Ian Macmillan

Links – Tuesday 25 June, 2019 Review – Paris Opera Ballet, Mats Ek Triple - Boléro, Another Place, Carmen, Paris: Laura Cappelle, Financial Times Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Hobson’s Choice & David Bintley’s Farewell, Birmingham: David Mead, SeeingDance Review – Dutch National Ballet, Pas/Parts, Kleines Requiem, Ignite, Amsterdam: Maggie Foyer, SeeingDance Review – Chamber Dance Project, Mixed Bill, Washington DC: George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Review – Paul Taylor Dance Company, Brandenburgs, Rewilding, Cascade, New York: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Review – SFDanceworks, Mixed Bill x5, San Francisco: Janice Berman, SF Classical Voice Tour Review – Royal New Zealand Ballet, Black Swan, White Swan, Auckland: Raewyn Whyte, NZ Herald Reviews – Boris Charmatz, 10,000 Gestures, London: Donald Hutera, The Times Emma Byrne, Evening Standard Reviews – Neil & Katya Jones & Company, Somnium, London: Rachel Elderkin, The Stage Michael Hogan, Telegraph

Links – Monday 24 June, 2019 Reviews – Natalia Osipova, The Mother (Pita), London: Debra Craine, The Times Vera Liber, BTG Reviews – American Ballet Theatre, New York: - Le Corsaire: Lauren Gallagher, DanceTabs - Manon: Lauren Gallagher, DanceTabs Review – Paul Taylor Dance Company, Junction, all at once, Promethean Fire, New York: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – Katya & Neil Jones & Company, Somnium, London: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian My apologies for a necessarily restricted list but some domestic issues will prevent my doing a trawl at the normal time. All being well, things will revert to normal for Tuesday.

Links – Sunday 23 June, 2019 Reviews – Natalia Osipova, The Mother (Pita), London: Jenny Gilbert, Arts Desk Scott Matthewman, Reviews Hub Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard John O’Dwyer, Seen and Heard Review – Carthage Dance, Festival Programme, Tunis: Laura Cappelle, Financial Times Jacob’s Pillow,2019, Becket, MA: - Gala Opening: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat - Ballet BC, Triple Bill: Janine Parker, Boston Globe Feature – Boston Ballet, Giselle – setting the scene: Deborah Blackwell, Harvard Gazette Review – Expressions Dance Company, The Dinner Party, Queanbeyan: Michelle Potter, ... on dancing Q & A – Alyona Kovalyova, Bolshoi Ballet: Hester Lacey, Financial Times Tour Reviews – Gary Clarke Company, Wasteland, Glasgow: Mark Brown, Glasgow Herald (Scroll down) Lorna Irvine, Fjord Review Diary – Southern California, Next Week: Matt Cooper, LA Times Review – SFDanceworks, Mixed Bill x5, San Francisco: Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes Review – Chamber Dance Project, Mixed Bill x7, Washington DC: Alexander C Kafka, DC Theatre Scene Review – Sarasota Contemporary Dance, New Work x4, Jehanne, Sarasota: Carrie Seidman, Herald-Tribune News – Fall for Dance North, Toronto – 2019 Programme: Debra Yeo, The Star

Just back from an Encore showing at Saffron Screen - a full house but, as ever, very few there under 40. Hadn't seen R&J for some time, but it certainly still does the business for me. I see dissenting views above but, based on Act 3, Miss Naghdi is a particularly fine Juliet indeed.

Janet: Many thanks for this, as it's perhaps a fitting conclusion to discussion of the ABT run. I have a sense that the first critical opinions from New York were far from being the last word.

Might it now be time for everyone to take a step backwards and, if possible, just accept that through a mix of nature and nurture we all develop different tastes, especially over aesthetic matters? In my own case, I know these have shifted appreciably over the years, and such differences are not something to fall out over. Miss Jean Brodie, whilst in her 1930s prime, addressed her pupils thus over some such matter: "For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like." And there's a thought - I wonder if Cathy could do something with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie?

Links – Tuesday 11 June, 2019 Reviews– Royal Ballet, Margot Fonteyn: A Celebration, London: Graham Watts, Bachtrack Vera Liber, BTG Gallery – Andrej Uspenski, Evening Standard Review – Royal Ballet, Firebird, Month in the Country, Symphony in C, London: Emma Byrne, Evening Standard Reviews – English National Ballet, Cinderella (Wheeldon), London: Donald Hutera, The Times Reviews – San Francisco Ballet, Bound To, Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem, Anima Animus, London: David Mead, SeeingDance John O’Dwyer, Seen and Heard Graham Watts, Bachtrack Natalia Osipova – Force of Nature: Interview - Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Film Feature: - Deborah Weiss, DanceTabs - Charlotte Kasner, SeeingDance Reviews – Australian Ballet, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Melbourne: Melinda Oliver, Daily Review Susan Bendall, Dance Australia Gallery – David Bintley’s ballets in pictures: Various sources, Guardian Review – Ballet Black, Pendulum, Click!, Ingoma, Edinburgh: Lucy Ribchester, The List Review – Paul Taylor Dance Company, Junction, all at once, Promethean Fire, New York: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Review – Step Afrika!, Mixed Bill, Washington DC: Alexander C Kafka, DC Theatre Scene Review – Oregon Ballet Theatre, Night Creature, Robust American Love, Big Shoes, Portland: Martha Ullman West, Oregon Artswatch Review – Pacific Dance Festival 2019, Auckland: Unattributed, NZ Herald Feature – Choreographer Arlene Phillips – She has moved on since Strictly: Siobhan Murphy, The Times

FtB: Many thanks for that Link - not a site I know, but I'll be adding it to my trawl list.

Links – Monday 10 June, 2019 Reviews – Royal Ballet, Margot Fonteyn: A Celebration, London: Debra Craine, The Times Mark Monahan, Telegraph - Gallery: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Reviews – English National Ballet, Cinderella (Wheeldon), London: Graham Watts, DanceTabs David Mead, SeeingDance Vera Liber, BTG Gallery – San Francisco Ballet, Progamme D, London: Foteini Christophilopoulou, DanceTabs Review – Paul Taylor Dance Company, 3 Programmes, New York: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Lydia Johnson Dance, Clearing, Trio Sonatas, Nights and Dreams, Undercurrent, New York: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Tour Review – Ballet Black, Pendulum, Click!, Ingoma, Edinburgh: Mary Brennan, Glasgow Herald

Links – Sunday 9 June, 2019 Feature – Margot Fonteyn: the century of the star dancer: Sarah Crompton, Sunday Times Review Roundup – London: Sarah Crompton, The Observer - Sergei Polunin, Rasputin - Royal Ballet, Firebird Triple Bill - San Francisco Ballet , Programmes A & B - Kalakuta Republik Review – San Francisco Ballet, London Season: David Dougill, Sunday Times Review – San Francisco Ballet, Bespoke, Hummingbird, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, London: David Mead, SeeingDance Review – San Francisco Ballet, Bound To, Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem, Anima Animus, London: Vera Liber, BTG Reviews – English National Ballet, Cinderella (Wheeldon), London: Jenny Gilbert, Arts Desk Louise Levene, Financial Times Vikki Jane Vile, BWW UK Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Review – American Ballet Theatre, Brahms-Haydn Variations, Deuce Coupe, In the Upper Room, New York: Marianne Adams, Danceviewtimes Reviews – Opera Australia, West Side Story, Wellington Jennifer Shennan, ... on dancing Lindsey Rusling, Dominion Post

Yes, 3 reviewers in today's Links.

Links – Saturday 8 June, 2019 Reviews– Royal Ballet, The Firebird, A Month in the Country, Symphony in C, London: Josephine Leask, DanceTabs Louise Levene, Financial Times Review – San Francisco Ballet, London Season: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Review – San Francisco Ballet, Bespoke, Hummingbird, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, London: Siobhan Murphy, DanceTabs Review – San Francisco Ballet, Bound To, Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem, Anima Animus, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Reviews – English National Ballet, Cinderella (Wheeldon), London: Mark Monahan, Telegraph Neil Norman, The Stage Emma Byrne, Evening Standard Review – National Symphony Orchestra & Dancers, Classically Dope, Washington DC: George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Reviews – American Ballet Theatre, Brahms-Haydn Variations, Deuce Coupe, In the Upper Room, New York: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – Royal New Zealand Ballet, Black Swan, White Swan, Auckland: Felicity Molloy, Theatreview Preview – Robert Moses’ Kin, The Exceptionally Elderly Overweight Black Man Phoenix, San Francisco: Lou Fancher, SF Classical Voice Preview – Eifman Ballet, The Pygmalion Effect, New York: Robert Johnson, Playbill Diary – Southern California, Next Week: Matt Cooper, LA Times News – Kelly Tweeddale, next Executive Director at San Francisco Ballet: Kevin Griffin, Vancouver Sun Review – Wild Card: Stefan Jovanović, Constellations, London: Sophia Moss, Reviews Hub

Not sure about 'tainted' - the piece got nearly a full page in the main paper, right after the D-Day pages, rather than in the Times 2 supplement. Normally that might be a cause for rejoicing.

Bruce: I've no explanation to hand, but the apparent critical divide seems very real thus far, with just one positive review. And I find it stranger still when Cathy's Snowblind for San Francisco Ballet was so well received last year, both in the Bay Area and when later taken to Washington DC - her essential approach there strikes me as very similar. But just thinking about her work as simply 'ballet' seems sure to bring disappointment and that's not where she works at all, to my mind - though I'd certainly agree about "ballet informed movement." As ever it's probably a matter of taste. But I was heartened to see this a couple of hours ago - no sign there of a disappointed audience, or that Misty Copeland and Cory Stearns were at the end of a relative dud.

Links – Friday 7 June, 2019 Reviews – Royal Ballet, The Firebird, A Month in the Country, Symphony in C, London: Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Vera Liber, BTG Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Feature – Marcelino Sambé, New Royal Ballet Principal: David Sanderson, The Times Review – American Ballet Theatre, Jane Eyre, New York: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Reviews – San Francisco Ballet, Bespoke, Hummingbird, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, London: Vera Liber, BTG Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Documentaries: - Natalia Osipova, Force of Nature: Peter Bradshaw, Guardian - Nureyev: Rachel Saltz, NY Times Preview – Ballet Black, Click!, Pendulum, Ingoma, Edinburgh: Kelly Apter, The List News – Paul Taylor Dance Company – A Departing Generation: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – School of American Ballet, Concerto Barocco, Garland dance, New Sleep, Bourée Fantasque, New York: Carol Pardo, Danceviewtimes Review – San Francisco Ballet School, Graduation Programme, San Francisco: Paul Parish, Bay Area Reporter News – Scottish Ballet teams with the Every Voice Choir: Phil Miller, Glasgow Herald Review – Merce Cunningham Celebration, April 17, New York: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc Diary – New York, Next Week: Brian Schaefer, NY Times Previews – Seattle International Dance Festival: Gemma Alexander, Seattle Times Sandra Kurtz, Oregon Artswatch Review – Ryuichi Fujimura & Lucky Lartey, Passing It On, Sydney: Jill Sykes, SMH

I'm relieved to see Michael Popkin's substantially more positive review for Danceviewtimes in today's Links. As this Forum shows, day in and day out, we all see things differently when in a theatre - and Cathy's Jane seems to have worked for him, as it did for me some three years ago in the small Richmond Theatre in southwest London, during the tour of Northern Ballet's original version. The scale then was small, with nowhere near 40 dancers, so perhaps there might be an 'issue' with putting it on a substantially larger stage, as has been suggested. Nonetheless, from what I've seen on Twitter, Cathy has been in New York for some time - and as Janet said, above, both Jenny and Daniel de Andrade have assisted in the staging. So, for good or ill, what was seen is what Cathy wanted to show. And, of course, the production goes to Joffrey Ballet in Chicago in October.

Tonight, at the New York Metropolitan Opera House, American Ballet Theatre will stage the US premiere of Cathy Marston's Jane Eyre, first commissioned by Northern Ballet and toured in the UK during 2016. I hope we might hear reactions from any members over there, in addition to newspaper reviews picked up in Links. For now, Playbill has published a useful introduction.

Something on Twitter caught my eye this morning, and it may serve to start a thread for occasional gems from the past. Current members from the ballet.co era will remember the very distinctive reports from Eric Taub in New York, none more distinctive than this review of the ABT Gala in May 2007 that immortalised a Rose Adagio that Veronika Part must recall in horror: https://web.archive.org/web/20070703020525/http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_07/jun07/et_rev_abt_0507.htm

Norman Lebrecht gives "the achievements she lists" in italics - and are we to take it that the 4 words in a reversion to a normal font under her photograph is his personal comment on same?

Something of tennis interest in today's Links - from the Washington Post.

Links – Monday 27 May, 2019 Feature – Is crowdfunding the future of opera and ballet? Laura Cappelle, Financial Times Review – American Ballet Theatre, Whipped Cream, New York: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Review – Scottish Dance Theatre, Ritualia, The Circle, Edinburgh: Dominic Corr, Reviews Hub Review – Rambert2, Grey Matter, E2 7SD, Killer Pig, Edinburgh: Dominic Corr, Reviews Hub Review – Cas Public, 9, London: Teresa Guereirro, Culture Whisper Speaking in Dance – Anthony Huxley of NYCB: Gia Kourlas, NY Times News – Ballet Review to suspend publication at the end of the year: Ballet Review And Dance Critic Sarah L Kaufman ponders: - Why Roger Federer is the most graceful athlete of our time: Washington Post

Links – Sunday 26 May, 2019 Reviews – Pam Tanowitz & Colleagues, Four Quartets, London: Sarah Crompton, The Observer Emma Byrne, Evening Standard Review – TAO Dance Theatre, 4 and 9, London: Maryam Philpott, Reviews Hub Review – Backhausdance, Scene Unseen, Beyond the Noise, One Continuous Line, Irvine, CA: Laura Bleiberg, LA Times Review – Dauntless Movement Crew, Jump First, Ask Later, Sydney: Jill Sykes, The Age Gallery – Cas Public, 9, London: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs

For anyone who missed this morning's Link, it seems there will be some fairly fantastical costumes in this show: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/gallery/2019/may/24/cinderella-costume-parade-english-national-ballet-christopher-wheeldon-in-pictures

We saw a catchup screening this afternoon. It's a while since I last saw it but, whatever Sir Matthew has done to it for this revised version, it made a much greater impression than any I recall previously. The Principals were all excellent and the Company no less so. In particular, the Act I and Act III equivalents seemed much sharper than I recall and the final bedroom scene was very powerfully put across. A treat! And being used to other streamed performances, I was slightly taken aback by the British Board of Film Censors certificate and no interval - a real movie, indeed.

Links – Saturday 25 May, 2019 Review – American Ballet Theatre, The Seasons (Ratmansky), New York: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Review – Pam Tanowitz & Colleagues, Four Quartets, London: Deborah Weiss, DanceTabs Jenny Gilbert, Arts Desk Picture Preview – English National Ballet, Cinderella (Wheeldon), London: Tristram Kenton, Guardian Review – Scottish Ballet, 2019 Digital Season: Róisín O’Brien, SeeingDance Feature – New challenges at New York City Ballet: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc Diaries: - UK, Next Week: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian (Scroll well down) - Southern California, Next Week: Matt Cooper, LA Times Reviews – Masters of Choreography, Beats on Pointe, London: Graham Watts, Bachtrack Rachel Nouchi, BTG Review – Peter Pleyer, triton tanzt.twisted trident, Berlin: Veronica Posth, SeeingDance