Ian Macmillan

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

Links – Monday, December 15, 2014 If decking the halls: Review – American Ballet Theater, The Nutcracker (Ratmansky), NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – English National Ballet, The Nutcracker (Eagling), London: Jenny Gilbert, Arts Desk Reviews – Scottish Ballet, The Nutcracker (Darrell), Edinburgh: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Justine Blundell, Edinburgh Guide -- Elayne Seaton defies odds to dance: Jenny Morrison, Daily Record Review – National Ballet of Canada, The Nutcracker (Kudelka), Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Review – Ballet West, The Nutcracker (Christensen), DC: Ashley McKean, Danceviewtimes Review – Queensland Ballet, The Nutcracker (Stevenson), Brisbane: Deborah Jones, The Australian -- News: Queensland Ballet Joiners and Leavers: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Other Nutcrackers are available in: - Montgomery, Alabama: Teri Greene, Montgomery Advertiser - Oakland, California: Oroville MR - Kelowna, British Columbia: Stacy Penner, Kelowna Now But if doing something else: Preview – Stanislavsky Ballet/Diana Vishneva, Tatiana (Neumeier), Moscow: Raymond Stults, Moscow Times Review – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, Edward Scissorhands, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Late Review – Mikhailovsky Ballet, Don Quixote, NY: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Review – Juilliard Dance, New Dances, Edition 2014, NY: Lauren Gallagher, DanceTabs Feature – An Australian Top 10 for 2014: Deborah Jones, Blog Review – Shannon Bott, Nat Cursio, Simon Ellis, Recovery, Melbourne: Gracia Haby, Fjord Review News – Gibney’s Dance selects Artists for Residencies: Lori Holcomb-Holland, NY Times

I ordered some Printer Inks on Amazon around 8pm last night, not using one of their extra-cost rapid delivery methods. The postman delivered them about 30 minutes ago.

Ahh! The eternally youthful Mike Coleman - he seems to have a job for life at ENB. Great stuff, and more power to his elbow!

Alison: I very much doubt that there's any difference of substance. I sing with the Cambridge Philharmonic, where the orchestra also performs symphonies, and I doubt that you'd find any significant difference between the annual programmes of the LPO and LSO. Otherwise, one might examine the Graeco-Latin roots of the two terms, and there I'd propose Love of Harmony and Sounding Together, pretty much two aspects of one entity. "A rose by any other name etc etc..."

Links – Saturday, December 6, 2014 Feature – Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris: Rachel Rizzuto, Dance Magazine Review – An American in Paris, Paris Opening Night: Unattributed, Figaro Si Feature – Alice Renavand, Paris Opera Ballet: Patricia Boccadoro, Culturekiosque Review – Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Balanchine & Robbins, DC: Oksana Khadarina. DanceTabs Review – Jessica Lang Dance, The Wanderer, NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Interview – Tamara Rojo on Dance in schools, her future , etc: Keith Perry, Telegraph Feature – Backstage at Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker: Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle Feature – James Davis (‘Banks’), ENO’s star dancer: Richard Godwin, Evening Standard Review – The Snowman, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Gallery – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, Edward Scissorhands, London: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Review – Meredith Monk, On Behalf of Nature, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat News – Ballet West new Salt Lake City home: Ellen Fagg Weist, SL Tribune - Dancers’ Reactions: Kathy Adams, SL Tribune Exhibition – Shostakovich’s 1931 ballet, The Bolt: London: Staff, Dancing Times Review – Nat Cursio, Shannon Bott, Simon Ellis, Recovery, Melbourne: Jordan Beth Vincent, The Age Review – John Butterfield, Your Body Is A Battleground, Wellington: Lyne Pringle, NZ Theatreview Review – Ziyian Kwan, Anne Cooper, Ron Stewart, Things Near and Far, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com In London next week – Mad Hatters Various: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Party Season Special: News – Scientists discover how men can dance better: Clare Evans, Londondance

Links – Thursday, December 4, 2014 Obituaries – Brian Macdonald, Canadian Choreographer: Bruce Weber, NY Times Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Star Feature – The Balanchine Nutcracker: A Child’s Dream of Heaven: Clive Barnes (from 2004), Playbill Arts Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Nutcracker, Birmingham: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Review – Mark Bruce Company, Dracula, London: Graham Watts, Londondance Review – Eifman Ballet, Rodin, Cannes: Christina Gallea Roy, DanceTabs Review – Phoenix Dance Theatre, Shift, Shadows, Document, Mapping, London: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Review – Doug Varone and Company, Dome, The Fabulist, Castles, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Reviews – Sacred Monsters/Rameau/Mark Bruce/Rambert/Len & Lucy: Ismene Brown, Spectator News – UK’s first Industry-wide Dance Conference: Claire Evans, Londondance News – Ballet films emerging from Russian archives: John Naughton, RBTH Preview – Zoo Nation, The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, London: Jessica Duchen, Independent Review – Ryan McNamara, ME3m, Miami: Alex Needham, Guardian Preview – LA Dance Project, Hearts & Arrows (from Gems, or Jewels II): Priscilla Frank, Huffington Post Preview – Smuin Ballet, The Christmas Ballet, Uncorked!, Carmel: Walter Ryce, Monterey County Weekly Feature – Gregory Dawson/Elizabeth Streb, Dawson Dance SF: Rachel Howard, SF Chronicle Preview Q&A – Jess Curtis, The Dance That Documents Itself, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle News – Meg Stuart wins Montreal Grand Prix de la Danse: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette And as its Nutcracker season: News – Nominees for 8th Annual ‘Nutty’ Award: Jessica Gelt, LA Times

Links – Wednesday, December 3, 2014 News – Second Sadler’s Wells theatre to be on London Olympics site: Joe Murphy, Evening Standard Carmel Smith, Londondance Review – Choreographers’ Showcase 2014, Hong Kong: Natasha Rogai, SCMP News – Patricia McBride, Kennedy Center Honoree: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Feature – Backstage at Alberta Ballet’s Nutcracker: Peter Robb, Ottawa Citizen Review – Boris Charmatz, Manger, Paris: Laura Capelle, Financial Times Feature – Banks-Artiste (James Davis), ENO’s unlikely dance star: Mark Brown, Guardian Preview – Kate Champion, Nothing to Lose, Sydney Festival: Clare Wiley, Independent Preview – Ryan McNamara, ME3m 4 Miami – A Story Ballet about the Internet, Miami: Jessica Glenza, Guardian Feature – A new slant on Rite of Spring: Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune Feature – Rachel Cossar, Boston Ballet dancer … and foodista(?): Andrea Pyenson, Boston Globe

Links – Tuesday, December 2, 2014 Review – Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Balanchine & Robbins Bill, DC: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Nutcracker (Wright), Birmingham: Pat Ashworth, The Stage Review – Sylvie Guillem & Akram Khan, Sacred Monsters, London: Sara Veale, Fjord Review Feature – Australia going nuts over Nutcrackers: Michaela Boland, The Australian Review – Moscow Ballet, Great Russian Nutcracker, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Interview – Ethan Stiefel, Freelance Director, Choreographer …: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Interview – Will Tuckett & Andrew Motion on Wind in the Willows: Imogen Tilden, Guardian Review – Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Nutcracker, Seattle: Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times Review – Ballet San Antonio, The Nutcracker, San Antonio: Jasmina Wellinghoff, SA Express-News Preview – Ballet in a window, Art of Being, London: Carmel Smith, Londondance

Links – Monday, December 1, 2014 Review – New York City Ballet, The Nutcracker (Balanchine), NY: GIa Kourlas, NY Times Review – Australian Ballet, The Nutcracker (Wright), Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald Review – Mikhailovsky Ballet, Flames of Paris, LA: Laura Bleiberg, LA Times Review – Sylvie Guillem & Akram Khan, Sacred Monsters, London: Zoë Anderson, Independent Review – Lyon Opera Ballet, Workwithinwork, Sarabande, One Flat Thing, Reproduced, Paris: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Lecture Precis – Don’t let businessmen run Arts companies: Ralph Myers, The Australian (Full text here: The Australian and Guardian) Reviews – Suzanne Farrell Ballet, The Concert & Others, DC: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Review – Constanza Macras, The Past, Berlin: Ian Shuttleworth, Financial Times Review – Linda Luke, Still Point Turning, Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald Preview – Neil Greenberg, This, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times

Links – Sunday, November 30, 2014 Obituary – Brian Macdonald, Director, Choreographer: Deirdre Kelly, Globe and Mail Reviews – Royal Ballet, Don Quixote, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Gallery – Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Nutcracker, Birmingham: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Hardly News – Tsiskaridze elected as Vaganova Rector: Gazeta via Ismene Brown, Blog Feature – Bangarra Dance Theatre at 25: Damien Murphy, Sydney Morning Herald Preview – Royal New Zealand Ballet, A Christmas Carol, Wellington: Sharon Stephenson, NZ Herald Preview – The Trocks in New York for Christmas: Matthew Wexler, The Broadway Blog Review – Phoenix Dance Theatre, Shift, Shadows, Document, Mapping, London: Laura Dodge, Bachtrack Review – Rambert, Terra Incognita, The Castaways, Rooster, Edinburgh: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Review – Avatâra Ayuso/AVA, Provisional Landscapes, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Preview – Ziyian Kwan & Others, Things Near and Far, Vancouver: Alexander Varty, Straight.com Feature – Shireen Ziyadeh and a Ballet School in Ramallah …: Hossam Ezzedine/AFP, SCMP Feature - …. And another one in Sydney: Stephanie Wood, Sydney Morning Herald

Behind the Times paywall, so not captured for this morning's Links - a near full-page feature, plus a 3rd Leader, on the possibility of senior chaps at the RB receiving bouquets at curtain calls. Xander Parish is heavily quoted as saying he has become used to this in St Petersburg, and it is claimed that the RB "has signalled that it is sympathetic to calls from male ballet stars that they should be allowed to get a bouquet of flowers too." Steven McCrae is said to be in favour.

Katherine: It was, indeed, in English in London, and had been in Swiss German in Bern. And it would no doubt be readily translatable for performance elsewhere. There might be a job in it for you one day! But seriously, the dramatic issue concerned a present-day revisionist look at a historical decision, the execution in 1782 of Anna Goeldi, the last 'witch' in Europe, pardoned by Swiss authorities in 2007. Better explained here: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/3594-bernballett-witch-hunt-hexenhatz/?p=46364 I'm perfectly content to accept that this was Dance theatre rather than ballet - my point is that it was effective.

Most might agree that storytelling without words is not easy. So why not add a few words at judicious moments to help focus the action? The value of doing so, to my mind, was well demonstrated in Witch Hunt, Cathy Marston's last work in Bern and brought to the Linbury in May of last year. After a danced prologue, Swiss actress, Mona Kloos, moved the story on from the sidelines at intervals, using a few, well-constructed sentences until, towards the end, she was gradually absorbed into the action and we were given her final admonition to the modern world: "... but I have nothing left but this witch!" https://www.flickr.com/photos/dancetabs/8779366687/in/set-72157633600994740 Eighteen months on, I can't forget it, so the technique seems to have worked for me.

Judith Mackrell's Blog piece - yesterday's Links - also plays into this discussion: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/dance-blog/2014/nov/26/why-dance-choreographers-need-editors I have a feeling that a good deal of Cathy Marston's success with some fairly dense stories has been to do with her association on most with Edward Kemp, Theatre Director, Dramaturg and, now, Director at RADA.

Alison: No, the Company was not mentioned. In the printed edition, the caption read: "New departure: Terra Incognita, a show representing a journey into the unknown, had its premiere last night at Sadler's Wells, London. The performers combine classical Indian dance with contemporary movement."

The other day our post included a letter addressed anonymously to "The lovely person who lives at ..." followed by our address. Had an email arrived addressed in that fashion, I fancy it would have gone straight into Junk without further consideration. However, I opened the letter to find an invitation from streetlife.com "to join the online community for Bishop's Stortford," where we live. I've had a look at their website which has a voiceover from Stephen Fry extolling the benefits of being part of a local online community, with the project apparently initiated by a chap whose flat was broken into on his first night there and who, not surprisingly, didn't know any neighbours. It is said to be "handy for sharing practical information like crime alerts, lost pets and community events and for exchanging skills, belongings and recommendations with locals." On the face of things, it looks genuine and may be simply something that aims a bit more widely than Freecycle. The website says there's a staff of 11, with premises somewhere around Covent Garden, all mainly privately funded. Now, surrounded as we are these days by scams online and on the phone, I've become very wary of all uninvited approaches by organisations of which I know nothing and it all looks a bit too good to be true. So, has any Forum member come across streetlife.com in their own area and, if so, is it really as altruistic as has been made out?

Today's Links include an article from the Washington Post that takes the extended 'opening' of Little Dancer as the basis for an examination of the whole process of getting to Broadway. Quite a business ... literally. http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/opening-night-for-kennedy-centers-little-dancer--or-is-it/2014/11/18/1c6feb9a-6f57-11e4-a2c2-478179fd0489_story.html

Links – Wednesday, November 19, 2014 Review – Lyon Opera Ballet, Workwithinwork, Sarabande, One Flat Thing, Reproduced, Paris: Laura Capelle, Financial Times Review – Mikhailovsky Ballet, Flames of Paris, NY: Carol Pardo, Danceviewtimes Preview – San Francisco Ballet, Nutcracker’s 70 Years: Janos Gereben, SF Classical Voice Review – Royal Ballet, Ceremony of Innocence, Age of Anxiety, Aeternum, London: Jeffery Taylor, Express Preview – BalletX, Gran Partita (Elo), Philadelphia: Lew Whittington, Dance Journal Review – Sydney Dance Company, 2 One Another, Auckland: Bernadette Rae, NZ Herald Review – New Movement Collective, Please Be Seated, London: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs News – ABT and Segerstrom Center to open Ballet School: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Jessica Gelt, LA Times America Hernandez, Orange County Register Interview – Matthew Bourne on Angela Lansbury: Laura Barnett, Guardian Gallery – Misty Copeland: Washington Post Feature – Has Little Dancer opened, or not? Rebecca Ritzel, Washington Post Review – Northern Ballet, Cinderella, Manchester: Rhiannon McDowall, Manchester Evening News Feature – Voguing back in vogue: Kenya Hunt, Guardian Review – L-E-V/Sharon Eyal, House, Vancouver: Alexander Varty, Straight.com BBC4 TV – Dancing Cheek to Cheek: Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Lucy Worsley, Telegraph

Links – Tuesday, November 18, 2014 Obituary – Nina Timofeyeva: Telegraph Review – Royal Ballet, Age of Anxiety, London: David Jays, Arts Journal/Performance Monkey Review – Boston Ballet, Swan Lake (Nissinen), Boston: Alan Helms, DanceTabs Review – Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Shostakovich, Rasa, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Feature – What’s next for Sarasota Ballet? Carrie Seidman, Herald-Tribune News – Bolshoi Ballet visiting Japan: Staff, ITAR-TASS Video – Akram Khan on the art that moves him: Peter Aspden, Financial Times Also, Carmel Smith, Londondance Review – Batsheva Dance Company, Sadhe21, NY: Ivan Talijancic, Bachtrack Review – Cullberg Ballet, Plateau Effect, London: Siobhan Murphy, Londondance Reviews – Ivy Baldwin Dance, Oxbow & Hilary Easton, I Am With You, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – Sasha Waltz, L’après-midi d’un faune, Scène d’amour, Rite of Spring, Berlin: David Larkin, Bachtrack Review – Jazz Antiqua, Song in a Strange Land, LA: Teresa Heiland, Bachtrack Review – Currency: Christ, Maszkiewicz & Others, London: Josephine Leask, Londondance Tour Review – Mark Bruce Company, Dracula, Salisbury: Anne Hill, BTG Review – Xing Liang & Dick Wong Tai-fai, 0/2, Hong Kong: Natasha Rogai, SCMP