John Mallinson

The Royal Ballet's 2012 outing for Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet had 14 performances by eight different principal pairings between January 10 and March 31. Romeo shows off to Juliet (Federico Bonelli, Sarah Lamb). Photo ©Dave Morgan An unlikely prayer meeting (Romany Pajdak, Sian Murphy, Claire Calvert). Photo ©Dave Morgan Juliet mourns her dead Romeo (Sarah Lamb, Federico Bonelli). Photo ©Dave Morgan More… Dave Morgan: Royal Ballet, Romeo & Juliet – 30 photos Discussion of this production is here.

It seems to be a student design concept with the usual wackiness and bad spelling! More on the designer here.

Links – Monday April 16, 2012 Review - San Francisco Ballet, Program 7: Rita Felciano, DanceviewTimes Twyla Tharp, extensive interview: Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post Review - Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, Amoveo, La Spectre de la Rose, Les Sylphides: Jean Lenihan, Los Angeles Times Olivier Awards: Mark Brown, The Guardian. Full list of winners, The Guardian. Also Broadway World Tamara Rojo and ENB: Valerie Lawson, The Australian Tamara Rojo and dancers’ weight: Colin Fernandez, Daily Mail Review - Rocha Dance Theater, Mandoria, NY: Gia Kourlas, New York Times Review - Faye Driscoll, You’re Me, NY: Brian Seibert, New York Times Review - Spectrum Dance Theater, Petrushka: Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times Review - Hedwig Dances, mixed bill, Chicago: Zachary Whittenburg, Time Out Chicago Review - Bboyizm, IZM, Toronto: Paula Citron, Globe and Mail Q&A Charles Barker, ballet music director: Sara Bauknecht, Pittsburg Post-Gazette

Links – Sunday April 15, 2012 Review - Royal Ballet, Polyphonia, Sweet Violets, Carbon Life: Luke Jennings, The Observer 4 stars, Lyndsey Winship, TimeOut London Another view of Wayne McGregor’s Carbon Life: Alice Jones, The Independent Review - The Royal Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (live relay): Carrie Seidman, Arts Sarasota Tamara Rojo: born under a dancing star: Ruaridh Nicoll, The Observer Review - Eifman Ballet, Onegin, London: Graham Watts, LondonDance Review - Semperoper Ballett, La Bayadère, Abu Dhabi: Shar Moussa, Kuwait Times Arthur Mitchell goes to St Petersburg: Galina Stolyarova, St Petersburg Times Robert Battle - New director adds to Ailey's success: Victor Swoboda, Montreal Gazette Review - Washington Ballet, Alice (in Wondeland): Amanda Abrams, Washington City Paper Review - Alabama Ballet, Alice in Wonderland: Phillip Ratliff, Birmingham News Review - Faye Dricoll, You’re Me: Deborah Jowitt, ArtsJournal Review - Ballet San Jose, mixed bill: Rita Felciano, insideBayArea Review - Columbia Ballet Collective, mixed bill, NY: Mary Cargill, DanceviewTimes Japanese students audition for Elmhurst School for Dance: Edan Corkill, Japan Times Baryshnikov the actor: Sandy Cohen, Boston Globe Jack Widdowson - the amazing recovery of a teenage ballet star: Adam Lusher, Sunday Telegraph This week’s new dance, London - Royal Ballet of Flanders, Spring Loaded: Judith Mackrell, The Guardian

Oh yes, so he did. I only checked the casting for the 2011 revival of Limen when he must have been off injured. Still, he's not exactly been a McGregor regular so the vernacular must be a bit foreign to him. One can imagine the hard McGregor core dancing (and maybe inventing) McGregor in their sleep.

…and, correct me if I'm wrong, has never danced in a McGregor piece before so the idiom must have been especially difficult to acquire.

Problem now fixed thank goodness.

Many congratulations to her. She's been working towards this for quite a time. I can't believe that she'll be ready to hang up her ballet pumps just yet.

After days of increasingly intense speculation and rumour the dam has finally burst with The Arts Desk's announcement of Tamara Rojo's appointment. The official press release from ENB is still awaited. http://tinyurl.com/7fal4kd

Since The Arts Desk has chosen to publish the news of Tamara Rojo's appointment as Artistic Director designate of English National Ballet perhaps this topic can now draw to a graceful conclusion. Further plaudits for Wayne Eagling would be better in a new topic, as would discussion of the new appointment.

You should be able to see at the bottom of the screen whether you are using the mobile or full version. If it says Full (or whatever) don't be tempted to click it to see what happens. My iPad is locked into mobile. It may be that since the iPad is bigger it doesn't automatically go to the mobile skin.

I don't know how many members look at the forum on a mobile device (iPad, iPhone whatever) but there is a problem at the moment related to this. When you view the site on a mobile the display automatically switches to a very usable mobile version. The problem is that at present having done that it refuses to switch back, even when you go back onto your computer. I don't know if this will affect everyone who goes back and forth like this but it has certainly afflicted me and I'm currently only able to use mobile mode which has quite a few functional restrictions. It is very annoying. We've set the service providers onto this and hope it will be fixed soon. I'll keep you informed.

Nothing has been officially announced about the appointment. Can we please not give premature congratulations.

Well that's odd. I've found if I've tried to book more than two or three that the booking will be refused.

Public booking opens on July 10 for Period 1 - performance details here.

A NYT top-up for those who can get them: Film review - Charles Atlas’s film of Merce Cunningham’s Ocean: Alastair Macaulay, New York Times Review - Skybetter & Associates, NY: Brian Seibert, New York Times Review - Avi Scher & Dancers, NY: Brian Seibert, New York Times Review - Alexandra Beller and Company, NY: Gia Kourlas, New York Times Review - Sujata Mohapatra, Odissi dance, NY: Brian Seibert, New York Times

You're right - I should read the small print! There is a second, later, booking day for 'extra tickets' at which presumably one can top up to the maximum of 6. I've never bothered to try as all the good inexpensive seats have gone by then.

Lee, I think it varies a bit and sometimes I've been allowed three - but not six for years. Don't know about opera.

I would say yes to that - not that I have Sky - but it would be public-spirited.

You must be joking!! The allocation for ordinary Friends is not great and one's only allowed two tickets per production (not per show). I have usually found it much easier to get tickets on the first day of normal booking - that is when I've remembered!

I had a very stress-free morning as I completely forgot! In consequence I only have the few tickets I got through Friends booking. Anyone with cheap tickets to spare? (Otherwise lots of queueing.)

Yes, an infuriating discussion, not so much because of it's content but because Twitter is not the place for that sort of thing. The place is here! One critic opined that it's wrong for a critic to read a synopsis before seeing a new work as it should stand by itself and be judged 'clean'. I think that's bunkum.

Links – Saturday April 7, 2012 Review - Royal Ballet, Polyphonia, Sweet Violets, Carbon Life: Alastair Macaulay, New York Times 3 stars, Zoe Anderson, The Independent G.J. Dowler, Classical Source 4 stars, Sarah Crompton, The Telegraph Graham Watts, LondonDance Review - Sylvie Guillem, 6,000 Miles Away, NY: Margaret Fuhrer, Huffington Post Q&A - Lourdes Lopez (Miami City Ballet director designate): Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Preview - Washington Ballet, Alice (in Wonderland): Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post The Diary - Tony Hall (ROH chief): Financial Times Review - Japan Society, Kabuki Dance, NY: Marina Harss, The Faster Times Review - Robert Swinston, Four Walls, Doubletoss, NY: Deborah Jowitt, The Arts Journal Review - Dance Exchange, How to Lose a Mountain: Pamela Squires, Washington Post This week’s new dance (UK): Judith Mackrell, The Guardian Arsenal - 4 Gunners perform ballet with ENB in new Citroen commercial: Matthew Snyder, bleacher report

The error has been corrected. Oh, the power of reader feedback!

It depends whether you're an audience member, dancer, choreographer, company director!