Ian Macmillan

Alison: No sign of anything on the Telegraph thus far. I've found that there's little consistency about when articles in the Sunday SEVEN magazine appear online, and I'm sure I've seen things posted from the Friday before to as far as the Wednesday afterwards. The Saturday magazine may be similarly unpredictable.

Well it's the Bolshoi Pharaoh's Daughter at the cinema tomorrow afternoon. It's a new piece for me, with a faintly odd scenario but, hey, that's the 19th century for you. But could I have made a mistake? Are we sure this isn't something from Strictly? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pharoahs_Daughter_-Anna_Pavlova_as_Aspicia_%26_Mikhail_Mordkin_as_Taor_-circa_1905.jpg

Julia: Had you been a habituée of the amphitheatre at the time, I suspect the answer is "yes" for they would have afforded you and those around you reasonably rapid egress therefrom at the end of a performance. Personally, and putting on my Stephen Fry QI voice, had I felt unable to use a simpler term such as "improved access," I would have insisted on 'vomitoria' as the more accurate Latin plural and its origins are in Roman stadia and the like. In this case it seems an excessive term to me - the relatively narrow corridor to/from the ROH Amphi has never struck me as being the sort of thing that would have been incorporated into the Colosseum or Circus Maximus, and I can only imagine that the arrangements pre-1964 must have been very restrictive indeed. And save by etymological extension, the term has nothing to do with being sick. And, as ever, Google has pages of stuff: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=vomitorium&aq=f&oq=Vomitorium&aqs=chrome.0.59j5j61j60l3.6572&sugexp=chrome,mod=1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Such delightful and informative thread drift on a wet and miserable afternoon!

Linda: Dragging out once again the copy of the ROH Annual Report for 1959-60 that I have, the concern you mention was raised at length back then. Comparisons were made with the position of the trustees of the National Gallery and British Museum for whom the then Ministry of Works looked after their buildings as the "cultural property of the nation." Back then it would appear that the ROH was the lessee of the Ministry of Works on a commercial basis, with the Ministry itself not the ultimate owner. The Ministry's lease on the building ran then till 1991 and "in such conditions clearly the incentive to improvement is minimal." As far as I can tell, ownership now, as then, lies with a Covent Garden Trust: http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/theatres/show/443-royal-opera-house-london

And, for a Dane, it would have to be honorary .... but there has been a reasonable number of such recognitions in the Arts world, I think. (And then there would have to be Dame Tamara, Dame Alina and, most certainly for me, Dame Zenaida!)

Links – Saturday November 24, 2012 Australian Ballet: Swan Lake, 1962 and 2012: Elissa Blake, Sydney Morning Herald Review – Royal Ballet, MacMillan Triple Bill: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Tony Hall’s work at the Royal Opera House: Rupert Christiansen, Telegraph And who next at the Royal Opera House? Charlotte Higgins, Guardian Review – Paris Opera Ballet, Balanchine Triple Bill: Patricia Boccadoro, Culturekiosque Feature – Royal New Zealand Ballet, Giselle (Stiefel/Kobborg): Raewyn White, NZ Herald National Ballet of Canada - Alice’s Adventures as an export: Martin Knelman, Toronto Star Reviews – Random Dance + RB dancers, 3 New Commissions: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Sarah Frater, The Stage Graham Watts, LondonDance Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Zoë Anderson, Independent Review – Batsheva Ensemble, Deca Dance: Clement Crisp, Financial Times Review – Jasmin Vardimon Company, Freedom (London): Louise Levene, Sunday Telegraph SEVEN Magazine Reviews – Ballet B.C., In/verse Triple Bill: Janet Smith, Straight.com Vancouver Deborah Meyers, Vancouver Sun 3 Rehearsal Videos: Straight.com Vancouver Contemporary ballet as technology? Isabella Cookson, Varsity (Cambridge University) Making words dance on screen (Anna Karenina): Gia Kourlas, NY Times Preview – TAO Dance Theater: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette US TV Preview (Sunday 25 Nov) – Backstage at NYCB: CBS - 60 Minutes (Based on the 2:21 Apollo excerpt, this looks unmissable.)

I'll repeat this in tomorrow's Links, but Rupert Christiansen has an intriguing piece in the Telegraph about Tony Hall's time at the ROH, particularly as regards the ballet side of the house. And after Ismene Brown demanding her Arts Wotan, he goes out of his way to emphasise the managerial aspect of the Chief Exec's role, with responsibility for artistic output lying with Pappano, Holten, and O'Hare. That said, he goes on to mention some possible successors .... with Sir Stuart Rose, late of M&S, thrown in to make things interesting. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9698569/Tony-Hall-Machiavelli-would-have-been-proud-of-Tony-Hall.html

Thanks to Twitter, I see that Charlotte Higgins at the Guardian has thrown some names into the ring: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/charlottehigginsblog/2012/nov/23/roh-tony-hall-successor?CMP=twt_fd And as a thought, if Tony Hall can return to the BBC, could Deborah Bull return to the ROH?

John: We don't have anyone posting - yet - but a first-time ballet goer had a piece in the Chichester Observer this morning: http://www.chichester.co.uk/lifestyle/entertainment/review-the-nutcracker-english-national-ballet-the-mayflower-southampton-november-22-25-1-4516608 He appears to have enjoyed it and, not surprisingly, was greatly taken by Daria. And I see from your Gallery that Michael Coleman is back on duty.

Links – Friday November 23, 2012 Hardly news by this morning, but for the record: Tony Hall to leave Royal Opera House to be Director General at the BBC. BBC News ROH Release Financial Times Guardian Telegraph and elsewhere, eg The Sun (“to give the Beeb a kick up the arias.”) And so what next for the ROH? Ismene Brown, Arts Desk And on a somewhat related theme: Alistair Spalding, Director & Chief Executive at Sadler’s Wells: Guardian Meanwhile, elsewhere: Review – Polish National Ballet, Echoes of Time Triple Bill (Warsaw): Roslyn Sulcas, IHT via NY Times Review – Royal Ballet, MacMillan Triple Bill: Neil Norman, Express Preview – Trey McIntyre Project/Korea NCDC, Mixed Bill (Chicago): Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times Review – Citymoves Dance Agency, 12 Dancers/Deliberance: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Feature – Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Roberts, Mackays & Cinderella: Fionnuala Bourke, Birmingham Post Interview – Annabel Knight, From Sydney Dance Co to Chitty Chitty BB: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Short Gallery – Ballet B.C Dancers: Michael Slobodian, Globe and Mail Overnight Reaction – English National Ballet, Nutcracker: Phil Hewitt, Chichester Observer

I would have thought it's fairly clear what Ms Brown is after - someone to bark at Kevin O'Hare's heels such that the Royal Ballet produces brand new, cutting edge work that may frighten the horses - with riots in the House à la Sacre de Printemps peut-être, or causing letters to The Times as I imagine happened with MacMillan's Invitation in 1960 - and, yes, The Judas Tree. But, as a simple chap, I thought the RB had already done that in some part with Wayne McGregor's appointment. Now this is all very well, but whoever is sent from Valhalla or anywhere else is going to have to deal with the realities of a House with substantial overheads running on a significantly reduced Arts Council England subsidy, around which suspicions float as to the need for repeated runs of Swan Lake, R&J and, now, Alice, to help cross-subsidise its Opera side. So I hear the cry, but I don't expect substantial change anytime soon, no matter whom the Gods may send.

After Tony Hall's consolidating years, Ismene Brown on the Arts Desk wonders about the last scandal at the Royal Ballet and wants a Wotan throwing thunderbolts for a new ROH Chief Exec: http://www.theartsdesk.com/dance/royal-opera-house-chief-tony-hall-bbc-now-what?page=0,0 Your candidates from Valhalla?

Links – Thursday November 22, 2012 Preview/Interview – Matthew Bourne & his Sleeping Beauty: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Review – Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, Rain Room: Lise Smith, DanceTabs 3 Interviews – Choreographers for Random Dance new work: Lise Smith, DanceTabs Reviews– Batsheva Ensemble, Deca Dance: Graham Watts, LondonDance Unattributed (Winship?), Evening Standard Review – Compagnie Maguy Marin, May B (Paris): Laura Cappelle, Financial Times Preview – Ballet B.C., In/verse Triple Bill: Marsha Lederman, Globe and Mail Review – Diablo Ballet, A Swingin’ Holiday Triple Bill: Toba Singer, California Literary Review Interview – West End choreographer Stephen Mears: Jasper Rees, Telegraph Review – Rude Mechs, Dionysus in 69 (NY): Dance/Drama/Protest? Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal Preview – Garrett + Moulton Productions, Angles of Enchantment: Mary Ellen Hunt, SF Chronicle Preview – Trey McIntyre Project, Ways of Seeing: Debra Levine, LA Times Impressionist Exhibition & Degas’ Little Dancer: Nelson Wyatt, Montreal Gazette Review – LEVYdance & Sidra Bell Companies, Mixed Bill: Rita Felciano, SF Bay Guardian Review – Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Triple Bill (Muscat): Sarah MacDonald, Times of Oman Preview – Cork City Ballet, Sleeping Beauty on a shoestring: Brian O’Connell, Irish Times

And I see that the ROH has now published the news: http://www.roh.org.uk/news/zenaida-yanowsky-receives-spanish-dance-award Anyone allowed to say how big her smile was at the BA last night? I mean, bigger than usual?

Links – Wednesday November 21, 2012 Reviews– Royal Ballet, MacMillan Triple Bill: Clement Crisp, Financial Times Graham Watts, LondonDance Hanna Weibye, One Stop Arts Gallery (2nd Cast) – Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Double Feature – Alexei Ratmansky and his Nutcracker: Ayano Hodouchi, Nora Fitzgerald, Russia beyond the headlines Reviews – Batsheva Ensemble, Deca Dance (London): Judith Mackrell, Guardian Lynette Halewood, DanceTabs James Woodall, Arts Desk Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Preview – Ballet B.C., In/verse, Contemporary Triple Bill: Dana Gee, The Province Interview – AD Emily Molnar: Shawn Conner, Vancouver Sun Dance, String Theory, and The Multiverse: Tim Douglas, The Australian Review – Meredith Monk, Music, Images & Movement: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Martin Kersels & Michael Mahalchick: Brian Seibert, NY Times Preview – Maurice Chestnut & The Timeline Band: Robert Johnson, NJ Star-Ledger Great Art for ….. everyone? Charlotte Higgins rebuts Will Gompertz, Guardian A small selection from Nutcracker corner: Scottish Ballet - The Big Picture! BBC News And Down Under: West Australian

You'll be glad to know that she's keeping in shape! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2236017/Missing-ballet-Darcey-Former-star-strikes-poses-walks-dogs.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

How appropriate! Had I known about this evening, I'd have bunked-off choir rehearsal and asked my Links colleague for an invitation.

Obviously backing the London critics' reviews of her current performance in Las Hermanas, the Spanish Ministry of Culture has awarded its 2012 National Dance Award for 'Interpretation' to Royal Ballet Principal, Zenaida Yanowsky. The prize amounts to 30,000 Euros, I see - so if she can't help smiling tonight whilst being humiliated by Thiago Soares, this could be why! The link I have is in Spanish, but I'd guess that the ROH will put something out before long: http://ecodiario.ele...danza-2012.html I cannot think of a more worthy winner in such a category anywhere. Huge congratulations! Edit: Mea culpa! In my excitement, I had confused tonight with next Tuesday (27th), her next performance.

Links – Tuesday November 20, 2012 Interview – Sergei Filin/Bolshoi Ballet: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Reviews– Royal Ballet, MacMillan Triple Bill: Zoë Anderson, Independent Mark Monahan, Telegraph Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Liz Hoggard, Evening Standard Neil Norman, The Stage Jane Simpson, DanceTabs Ray Barra Feature: Evening Standard Reviews – Alias/Guilherme Botelho, Sideways Rain (London): Jann Parry, DanceTabs Jeffrey Gordon Baker, LondonDance Review – Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Balanchine Program A (DC): Oksana Khadarina, DanceTabs Review – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, Sleeping Beauty (Salford): David Upton, British Theatre Guide Review – Diablo Ballet, Triple Bill: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Feature – National Ballet of China, The Red Detachment of Women: Hu Bei, Global Times Review – Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, FAR: Hanna Weibye, One Stop Arts Review – Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, The Rain Room: Germaine Cheng, LondonDance Preview – Wayne McGregor/Random Dance + RB, New Commissions: LondonDance Review – Malavika Sarukkai, Bharatanatyam Solo Bill (NY): Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Feature – Boston Ballet’s New Nutcracker: Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Phoenix Review – Damien Barber/The Lock In Dance Show: Colin Irwin, Telegraph Betsy Gregory on leaving Dance Umbrella: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times The Movement Factory, Dance Volunteering in Peckham: Leanne Pero, Guardian Review – Daara Dance/Michel Kouakou, Shifters, A Drop from Nowhere: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Juliette Mapp, Nature and its Discontents: Claudia La Rocco, NY Times Review – Israel Ballet/Itzik Galili, Quad Bill: Ora Brafman, Jerusalem Post Batsheva Ensemble – Necessary Precautions Last Night: Matt Trueman, Guardian

Links – Monday November 19, 2012 Reviews– Royal Ballet, MacMillan Triple Bill: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Ismene Brown, Arts Desk Lise Smith, Londonist Gallery – Dave Morgan, DanceTabs News Video - Carlos Acosta’s Cuban school project: Sarah Rainsford, BBC News Reviews – Malavika Sarukkai, Quad Bharatanatyam Bill (NY): Marina Harss, DanceTabs Brian Seibert, NY Times Australian Ballet and Rachel Rawlins’ imminent retirement: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Deborah Jones, The Australian Dance – worth a place in the curriculum? Judith Mackrell, Guardian Radio Interview – David Makhateli: Alice Lagnado & Julian Gallant, Voice of Russia Feature – The Baryshnikovs of Jookin: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Brian Brooks Moving Company, Quad Bill: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post

Dave: The pictures are excellent, as ever. My special thanks for lots with Zenaida! Having read about the eldest sister role, I'd guessed it could have been made for her and it certainly looks as if that's the case, and I look forward to that view being confirmed on 30 November. By the way, does anyone else think that her black wig gives Melissa Hamilton something of a Tamara Rojo look?

I doubt that there will be much that's new here to many of you, but the Telegraph is listing what it reckons to be the best shops for tutus and ballet shoes in London: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/in-the-know/london-shopping/9686303/ballet-shops-london.html

Alison: I've rather become accustomed to an overnight review for RB openings on Arts Desk, noticeable because it so rarely happens elsewhere these days ..... but not this time, I've found! I imagine that a number of the broadsheets will have something by tomorrow and Mr Crisp, when his review appears, will expound at as much length as his editor permits on MacMillan's work. The reaction last night on Twitter appeared uniformly enthusiastic - Sim's post, above, largely repeats what she had sent in textspeak as she approached 140 characters, for example! And I see that Bruce has just pronounced favourably, whilst Ms Charlotte Higgins (aka chiggi to her friends) has introduced a dull note re MacMillan's "ruddy Requiem." And, so saying, I think that breakfast calls .....

Links – Sunday November 18, 2012 Feature – Queen Margrethe designs Tivoli Nutcracker: Harriet Alexander, Sunday Telegraph Review – Vincent Dance Theatre, Motherland: Luke Jennings, Observer Reviews – Jasmin Vardimon Company, Freedom (London): Graham Watts, DanceTabs Jenny Gilbert, Independent on Sunday Erin Johnson, One Stop Arts Gallery – Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Review – Trey McIntyre Project/Korea NCDC, Mixed Bill (NY): Marina Harss, DanceTabs Retiring Australian Ballet Principal, Rachel Rawlins, looks ahead: Jordan Beth Vincent, Sydney Morning Herald Tributes & Gallery: Sydney Morning Herald Review – Diablo Ballet, Triple Bill: Ann Murphy, Contra Costa Times Review – Alias/ Guilherme Botelho, Sideways Rain: Jeffrey Taylor, Express Review – Quarantaine 4x4, Terminus: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette

Having monitored reaction on Twitter, I imagine we'll need a thread for this Bill - anyone likely to beat the Arts Desk with a first review?