Dancing Times letter on the future of BRB

[SheilaC]

3 hours ago, Two Pigeons said:

 

 

You need to appreciate that the successes and achievements of BRB have been recently reappraised.  Nothing of any value happened before Carlos assumed the reins of the company.

 

Yes, I have a long letter published in the Dancing Times (December) analysing this.

[Two Pigeons]

1 hour ago, SheilaC said:

Yes, I have a long letter published in the Dancing Times (December) analysing this.

I was very impressed with it 

[Sharon]

On 15/12/2021 at 20:15, SheilaC said:

Yes, I have a long letter published in the Dancing Times (December) analysing this.

Ooo I would love to read that.

[jm365]

I've gone through my December edition of Dancing Times several times and can't find your letter, SheilaC.  Am I being particularly dim?

[Jane S]

It was actually in the November edition - page 13

[Jamesrhblack]

20 minutes ago, jm365 said:

I've gone through my December edition of Dancing Times several times and can't find your letter, SheilaC.  Am I being particularly dim?

It’s in the November issue. There’s a response to it in the January issue now out…

[Jan McNulty]

20 minutes ago, jm365 said:

I've gone through my December edition of Dancing Times several times and can't find your letter, SheilaC.  Am I being particularly dim?

 

It was in the November edition.

[jm365]

Thank you everyone for the clarification about which edition of the Dancing Times I should be looking at!

[SheilaC]

2 hours ago, jm365 said:

Thank you everyone for the clarification about which edition of the Dancing Times I should be looking at!

Sorry folks for misleading you re the month. The letter seems to have hit a widely shared anxiety, I have been surprised at how many people have got in touch to say I expressed their feelings, even a critic from a rival dance magazine.

[Lizbie1]

1 minute ago, SheilaC said:

Sorry folks for misleading you re the month. The letter seems to have hit a widely shared anxiety, I have been surprised at how many people have got in touch to say I expressed their feelings, even a critic from a rival dance magazine.

 

Are you allowed to reproduce it here?

[Emeralds]

I second what Lizbie1 said- a bit too late for me to look for the old issue to buy now.  I’m interested  to read what you wrote, SheilaC, if you are happy to post it and if the moderators agree it’s acceptable on the forum. 

 

 

[Mary]

I am interested as well- would a summary be all right if the whole letter isn't?

 

[SheilaC]

2 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Are you allowed to reproduce it here?

I think I would have to check with the editor as he may have copyright, and he may have started Xmas leave as from tonight.

It will be difficult to summarise, Mary, as I deliberately argued it tightly so that no-one could minimise what I was saying by accusing me of being emotive. For the same reason I based a lot of my argument on what Carlos Acosta had said in a DT interview with Gerald Dowler (July issue). I structured the letter round Acosta's theme of "New director, new company, new repertoire', adding that the brunt of his emphasis seemed also to be 'new audience'.

I stressed that the company, in its various formations, had benefitted from several outstanding directors, in particular John Field and Peter Wright and that they, and David Bintley, each added their own perspective and choice of repertoire (Field encouraging new choreographers eg Cranko, MacMillan; Wright adding further dramatic and balletic masterpieces, in addition to his acclaimed productions of the classics; Bintley scheduling a wide variety of ballets, including Balanchine, as well as  creating his successful full length dramatic works based on well known literary classics.) I added: "Each built on the strengths they inherited whilst evolving the artistic direction of the company. Yet Acosta seems to be turning his back on these rich traditions in his search for the new."  For Acosta plans to change the rep radically, for the first five years, at least, to "establish the new direction, which cannot be taken from the past- it has to go forward". When pushed, in Dowler's interview, (and other interviews) about favourite ballets being squeezed out, he just referred to 19th century classics, ignoring suggestions of works by de Valois, Ashton, MacMillan and all the other 20th century key works that SWRB/BRB specialised in. His priority is ballets that are "more modern and reflect out times", using modern choreography. So his aim is a cross-brand company rather than a classical one. This requires, he says different dancers and he wants 'the standard of the company to rise tremendously", a sad comment on the dancers many of us admire so much.

He also has ambitions to tour internationally (which the company used to do, actually) and to perform much more in London, including jointly with the Royal Ballet (again, this used to happen). The implications for us poor benighted souls in the regions is bleak- already my nearest theatre (Sunderland- 60 miles away!) that hosts the company only has four performances a year instead of the 16 in the past, and many cities, not least Bradford (home town of Brandon Lawrence and Max Maslen, two key BRB dancers) has not enjoyed a performance for years.

Many of Acosta's aims are, in principle, fine up to a point. The company does need to move on, it does need to attract new audiences and develop new work. It is the total abandonment of all the rich rep and tradition from the past that is so worrying. And as we know from our discussions on Ashton, if dancers don't continue dancing Ashton or any of the other great choreographers whose work used to enrich SWRB/BRB then the stylistic differences and nuances get lost. As a living art form ballet cannot afford that.

 

[Two Pigeons]

As I have said before, very well said Sheila, I am in total agreement with you.  In my disappointment with the current direction of BRB and the way my concerns were completely ignored when I emailed the company I have decided to pretty much sever all links.  

 

One thing which does interest me slightly is are there any plans for the reinstatement of the old midscale tours?  They had a lot of advantages in that they covered areas of the UK previously poorly served.  They also gave the chance to present smaller scale ballets, such as Pineapple Poll or Facade.  I saw the Shakespeare linked mixed bill in Shrewsbury a few years ago and it was an absolutely cracking afternoon.

 

If these continue to be dropped the company will be the poorer for their absence.

[Lizbie1]

10 minutes ago, Two Pigeons said:

One thing which does interest me slightly is are there any plans for the reinstatement of the old midscale tours?  They had a lot of advantages in that they covered areas of the UK previously poorly served.  They also gave the chance to present smaller scale ballets, such as Pineapple Poll or Facade.  I saw the Shakespeare linked mixed bill in Shrewsbury a few years ago and it was an absolutely cracking afternoon.

 

If these continue to be dropped the company will be the poorer for their absence.

 

The Pineapple Poll bill that I saw at Shrewsbury a few years ago is one of my best ballet memories.

 

Among the worries I have about BRB's current direction is that so much of it seems to be being built around Carlos Acosta's personal image (which is of course an asset) and personality that it would leave them very exposed were he to move on.

[Two Pigeons]

Excellent point Lizbie 1.

[Mary]

What I don't understand is, if Acosta wanted to do that - fine, good for him. Why not start a new company? He has the clout.

 

But  this sounds a bit like what is known I believe as 'asset strippping'. It could be quite destructive of an important heritage in our cultural life.

Still- someone appointed him presumably knowing this would be his approach.

Why?

 

[Pas de Quatre]

Presumably there would be all sorts of bureaucratic hoops to jump through in the application for Arts Council funding, and would they subsidise another large company even if he had promises of lots of private sponsorship.

 

I too miss the midscale tours that BRB used to do. 

[Jan McNulty]

2 hours ago, Pas de Quatre said:

Presumably there would be all sorts of bureaucratic hoops to jump through in the application for Arts Council funding, and would they subsidise another large company even if he had promises of lots of private sponsorship.

 

I too miss the midscale tours that BRB used to do. 

 

That is a good point PDQ.  With the things I have seen and read in interviews my dread is that BRB will be turned into a giant Acosta Danza (great dancers, dubious choreography), which means Mary has nailed it on the head!

 

I believe the Arts Council has a lot of say in the overall direction of a company so I think it will be interesting to see if the intervene if Acosta moves too far away from the brief.

 

I appreciate that BRB is unique in sharing a heritage (and golden treasures of rep) with the RB so it must be really hard wanting to bring on the new while respecting and keeping alive the heritage.  It should not be forgotten that the ADs of the other big companies can, on the whole, bring their own slant to the company direction.

[Emeralds]

On 18/12/2021 at 18:55, Two Pigeons said:

As I have said before, very well said Sheila, I am in total agreement with you.  In my disappointment with the current direction of BRB and the way my concerns were completely ignored when I emailed the company I have decided to pretty much sever all links.  

 

One thing which does interest me slightly is are there any plans for the reinstatement of the old midscale tours?  They had a lot of advantages in that they covered areas of the UK previously poorly served.  They also gave the chance to present smaller scale ballets, such as Pineapple Poll or Facade.  I saw the Shakespeare linked mixed bill in Shrewsbury a few years ago and it was an absolutely cracking afternoon.

 

If these continue to be dropped the company will be the poorer for their absence.

I actually travelled from London just to see one of these midscale tour performances because the programme and the dancers were so good! It was well worth it. I agree with all of the above. And with the right programming- Ashton, MacMillan, Cranko- it will sell well. 

[Bruce Wall]

On 18/12/2021 at 19:07, Lizbie1 said:

 

Among the worries I have about BRB's current direction is that so much of it seems to be being built around Carlos Acosta's personal image (which is of course an asset) and personality that it would leave them very exposed were he to move on.

 

I share in this concern.  It reminds me heartily of exactly what Baryishnikov did with ABT (and I say that having had HUGE respect for the gentleman whilst a performing artist).  That history can I think speak for itself.  In this country I think Acosta is believed to be - at least from a publicity perspective - his equivalent. 

 

How I would love to see BRB revive their radiant production of Massine's Choreartium - among other things - but who will be really left to remember and ultimately fight the corner for such valued principles?  What REALLY frightens me is the prospect that there may well be progressively few left to actually CARE.  

 

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by Bruce Wall

[Fonty]

On 19/12/2021 at 09:06, Pas de Quatre said:

Presumably there would be all sorts of bureaucratic hoops to jump through in the application for Arts Council funding, and would they subsidise another large company even if he had promises of lots of private sponsorship.

 

 

 

I do wonder if it is the Arts Council that is driving this idea that classical ballet companies need to "move forward"  I know people who work in the theatre, and they have said in the past that funding often depends on showing that whatever they are putting on reflects all sections of modern British society.  The key word now is "inclusivity".   Quite why modern dance is supposed  to be a more appealing to the general public than classical ballet beats me.  I have introduced many, many people to the RB at Covent Garden, and they have all said that they prefer the traditional to the modern.  

 

On 17/12/2021 at 20:59, SheilaC said:

 For Acosta plans to change the rep radically, for the first five years, at least, to "establish the new direction, which cannot be taken from the past- it has to go forward". When pushed, in Dowler's interview, (and other interviews) about favourite ballets being squeezed out, he just referred to 19th century classics, ignoring suggestions of works by de Valois, Ashton, MacMillan and all the other 20th century key works that SWRB/BRB specialised in. His priority is ballets that are "more modern and reflect out times", using modern choreography. So his aim is a cross-brand company rather than a classical one. This requires, he says different dancers and he wants 'the standard of the company to rise tremendously", a sad comment on the dancers many of us admire so much.

 

 

 

Now that last sentence is just plain insulting to BRB.   I don't get to see them as often as I would like, but when I do I am blown away by the exceptionally high standard of gorgeous, pure, classical ballet dancing.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that overall I thought  they were better than the RB on the occasions I saw them.   

[zxDaveM]

16 minutes ago, Fonty said:

The key word now is "inclusivity".   Quite why modern dance is supposed  to be a more appealing to the general public than classical ballet beats me.  I have introduced many, many people to the RB at Covent Garden, and they have all said that they prefer the traditional to the modern.  
 

 

Indeed, the 'moving forward' obsession, maybe endangering the very appeal of classical ballet to the (for want of a better term) general public; its beauty and grace, its tradition and 'look' of the tutus and pointe shoes. There are good reasons why the likes of Giselle, Swan Lake etc have stuck around so long, I reckon

[Two Pigeons]

Personally I feel one of the biggest attractions of 'modern dance' for administrators is that much of the time you don't need a full size orchestra and so can save a lot of money.  I also feel that the drive for 'inclusivity' can be hugely over optimistic.

[Mary]

There is a great lack of touring classical ballet, -more than ever, now that ENB and BRB hardly tour- so that many areas of the country never get the chance to see it. I feel this is a worthy cause for arts council money, more worthy than more money for modern dance in the big cities.

But I guess they disagree!

 

[LinMM]

Yes I think the lack of touring nowadays by Ballet Companies is crucial as may mean many people are never exposed to ballet as they might have been in the past. 
As a paying adult I first saw ballet at the Oxford Playhouse and then in Liverpool at the Empire ....before eventually reaching London in 1972! 
The more places it reaches will help to build up a loyal following who can then form the basis of support for the Art. 
If you hardly ever see any then it becomes more irrelevant to you and mostly people will support whatever Dance is shown at their local theatres. 

[alison]

But if you can only tour classical ballet (under UK conditions - I say nothing of touring "Russian" etc. companies) at a loss, then someone needs to stump up the cash to compensate.  If not the Arts Council grant, then what?

[Fonty]

I have probably said this before, but part of the problem of touring must be the lack of theatres with decent sized stages now.  When I was a youngster, my local cinema had a full sized stage and dressing rooms.   They often had live stage shows, including pantomime at Christmas.  My first experience of ballet was when the Royal Ballet Touring company came to the Granada Cinema in Sutton, Surrey (about 8 miles from central London)  when I was 5 or 6.  It was the full length Swan Lake.  I can still remember how excited I was by it.  I only wish I had kept the programme, I would dearly like to know who I saw.  

 

The link below gives information about it.  Including the fact that it was knocked down and replaced by an office block. 

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/31394

Edited December 24, 2021 by Fonty

[alison]

Our local cinema used to be a huge, one-screen affair - I seem to remember going to see a performance of The Pirates of Penzance there when I was young.  Of course, it's now been split into half-a-dozen smaller screens, so any large-scale performances are a thing of the past

[Geoff]

5 hours ago, Fonty said:

 

I do wonder if it is the Arts Council that is driving this idea that classical ballet companies need to "move forward"  I know people who work in the theatre, and they have said in the past that funding often depends on showing that whatever they are putting on reflects all sections of modern British society. 

👍

 

The stories one could tell about the Maoists of the present-day Arts Council and the fear they engender among otherwise decent, intelligent, experienced, cultured, forward-thinking and open-minded arts administrators. In some cases Arts Council officials appear sincere in their commitment to their ideological position, and in some cases those applying for funds sincerely believe it all too. But often there is cant on one or other or even both sides, which deserves exposure and ridicule. 
 

But I see few if any journalists willing to tackle the Arts Council rot. The public can vote with their feet however. 

 

 

[Geoff]

26 minutes ago, Geoff said:

The stories one could tell about the Maoists of the present-day Arts Council and the fear they engender among otherwise decent, intelligent, experienced, cultured, forward-thinking and open-minded arts administrators. In some cases Arts Council officials appear sincere in their commitment to their ideological position, and in some cases those applying for funds sincerely believe it all too. But often there is cant on one or other or even both sides, which deserves exposure and ridicule. 
 

But I see few if any journalists willing to tackle the Arts Council rot. The public can vote with their feet however. 

 

As a PS I just remembered one of the very few times the truth has got out, albeit with regard another state-funded art form (film). An article in The Times in 2010 by the iconoclastic and controversial film-maker Chris Atkins admitted the truth about what he called his "worst film". Here is a short extract from his astonishingly (one might say self-destructively) honest article:

As a producer I had four films funded via the the UK Film Council and so had the opportunity to observe their failings close hand, and, in my shame, help them to waste public money. The first problem? The choice of films. They cared more about promoting diversity and fulfilling social quotas than about strong scripts. For that reason Nina’s Heavenly Delights (the worst film that I or anyone else has produced) was given £250,000 by the Film Council via Scottish Screen, not because it was a good story — far from — but because it was about Asian lesbians making curry in Glasgow, and so the perfect PC trivector. It was a critical and commercial flop, but no matter; we ticked the boxes.

 

Edited December 24, 2021 by Geoff

[Mary]

Well I think all this emphasis on subject matter just misses the point: it isn't the subject matter that should be the focus to attract funding, it's giving people opportunities to experience and to learn the arts- and sadly, as we all know touring for high-quality companies is a thing of the past  - and  music lessons and ballet classes are now even more a middle-class thing than they were when I was a child,- we are going backwards.

The aim- to give everybody, regardless, of who they are or where they live, access to the very BEST of the arts seems to have been lost. There is a lot of 'talking down to' the audience, and I fear that is what BRB is now in danger of doing.

 

 

[Fonty]

I have been happily reading the book of Clement Crisp's reviews of dance over 6 decades, and while reading a review of an RB triple bill in 2002 he used a word to describe it that I had to look up:

dégringolade - a rapid decline or deterioration (as in strength, position or condition)

I think it is a word that could be used on several current threads, such as this one, or the various threads on Ashton.