Ian Macmillan

Links - Wednesday, 27 September, 2023

Preview - Martha Graham Dance Company, Centennial Celebration begins (with a new Rodeo): Victoria Looseleaf, SF Classical Voice

Review - New York City Ballet, NYCB at 75: Jewels, New York: Marina Harss, Fjord Review (Unrestricted)

  - News item - Nancy Chen, CBS News

Reviews - Scottish Ballet, Twice Born Double Bill, Glasgow:

Kelly Apter, Scotsman

Fergus Morgan, The Stage

Reviews - The Lyon Dance Biennial: 

Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times

Laura Cappelle, Financial Times

Review - Australian Ballet, Swan Lake, Melbourne: Karen Van Ulzen, Dance Australia

Preview -  McOnie Company, Nutcracker, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper

Feature - Ray Johnson’s elusive dream: ‘I want to dance’: Jenny Harris, NY Times

News - National Ballet of Ukraine announces Canadian tour: Sara Harowitz, Straight.com

News - New York City Ballet - a new book to mark its 75th Anniversary: Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD

News - The Youth America Grand Prix has come to Sydney: Karen Van Ulzen, Dance Australia

Photo Album - Birmingham Royal Ballet: World premiere Black Sabbath – The Ballet: Johan Persson, Gramilano

And:

‘Quite a surprise’: Angela Rippon stuns viewers and experts with Strictly splits: Rachel Hall, Guardian

Tony: Thanks for confirming that tomorrow is Press Night - the lack of reviews had pretty much convinced me that something of the sort was in the wind for Links.  There are loads of sites with pics from last Saturday, all concentrated on Tony Iommi's appearance - and I've decided that one is enough for our purposes.

Links - Tuesday 26 September, 2023

Feature - Birmingham Royal Ballet, Black Sabbath: The Ballet, Birmingham: Alex Marshall, NY Times

Review - Pacific Northwest Ballet, Petite Mort, Sechs Tänze, Cacti, Seattle: Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times

Reviews - New York City Ballet, NYCB at 75: Jewels, New York:

Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc

Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes

Review - China National Opera and Dance Drama, Tide of Era, Hong Kong: Natasha Rogai, SCMP

Review -  Marrugeku,  Jurrungu Ngan-ga [Straight Talk]', Perth, WA: Jonathan W Marshall, Dance Australia

Preview - BalletBoyz, England on Fire, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper

Preview - Aditi Mangaldas, Forbidden, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper

Feature - Get to know Washington Ballet’s Acting Artistic Director Trinidad Vives: Staff, En Face Magazine

News - Royal Ballet to perform The Cellist and Anemoi  this Autumn: Stephi Wild, BWW UK Regional

News - Dutch National Ballet’s Giselle opens next month: Staff, Ballet Herald

News - Northern Ballet’s Nutcracker returns to Leeds: Staff, Ballet Herald

News - Dance writer Luke Jennings on body shaming at UK’s top ballet schools: Graham Spicer, Gramilano 

News - Misty Copeland wants Apple to add diverse pointe-shoe emojis. She has a good reason: Alexandra Del Rosario, LA Times

Links - Monday 25 September, 2023

Review - Arpino Chicago Centennial Celebration/Joffrey Ballet, Chicago: Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune

Review - Wanjiru Kamuyu, A disguised welcome, New York: Brian Seibert, NY Times

Archive Pt 2 (Feb 2023) - San Francisco Ballet, Emergence, The Queen's Daughter, BOLERO, San Francisco: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc

News - Los Angeles Ballet 2023-24 Season: Staff, Ballet Herald

Report - Tony Iommi makes surprise appearance on stage at BLACK SABBATH ballet premiere: Staff, Blabbermouth.net

The film was on BBC4 this evening, but only featured the Mozart Requiem.  Powerful stuff, delivering a work highly penitential in nature, as implied by the Dies Irae which is so predominant in Mozart's work and which is very different in character from the Fauré version used by Kenneth MacMillan.  

Links - Sunday 24 September, 2023

Feature - Ballet v machismo: Latin American dancers challenging old-fashioned ideas of manhood: Naomi Larsson Piñeda, Guardian

Reviews - English National Ballet, Our Voices (triple bill), London:

Toby White, The Arbuturian

John O'Dwyer, Seen and Heard

Review - Australian Ballet, Swan Lake, Melbourne: Deborah Jones, FollowSpot

Reviews - Scottish Ballet, Twice Born Double Bill, Glasgow:

Mark Brown, The National

Lorna Irvine, Fjord Review

Review - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, 21st Century Creations Quad Bill, London: Sara Veale, Fjord Review

Review - Court Theatre, Dance Nation, Christchurch: Ruth Agnew, Theatreview

Review - Matthew Lutz-Kinoy: Filling Station, Ballet at the Pump, New York: Robert Greskovic, Wall St Journal

Archive (Feb 2023) - San Francisco Ballet, Kin, Gateway to the Sun, Violin Concerto, San Francisco: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc

News - Dynamo – biography of The Royal Ballet star Michael Somes by Sarah Woodcock: Graham Spicer, Gramilano

Documentary Review - Lift : a triumphant tale at the Ballet: Joey Moser, Awards Daily

And all a far cry from the days when RAF Gan, at the southern tip of the Maldives, was the RAF refuelling point on the routes to Singapore and Hong Kong.  Last flight through Gan was in March 1976, as I recall, as Colombo began to be used instead.  At that time, Gan had the only airfield of any consequence in the Maldives, something I believe has changed considerably since then. 

Links - Sunday 17 September, 2023

News - World premiere of film of Kenneth MacMillan’s Sea of Troubles: Graham Spicer, Gramilano

Feature - Memento: A riveting Holocaust story unlike any other ballet: Uriel Peizer, Jerusalem Post

Book Reviews - Ballet Confidential and Soar, by David McAllister: Jennifer Shennan, ... on dancing

See today's Links - Aaron Watkins, ENB's new boss, has some things to say on this topic. 

Links - Saturday 16 September, 2023

Obituaries - Erik Aschengreen, historian and critic who illuminated Danish dance: 

Alastair Macaulay, NY Times

Marina Harss, Gramilano

Interview - Meet Aaron Watkin, British ballet’s new champion: Debra Craine, The Times (+ share)

Interview -  Julie Kent opens up on helping to lead Houston Ballet: Adrienne Jones, Paper City Magazine

Reviews - Ambiguous Dance Company, Rhythm of Human, London:

Louise Levene, Financial Times

Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper

Review - Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, Romeo and Juliet, Bradford: James Ballands, BTG

Review - Australasian Dance Collective/Maxine Doyle, Salamander, Brisbane: Deborah Jones, FollowSpot

News - Vogue World to donate £2m to London-based arts organisations, including the Royal Ballet & Rambert: Nadia Khomami, Guardian

Surprise News - San Francisco Ballet to do Nutcracker at Christmas: Staff, Ballet Herald

News - Kansas City Ballet to stage N American premiere of Jekyll & Hyde: Staff, Ballet Herald

Yes, I believe so. 

Spot the somewhat younger MM, in rehearsal with what was the ROH Opera Ballet, circa 1957/8:

Links - Friday 15 September, 2023

Review - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre: 13 September Programme, London: G J Dowler, Classical Source

Review - The 10th Hong Kong Tap Festival: Natasha Rogai, SCMP

Review - Ambiguous Dance Company, Rhythm of Human, London: David Mead, SeeingDance

Preview - New York City Ballet's 75th Anniversary Season: Caedra Scott-Flaherty, NY Observer

Preview - Pam Tanowitz & David Lang, Song of Songs, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper

Documentary Review - Lift : The choreography of mentoring young talents: Claire Shaffer, NY Times

News - Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands embarks on six-month UK tour: Graham Spicer, Gramilano

Links - Thursday 14 September, 2023

Feature - Filling Station: Finding ‘Ghost Collaborators’ for an All-American Ballet: Brian Seibert, NY Times

Feature - ‘It’s not exactly Swan Lake, is it?’: inside the making of the Black Sabbath ballet: Neil McCormick, Telegraph

Reviews - Rupert Christiansen, Spectator

- Northern Ballet, Generations Triple Bill, Leeds

- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, First programme, London

News - Northern Ballet announces a Beauty & the Beast  tour: Staff, Ballet Herald

News - National Ballet of Canada - Piotr Stanczyk to take a final bow in Passion: Staff, Ballet Herald

News - Ty King-Wall is to be Royal New Zealand Ballet’s next artistic director:

Michelle Potter, ... on dancing

Maddy Briggs, Limelight

Andre Chumko, Stuff.co

Preview - Sam Steiner/Kristen McNally/Francesca Hayward/Alexander Campbell - The Limit, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper

Book Preview - New York City Ballet: Choreography & Couture by Mark Happel, Photography - Pari Dukovic: Landon Peoples, Elle

And then:

‘Just jump on the spot if you can’t keep up’: my 90 minutes of ballet for beginners: Jennifer Wong, Guardian

Links - Wednesday 13 September, 2023

Obituary - Johaar Mosaval, Dancer: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian

Reviews - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre:

 All programmes, London: Siobhan Murphy, The Stage

In a Sentimental Mood, Dancing Spirit: Vera Liber, BTG

21st Century Creations: Jann Parry, Gramilano

Review - West Australian Ballet, echoes of VAN GOGH, Perth: Isabelle Leclezio, Dance Australia

Report - Paris: Théâtre de la Ville gears up for reopening with outdoor dance festival: Laura Cappelle, Financial Times

Report - Shanghai Ballet returns to Amsterdam with new take on Swan Lake: Staff, CGTN

Preview - Ballet National de Marseille/(La) Horde, Dance Reflections, New York: Gia Kourlas, NY Times

Preview - Ballet Nights Premiere to feature 3 Royal Ballet stars, London: Staff, Ballet Herald

Audio Feature - Ballet Brothers, Isaac and Esteban Hernandez: Elizabeth Loewenthal Torres, Latino USA

Feature - In Fort Worth, celebrating the ballet legend Ben Stevenson: Jerome Weeks, KERA News

News - Ty King-Wall is to be Royal New Zealand Ballet’s next artistic director: Deborah Jones, FollowSpot

News - Birmingham Royal Ballet comes to Orlando: Stephi Wild, BWW Orlando

Book Review - Dance Cultures Around the World: Editors - Lynn E. Frederiksen & Shih-Ming Li Chang: David Mead, SeeingDance

And on a matter of current interest:

40 ways The Royal Ballet School has enhanced student experience over the past decade: Staff, European Business Review

Links - Tuesday 12 September, 2023

News - BBC Panorama programme - The dark side  of ballet schools:

Mark Daly, BBC News

Laurence Sleator, The Times (+ share). And lots more on 'body shaming' elsewhere.

And something of an alternative view: Sarah Dunsby, London Loves Business

Feature - War fought on a delicate front: Ballet in the Russo-Ukrainian War: Adrienne Chan, Harvard International Review

Review - Tanztheater Wuppertal, Liberté Cathédrale (Charmatz Premiere), Neviges, Germany: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times

Review - Houston Ballet, Midsummer Night's Dream (Neumeier), Houston: Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle

Review - Estonian National Ballet, Alice in Wonderland (Schiavoni), Tallinn: Stuart Sweeney, Critical Dance

Review - Douglas Dunn + Dancers, Garden Party, New York: Erin Bomboy, Bachtrack

Review - Welcome to Campfire, The Pigeon and the Mouse, London: Matthew Paluch, Gramilano

News - Australian Ballet  2024 Season -  Oscar Wilde’s life story and more: 

Nadia Bailey, The Age

Deborah Jones, Limelight

News - City Ballet of San Diego 2023-2024 Season: Staff, Ballet Herald

Book Features - The Boy from Kyiv by Marina Harss:

Sophie Bress, NY Observer

Susan Yung, Brooklyn Rail

Interview - Korean dancer/choreographer Eun-Me Ahn and Dragons: Sanjoy Roy, Guardian

And:  Kizomba culture is a life-enhancing expression of Angola’s diaspora: Oliver Basciano, Financial Times

1923 Archive - Anna Pavlova delivers grace and humour with a touch of the grotesque: Unattributed, The Times (+ share)

My Russian is very many years behind me now but, in anglicised form, his name would have been something like Phokyn, would it not?  That may not help! 

Links - Monday 11 September, 2023

New York City Ballet at 75

Feature - The Company was in peril. Then came a revival: Javier C Hernandez, NY Times

Reviews - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, London:

Contemporary Voices Programme: Sarah Crompton, The Observer.   Anna Selby, The Arbuturian

 Ailey Classics Programme: Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide

21st Century Creations: David Mead, SeeingDance

Reviews - Northern Ballet, Generations Triple Bill, Leeds:

Lyndsey Winship, Guardian

Donald Hutera, The Times (+ share)

Review - West Australian Ballet, echoes of VAN GOGH, Perth: Deborah Jones, FollowSpot

Review - Welcome to Campfire, The Pigeon and the Mouse, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper

Documentary Preview - National Ballet of Canada, Swan Song: Ryan O'Rourke, Collider.  Collider/2

Preview - Australian Ballet:  Dancers explore good and evil in ballet’s toughest role: Amanda Dunn, The Age

Book Preview - New York City Ballet: Choreography & Couture by Mark Happel, Photography - Pari Dukovic, NY Times

Feature - Rocío Molina is the queen of modern flamenco: Bridget Stringer-Holden, Straight.com

News - Li Cunxin given the keys of Brisbane: Michelle Potter, ... on dancing

Well, it's certainly much different from the stuff the Romans used to build the Pantheon, but the 'C' in RAAC is for 'concrete.'  No?

A truly remarkable occasion, by the sound of it!  

Links - Saturday 5 August, 2023

Review - Australian Ballet, Jewels, ROH London: Helen Hawkins, Arts Desk

- Rubies Video Clip: Gramophone

Review - American Ballet Theatre, Romeo and Juliet (MacMillan), New York: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc

Review - Ballet 22, Momentum, San Francisco: Rachel Howard, Fjord Review

Review - Atamira Dance Company, Tomo, Auckland: Lyne Pringle, Theatreview

Preview - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, 4 Programmes, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper

News - Bolshoi Ballet aims to perform again in the West: Andrew Smith, VoA

News - National Ballet Of Canada announces new dancers and staff for 2023-24: Anya Wassenberg, Ludwig Van Toronto

News - Ballet roster roundup: Dancers and Directors on the move: Kyra Laubacher, Pointe Magazine

News - Los Angeles Ballet launches new Brand Identity: Stephi Wild, BWW LA

And:

Everybody Dance Now! Here Lies Love dictates your moves: Brian Seibert, NY Times

Further to some of the posts above, can I just say that I'd long since given up on Classical Source for ballet/dance Links.  However, this morning I thought I'd take a look just in case and found a neat, new-look website, with a review by Gerald Dowler freshly posted!  So it's back on my daily trawl list.  And despite that possibly record-breaking list of 12 reviews this morning, there were some notable absences.  One posted about an hour later and we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Links - Friday 4 August, 2023

Reviews - Australian Ballet, Jewels, ROH London:

Lyndsey Winship, Guardian

Marianka Swain, Telegraph

Alastair Macaulay, Slipped Disc

Siobhan Murphy, The Stage

Donald Hutera, The Times (+ share)

Joy Sable, Jewish Chronicle

Mark Pullinger, Bachtrack

Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper

Stefan Kyriazis, Express

David Mead, SeeingDance

Jonathan Gray, Gramilano

G J Dowler, Classical Source

Review - American Ballet Theatre, Swan Lake, New York: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc

Review - Dance Plant Collective, Rituals of Similarity, Auckland: Felicity Molloy, Theatreview

News - National Ballet of Ukraine to tour Canada: Staff, Yahoo!

News - Charlotte Ballet 2023-2024 Season: Staff, Ballet Herald

News - 42nd Annual Battery Dance Festival, New York: Staff, En Face Magazine

News - Complexions Contemporary Ballet - a balletic Bowie joyride at Jacob's Pillow: Karen Campbell, Boston Globe

News - Vancouver Street Dance Festival pops off: V S Wells, Straight.com

And still more from the Macaulay Archive:

- Royal Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty - January 2023: Blog

- Royal Ballet, Woolf Works - March 2023: Blog 

Advance Warning: Lots of Reviews in tomorrow's Links! 

Links - Thursday 3 August, 2023

Obituary - Magda Saleh, Egypt’s first prima ballerina: Staff, The Times (+ share)

London Previews:

- Royal Ballet, Autumn Season: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper

- Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Traces Through Time: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper

Review - American Ballet Theatre, Giselle, Wolf Trap, VA: Carolyn Kelemen, MD TheatreGuide

Review - Pilobolus, Big Five-OH Prog B, New York: Sophie Bress, Fjord Review

Review -  Staatstheater Nürnberg, 4th International Ballet Gala: David Mead, SeeingDance

Review - Vail Dance Festival 2023, Two Shows - 28 & 30 July: Michael Wade Simpson, Culture Vulture

News - Greenwich Dance boss: 'You carry the stigma of having lost ACE funding': Gemma Nettle, The Stage

News - Dancer fatally stabbed in confrontation at a Brooklyn gas station: Staff, NY Times

Feature - The Dance of Too-Hot Summer? Melt Into the Pinegrove Shuffle: Gia Kourlas, NY Times

Yet more from the Macaulay Archive:

- Royal Ballet, The Weathering, Solo Echo, DGV - March 2022: Blog

- Birmingham Royal Ballet, Into the Music Triple Bill: Blog