, Bachtrack Review – San Francisco Ballet, The Nutcracker (Tomasson), SF: Paul Parish, Bay Area Reporter Live Stream Review – Royal Ballet, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Review – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Two Programs, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Book Feature – Irina Baronova, via Victoria Tennant: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Feature – Chicago’s Best Dance Events of 2014: Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times DVD Feature – Bolshoi Ballet, 5 Restored Performances: Mark Monahan, Telegraph Review – Rambert Dance Company, New Choreography Programme, London: Shelley Pinto-Duschinsky, Bachtrack -- Gallery: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Review – Arthur Pita, The Little Match Girl, London: Lynette Halewood, DanceTabs Preview – Oakland Ballet, The Nutcracker (Lustig), Oakland: Rachel Howard, SF Chronicle Reviews – Keely Garfield, Wow, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – Ros Warby, Court Dance, No Time To Fly, Melbourne: Gracia Haby, Fjord Review Feature – Andrew Peasgood & Scottish Ballet’s Nutcracker: Andrew Youngson, Aberdeen Press & Journal Feature – ENB’s Ksenia Ovsyanick Healthy Eating Regime: Amy Bryant, Telegraph Blinding Glimpses # 243: Bayern aren’t like women’s ballet: Miles Chambers, Goal (No opinion offered on any similarity to ‘men’s ballet.’)

One of today's Links seems to find a natural home here: http://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/conducting-people-near-ballet

Links – Wednesday, December 17, 2014 Reviews of 2014: -- My Top Ten in Dance: Judith Mackrell, Guardian -- Annual Review: what’s the purpose of this art form? Sarah Crompton, Telegraph -- 5 Best Dance Moments: Sarah Crompton, Telegraph -- 5 Worst Dance Moments: Sarah Crompton, Telegraph Here and Now: Review – American Ballet Theatre, The Nutcracker (Ratmansky), NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – English National Ballet, The Nutcracker (Eagling), London: Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard News – Andrew Litton to lead NYCB Orchestra: Michael Cooper, NY Times Review – Royal Winnipeg Ballet, The Nutcracker, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Feature – Patricia McBride, Dance Honoree, 37th Kennedy Center Honors: Oksana Khadarina, DanceTabs Feature – Matthew Rushing’s Odetta for Alvin Ailey: Marina Harss, Blog Review – Arthur Pita, The Little Match Girl, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Feature – Nutcracker’s Financial Significance for PNB: Misha Berson, Seattle Times Review – Nederlands Dans Theater, Sehnsucht, Schmetterling, The Hague: Isabella Zijp, Bachtrack The Humourists are out: 1. Conducting the people near me at the Ballet: Colin Stokes, New Yorker 2. I went to see The Nutcracker so you don’t have to: Alf LaMont, Huffington Post

Bruce: Thanks for that background, and I'm very much with you on Winter's Tale. Meanwhile, for those whose French is reasonable, it seems that Paris Match has gone overboard about Wheeldon's production: http://www.parismatch.com/Culture/Spectacles/Broadway-debarque-au-Chatelet-671770 "Une réussite totale." "Peut-on vivre une soirée plus parfaite que celle ci ? Difficilement."

Buddy, You're most welcome. We normally don't cover Musicals but, over the years since ballet.co, exceptions have been made for West Side Story and Billy Elliott, and I think we can safely do likewise for Chris Wheeldon's production. Based on all of what we've heard thus far, I do hope it makes it to London before too long, but I guess it may have a long Broadway run before that. And, if I recall correctly, Leanne Cope is on a limited Leave of Absence from the Royal Ballet - something that could yet raise questions for her (and others in the cast?) about where her future lies.

Links – Tuesday, December 16, 2014 Obituary – Alla Sizova, Kirov Ballet: Judith Cruickshank, Guardian Today’s Nut Harvest: Reviews – English National Ballet, The Nutcracker (Eagling), London: Clement Crisp, Financial Times Graham Watts, Londondance Cristina de Lucas, Bachtrack Reviews – Scottish Ballet, The Nutcracker (Darrell), Edinburgh: Alice Bain, Guardian Mark Brown, Telegraph Reviews – San Francisco Ballet, The Nutcracker (Tomasson), SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Janice Berman, SF Classical Voice Terez Rose, Bachtrack Review – American Ballet Theatre, The Nutcracker (Ratmansky), NY: Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, Bachtrack And also at: - Ballet Arizona: Lynn Trimble, Phoenix New Times - Grand Rapids Ballet: Adrienne Warber, Examiner - Tacoma City Ballet: Rosemary Ponnekanti, News Tribune - José Mateo Ballet Theatre: Karen Campbell, Boston Globe Meanwhile, elsewhere: Review – An American in Paris (Wheeldon), Paris: Francis Carlin, Financial Times News – Scottish Ballet’s ambitious 2015-16 plans: Phil Miller, Herald News – Bolshoi Ballet heading for Monaco: Staff, TASS Review – Bayerisches Staatsballett, Paquita (Ratmansky), Munich: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Review – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Minus 16, Odetta, Bad Blood, NY: Debora Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Chroma, Suspended Women, Revelations, NY: Marianne Adams, Danceviewtimes Feature – Royal Ballet’s Eric Underwood: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Feature – Darcey Bussell on her former work-life imbalance: Shaun Curran, Daily Express Review – Hong Kong Dance Company, Storm Clouds, HK: Natasha Rogai, SCMP Review – Stuart Shugg, Anna Azrieli, Dear Washing Machine, Averaging, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times News – Guillaume Côté injured during performance: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star News – Ex-Asda exec investigated over funds for Dance company: Michael Quinn, The Stage