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Links - Thursday, 15th February 2024 Interview – Olga Smirnova: Debra Craine, The Times Interview – Ksenia Ovsyanik: Svetlana Avvakum, Dance For You Magazine Interview - Cleveland Ballet’s New AD Timour Bourtasenkov: Steve Sucato, Pointe Magazine Interview – Germaine Acogny, The Mother of African Dance: Alice Kemp-Habib, Guardian Review – Mzansi Ballet, The Gold Rhino of Mapungubwe: Jaime Uranovsky, Broadway World Review – T.H.E. Dance Company: Triple Bill, Singapore: David Mead, Seeing Dance Review – MimeLondon: This and That, Thom Punton, The Reviews Hub Article – Dance Your Way To Better Mental Health: Staff, Neuroscience News Article – Backstage at the Balletcore Recital, NYC: Emily Leibert, The Cut For those of you who speak German, review of Georgian State Ballet’s Swan Lake, with a happy end! This is the production coming to London in August: Review – Georgian State Ballet, Swan Lake, Angela Reinhardt, Dance For You Magazine Well, for me this is ballet! How can it be 40 years since Bolero??!! News – Torvill and Dean Announce Their Retirement: Staff, BBC

Cast list for tonight: https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/43/manon-by-kenneth-macmillan/cast-list/54670

Looking forward to seeing it on the 21st.

Please come and say hello, Dawnstar. We will be in the usual place!

Yasmine has had to wait seven years as a Principal before dancing Perdita!

I have this for sale last minute, £14. Please DM if interested. Thanks.

My birthday too....sadly numerous decades earlier!! 😄

Hopefully there are some showing as sold that are actually being held back for public booking...

One of the groups that conjures up that fantastic 80s decade as soon as you hear them! A few reminders for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3j2NYZ8FKs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRHetRTOD1Q And with Dusty Springfield: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn9E5i7l-Eg

I have to say it took a few viewings for Winter's Tale to grow on me, but now I really like it.

I agree. I saw both casts: the first time was a disappointment, the second time was a real struggle. I would never go again.

Dang. I'm not a Friend so I hope they have saved a few cheap tickets for us plebs!!

Links - Wednesday, 14th February 2024 Happy Valentine's Day to all who are celebrating. Although I am posting these links, Blossom has done all the work, so a big thank you to her. I added the bit at the end! Review – Royal Ballet, Manon, ROH: Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide Review – Royal Ballet, Dark with Excessive Bright, ROH: Franco Milazzo, Broadway World Review – Twyla Tharp, You Dig Down, You Settle In, You Don’t Stop, New York: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Mia Zalukar and Bruno Isaković, Kill B, New York: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Review – Philadanco, Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth, New York: Jerry Hochman, Critical Dance Review – San Francisco Ballet, British Icons: Lauren Harvey, Daily Californian Review – Tulsa Ballet, Strictly Gershwin: James D. Watts Jr, Tulsa World Review – Universal Ballet, Korea Emotion, Hwang Dong-hee, Korea Herald Preview: Mark Bruce Dance Company, Frankenstein: David Mead, Seeing Dance Preview – Boston Ballet, ‘Winter Experience’, Nasiru Eneji Abdulrasheed, BNN Preview – Inland Pacific Ballet, Beauty and the Beast: Stephen Wild, Broadway World Preview – Anatalya State Opera and Ballet, Kanli Nigar, Staff, Daily Sabah Ballet movie alert – Ballet drama ‘Joila’ starring Talia Ryer, Diane Kruger acquired by Vertical: Matt Grobar, Deadline Article – Preserving the passion: Northern Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet: Arts and Culture news, Leeds University Article – Jean Butler choreographs the past and future of Irish dance, Marina Harss, NY Times Article – The Trocks celebrate 50 years: Jacqueline Reynolds, Aspen Daily News Interview: Ji Pyeong-kwon’s gugak crossover resonates in ballet ‘Korea Emotion’: Hwang Dong-hee, Korea Herald News – Zeta Inwood Charter School Students Enthralled by NYC Ballet Show: Staff, Harlem World News – Dionne Figgins on providing supporting dance education in New York City public schools: Kate Mattingley, Dance Magazine Feature – How 3 dancers are launching their choreography careers: Claudia Bauer, Pointe Magazine And finally, because it’s Valentine’s Day: Video/Article – Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Dance and Smooch at Superbowl After Party: Bailey Richards, People

Yes she has, so this time she is dancing Paulina instead. I'm looking forward to that.

Ah yes. Not a ballet I have seen too often so I got confused. I definitely remember her dancing Perdita with Steven McRae as Florizel.

At least they are doing the live cinema relay so if you can get to a cinema that is showing it you won't miss it.

Some very interesting casting there. So no new Hermiones, but some new Leontes. Partnerships are shifting a bit: Fumi is with Vadim once again, Yasmine is with Will once again, and Marianela is with Matthew. Very interesting to see Lauren with Cesar; I would not have even thought of that one!! Very glad to see some of the other debuts, and to see Itziar reprising the role of Paulina. I am especially interested to see that Viola Pantuso is already getting a Principal role (Perdita).

Hi Bruce. We will not lock or delete anything. Your reports are much appreciated, especially to those of us who cannot get to see NYCB. However, I do disagree with you that McGregor is now the 'house style' of the Royal Ballet. There are many dancers who could dance the Balanchine beautifully, especially the two you mention. As a matter of fact, the RB should dance much more Balanchine than it does.

From Bruce's post above: Here is a small clip that Roman Mejia put up of himself and Unity Phelan in Balanchine's Liebeslieder Waltzer. The Royal did this work once - much like Ballo - but have not repeated it since. I used to so want them to do the Brahms again. Indeed I asked Monica Mason twice about it and both times was met with a roll of her eyes. At the time I found her response jarring. Now I completely understand. She was, of course, entirely right. It was me who was wrong. She could see into London's future at that juncture much better than I. This is a delicate work which would be such a mismatch with the McGregor creative style such as Dame Monica so courageously helped instil and thereby brought such rich diversity to our world's dancescape. Clearly she knew best. Bless her. @Bruce Wall, I am not sure what you are saying here. Do you mean that because the current crop of RB dancers can dance McGregor that they are no longer capable of dancing 'delicate' works? That just because a work is a completely different style from McGregor that the RB should no longer dance it, or aren't capable of dancing it because they are so instilled with the McGregor style? Or that McGregor is ALL they should be dancing now because Mason brought him to the fore and we have had him as Resident Choreographer at the RB for 19 years? This would also imply that they can't dance any of the classics, either. Or am I misunderstanding you?

I seem to get targeted with 'hot Eastern European/Asian girls' ads. Considering that, like Blossom, I mostly watch cute dog or owl videos on Instagram, I am not sure why I get targeted. They mostly arrive in my email junk folder and I never open them, but I am getting a bit sick of receiving them.

You are definitely not alone, Mary. When this production was first announced I said I was going to pass, and I haven't changed my mind. Too much exposure to it in so many different forms over the decades has just turned me off. But I do hope it's a success for ENB.

Hi Michelle, and thanks for that update. I wish you and Adrian well and hope that you can both move forward as best as possible, with positivity about the good things in your lives even though things will change. Keep taking the best care of yourselves. xx

👸🏻I am duly impressed!!

Thanks so much @Sophoife. Well I never knew you were a deb....which country?