Ian Macmillan

Back to basics for me in that the narrative arc that Cathy wanted to portray in her story of 'Love and Loss' started in childhood, so a significant aspect would have been lost.

Links – Saturday 7 March, 2020 Reviews – Royal Ballet, Swan Lake (Scarlett), London: Mark Monahan, The Telegraph Debra Craine, The Times Louise Levene, Financial Times Review – Martha Graham Dance Company, The EVE Project, Washington DC: Sarah L Kaufman, Washington Post Review – Ballet Vlaanderen, Kaash, Faun, Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue, New York: Sheila Kogan, TheaterScene Review – Ballet BC, Romeo + Juliet (Walerski), Northridge, CA: Victoria Looseleaf, Fjord Review Review – National Ballet of Canada, Chroma, Marguerite and Armand, Angels’ Atlas, Toronto: Josephine Minhinnett, Fjord Review Review – DEMO 2020, Mixed Bill, Washington DC: Carmel Morgan, Critical Dance Review – Michael Keegan-Dolan/Teaċ Daṁsa, MÁM, Wellington: Jennifer Shennan, ... on dancing Preview – NZ Festival of the Arts 2020, Strasbourg 1518, Wellington: Kate Green, Dominion Post What’s On – UK (London, Cardiff, Touring): Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian (Scroll down)

For anyone who has missed it, there's a substantial background/preview article from the LA Times at the top of this morning's Links.

Links – Friday 6 March, 2020 Preview – American Ballet Theatre, Of Love and Rage (Ratmansky World Premiere), Costa Mesa, CA: Jordan Riefe, LA Times Preview – San Francisco Ballet/Cathy Marston, Mrs Robinson, San Francisco, SF Classical Voice Preview – A revised La Bayadère for Pennsylvania Ballet: Ellen Dunkel, Philadelphia Inquirer Review – Crystal Pite & Jonathon Young/Kidd Pivot, Revisor, London: G J Dowler, Classical Source Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Swan Lake (Wright), Salford: David Cunningham, BTG Feature – McNicol Ballet Collective, a new neoclassical company: Ruth Comerford, The Stage Reviews – Mark Bruce Company, Return to Heaven, London: Anna Winter, The Stage Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Review – Ballet BC, Romeo + Juliet (Walerski), Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Reviews – Michael Keegan-Dolan/Teaċ Daṁsa, MÁM, Wellington: Lyne Pringle, Stuff.co Deirdre Tarrant, Theatreview Review – Kimberly Bartosik/Daela, Through the Mirror, New York: Gia Kourlas, NY Times What’s On – New York, This Week: Brian Schaefer, NY Times News – A prize-winning dance portrait: Michelle Potter, ... on dancing Covid-19 Corner: - Inappropriate behaviour at Korean National Ballet: Im Eun-byel, Korea Herald

Stop it! This has all become very silly!

Links – Thursday 5 March, 2020 Reviews – Crystal Pite & Jonathon Young/Kidd Pivot, Revisor, London: Mark Monahan, The Telegraph Sanjoy Roy, The Guardian Debra Craine, The Times Louise Levene, Financial Times Neil Norman, The Stage Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Vera Liber, BTG Maryam Philpott, Reviews Hub Charlotte Kasner, SeeingDance Feature – I was a teenage Riverdancer: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Ballett Zürich, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, Zürich: Graham Watts, Bachtrack Review – Ballet Vlaanderen, Kaash, Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue, Faun, New York: Brian Seibert, NY Times Reviews – Boston Ballet, rEVOLUTION (Agon, Glass Pieces, In the Middle …), Boston: Mary Paula Hunter, Arts Fuse Sara Komatsu, The Harvard Crimson Reviews – BalletBoyz, Deluxe (Bradley 4:18, Ripple), Glasgow: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Lorna Irvine, Fjord Review Review – Michael Keegan-Dolan/Teaċ Daṁsa, MÁM, Perth: Deborah Jones, FollowSpot Tour Review – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, The Red Shoes, Bristol: Claire Hayes, BTG Late Review – Russell Maliphant Company, maliphantworks3, London: Stuart Sweeney, Critical Dance Review – Kate Prince/Zoo Nation, Message in a Bottle, London: Rachel Nouchi, BTG News – Queensland Ballet AD Li Cunxin explains his Scarlett decision: Broede Carmody, Brisbane Times Tour Review – Transitions Dance Company, Irresponsible Gods, Un-sound, Firstly, my name, Sale: Georgina Wells, BTG Preview – Bill Coleman, Dollhouse, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Miscellaneous – Brooklyn Rail, March Edition: West Side Story, Okwui Okpokwasili & a piece on Cheerleading: Rail, March Coming Up – In London, till November: Zoe Paskett & Lizzie Thompson, Evening Standard Video – Brooklyn Ballet’s multi-ethnic Pas de Quatre: Staff, abc7 news Oh dear, oh dear ...... Hun Sen slams Cambodian Royal Ballet performance in Singapore The Star

Links – Wednesday 4 March, 2020 Obituary – Cecil Bates, Dancer, Choreographer, Notator: Michelle Potter, .... on dancing Review – Béjart Ballet Lausanne & Diana Vishneva, Béjart Celebrates Maurice, Paris: Laura Cappelle, Financial Times Review – Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, 13 Tongues, Dust, London: Graham Watts, Bachtrack Interview – Choreographer Crystal Pite – beyond Betroffenheit: Anna Winter, The Stage Feature – Three Australians with the Royal Ballet: Karen Van Ulzen, Dance Australia Feature – Carlos Pons Guerra/DeNada Dance Theatre, Mariposa: David Mead, SeeingDance Review – Demo: Now 2020, Very mixed Bill, Washington DC: George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Review – Perth Festival: STRUT, Hofesh in the Yard; Teaċ Daṁsa, MÁM: Margaret Mercer, Dance Australia Review – Projection Dance Company, Closer, Sydney: Geraldine Higginson, Dance Australia Review – Jess Evans & Lyra Butler-Denman, Delicate Fish/BARDO, Portland: Elizabeth Whelan, Oregon Artswatch

JNC found " there's always something in the corner of your eye" as an unwelcome distraction during The Cellist. Whereas, on the contrary, I have often found that what's happening to the side or the rear helps to fill out the narrative in Cathy's work. What Beatrice is doing, or how she is reacting to the discoveries she makes in her mother's diaries and being danced at centre stage, struck me as vital to the story in Victoria. And I seem unable to forget the placing of the Mother in Witch Hunt, so often moving to the rear and away from the action as she (for me at least) makes the point that she is in an empty marriage, something that leads to her husband's infidelity on which the story turns, as here: But that's just me.

The papers and Dance writers in Oz have also caught up - see today's Links.

Links – Tuesday 3 March, 2020 News – David Hallberg to be AD at Australian Ballet: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Valerie Lawson & Nick Galvin, The Age Deborah Jones, FollowSpot Jo Litson, Limelight Review – New York City Ballet, Classic NYCB II Triple Bill, New York: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Feature/Q&A – Francesca Hayward, Cats and more: Neil Norman, The Stage Feature – How Europe is luring America’s best dancers: Charlotte Barnett, NY Observer Review – National Ballet of Canada, Angels’ Atlas, Chroma, Marguerite and Armand, Toronto: Penelope Ford, Globe and Mail Review – Australian Ballet, The Happy Prince, Brisbane: Denise Richardson, Dance Australia Review – Boston Ballet, rEVOLUTION (Agon, Glass Pieces, In the Middle ..), Boston: Andrew Child, BWW Boston Tour Reviews – BalletBoyz, Deluxe (Bradley 4:18, Ripple), Glasgow: Roisin O’Brien, SeeingDance Lucy Ribchester, The List Preview – Northern Ballet, Geisha, Touring UK: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Preview – Joffrey Ballet, Mixed Bill, Berkeley: Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News Review – Nancy Karp + Dancers, piano, piano, Oakland: Heather Desaulniers, DanceTabs Features: - Ballet costumiers and their secrets: Anna Winter, The Stage - For ballet shoes, a Russian company is on pointe: Andrea Palasciano, Moscow Times News – Jessica Xuan & Semyon Velichko to Principal at Dutch National Ballet: Staff, BWW NL Review – Step Afrika! Drumfolk, New York: Brian Seibert, NY Times What’s On – New York & San Francisco, This Spring: Charlotte Barnett, NY Observer Preview – PUSH Dance Company, The Motley Experiment, San Francisco: Lou Fancher, SF Classical Voice Feature – Dance at Disneyland: Todd Martens, LA Times

Links – Friday 28 February, 2020 Reviews– Viviana Durante Company, Isadora Now, London: Jenny Gilbert, Arts Desk Graham Watts, Bachtrack Reviews – Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, 13 Tongues, Dust, London: Donald Hutera, The Times Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian Vera Liber, BTG Scott Matthewman, Reviews Hub Maggie Foyer, SeeingDance Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Swan Lake, Birmingham: Phil Preece, SeeingDance Review – Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, High Life, Mercy, Grace, New York: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Reviews – Australian Ballet, The Happy Prince, Brisbane: Olivia Stewart, Limelight Michelle Potter, .... on dancing Review – New York City Ballet, Rotunda (Peck), In G Major, DGV, New York: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Feature – Boston Ballet, rEVOLUTION (Balanchine, Robbins, Forsythe), Boston: Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald Feature – Paul Lightfoot & Nederlands Dans Theater: Susan Yung, Playbill Exhibition – Ballerina: Fashion’s Modern Muse, New York: Nadine Daher, Smithsonian Magazine Preview – The Trocks & Tory Dobrin In Berkeley, mid-March: Staff, SF Bay Times Exhibition Preview – On Point: Royal Academy of Dance at 100: V&A, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Review – 2020 Asia TOPA, Pollen Revolution, What Happened in Shanghai, Melbourne: Gracia Haby, Fjord Review What’s On – New York, Next Week: Brian Schaefer, NY Times Preview – Grupo Corpo, Gira, Dança Sinfônica, Vancouver: Janet Smith: Straight.com Review – Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT), Triple Bill, Dallas: Emily Sese, Theater Jones Review – Full Circle Dance, The Premiere – Triple Bill, Dallas: Emily Sese, Theater Jones Statistics – From NYCB, ABT and elsewhere: Ruthie Fierberg, Playbill And off to New Zealand for today’s something different: Stuff.co

Links – Thursday 27 February, 2020 Reviews – Viviana Durante Company, Isadora Now, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Donald Hutera, The Times Maryam Philpott, Reviews Hub Sanjoy Roy, The Guardian Zoë Anderson, Independent Neil Norman, The Stage Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Charlotte Kasner, SeeingDance Reviews – Royal Ballet, The Cellist, Dances at a Gathering, London: Sara Veale, Fjord Review Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard (Streamed performance) Sara Veale, The Spectator (+ Pina Bausch, Bluebeard) Review – Alina Cojocaru & Friends, Alina at Sadler’s Wells, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Sara Veale, Fjord Review G J Dowler, Classical Source Review – Washington Ballet, Balanchine & Ashton programme, Washington DC: Carmel Morgan, Critical Dance Feature – Greta Hodgkinson ends 30 years with National Ballet of Canada: Michael Crabb, The Star Review – Australian Ballet, The Happy Prince, Brisbane: Jill Sykes, The Age Reviews – Phoenix Dance Company, Black Waters, Newcastle: Jonathan Cash, Reviews Hub Peter Lathan, BTG Review – Tango Fire (Cornejo), Edinburgh: Dominic Corr, Reviews Hub Tour Preview – BalletBoyz, Deluxe –Double Bill, Edinburgh: Kelly Apter, The List Preview – Jérôme Bel, Company, company, Miami: Mike Hamersley, Miami Herald Review – JCWK Dance Lab, HOMEbody, Philadelphia: Melissa Strong, Broad Street Review Review – Resolution 2020, Final Programme, London: Ka Bradley & Megan Edwards, The Place News – Dancer “hurt by heavy partner“ seeks £500K damages: Jonathan Ames, The Times And if the cap fits: How to raise an alpha kid: the super-rich parent's guide to ballet: Susie Mesure, The Telegraph

I disagree.

The Bachtrack review was included in yesterday morning's Links, together with another. Indeed, there have been reviews for the show since Saturday ... and there may be more to come.

"For people who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like." Miss Jean Brodie, as I recall.

Oh dear - I hardly recognise The Cellist from some of the foregoing, but there we are. I found the addition of closeups all helped both ballets tonight and I think that a second viewing has sealed the narrative arc in my memory now. The audience reaction tonight sounded much louder in its appreciation than on Opening Night but I'd also add that, in our cinema, the sound level seemed a bit on the loud side. No idea whether that was caused by a volume selection at our end or in what was transmitted from the ROH.

Indeed. Duly moved.

Bridie: You must have found it just as I was doing so for today's Links, and I agree that it has a very special quality to it. Will Gompertz has written preview/interview pieces from time to time but, In 10 years of doing Links, I can't recall his having put up a review before. The Cellist certainly seems to have made an impression on him.

Links – Saturday 22 February, 2020 Obituaries – Tobi Tobias, Dance Critic: Neil Genzlinger, NY Times Deborah Jowitt, ArtsJournal/DanceBeat Reviews – Alina Cojocaru & Friends, Alina at Sadler’s Wells: Louise Levene, Financial Times Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian Mark Monahan, The Telegraph Rosemary Waugh, The Stage Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Donald Hutera, The Times Reviews – Royal Ballet, The Cellist, Dances at a Gathering, London: Will Gompertz, BBC News Siobhan Murphy, TimeOut, London Review – Richard Alston Dance Company, Voices and Light Footsteps, Detour, Shine On, Brahms Hungarian, Montclair, NJ: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Washington Ballet, Balanchine + Ashton, Washington DC: Sarah L Kaufman, Washington Post Preview – Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, 13 Tongues, London: Peter Aspden, Financial Times Reviews – Kate Prince/Sting/Zoo Nation, Message in a Bottle, London: Scott Matthewman, Reviews Hub Jenny Gilbert, Arts Desk Review – Rambert, PreSentient, Rouge, In Your Rooms, Edinburgh: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Reviews – Scottish Dance Theatre, Antigone, Interrupted, Edinburgh: Lucy Ribchester, The List Roisin O’Brien, SeeingDance Review – West Side Story (Van Hove, De Keersmaeker), New York: Jesse Oxfeld, The Times Nicole Serratore, The Stage What’s On – London & Ipswich: Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian (Scroll down) Preview – Okwui Okpokwasili, Sitting on a Man’s Head, New York: Brian Seibert, NY Times Resolution 2020, A different programme each evening, London: - Thursday 20 February, Josephine Leask & Hannah Barron, The Place

John, down the years, I have generally found that I've got more from Cathy's work on each repeated viewing. There is usually a lot of detail to absorb in the telling of complex stories and it can pay to be aware of what's happening to the side or back of the stage.

Links – Friday 21 February, 2020 New York Feature – 3 Takes on Odette v Odile, NYCB, Shanghai, Bourne: Faye Arthurs, Fjord Review Reviews – Kate Prince/Sting/Zoo Nation, Message in a Bottle, London: Debra Craine, The Times Louise Levene, Financial Times Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian Emma Byrne, Evening Standard Neil Norman, The Stage Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Reviews – West Side Story (Van Hove, De Keersmaeker), New York: Ben Brantley, NY TImes Peter Marks, Washington Post Charles McNulty, LA TImes Diane Snyder, The Telegraph Max McGuinness, Financial Times Review – Pam Tanowitz, Four Quartets, Los Angeles: Victoria Looseleaf, Fjord Review Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Swan Lake, Birmingham: Tim Harding, Reviews Hub Review – McNicol Ballet Collective, For Life 4-bill, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Review – Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker/Rosas, Mitten Wir Im Leben Sind, New York: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat News – Joffrey Ballet, 2020-21 Season: Andrew Gans, Playbill News – When a Director was fired, ballet stars rallied – or did they? Alex Marshall, NY Times What’s On – New York, Next Week: Brian Schaefer, NY Times Review – Arts Academy, Sunderland College, Figures in a Floating Landscape: Peter Lathan, BTG Resolution 2020, A different programme each evening, London: - Wednesday 19 February: Jenny Gilbert & Hannah Barron: The Place

The score is played live, without recorded extracts. Edited to add: I see that Chicago's Joffrey Ballet has just announced its 20/21 Season. It is to include a new work by Cathy based on Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men." Those appalled at The Cellist being twinned with Dances at a Gathering may shudder at the prospect of the new work being twinned with Balanchine's Serenade.

As I recall, Clement Crisp once gave advice on the Critic's role as being to "kiss or kill." As I opened Classical Source for Links this morning to find that Gerald Dowler had a review of Monday night up already - he's often quite late - I'd a feeling, born of some 10 years doing Links, as to what I'd find. So no great surprise to find it a little on the dyspeptic side and, were Mr Crisp still reviewing for the FT, I'd venture to say he'd have written in a similar vein. And I'd have disagreed with him too.

Links – Thursday 20 February, 2020 Reviews – Royal Ballet, The Cellist, Dances at a Gathering, London: Jenny Gilbert, Arts Desk Sarah Kirkup, Bachtrack Joy Sable, Jewish Chronicle G J Dowler, Classical Source Feature/Gallery – Russian Ballet before the Revolution: Alexandra Guzeva, Russia Beyond Exhibition - Fashion’s Love Affair with Ballet, New York: Caroline Shadle, Dance Magazine Feature – Ballet Costumes Carry an Embodied History; Caroline Hamilton, Pointe Magazine News: - Call for reinstatement of Lyon Opera Ballet Director: Tim Jonze, The Guardian --- But later updated/denied here: The Guardian - West Side Story protests continue in New York: Julia Jacobs, NY Times Review/Gallery – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Swan Lake, Bormingham: Maria Cusine, Express & Star Review – Darvejon Jones Dance Ensemble, Mixed 8-bill, Portland, OR: Elizabeth Whelan, Oregon Artswatch Report – The 2020 Russell Kerr Lecture, Wellington: Jennifer Shennan, ... on dancing Resolution 2020, A different programme each evening, London: - Tuesday 18 February: Ka Bradley & Adam Moore: The Place

I have noted all contributions to the thread thus far and have not returned to argue. I only wish to say that I have waited for years for Cathy Marston's first main stage commission from the Royal Ballet and that I left Monday's premiere of The Cellist well satisfied. 36 hours later, I remain equally convinced that it is a work of substance.