Ian Macmillan

Katherine: Your post certainly amplifies the fairly brief Chicago Tribune report in this morning's Links!

I have edited the title of this thread to emphasise that the subject is the School and not the Royal Ballet of Flanders Company.

Links – Thursday, February 20, 2014 Review – San Francisco Ballet, Programme 2 – Tears, Borderlands, From Foreign Lands, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Review – Richard Alston Dance Company, Rejoice in the Lamb, Illuminations, Ceremony of Carols, Canterbury: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Review – Compagnie Philippe Genty, Ne M’oublie Pas (Forget me not), Grasse: Christina Gallea Roy, DanceTabs A recurring Debate – If it doesn’t have swans, it won’t get an audience: Rupert Christiansen, Telegraph And another – Dance needs to stop fetishising thin: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Feature – Alexandra Damiani/Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet: Rachel Howard, SF Chronicle Reviews – Hamburg Ballet, Midsummer Night’s Dream: Dance Lovers, SF: Paul Parish, Bay Area Reporter Tour Review – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, Swan Lake, Glasgow: Seth Ewin, BTG Reviews - Circa & Debussy String Quartet, Opus, London: Matt Trueman, Telegraph Vera Liber, BTG Gallery - Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Gala Review – Fernando Montano & Others, London: Laura Dodge, Londondance Preview – Harkness Dance Festival, NY: Robert Johnson, NJ Star-Ledger News – Electrical Fire Forced Hamburg Ballet Cancellations: Chicago Tribune

To return to the first post here, is it worth my mentioning that the Royal Ballet Touring Company went to South Africa in early 1960 for some three months, during which the Sharpeville massacre took place? I understand that an aircraft was then available to bring everyone out, but a free vote amongst the dancers resulted in their staying. Tom Driberg asked a question in the House and the Hansard record is here: http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1960/apr/07/union-of-south-africa-royal-ballets-tour

Links – Wednesday, February 19, 2014 Feature – Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Nine Songs and Rice, London: Lin Hwai-min, Guardian Review – National Ballet of Japan, Swan Lake, Tokyo: Naomi Mori, Bachtrack Review – Colorado Ballet, Cinderella (Stevenson), Denver: Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post Galleries – Blaze, London: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Various photographers, Guardian Preview – Scottish Dance Theatre, Kingdom, Yama, Touring: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Preview – Vanessa Anspaugh, we were an island, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Feature – RAWdance, CONCEPT, SF: Rita Felciano, SF Bay Guardian BBC TV – Ballet History Month: Carmel Smith, Londondance Repeat News – Joffrey Ballet 2014-15 Season: Johnny Oleksinski, Chicago Tribune Meanwhile, in Sochi: Amid blunders on ice, a few signs of grace: Gia Kourlas, NY Times North American skating stars dance like Ginger and Fred: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines

Links – Tuesday, February 18, 2014 Reviews – New York City Ballet, Coppelia, NY: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – New York City Ballet, Jewels, NY: Michael Popkin, Danceviewtimes Review – Royal Ballet, Rhapsody, Tetractys – The Art of Fugue, Gloria, London: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Review – Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, 1980, London: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Prince of the Pagodas, Salford: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Review – Royal New Zealand Ballet, 28 Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Of Days, Banderillero, NY: Robert Greskovic, Wall St Journal Feature – Val Caniparoli, Choreographer & SFB Tears: Rachel Howard, SF Chronicle Review – Miami City Ballet, Episodes, West Side Story Suite, Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux, Miami: Jordan Levin, Miami Herald News – Joffrey Ballet announces 2014-15 Season: Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times Reviews – Souleymane Badolo, Benon & The Bang Group, Head over Heels, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Quick Q & A – Sara Baras, La Pepa, Flamenco Festival: Carolyn Everitt, Londondance Preview – Damien Jalet/Scottish Dance Theatre, Yama, Dundee: Mary Brennan, Herald Preview – Donald Byrd/Spectrum Dance Theater, The Minstrel Show Revisited, Seattle: Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times Preview – Next Wave Choreographers Showcase, SF: Andrea Pflaumer, SF Examiner Review – Flamenco Passion, HK: Sam Olluver, SCMP

Links – Monday, February 17, 2014 Review – Royal Ballet, Rhapsody, Tetractys - The Art of Fugue, Gloria, London: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Ballet San Jose, Serenade, Glow Stop, Minus 16, San Jose: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Reviews – Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, 1980, London: Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Neil Norman, Express Review – Washington Ballet, The Jazz/Blues Project, DC: Oksana Khadarina, DanceTabs Review – Trisha Brown Dance Company, Blue Room, Déjà Vu, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Hamburg Ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, SF: Lauren Gallagher, SF Examiner Interview/Preview – Matthew Bourne/Scottish Ballet, Highland Fling, HK: Victoria Finlay, SCMP Preview – Kiev Ballet, La Bayadère, Montreal: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette Feature – Backstage at San Francisco Ballet: Sam Whiting, SF Chronicle Review – Cindy Claes, Wild Card Dancehall Takeover, London: Lise Smith, DanceTabs Review – Rioult Dance New York, Martha, May and Me, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – James Brown: Get on the Good Foot, a Celebration in Dance, LA: Lewis Segal, LA Times Reviews – Resolution! 2014, London: Liza Weber & Alice Robotham, The Place Akiko Dance Project, Okuni Moxie Brawl, It Started With Jason Donovan Just Us Dance Theatre, I know I’m a woman, a woman with Inner Strength Review – Movent, Dances for a Small Stage, Vancouver: Alexander Varty, Straight.com

Tonight, the Royal Ballet of Flanders opens a run of a new Romeo & Juliet, commissioned by Director Assis Carreiro from former RB Principal, Slava Samodurov, using the Prokofiev score. It opens in Gent then moves to Antwerp where, all being well, I hope to catch the final Matinee performance on 1 March. There is a link to the English-language version of the company website here: http://www.balletvlaanderen.be/?page_id=4144〈=en〈=en I see that there are to be 3 sets of Lead castings - one of them from the junior ranks of the company, and it is that which is likely to take me across the Channel. In terms of relative size, RBF sits between the large companies (eg: Bolshoi, RB, ENB) with large R&J productions and the very small-scale version made upon Bern:Ballett by Cathy Marston in 2009, so I'll be interested to se how Samodurov's version works out. I'm hoping that we might have some Forum members over the Channel who may see it and, if we do, I encourage them to offer an opinion here.

John, Dave: When Cathy Marston had the company in Bern, it was normally circa 13/14 strong, and I know that there were second casts for all the works that I saw there, and that she brought here. And I see that the ROH News item still reads as last night re Tuesday - ie 'hopeful that the cast will have recovered.' To me that does not sit easily alongside having covers unable to integrate at short notice.

I note that the ROH website admits this has been an 'unusual step,' given the complexity of the piece and the impossibility of rehearsing a second cast in the time available. And as Bruce says, most choreographers would ensure that they never put themselves or a company in such a position, yet it has happened here - with the ROH reduced to be being no more than 'hopeful' that the cast will be OK by next Tuesday. So there is no suggestion, it seems, of a backup being organised. Are we to take it, therefore, that the RB has permitted (indulged?) Mr McGregor to create a small group somewhat apart, one that runs in some way in isolation from normal company policies? On the face of it, a poor show. Might the prospect of having to offer refunds ensure that he is kept on a tighter leash in future?

Chris: I've just edited the thread title to make later searches a bit easier. Feel free to expand on Tetractys - there are certainly two camps as here, as elsewhere, as regards its creator's work! I wasn't there tonight, but I'm always torn over Gloria - I love it in many ways, yet have never been quite able to square the liturgical text (though the Poulenc version was never intended for liturgical use) with Ken MacMillan's choreography.

I'm quite taken by the Opera Necklace - not for myself, you understand - but I guess that if I have to ask the price, I can't afford it!

Links – Tuesday, February 4, 2014 Obituary – Jean Babilée: Anna Kisselgoff, NY Times News – ENB’s Daria Klimentova to retire in June: DanceTabs plus a Personal Statement here Other coverage: BBC News Londondance The Stage Guardian Reviews – Ivan Putrov and others, Men in Motion, London: Clement Crisp, Financial Times Graham Watts, Londondance Review – Bolshoi Ballet, Festival Mixed Bill, Tromsø: Jaime Robles, bachtrack Review – Royal Ballet & Other Dancers, Gala for Ghana, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Prince of the Pagodas, Salford: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Feature – Rafael Bonachela, AD Sydney Dance Company: Michelle Potter, DanceTabs Feature – Jennifer Ringer, retiring from NYCB: Leigh Witchel, NY Post News – National Ballet of Canada announces 2014-15 season: Trish Crawford, Toronto Star Paula Citron, Globe and Mail Review – Pacific Northwest Ballet, Sleeping Beauty, Seattle: Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times Reviews – British Dance Edition (BDE) 2014, Scotland: Mary Brennan, Herald Akram Khan, iTMOi: Natasha Warder, bachtrack News – Alvin Ailey launches 23-City N American Tour: Staff, Broadway World Features – Prix de Lausanne Winners, 2014: Staff, Asahi Shimbun Hideki Sukenari, Japan News Review – The Merchants of Bollywood, London: Neil Norman, The Stage

Just remembered - during the first interval, whilst Mme Novikova was doing her delightful thing, we were treated to a bit of 'Can you see me, Mum?' by a chap in a Lenny the Lion onesie ..... and a fair bit of woodwind arpeggios and so forth when I'd have thought the players would have been taking a break. Odd.

Sim: I echo Meunier - that is possibly the most gracious statement of its kind I can recall, and it speaks volumes about the lady and, dare I say, about what she and Vadim Muntagirov have had to put up with in recent days. With your having gone public here, I have taken the liberty of putting the following on the Forum Twitter timeline without further adornment: @BalletcoForum: We are carrying a personal statement from Daria Klimentova here: http://bit.ly/1aW8P6Y

The main screen in Cambridge, probably full for Jewels a couple of weeks ago, seemed just over half-full yesterday for the unfamiliar Lost Illusions. There were lots of good things, with the Principals and company working their socks off - Mlle Shipulina on that table, most memorably - but I found it just too long. I fear I lost focus in that long first-act pdd and, whilst the Sylphide insert was needed to make the story, for me it went on a bit too long. The score was a bit on the heavy side for my taste, though I loved all of the inserts for Mezzo, beautifully sung, that got me thinking what might be possible with 'The Field of The Dead' aria from Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. There's a good 2-Act piece in all of it somewhere, but I don't think I'd care to sit through the full thing should it ever be brought to London.

Links – Monday, February 3, 2014 Reviews – New York City Ballet, Vespro, Spectral Evidence, Acheron, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Marina Harss, DanceTabs Reviews – Mariinsky Ballet, Swan Lake, DC: George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Alexandra Tomalonis, Danceviewtimes Review – Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, Lux, Glory, Sceaux: Laura Cappelle, Financial Times Review - Ivan Putrov and others, Men in Motion, London: Vera Liber, BTG Review – British Dance Edition (BDE), Edinburgh: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Review – Martha Graham Dance Company, Cave of the Heart, Appalachian Spring, Maple Leaf Rag, Berkeley: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle News – Boston Ballet to end the year in New York: Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Globe Review – Rennie Harris/Pure Movement, Rome and Jewels + others, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Reviews – Resolution! 2014, London: Keith Watson & Samantha Whitaker, The Place Davin King, The End Is Built Into The Beginning SAAD, Habibi Far From The Norm, H.O.H. Review – The Merchants of Bollywood, London: Lise Smith, DanceTabs TV Preview – Wayne Sleep’s Big Ballet: Helen Pidd, Guardian

Links – Sunday, February 2, 2014 Feature – Alexei Ratmansky & Leonid Desyatnikov in collaboration: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Reviews – Ivan Putrov and others, Men in Motion, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Luke Jennings, Guardian Review – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Apocrifu, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Not News – Royal & English National Ballets not at war: Vanessa Thorpe, Observer Review – Royal New Zealand Ballet, Giselle (Stiefel/Kobborg), LA: Lewis Segal, LA Times Preview – John Neumeier & Hamburg Ballet, Liliom, LA: Joseph Carman, LA Times Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Prince of the Pagodas, Salford: David Upton, BTG Review – British Dance Edition (BDE), Edinburgh: Mark Brown, Sunday Herald TV Feature – Wayne Sleep & Big Ballet: Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Review – Sarasota Ballet, Lux Aeterna, Four Temperaments, Sinfonietta, Sarasota: Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Review – Miami City Ballet, Concerto Barocco, Chutes & Ladders, Jardi Tancat, Symphonic Dances, Miami: Jerry Opdenaker, PB Daily News Reviews – Resolution! 2014, London: Josephine Leask & Nicolas Kyprianou, The Place E33 Dance Company, Pursue Me Elena Jacinta, Reassembled Alex Broadie, Frenemies Dance Previews: Philadelphia Area: Merilyn Jackson, Philadelphia Inquirer Ottawa National Arts Centre Experimental Week: Peter Robb, Ottawa Citizen

Links – Saturday, February 1, 2014 Review – Mariinsky Ballet, Swan Lake, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – New York City Ballet, Balanchine Season, NY: NY Observer Spring Preview – Bolshoi Ballet, Giselle, DC: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post (+ 5 other mentions) Reviews – Ivan Putrov and others, Men in Motion, London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Gallery: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Review – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Apocrifu, London: Graham Watts, Londondance Feature – Dance on Camera Festival, New York: Robert Johnson, NJ Star-Ledger Review – Washington Ballet, Jazz/Blues Project, DC: Sarah Halzack, Washington Post Feature – Sydney Dance Company’s Home: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Reviews – Parsons Dance & Ballet Next, Mixed Bills, NY: Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Review – Siobhan Davies Dance, Table of Contents, Glasgow: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Preview – Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, Montreal: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette Review – Rennie Harris/Puremovement, Rome & Jewels + others, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Company C Contemporary Ballet, Mixed Bill, Walnut Creek: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Q & A – National Ballet of Canada’s Ballerinas, Odette or Odile?: Natasha Gauthier, Ottawa Citizen Feature – Jonathon Renna, National Ballet of Canada: Tony Lofaro, Ottawa Citizen Review – Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Romeo & Juliet (Van Dantzig), Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Feature – NYCB Star Couple Says Goodbye: Joseph Carman, Playbill Arts Reviews – Resolution! 2014, London: Sanjoy Roy & Liza Weber, The Place Barely Methodical Dance Troupe, Bromance; Whittman Dance Company, Cameleon; TrashDollys Dance Theatre, Walter. Review – The Merchants of Bollywood, London: Neil Norman, Express Gallery: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Review – Hong Kong Dance Company, Taichi, HK: Natasha Rogai, SCMP Review – Tess Dworman & NIv Acosta, macromen, I shot denzel, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Next week in Dance: London & Salford: Judith Mackrell, Guardian New York: Jack Anderson, NY Times TV Feature – Wayne Sleep’s Big Ballet: Filipa Jodelka, Guardian Londondance Preview – Shahrzad Khorsandi & Farima Berenji, Dance & Diaspora, SF: Andrea Pflaumer, SF Examiner And almost certainly the first-ever link from this source; News – Ross Cooper, New Manager at SkyeDance: Michael Russell, West Highland Free Press

No doubt it will be in vain for those who are curiously emotionally involved in moves between companies that must, in truth, be remote from them, but might I commend the documentary just finished on BBC Four - its title is as above - in the hope of regaining a little perspective on life. As much as I have heard and read over the years about the Holocaust, I had not till tonight been aware of a number of performances of Verdi's "Requiem" given by prisoners in Theresienstadt (Terezin) in 1943/44. This documentary told the story of how conductor Rafael Schachter put together a choir to perform the work, all of it having to be committed to memory, something that happened some 15 times in all before he and the others were transported to Auschwitz. This was done within the framework of preparation for a commemorative performance involving, if I had it correctly, two sons of one of the original singers who, himself, had survived. A most moving film, and I assume that it will be available on iPlayer over the next week or so: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03slv8r/Remembering_the_Holocaust_Defiant_Requiem/

Seems he will not be in R&J. ENB words here, short and to the point: http://blog.ballet.org.uk/vadim-muntagirov-join-royal-ballet/ A clean break, then Edited to add a RB release on DanceTabs: http://dancetabs.com/2014/01/vadim-muntagirov-to-join-the-royal-ballet-as-a-principal-dancer/

I've known this production from DVD for some time but, at long last, I caught my first live performance last night. Most impressive - cleverly staged, strongly danced and, whilst I cannot speak for what happened upstairs, with a Stalls-wide standing ovation at the end. I'd wondered beforehand whether the cast might be showing signs of weariness after a long run, but not a bit of it, and I can happily endorse Nicola's remarks, above, as applying equally to the evening cast - Chris Trenfield (Swan/Stranger), Liam Mower (Prince), Saranne Curtin (Queen), Kerry Biggin (Girlfriend), Jack Jones (Private Secretary). As a footnote, I found that the orchestra, with a much-reduced weight of strings than used in larger houses, allowed woodwind and brass to be more prominent. It made the big Swan themes interestingly different.

Congratulations are certainly in order here - "Good on yer, Bruce" or something of the kind. Craig Revell Horwood next year, perhaps? Congrats too to Boris on his Honorary award - I trust we will not have to wait too long to see a cork hat atop that noble brow?

I got Lonnie Donegan's autograph at the Glasgow Empire circa 1957 and that's it! Now for the serious contributions ......

The suggestion of a global ban is, of course, wholly fanciful and would close down companies. The public at large will NOT go to see new work in the numbers needed, no matter how artistically driven Directors are, and that is repeatedly the case away from London and, I suspect, most major metropolitan centres. Nor is it a new phenomenon - I've quoted several times in the past that the RB Touring company was finding huge resistance to "triple bills of novelties," according to the ROH's Annual Report for 1959/60, with the "repertory modified in consequence." And anyone paying attention to our daily Links each December will find that companies in North America appear highly dependent on their annual Nutcrackers to keep afloat, and I suspect that the major UK companies need that cashflow too. I have no fear at all for the future of the major Tchaikovsky pieces..... even if I'm less and less likely to attend them myself.