Ian Macmillan

Looking back through the Forum's Twitter timeline to late last night, it appears to have gone rather well.

A wee item from BBC Scotland that might fit here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-24567818

John: Excellent! All very colourful, with no sign of their having stinted on the costumes - and with Miss Cojocaru in the middle, somewhat elevated at 5 from the end, every bit as high as Miss Osipova, I'd say. The Pasha is not named, I see - could he be Michael Coleman, who has appeared in lots of character roles for ENB these last years? I think a trip to Oxford may be needed at the end of the month.

As an observer, I'm not immediately clear where this thread might lead and would offer a word of caution before any names are bandied about in an invidious or, worse, libellous fashion. That said, coming from a long line of teachers, it strikes me that they have to work with the clay that they are given and, to mix metaphors, not all sows' ears are capable of being turned into silk purses. Others have effectively made similar points already. And in the field of ballet/dance, where pupils have an aspiration to make a career in the business - and not all have that aspiration - I'd have thought that most local UK schools are preparing candidates for audition and entry to one of the vocational schools, and it is those schools who will produce the 'successful dancers' first mentioned. Or, to be truthful, they will prepare candidates for a further round of auditions for a job with a company and, as discussed much more than once here, there are far more of these candidates graduating each year than jobs/contracts are available. If companies do not want to churn their dancers at the rate schools are producing them, measuring the 'productivity' of individual teachers may be hard to do.

Lin: Hover over the Smiley Face icon on the Post toolbar top line. It will say 'Smiley' - press and a bar of faces will drop down below the Post frame. Your man is 8th from the Right hand Side - press and you'll get him: Hovering over his silly face tells you that he's called 'Rolleyes.'

Links – Tuesday, October 15, 2013 Feature – San Francisco Ballet, its Director & his Commissions: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Matthew Bourne & Lez Brotherston on making Swan Lake: Anna Tims, Guardian Reviews – The Forsythe Company, Sider, NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Wendy Perron, Dance Magazine Review – Hofesh Shechter Company, Sun, Melbourne: Jordan Beth Vincent, DanceTabs Interview – Virginia Johnson, AD Dance Theatre Harlem: Lisa Traiger, Washington Post Pennsylvania Ballet’s long line back to Balanchine: Ellen Dunkel, Philly.com Review – Mark Bruce Company, Dracula, London: Sanjoy Roy, Londondance Preview – Joffrey Ballet, La Bayadere, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Review – Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, Atomos, London: Jaime Robles, One Stop Arts Review – Trisha Brown Dance Company, Proscenium Works 1979-2011, London: Jaime Robles, One Stop Arts Tsiskaridze ‘must turn the page’ says critic: Larissa Barykina, Itogi via Ismene Brown's blog Gallery – Miami City Ballet rehearses Ballo Della Regina: Patrick Farrell, Miami Herald News – Royal NZ Ballet announces 2014 season: Yahoo NZ News Review – Bodytraffic, And at midnight…, Kollide, o2joy, S.Monica: Jean Lenihan, Arts Journal, Fresh Pencil Review – Pascal Rambert, A (micro) history …., NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Steve Paxton & Lisa Nelson, Night Stand, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Rebecca Davis & Taisha Paggett, will however happen, right-angled object ….., NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Gallery – Ballet on the Great Wall of China: China.org, CRIEnglish

From tomorrow's Links, and as a fair comparator, a pebble in the pond from the West Coast: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/15/arts/dance/san-francisco-ballet-champions-new-work.html?_r=0 Over to you, folks!

Links – Monday, October 14, 2013 Reviews – Hofesh Schechter Company, Sun, Melbourne: Chloe Smethurst, The Age Jana Perkovic, Guardian Deborah Jones, The Australian Review – Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre, Rite of Spring, Melbourne: Jordan Beth Vincent, Sydney Morning Herald Review – Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, A Rite, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Review – New York City Ballet, Balanchine Short Stories, NY: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Review – New York City Ballet, Balanchine Black & White Bill, NY: Rhys Loggins, BWW Akram Khan & others set for British Dance Edition in Scotland, 2014: Brian Ferguson, Scotsman Review – Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, Atomos, London: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Review – Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Indigo Rose, Necessity Again, Ten Duets, Edinburgh: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Interview – John Heginbotham, Choreo, Dancer, Director: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Mixed Bill, NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal, DanceBeat Review – Velocity DC Dance Festival, Program 2, DC: George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Ballets Russes Treasure in New South Wales: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Review – Dance Theatre of San Francisco, Mixed Bill, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Review – Arkadi Zaides & Peter Szendy, A Response to Dig Deep, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Jeanne Mordoj, La Poème, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Preview – David Dorfman Dance, Come, and Back Again, NY: Jack Anderson, NY Times

Links – Sunday, October 13, 2013 A Reflection – Why don’t we dance anymore? Heather Havrilesky, NY Times Preview – Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker/Rosas, Cesena, En Atendant, NY: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Review – Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, Atomos, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Review – The Forsythe Company, Sider, NY: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Tour Previews – English National Ballet, Le Corsaire, Milton Keynes: Vera Liber, BTG Interview – Daria Klimentova: Georgina Butler, MK Citizen Preview – Nederlands Dans Theater, Chamber, LA: Susan Reiter, LA Times Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sleeping Beauty, Birmingham: Kerry Assinder, Coventry Telegraph Review – Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Fluence, Cloudless, Passomezzo, Casi-Casa, Chicago: Hedy Weiss, Voices, Chicago Sun-Times Tour Review – Ballet Black, Dopamine, One Played Twice, EGAL, War Letters, Musselburgh: Kelly Apter, Scotland on Sunday Feature – Pennsylvania Ballet rehearsing Diamonds, Phil: Beth Kephart, Philly.com Preview – David Dorfman Dance, Come, and Back Again, NY: Jack Anderson, NY Times

Daria says as much halfway through here: http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/what-s-on/arts/interview-english-national-ballet-daria-klimentova-speaks-with-georgina-butler-1-5568216

Links – Saturday, October 12, 2013 Preview – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Milonga, London: Peter Aspden, Financial Times Review – Fall for Dance Tenth Season, New York: Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Review – Fall for Dance, Program 2, New York: Kathleen O’Connell, Danceviewtimes Review – New York City Ballet, Carnival of Animals, Jeu de Cartes, Four Seasons, NY: Carol Pardo, Danceviewtimes Review – Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, Atomos, London: Josephine Leask, Londondance Review - Trisha Brown Dance Company, Proscenium Works, 1979-2001: Astral Convertible, Watermotor, I'm Going To Toss My Arms - If You Catch Them They're Yours, London: Sanjoy Roy, Guardian Review – Mark Bruce Company, Dracula, London: Neil Norman, Express Review – Rambert, The Castaways Mixed Bill, Salford Lowry: David Upton, BTG Review – Doug Varone & Dancers/Angiel Aerial Dance Co, Boats Leaving, 8cho,Bilingua, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times Feature – Hubbard Street Dance Chicago adapts to survive: Sarah Halzack, Washington Post Preview – Joffrey Ballet, La Bayadere (Welch), Chicago: Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times Review – VelocityDC Dance Festival, DC: Sarah Halzack, Washington Post Review – Spanish National Ballet, Farruca, Bolero, Medea, Hong Kong: Natasha Rogai, SCMP Previews – Stephanie Lake & Robin Fox, A Small Prometheus, Melbourne: Matthew Westwood, The Australian Kath Dolan, The Age Interview – ABT’s Misty Copeland on the audacity of hope: Robyn Carolyn Price: Vogue Italia Review – Ballet San Antonio, Cinderella (Stevenson), San Antonio: Jasmina Wellinghoff, mySA UK – This Week’s New Dance, Mark Bruce, ENB Corsaire: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Preview – Benoȋt Lachambre, Prismes, Montreal: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette Review – Dalian Acrobatic Troupe, Yulan, San Jose: Mary Ellen Hunt, SF Chronicle Preview – Diavolo, Transit Space, Fluid Infinities, Miami: Neil De La Flor, Miami Herald A roundup on the Bolshoi situation: Ismene Brown, Blog … leading naturally to Ballerinas Behaving Badly: Elizabeth Kiem, Huff Post

Katherine: Credit where I suspect credit is due, to Ismene Brown who has been a substantial first source of English language reports on this developing story, thanks to her translations from Russian originals. See yesterday's Links for this: http://www.ismeneb.com/Blog/Entries/2013/9/27_Urin_ordered_to_give_Tsiskaridze_a_Bolshoi_farewell.html

Taxi: Not having facts and figures to hand, I'd say that the SR-71 in reheat for a vertical climb would beat the C-5 Galaxy on a decibel count. The latter's early turbofans might, however, have a more noticeable low-frequency rumble that can be particularly irritating.

In the bygoing of doing today's Links, I fell upon something that says BBC 4 is working on a documentary, title as above, for broadcasting next year: http://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/news/local/the-blitz-drove-us-to-the-ballet-1-5533623 Has anyone else come across anything on this project?

I knew we'd had this before, here: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/38-profile-pictures/ "Gravatar" was ultimately the key to getting a profile image for me - indeed, I changed it during the past week. I have consistently failed in getting anything directly from my hard disk.

The Mail is carrying a report that the Schaufuss Company is suing Polunin and Zelensky for £400K over there walkout from "Midnight Express" earlier this year: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2436794/Russian-bad-boy-ballet-partied-hard-quit-London-sued-producers-400-000.html

Links – Sunday, September 29, 2013 Schaufuss Ballet suing Polunin & Zelensky over walkout: Jo Knowsley, Mail Online London Reviews – Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Indigo Rose, Ten Duets …, Necessity: Mark Monahan, Telegraph Katie Colombus, Arts Desk Laura Dodge, Londonist Vera Liber, BTG Gallery – Indigo Rose: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Glasgow Review – Scottish Ballet, Rite of Spring, Elite Syncopations: Mark Brown, Sunday Herald Tour Review – Mark Bruce Company, Dracula: Luke Jennings, Observer Audio Interview – Mark Bruce, Dracula: Sanjoy Roy, Writing on Dance blog London Review – Zoo Nation, Unplugged: Louise Levene, Sunday Telegraph NY Feature – Lar Lubovitch, Vez and others: Rebecca Milzoff, NY Times NY this week – Nora Chipaumire, rite riot: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Feature – Katherine E. Brown, NYCB Executive Director: Patricia Olsen, NY Times

Links – Saturday, September 28, 2013 Feature – Sir Peter Wright & Birmingham Royal Ballet: Roz Laws, Birmingham Post Interview – David Bintley, BRB & Still Life at the Penguin Café: Birmingham Post Video Feature – Carlos Acosta tackles Don Quixote: BBC News Interview – POB’s Mathias Heymann: Laura Cappelle, Novosti via Bella Figura Reviews– New York City Ballet: Fall Gala & Balanchine Bill: Robert Johnson, NJ Star-Ledger Fall Gala: Tobi Tobias, Arts Journal (Seeing Things) Fall Gala: Wendy Perron, Dance Magazine NJ Review – Andrea Miller/Gallim Dance, Fold Here: Siobhan Burke, NY Times NY Radio Feature – Ballet Startups - New Directions in Ballet?: Pia Catton, Wall St Journal NY Fall for Dance Festival: Feature – Susan Reiter, Playbill Arts Review – Program 1: Anna Rogovoy, Dance Pulp Review – Cairo Opera Ballet Company, Zorba: Nihad Allam, AhramOnline London Review – Zoo Nation, Unplugged: Graham Watts, DanceTabs Who are the world’s greatest ballet partners? Judith Mackrell, Guardian Tour Review – Russell Maliphant Company, Still Current: Sarah Crompton, Telegraph Tour Review – Mark Bruce Company, Dracula: Mark Kidel, Arts Desk DC Exhibition – Dancing the Dream, National Portrait Gallery: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Feature – Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet’s Ebony Williams: Lyndsey Winship, Time Out London SF Review – Bodytraffic, And at midnight…, o2Joy, Kollide: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Melbourne Review – Megan Beckwith, Parallax: Chloe Smethurst, The Age UK - Next week’s dance choices: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Bolshoi Latest: Tsiskaridze may get a last dance: Novosti via Ismene Brown blog Theatre Director says that Sergei Filin still on sick leave: Russiskiya Gazeta via Ismene Brown blog Not Charles Ives’ Unanswered Question but apparently William Forsythe’s, on a bill with other unidentified things - National Ballet of Uruguay: Maurice Gent, Oman Daily Observer

This story has run off and on in Twitter all day, including the following from Ballet Central: "@balletcentral: BBC and ITV news came into CSB today to see how we teach our dancers to pirouette, they are scheduled to appear on the 10pm news tonight!" So take your pick on which channel to watch.

Margaret: There's already a thread running on this in 'Doing Dance,' including a clip of the Today programme, so I'll link to that and lock this: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/4945-pirouettes-the-whys-and-wherefores/

I fear that I disrupted a Primary School class back around 1950 on account of seeing an aircraft. The Bristol Brabazon, an 8-engined airliner and one of the several large scale projects that emerged in the postwar years, was on a tour around the UK and quite unexpectedly flew near our school. I spotted it through a window and could not stop myself calling out "Look, it's the Bristol Brabazon," somewhat to the chagrin of the teacher. Bristol Brabazon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Brabazon Perhaps I was destined to have something to do with aircraft!

Further to the more recent posts here concerning the sentence given to Jack Widdowson's attacker, it would appear that the sentence has been increased from 13 to 18 years: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-24304153 Edit: A fuller treatment available here: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/judges-increase-sentence-illegal-immigrant-6104714

Further to my original post, and thanks to Londondance, there is now a link to the Today interview this morning, complete with Deborah Bull demonstrating how to pirouette an office chair: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24295974 Considering the number of hours I have spent listening to Today down the years, it's good to see them all in their den!

A scientific study on how dancers deal with pirouettes has had some coverage this morning, including Deborah Bull demonstrating to the Today programme sitting on an office chair. A link to a report on the study is here: http://www.science20.com/news_articles/ballet_dancers_brains_are_different_too-121284 And Imperial College has posted this since I posted Links: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_26-9-2013-17-43-4 Other coverage on this Google page: http://news.google.com/news/rtc?ncl=dwwFLP03qPgn7XM&ned=uk&siidp=3e2e8244a57c0f4e4f198ed1a3b7c3c3d667

Links – Friday, September 27, 2013 Review – New York City Ballet, Balanchine Black & White Bill: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Glasgow Reviews – Scottish Ballet, Rite of Spring, Elite Syncopations: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Mary Brennan presumably, Herald Salford Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sleeping Beauty: James Stanley, What's On Stage NY Fall for Dance Reviews: Richard Alston Co, Devil in the Detail; Gabriel Missé & Analia Centurion, Esencia de Tango: Justin Peck, The Bright Motion; Jelon Vieira, Fé do Sertão: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Leigh Witchel, NY Post Tobi Tobias on Sara Mearns, Arts Journal (Seeing Things) Brisbane Review – Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre, Rite of Spring, Petrushka: Deborah Jones, The Australian Interview – Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet’s Ebony Williams: Londondance Reviews - Megan Springer, Flutter; John J Zullo Dance/Raw Movement, ALL what THIS do etc: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal (DanceBeat) Book Review – The Royal New Zealand Ballet at 60: Lynne Lancaster, Performing Arts Hub Feature/Interview – Ballet Black/Cassa Pancho: Ruth McKee, North London Newspapers Pirouettes Study – A ballerina’s brain holds the secret: Science 2.0 …. And with less detail but more Darcey: Sam Webb, Daily Mail