Ian Macmillan

Buddy: You may have started something. Having been here since the beginning, I can tell you that 'Doing Dance" has consistently provided about 52% of all Forum posts since we started, and something similar pertained on ballet.co, whence we originated at the end of 2011. My perception has been that, by and large, crossover to/from Discussions and News in either direction is limited.

Links – Saturday 21 September, 2019 Review – English National Ballet, Giselle (Khan), London: Vera Liber, BTG Review - New York City Ballet, Raymonda Variations, Variations pour une porte et un soupir, DGV, New York: Carla Escoda, Bachtrack Reviews – Birmingham Royal Ballet & Ballet Black, A Brief Nostalgia, The Suit, Nine Sinatra Songs, Birmingham: John Kennedy, Reviews Hub David Mead, SeeingDance Review – Boston Ballet, Giselle, Boston: Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Globe Tour Review – Northern Ballet, Cinderella (Nixon), Woking: Louise Lewis, BTG Tour Preview – Richard Alston Dance Company, Final Edition: Kelly Apter, The List Preview – Streb Extreme Action, Falling & Loving, Montclair, NJ: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Kokoro Dance, Reading the Bones, Vancouver: Alexander Varty, Straight.com What’s On: Around UK Next Week: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian (Scroll down) News – BalletBoyz 2020 Tour, Deluxe: Dan Meyer, Playbill Gallery – Liaoning Ballet of China, Mulan: Zou Zheng, Xinhua

External comment on the Guardian's 'Theatre' list that might equally apply to 'Dance'. https://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/2019/andrzej-lukowski-guardians-list-best-plays-century/

Links – Friday 20 September, 2019 Reviews – English National Ballet, Giselle (Khan), London: Mark Monahan, Telegraph Debra Craine, The Times Emma Byrne, Evening Standard David Mead, SeeingDance - Gallery: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs New York City Ballet, Fall Season, New York: Review - Jewels: Carla Escoda, Bachtrack Review - Jewels + Raymonda Variations, Variations Pour Une Porte et Un Soupir, DGV: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Preview – Fall Gala: Work by Lauren Lovette & Edwaard Liang: Terry Trucco, Playbill Review – Astana Ballet, Love Fear Loss, A Fuego Lento, Heritage of the Great Steppe, Salome, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Dutch National Ballet, Amsterdam Review - Opening Gala, Maggie Foyer, SeeingDance Review - Ballet Imperial, Symphony in 3 Movements, Who Cares?: Lambrecht Wessels, Bachtrack Feature – Benjamin Millepied & LA Dance Project: Makeda Easter, LA Times Tour Review – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, Romeo and Juliet, Canterbury: Victoria Bawtree, Reviews Hub Review – Rubberband, Ever So Slightly, New York: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times News – Greta Hodgkinson to retire from National Ballet of Canada: Staff, 660 City News What’s On: - New York, Next Week: Staff, NY Times - National Dance Day in Costa Mesa: Makeda Easter, LA Times Feature – Flyaway Productions, The Wait Room, Ossining, NY: Brian Seibert, NY Times It’s only mid-September, but …. Review – Australian Ballet, The Nutcracker (Wright), Melbourne: Rhys Ryan, Limelight And as the Rugby World Cup gets going: National Dance Company Wales & parallels between dance and rugby: Nicholas Davies, The Stage

Links – Thursday 19 September, 2019 Review – English National Ballet, Giselle (Khan), London: Mark Pullinger, Bachtrack Review – New York City Ballet, Jewels, New York: Michael Popkin, Danceviewtimes Review – West Australian Ballet, Giselle, Perth: Deborah Jones, FollowSpot Review – New Chamber Ballet, The Night, New York: Jerry Hochman, Critical Dance Review – Rubberband, Ever So Slightly, New York: Brian Seibert, NY Times Review – Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, Trace Figures, San Francisco: Claudia Bauer, DanceTabs News – Los Angeles International Dance Festival, April 2020: Makeda Easter, LA Times Preview – Kokoro Dance, Reading the Bones, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Mainly about West End theatre, but if ….. Ticket prices are rising; why aren’t we rioting? Alice Saville, Exeunt

Links – Wednesday 18 September, 2019 Review – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Programme C, London: Deborah Weiss, DanceTabs Review – Astana Ballet, Love Fear Loss, Salome, Heritage of the Great Steppe, A Fuego Lento, London: Graham Watts, Bachtrack Feature – Crystal Pite – staging the impossible: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Archive – Best dance since 2000: Judith Mackrell, Sanjoy Roy, Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Feature – Gia Kourlas, The New York Times’ Chief Dance Critic: John Grippe, NY Times Preview – Birmingham Royal Ballet, A Brief Nostalgia, Birmingham: Rebecca Stanley, Express & Star Preview – Madeline Hollander, Ouroboros Gs, New York: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Tasdance/New Choreographers, First Floor – 5 Solos, Launceston: Lesley Graham, Dance Australia And there’s this book review: Isadora, by Julie Birmant & Clement Oubrerie: Rachel Cooke, Guardian

The Seattle Times dance critic has also been affected - see here.

The 6-strong BalletBoyz company is on a short tour with a double bill, Them/Us, that I saw in Cambridge last night. Lots of athletic control on display to specially commissioned, if somewhat insistent, scores recorded by by a 10-strong string/percussion group. Each piece was around 30-minutes long. Them/ was choreographed by the dancers to a score by Charlotte Harding and featured varying groupings, frequently using and manoeuvering a large tubular steel cube. /Us by Chris Wheeldon is an expansion of a duet he had previously created for the company, with a score by Keaton Henson. That pdd occupies the final 10 minutes or so and is very palpably "us," with a backstory of sorts preceding it, revealing more movement, jumps and lifts than in /Them. The show does not lack in earnestness and, as I say, it features considerable control from all six dancers. Well worth seeing - though I can't help feeling that the addition of a couple of BalletGirlz would add a touch of colour.

Links – Tuesday 17 September, 2019 Reviews – Astana Ballet, Love Fear Loss, Salome, Heritage of the Great Steppe, A Fuego Lento, London: Debra Craine, The Times Maryam Philpott, Reviews Hub Interview – Choreographer Angelin Preljocaj on La Fresque: Chris Wiegand, Guardian Review – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, London Season: G J Dowler, Classical Source Preview – PUSH Dance Company, Mothership III, San Francisco: Lou Fancher, SF Classical Voice Review – Danny Yung/Zuni Icosahedron, The Interrupted Dream, Hong Kong: Ken Smith, Financial Times Review – New English Ballet Theatre, Work in Progress 5-bill, London: Deborah Weiss, DanceTabs Preview – Northern Ballet, Cinderella, Sheffield: Julia Armstrong, The Star News – Sydney Dance Company, 2020 Season: Staff, Dance Australia

Links – Monday 16 September, 2019 Review – Astana Ballet, Love Fear Loss, Salome, Heritage of the Great Steppe, A Fuego Lento, London: Vera Liber, BTG Preview – Rosie Kay Dance Company, Fantasia, Touring: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Review – West Australian Ballet, Giselle, Perth: Margaret Mercer, Dance Australia Review – Australian Dance Theatre, North/South, Adelaide: Maggie Tonkin, Dance Australia Tour Review – Royal New Zealand Ballet, Bold Moves 4-bill, Napier: Kim Buckley, Theatreview Feature – Martha Leebolt, Southern California Ballet and its adaptive dance programme: Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune Review – Youth Dance at the Edinburgh Fringe: David Mead, SeeingDance Review – Extreme Length Productions, Dance for individuals, Washington DC: Carmel Morgan, Critical Dance Review – Invertigo Dance Theatre, Formulae & Fairy Tales, Santa Monica: Laura Bleiberg, LA Times News – Queensland Ballet – 2020 Season: Justine Nguyen, Limelight What’s On – Los Angeles Area, This Week: Matt Cooper, LA Times

Links – Sunday 15 September, 2019 Reviews – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, London Season: David Dougill, Sunday Times Sara Veale, Fjord Review Laura Freeman, The Spectator Review – Staatsballet Berlin, Plateau Effect, Berlin: Veronica Posth, SeeingDance Review – Astana Ballet, Love Fear Loss, Salome, Heritage of the Great Steppe, A Fuego Lento, London: John O’Dwyer, Seen and Heard Essay – The Madness of Giselle: an Exploration: Carla DeFord, Critical Dance Feature – A Gender Gap in Ballet, Seriously? Kim Elsesser, Forbes Magazine Features – English National Ballet’s New HQ Robert Dex, Evening Standard Mike Brooke, East London Advertiser And, of course, Christmas is just around the corner: Hannah Darden, Sacramento Bee

Well it looks like the brochure managed to beat me about Saturday night!

It also takes a bit of unwinding from the Summer/Autumn brochure. I'd say it was Prog A (Lazarus/Revelations) last night. From then: Tonight, 8 Sep: Prog B (EN, The Call, Juba, Revelations) Tuesday night, 10 Sep: Prog C (New Moultrie, Members Don't Get Weary, Ella, Revelations) Wednesday night, 11 Sep: Prog B Thursday Matinee, 12 Sep: Prog A Thursday night, 12 Sep: Prog C Friday night, 13 Sep: Prog B Saturday Matinee, 14 Sep: Prog C Saturday night, 14 Sep: Prog A Hope that's right!

Links – Sunday 8 September, 2019 Reviews – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, London: - Prog A – Lazarus, Revelations: Sarah Crompton, The Observer - Prog B – EN, The Call, Juba, Revelations: Vera Liber, BTG Houston Ballet & Stanton Welch’s Giselle: - Feature - Molly Glenzer, Houston Chronicle - Review - Natalie De La Garza, Houston Press Interview – South African choreographer Dada Masilo on creating Giselle: Joel Campbell, The Voice Review – Alleyne Dance (UK), A Night’s Game, Sydney: Jill Sykes, The Age Review – Isango Ensemble, SS Mendi: Dancing the Death Drill, Brisbane: Angus McPherson, Limelight Coming Up: - Around UK, This Autumn: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian (Scroll down) - Miami, through to March 2020: Sean Erwin, Miami Herald

Links – Saturday 7 September, 2019 Reviews – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Prog A – Lazarus, Revelations, London: Jenny Gilbert, Arts Desk Lyndsey Winship, Guardian (Incl Prog B) Maggie Foyer, SeeingDance Feature – Behind the curtain at the Paris Opera: Joshua Barone, NY Times Photo Feature – Tatyana Mazur’s collection of Soviet-era tutus: Bianca Ladipo & Whitten Sabbatini, NY Times Preview – Texas Ballet Theater, The Sleeping Beauty (Stevenson), Dallas & Fort Worth: Mike Brooks, Dallas Observer Review – Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY, @Giselle, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Review – Tanz im August, Berlin: Veronica Posth, SeeingDance - CCN - Ballet de Lorraine, RainForest, Sounddance, - DANCE ON Ensemble, Berlin Story Coming Up: - In Cork & London, Next Week: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian (Scroll down) - New York, in September/October : Marina Harss & Brian Seibert New Yorker - In Montreal this month: Jim Burke, Montreal Gazette

Links – Friday 6 September, 2019 Reviews – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Prog A – Lazarus, Revelations, London: Debra Craine, The Times Mark Monahan, Telegraph Anna Winter, The Stage Vera Liber, BTG Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Review – Tanz im August Festival, Work by Deborah Hay, Berlin: Veronica Posth, SeeingDance Review – Queensland Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (MacMillan), Brisbane: Deborah Jones, FollowSpot Tour Review – Royal New Zealand Ballet, “Bold Moves” Mixed Bill, Christchurch: Andrew Shepherd, Theatreview Preview – Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY, @Giselle, Vancouver: Chava Lansky, Pointe Magazine Coming Up – New York, Next Week: Gia Kourlas, NY Times News – Henry Danton, still teaching at 100: Roslyn Anderson, WLOX

If the UK is able to offer top-flight dancers from around the world job opportunities that they are keen to take - presumably as being better offers than anything available to them at home - does it matter? Ought we not to rejoice in such a situation? And if not ...........? By and large, it's not an issue I'd lose sleep over.

Links – Thursday 5 September, 2019 Preview – Two unorthodox Swan Lakes (Keegan-Dolan & Bourne), Washington DC: Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post Film/DVD Preview – Russian Ballet Collection, Newly Restored Films: Charlotte Kasner, SeeingDance - Ivan the Terrible & Romeo and Juliet News – Royal Opera House Ballet & Opera Cinema Season, 2019/20: BWW UK Coming Up: - In London, this Autumn: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper - Dance and more In New York, this Fall: Mary von Aue, Observer Preview – Manuel Liñán at Vancouver’s International Flamenco Festival: Janet Smith, Straight.com Various – 3 articles in September’s Brooklyn Rail Anyone remember this? - Freddie Mercury with the Royal Ballet, 1979: Stefan Kyriazis, Express (with not the clearest video footage of the occasion)

Links – Wednesday 4 September, 2019 Fall preview – Aaron Mattocks, the new Programmer at The Joyce: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Previews – Sydney Dance Company, 2020 Season: Nick Galvin, Sydney Morning Herald Justine Nguyen, Limelight Preview – Acosta Danza, Evolution, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Feature – English National Ballet’s new HQ: Mike Brooke, East London Advertiser Coming Up – In Portland, Oregon: Jamuna Chiarini, Oregon Artswatch

My wife has been involved with the RAD in various ways for some 70 years, and she insists on "R. A. D." with all letters pronounced separately. Just as I insist that I did some 32 years in the "R. A. F." and none at all in the "RAFF"!

Links – Tuesday 3 September, 2019 Review – Australian Ballet, Sylvia (Welch), Melbourne: Susan Bendell, Dance Australia Tour Review – Royal New Zealand Ballet, “Bold Moves” Mixed Bill, Palmerston North: Tania Kopytko, Theatreview Review – Jerusalem Ballet, Memento, Tel Aviv: Ofra Bengio, Jerusalem Post Coming Up – Around the UK this Autumn: Mark Monahan, Telegraph News – 2019 Telstra Award Nominees Announced: Jo Litson, Limelight

Links – Monday 2 September, 2019 Reviews – Australian Ballet, Sylvia (Welch), Melbourne: Jordan Beth Vincent, The Age Rhys Ryan, Limelight Review – Natalia Osipova & Colleagues, Pure Dance, Sydney: Geraldine Higginson, Dance Australia Review – Queensland Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (MacMillan), Brisbane: Denise Richardson, Dance Australia Film/DVD Previews – Russian Ballet Collection, Newly Restored Films: Charlotte Kasner, - Adam and Eve: SeeingDance - La Sylphide & Chopiniana: SeeingDance Preview – Dada Masilo, Giselle, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Preview – Joshua Beamish & Colleagues, @giselle, Vancouver: Jerry Hochman, Critical Dance Coming Up: - Around the UK during Autumn: Sunday Times (Scroll down) - In L.A. next week: Matt Cooper, LA Times - San Francisco & Bay Area this Fall: Roberto Friedman, Bay Area Reporter In Memoriam John Mallinson John closed down Links back on the last day of ballet.co in 2011 with a piece that can stand, with wit and subtlety, as his Epitaph here today: So. Farewell

Floss - that post has now been deleted as requested, together with subsequent remarks.

Just over 5 years ago, Mr Samodurov choreographed a fairly spectacular version of Romeo and Juliet for the Royal Ballet of Flanders:

From one who was at the Sadler's Wells/Royal Ballet School with her, I'm assured that Lynn had dropped the Berta by then - the Seymour would come later.