Ian Macmillan

Links – Friday, October 17, 2014 Feature – Frederick Ashton Remembered: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Review – New York City Ballet, 6-Part Mixed Bill, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Interview – Natalia Osipova: Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Feature – Tiler Peck becomes Degas’ Little Dancer: Peter Marks, Washington Post -- Interview - Susan Stroman, Directing Little Dancer: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Reviews – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Beauty and the Beast, London: Graham Watts, Londondance Vera Liber, BTG Review – Joffrey Ballet, Swan Lake (Wheeldon), Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Gallery – Boston Ballet – New Swan Lake Costumes: Rachel Raczka, Boston Globe Review – Richard Alston Dance Company, Rejoice in the Lamb, Holderlin Fragments, Burning, Overdrive, High Wycombe: Neil Norman, The Stage Feature – Can Ms Homans’ Think Tank Save Classical Ballet?: Mike Scutari, Inside Philanthropy News – Osipova & Hallberg booked for ABT Spring Season: Michael Cooper, NY Times/Arts Beat Gallery – Rocio Molina, Bosque Ardora, London: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Review – Melbourne Festival Dance, Zero, Zero, The Coffee Drinkers, Melbourne: Gracia Haby, Fjord Review Review – Basil Twist, Puppeteer, The Rite of Spring, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – NZ School of Dance Choreographic Season, 2014, Auckland: Briar Wilson, Theatreview Review – Arts Festival Dunedin, Kaha (2013-14), Dunedin: Hahna Briggs, Theatreview Review – Keigwin + Co, Mattress Suite, Contact Sport, Love Songs, Triptych, Sarasota, FL: Carrie Seidman, Herald-Tribune Review – Jodi Melnick, Moment Marigold, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Interview – Gerald Casel, Choreographer: Rachel Howard, SF Chronicle Preview – The Flying Steps, Red Bull Flying Bach, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star Review – Apolonia Velasquez & Offilio Sinbadinho Portillo, Uplica, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star

Bob: Many thanks - rather as I thought. Reid Anderson is, indeed, the AD in Stuttgart. He danced with the company when John Cranko was AD and would have been involved in the coaching of 'Onegin' in Antwerp.

B3: I'm sure that Katherine Barber (toursenlair) will be able to help on the linguistic point - but can I ask if you bought a programme for the show you saw. And if you did, and accepting that it will be in Flemish, is there any sign in a company listing there of a new AD having been appointed? I've not heard of anyone, I must say, and I now seem to be unable to unearth any Company personnel details from what is now the Opera/Ballet website. It was OK a couple of weeks ago, but I've drawn a blank today.

B3: You'll no doubt be interested in this latest addition to the company website, and this should be the English-language version: https://operaballet.be/en/the-house/blog/new-faces-at-ballet-flanders

Links – Thursday, October 16, 2014 Reviews – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Beauty and the Beast, London: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Louise Levene, Financial Times Reviews - Fall for Dance, Programs 2 and 3, New York: -- Lucinda Childs, Dresden Semperoper Ballett, Sébastien Ramirez & Honji Wang, Alvin Ailey: Martha Sherman, Danceviewtimes -- National Ballet of China, Vuyani Dance Theater, Sara Mearns & Co, Trisha Brown Dance Co: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Feature – Mikhailovsky Theater Ballet ready for US visit: Pauline Naryshkina, RBTH Reviews – Pacific Northwest Ballet, Tide Harmonic, Memory Glow, Debonair, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Carol Pardo, Danceviewtimes Feature – Akram Khan & Israel Galván, Torobaka, London: BBC Arts Reviews – Ismene Brown, Spectator -- Matthew Bourne, Lord of the Flies, London -- Scottish Ballet, The Crucible, Ten Poems, Glasgow -- Boy Blue Entertainment, The Five & The Prophecy of Prana, London Exhibition – Dance & Fashion, NY: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Review – Dance Umbrella, Disabled Theatre, London: Sarah Crompton, Telegraph Preview – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, Swan Lake, Melbourne: Kylie Northover, The Age Feature – Troy Schumacher’s first work for NYCB: Matt Blank, Playbill Arts Review – Errol White & Davina Givan, Breathe, Edinburgh: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Review – Melbourne Festival Dance, Zero, Zero, The Coffee Drinkers, Melbourne: Jordan Beth Vincent, The Age Feature – People Dancing, International Event, Cardiff: Carmel Smith, Londondance Review – Tertiary Colours 2014, College Programmes, Auckland: Kerry-Ann Stanton, Theatreview News – National Teaching Fellowship Award for Roehampton Lecturer: Carmel Smith, Londondance Feature – Anthony Missen/Company Chameleon, The Beauty of the Beast: Londondance Preview – San Francisco Trolley Dances, 2014: Andrea Pflaumer, SF Examiner And, in case you missed it: Which is cheaper, ballet or football? Glenn Moore, Independent

Well, many thanks to all who have responded on this thread, and the consensus would appear to be that the service is most welcome and that most of you are working with (or around) the various access 'issues' that can now be found. My suspicion is that the latter may well seem more of a nuisance to those of us carrying out the daily trawl than to most others. And on behalf of the team trio may I also say a Thank You for the kind words of appreciation written by so many. The team would, of course, be happy to welcome anyone who felt they might be able to help share the load by joining us. The task isn't particularly difficult, though it does require some time during the mornings on duty. Training and help is available, and extra hands would help ensure that the service continues into the foreseeable future. Should you - yes, you - want to explore this further, please contact me using the Forum's PM system. With thanks in advance, Ian Macmillan.

Links – Friday, October 10, 2014 Reviews – Fall for Dance Festival, New York: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Tom Phillips, Danceviewtimes - Mark Morris Dance Group, Songs Without Words, - Black Grace, Minoi, Pati Pati - San Francisco Ballet, Variations for Two Couples - Russell Maliphant, Two x Two Review – Pacific Northwest Ballet, Tide Harmonic, Debonair, Memory Glow, NY: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, La Fin du Jour, Miracle in the Gorbals, Flowers in the Forest, Birmingham: Mark Monahan, Telegraph Feature – Fall for Dance Festival, New York: Alexandra Villarreal, Columbia Spectator Gallery- Royal Ballet, Manon (Osipova, Acosta): Alice Pennefather, Andrej Uspenski, Mikhail Logvinov: Guardian Review – English National Ballet, Swan Lake, Manchester: Martin Thomasson, BTG Rebuttal Letters (+ Comments) – English National Ballet: Telegraph Review – Ballet Revolución 2014, London: Graham Watts, DanceTabs Review – Garth Fagan Dance, Mixed Bill, LA: Victoria Looseleaf, Fjord Review Review – ProArteDanza, 10th Anniversary Season, Toronto: Penelope Ford, Fjord Review Review – Sydney Dance Company, Louder Than Words, Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald Review – River North Dance Chicago, Gala Program, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Feature – Destiny Arts Center, Oakland: Mary Ellen Hunt, SF Chronicle Preview – Toronto Dance Theatre, Triple Bill, Toronto: Paula Citron, Globe and Mail Preview – Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Vollmond, Ottawa: Paula Citron, Globe and Mail Review – VOU Dance Company, Mataqali Drift, Auckland: Linda Ashley, Theatreview Links users – if you have not already noticed the thread, we would still be interested in your views of the service we provide and on the degree to which you find subscription demands limit your access, here

See 13 above - this is Two Pigeons' post, copied from the other thread, and now deleted there. There does not appear to be a straightforward way of moving an individual post between threads: Posted Today, 06:38 PM I was at the Hippodrome last night and found much to enjoy. I have reservations about La FIn Du Jour as I think its meaning and style has got slightly lost over the years. Needless to say, the company danced it extremely well and with real energy but for me they did not capture the underlying threat of what was on the horizon. I was privileged to see the first cast over 30 years ago, can you believe it is so long, but I still remember Merle Park and Jennifer Penney's understanding of the 1930s chic. I felt Maureya Lebowitz and Mathias Dingman did very well and once the company were in evening clothes I felt they got nearer the style I remember. When it comes to Miracle in the Gorbals I think I felt very much as I did when I saw the ENB revivals of Ashton's Apparitions and his Romeo and Juliet. How well these works have stood the test of time is something on which every viewer will have a different opinion. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Gillian Lynne and David Bintley for giving me the chance to see this work which was of such importance to the development of the Royal Ballet companies' repertoire. The performances were exceptionally sincere and heartfelt with special mention to Delia Matthews as the suicide and Cesar Morales in Helpmann's role of the stranger. This ballet stands or falls by the credibility of his performance. I only ever saw Helpmann once in 1979 in an entirely different role but I totally believe the stories of how magnetic and unforgettable he was in everything he ever did. Cesar is probably a much quieter presence but no less compelling for all of that. I am seeing the ballet again tomorrow night and will see how it fares on a second viewing. There is much to take in and it is a very intense 40 minutes. I will be very interested to hear how other balletomanes view the work. We finished the evening in fine style with ballet which is very close to my heart, Flowers of the Forest. Again praise to Mathias Dingman leading the second part, well supported by Elisha Willis and the first part, led by Iain Mackay was a sunny joy. The men danced their hearts out in the Scottish Ballad but I did get very annoyed with the new lighting effects. There was one point when I wanted to shout out 'for Heaven's Sake, turn the lights up'. I was at the premiere of this ballet in 1985 and have seen it a number of times in the intervening decade. As an aside, I think there is a mistake in the programme which says that Vyvyan Lorrayne danced at the Birmingham premiere. It is my memory that it was Margaret Barbieri but I may be wrong. it was a while ago. Either way, the old back cloths and lighting were perfectly fine to set the scene without the new dramatic changes. I do realise that it depicts great loss in battle without everything having to turn red. The programme was due to finish around 9.50 but it overran last night.

Anjuli/Sheila: You are quite right. In a rush at the time, I now see that I had set up a false antithesis in the sentences quoted, and I have now changed things accordingly.

Whilst engaged on this morning's Links trawl I saw a title for an Opinion piece in the Washington Post that had no obvious Ballet/Dance applicability but, on checking, sure enough, Ballet was covered as the argument was developed so I posted it. The article was written by critic Philip Kennicott, and I repeat the link here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/a-challenge-for-the-arts-stop-sanitizing-and-show-the-great-works-as-they-were-created/2014/10/01/15237d24-45af-11e4-b47c-f5889e061e5f_story.html He mentions the Arabian or Oriental character dances in the 19th Century classics and adds: "And perhaps no other art form more resolutely depicts women in degrading ways, submissive, weak and literally the physical playthings of their stronger male partners." Later he cites Alexei Ratmansky: "The rehashed homophobia, gender stereotypes and contempt for effeminacy offered up by contemporary choreographer Alexei Ratmansky (in “Don Quixote” and “The Limpid Stream”) feel genuinely different than the ludicrous and dated Orientalism and misogyny in a ballet such as “Scheherazade”; one invites a living disgust, the other an intellectual dissection." But, overall, his argument is that works of art should not be sanitized or modified to fit contemporary ideas. So, as I see it, the recent enforced closure of "Exhibit B" at The Barbican on racial grounds would probably not be something of which Mr Kennicott would have approved, a view taken by many in the Arts world after it occurred. So, at the risk of giving offence to some, do we leave the classics as they were conceived and preserve "the history embodied in the canon"?

Links – Sunday, October 5, 2014 Opinion – A Challenge to the Arts (including Ballet): Philip Kennicott, Washington Post Review – Royal Ballet, Manon (Hayward, Watson), London: Luke Jennings, Observer Review – American Ballet Theatre, All-American Celebration, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Beauty and the Beast, Birmingham: Neil Norman, Express Preview – Australian Ballet, Swan Lake (Murphy), LA: Susan Reiter, LA Times Preview – Australian Ballet, La Bayadère, Sydney: Jo Litson, Sunday Telegraph (Sydney) Review – Smuin Ballet, Serenade (Ammon), Frankie and Johnny, Objects of Curiosity, SF: Rachel Howard, SF Chronicle Review – Wilton’s Strike! Dance Festival, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Review – Candoco Dance Company, Let’s Talk about Dis, Notturnino, London: Siobhan Murphy, DanceTabs Review – Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Concerto for 2 Violins, Men’s Quintet, Rasa, Fairfax, VA: George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Preview – Ringling International Arts Festival/Tangram/Keigwin + Co: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Feature – Garth Fagan Company, Lighthouse/Lightning Rod: Jean Lenihan, Arts Journal/Fresh Pencil Review – Cornfield Dance, Furniture Suite, Pas de Detour, Small Stages, NY: Martha Sherman, Danceviewtimes Review – Chloe Chignell & Timothy Walsh, The Summit Is Blue, Melbourne: Gracia Haby, Fjord Review Next week in London & Birmingham – Manon, Shadows of War: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Review – The Flying Steps, Red Bull Flying Bach, Melbourne: Jordan Beth Vincent, The Age Links users – if you have not already noticed the thread, we would be interested in your views of the service we provide and on the degree to which you find subscription demands limit your access, here

Links – Friday, October 3, 2014 Reviews – Alessandra Ferri & Herman Cornejo, Martha Clarke’s Chéri, DC: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Review – New York City Ballet, Apollo, Monumentum Pro Gesualdo, Movements for Piano & Orchestra, Duo Concertant, Agon, NY: Michael Popkin, Danceviewtimes Review – Royal Ballet, Manon, London: Neil Norman, Express Exhibition – Dance and Fashion, New York: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Reviews – Grupo Corpo, Triz, Parabelo, London: Siobhan Murphy, DanceTabs Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Judith Mackrell, Guardian Louise Levene, Financial Times Preview – Rosas/De Keersmaeker, Rosas danst Rosas, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune News – BBC launches major new competition for young dancers: Matthew Hemley, The Stage Anita Singh, Telegraph Rebecca Thomas, BBC News Late News – Northern Ballet wins Taglioni European Award: Carmel Smith, Londondance Review – Michal Samama, Background Materials, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Mary Jane O’Reilly, In Flagrante, Christchurch: Emily Napolitano, Theatreview Review – Cape Town City Ballet, Vaslav, Le Sacré, Spring and Fall, Cape Town: Melvyn Minnaar, Times Live

The competition was formally launched today, see below. A fair proportion of the UK's ballet great and good will be involved in some way, it seems: Matthew Hemley, The Stage Anita Singh, Telegraph Rebecca Thomas, BBC News

Links – Thursday, October 2, 2014 Reviews – Royal Ballet, Manon (Nuñez & Hayward casts), London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Sarah Crompton, Telegraph Ismene Brown, Spectator Review – New York City Ballet, Opening Programs, NY: Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Review – Mark Morris Dance Group, Two Mixed Bills, Berkeley: Paul Parish, Bay Area Reporter Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Beauty and the Beast, Birmingham, Neil Norman, The Stage Reviews – Royal Swedish Ballet, Juliet and Romeo, London: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Ismene Brown, Spectator Feature – Jigging at The Globe: Veronica Howell, Guardian Feature – The work of Jérôme Bel: Karthika Naïr, Dance Umbrella Interview – Septime Webre, AD Washington Ballet: Oksana Khadarina, DanceTabs Review – Colorado Ballet, Midsummer Night’s Dream (Wheeldon), Denver: Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post Preview – 14 Fall Dance Highlights in New York: Katherine Brooks, Huffington Post Feature – ProArteDanza, 2014 Season, Toronto: Michael Crabb, Toronto Star News – 2014 Australian Dance Award for Warren Leigh: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Review – Kinetica, Hold Close, Melbourne: Chloe Smethurst, The Age Review – Alberta Ballet, Don Quixote (Stevenson), Edmonton: Stephan Bonfield, Edmonton Journal News – Ben Duke on Lost Dog, Rabbits and Virginia Woolf: Londondance Review – Ivana Müller, We Are Still Watching, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Preview – Eiko (without Koma), A Body in a Station, Philadelphia: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Detour Dance, Filaments, SF: Rachel Howard, SF Chronicle Review – Keith Hennessy, Bear/Skin, SF: Robert Avila, SF Bay Guardian Reactions - World Ballet Day: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines 1 Dancelines 2

Aha, so no longer the group from Royal Ballet of Flanders for McGregor's Outlier. Reverberations from the early-season ousting of Ms Carreiro?

I'd expected an interview with my former Cambridge Phil MD, Martin West, now conducting on a grander scale at SFB, but perhaps I missed it. And oddly I've found today that watching early rehearsals is more intriguing than seeing the final products - all in all, quite a day!

A propos of some of the above, at the flick of a tab I have Anthony Dowell teaching Manon at NBC right now - and dealing with the reality of passing on moves to dancers with different bodies from his and Sibley's. Or I can flick another switch and find the the Berlin Philharmonic performing Beethoven 5 with modern instruments and producing a sound unknown by the composer. I can live with all of this, having known neither original. Detail will change but the essence will remain.

The feed is holding up beautifully on my MAC but my wife's iPad is getting freezes. Either way, this is not helping a number of other things that I should be doing!

Links – Wednesday, October 1, 2014 - “World Ballet Day” News – 3 American Ballet Theater Principals to retire after 2015 Season: Michael Cooper, NY Times Review – New York City Ballet, Serenade, Mozartiana, Tschaikovsky PDD & Suite 3, NY: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Review – Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, FAR, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Review – Kyle Abraham/Abraham.in.Motion, Programmes A&B, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Feature – Gene Kelly: The Legacy: Jean Lenihan, Arts Journal/Fresh Pencil Review – City Contemporary Dance Company, Sense, Besieged, Picture Triangle, HK: Natasha Rogai, SCMP Preview – Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Going Home Star – Truth and Reconciliation, Winnipeg: Paula Citron, Globe and Mail Reminder – Joffrey Ballet’s First Swan Lake: Thomas Connors, Michigan Avenue Magazine Review – Ieva Kuniskis & Jack Webb, He Lived Next Door, Inside Opulence, London: Graham Watts, DanceTabs Preview – Smuin Ballet’s Opening Bill, SF: Andrea Pflaumer, SF Examiner Review – Seeta Patel, Something Then, Something Now, London: Lise Smith, DanceTabs Review – Suzanne Bocanegra, Little Dot, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Judith Garay/Dancers Dancing, 20.20.20, Vancouver: Alexander Varty, Straight.com

...... and isn't she now to be running a Ballet Think Tank in New York, so may be able to spread the word?

I knew the main change was coming but had not picked up before on getting a refund in-year on selling a vehicle, with the new buyer having to tax the vehicle right away.

Chloe: I've moved your post to the area of the Forum from which you are most likely to get an answer.

A personal observation, for no colleague has raised the specific/generic issue posed by Bruce W in the past 24 hours, so I fancy that the title can stand for now. And if past experience is any guide, what started in the specific will become generic over time and, though we try to keep a reasonably tidy Forum, you folks out there are not without power in deciding how threads develop! Behind the scenes we probably prefer to keep our powder dry for issues that appear to be in breach of our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).

Links – Saturday, September 20, 2014 Feature – Wendy Whelan’s Farewell: Joan Acocella, New Yorker Feature – World Ballet Day, 5-Nation Streaming: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Feature – Making Metheus on The BalletBoyz: Kristen McNally, Guardian Diaries: - Next Week in New York: Staff, NY Times - Next Week in Glasgow & London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian - Dance Umbrella 2014, London: Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard - Miami Area, 2014-15: Jordan Levin, Miami Herald - Houston Ballet, 2014-15: Staff, BWW Review – Marissa Perel, More Than Just a Piece of Sky, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Birmingham Preview - Mark Baldwin & Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Inala: Catherine Vonledebur, Birmingham Mail Review – The 7 Fingers, Sequence 8, London: Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard Interview – Mark Smith on DMD+ and Hear! Hear!: Carmel Smith, Londondance Preview – Ballet Preljocaj, Empty Moves (Parts I, II, III), Vancouver: Staff, Straight.com Review – Garrett & Moulton Productions, The Luminous Edge, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Preview – Thomas Lebrun, Trois décennies d’amour cerné, Montreal: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette Review – BalletX, Slump, Valentine’s Day, Delicate Balance, The Last Glass, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Review – Chloe Chignell & Timothy Walsh, Post Phase: The Summit is Blue, Melbourne: Jordan Beth Vincent, The Age Video Feature – Brutal Ballet in rehearsal: BBC News

Website link here: http://blog.ballet.org.uk/farewell-zdenek-konvalina/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=farewell-zdenek-konvalina