Ian Macmillan

I don't think I'm too far off the mark in remarking that it's not often that a 'regional' company will get a 5-page picture spread in the Sunday Times Magazine, as is happening today, here.

Links – Sunday 17 March, 2019 Feature – The Royal Ballet’s Matthew Ball, preparing for Romeo: David Jays, Sunday Times Gallery – Northern Ballet, Victoria (Marston Premiere), Leeds: Greg Funnell, Sunday Times Review – Ballet Black, Pendulum, Click!, Ingoma, London: John O’Dwyer, Seen and Heard Review – Ballet Boyz, Them/Us, London: David Dougill, Sunday Times Review – National Dance Company of Wales, Mixed Bill, London: Ka Bradley, The Observer Review – Russell Maliphant & Vangelis, The Thread, London: Mark Monahan, Telegraph Film Features: - Ralph Fiennes, on making The White Crow: Robbie Collin/Eleanor Halls, Telegraph - Acosta & Nureyev biopics – tales of obsession and escape: Louise Levene, Financial Times Review – Plan B, Tantalus, A Pair of Genes, Glasgow: Mark Brown, Herald Review – West Australian Ballet, Mixed Bill, Kalgoorlie: Phoebe Pin, The West Australian And, thanks to Alastair Macaulay, a 1987 piece from the archives: - Dancer and the Dance, Susan Sontag, London Review of Books

Links – Saturday 16 March, 2019 Tour Preview – Mark Morris on Pepperland: Louise Levene, Financial Times Feature – Carlos Acosta and his film biography, Yuli: Debra Craine, The Times Review – Royal Swedish Ballet, Suite en Blanc, Je t’attends, Stockholm: Maggie Foyer, SeeingDance Reviews – Diana Vishneva & Colleagues, Context Festival, London: Debra Craine, The Times Alexandra Desvignes, Bachtrack Reviews – Northern Ballet, Victoria (Marston Premiere), Leeds: Ali Wortley, Leeds Living Stuart Martel, York Press Reviews– Birmingham Royal Ballet, Beauty and The Beast (Bintley), Edinburgh: Mary Brennan, Herald Roisin O’Brien, SeeingDance Gallery – Ballet Black, Pendulum, Click!, Ingoma, London: Roy Tan, BWW UK Review – Andrea Miller/Gallim, To Create A World, New York: Leigh Witchel, Dancelog.nyc Review – Netta Yerushalmy & Dancers, Paramodernities, New York: Brian Seibert, NY Times Preview – Compagnie Marie Chouinard, The Garden of Earthly Delights, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com News – DanceHouse, Vancouver: 2019-20 Season: Janet Smith, Straight.com Reviews– Dance Massive: Various Groups & Programmes, Melbourne: Kim Dunphy, Sydney Morning Herald Jana Perkovic, SMH and SMH/2 News – Changes at National Youth Ballet: Staff, BWW UK Feature – West Australian Ballet previews Bayadere costumes: Jessie Stoelwinder, West Australian Diaries: - UK Highlights, Next Week: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian (Scroll down) - Southern Cal, Next Week: Matt Cooper, LA Times

I know how the Scots-born choreographer spelled his name, but I can assure you that the Clan MacMillan Society is none too rigorous regarding the spellings that it will countenance. 232 documented spellings are listed here, my own amongst them.

Intrigued by all of the above, I thought I ought to take a look at what appeared on my (little used these days) "What's On" bookmark - and, sure enough, it's all different! Oh well ........

I've just realised that the Scenario, as given in the programme, is/was available online here: https://northernballet.com/victoria/victoria-scenario

An email announcing ENB's2 019/20 Season has just reached me, and I see that Akram Khan will be creating Creature - it's " inspired by Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein and explores themes of abandonment, rage and loss. "

It has been heartening to see the general critical response thus far to Cathy's Victoria. I found it all most satisfying, even if I had to work hard in Act 2 to identify some of the similarly-attired male characters. I can't think offhand of another subject that she has covered that came with such an enormous narrative arc from which serious choices had to be made for an evening's work - a quick Wiki check reminds me that the TV series a few years back needed 24 episodes over 3 years for the same life! So, what to include, what to leave out? The decision was to focus on the story through the eyes of her youngest child, Beatrice, as she made similar decisions in editing her mother's Diaries. Thus, from Victoria's later years, we saw John Brown but not The Munshi. (I did wonder if Billy Connolly will ever see this and, if so, what he'll make of the intimate portrayal of their relationship.) And throughout we saw Beatrice's reactions, ranging from disgust through anger to joy, at what she was finding in those Diaries. And I found that it payed to keep an eye on Beatrice, even when she's not centre stage, to keep aware of those reactions - and Pippa Moore, as the older Beatrice, was really excellent in that regard. What a role in which to retire, as I understand she will do after this Saturday's performance. I have to say that it's details of that kind that I've found so attractive in some of Cathy's other ballets. I have one in mind at the moment from Witch Hunt, something that many may have missed as the main action was elsewhere on stage but, for me, it went some way towards explaining why that action was happening as it did. Her recent very extensive interview with Bruce Marriott for DanceTabs covers her meticulous planning for each project, and I recommend it to anyone planning to see Victoria in London or elsewhere in its coming tour. (I didn't know till relatively recently that, whilst going to dance classes in Cambridge prior moving on to the Royal Ballet School, she was writing scenarios for herself around the RAD syllabus dances she was being taught.) In the spirit of full disclosure, I ought to mention that my wife and the grand-daughters who were also with us, preferred Act 2 to Act 1. Myself? I thought it was all just fine, and I look forward to seeing it again at Sadler's Wells at the end of the month.

Dear Sim, I didn't know him but, quite apart from his qualities as a dancer, I can see that we here have much for which to thank him.

There's no review in this morning's Times but, further to the post above, there is a good picture of the stage structure in the second photo, here . I have to say that, in the second last row of the stalls, I found no difficulty with the setup.

Last night in Leeds, Northern Ballet premiered Victoria, a major full-length work by Cathy Marston, co-produced with The National Ballet of Canada, an aspect offering further proof of her increasing impact in North America. Very positive reviews have already appeared online and will, no doubt, feature in tomorrow's Links. I was not the only Forum member there and, having just got back from Leeds, will add a thought or two in due course. I will not be disagreeing with the initial assessments mentioned but look forward to seeing what others made of it. Northern Ballet will bring Victoria to Sadler's Wells from 26 - 30 March, following a run in Leeds next week and in Sheffield the following week. After that, it goes to Leicester, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, and Cardiff before finishing this initial run in Belfast from 29 May - 1 June. And it will have Northern Ballet's first cinema streaming on Tuesday 25 June.

That, folks, is indeed a bargain. The first review of last night's premiere is already online and will be in tomorrow's Guardian - it rates 4*. No idea how many other London critics were there but reviews like that should certainly spark interest and see those places being mopped up. (Full disclosure, I was there too, and I'm with the 4*.)

Links – Saturday 9 March, 2019 Northern Ballet premieres Cathy Marston’s Victoria in Leeds tonight, and so: Interview - Cathy Marston, on Victoria and a great deal more: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Interview – Cassa Pancho & Ballet Black, changing the landscape: Louise Levene, Financial Times - and somewhat related pieces in Dance Magazine and The Weekly Challenger Reviews – Royal Ballet, Frankenstein, London: Graham Watts, Bachtrack Jann Parry, DanceTabs Preview – The Royal Ballet’s Tribute to Annette Page: Nick Smurthwaite, The Stage Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Beauty and The Beast, Plymouth: Karen Bussell, BTG Feature – Russell Maliphant and two new works: Debra Craine, The Times Interview/Feature – Sergei Polunin: William Leith, The Times Reviews – Boston Ballet, “Full on Forsythe” Bill, Boston: Brian Seibert, NY Times Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Globe Tour Review – Vertigo Dance Company, One. One and One, New York: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Tour Review – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, Swan Lake, Glasgow: Lorna Irvine, Fjord Review Reviews – Houston Ballet, Fancy Free, The Cage, The Concert, Houston: Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle Natalie De La Garza, Houston Press Review – Rameau, Maître à Danser, New York: Joel Benjamin, TheaterScene Review – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Mixed Bill, Chicago: Kyle MacMillan, Sun-Times Review – Crystal Pite/Kidd Pivot Company, Revisor, Toronto: Carly Maga, The Star Review – Camille A. Brown & Dancers, Ink, New York: Theresa Ruth Howard, Fjord Review Feature – Making dances in the shadow of Merce Cunningham: Brian Seibert, NY TImes Diaries: - New York, Next Week: Gia Kourlas, NY Times + Correction - Southern Cal, Next Week: Matt Cooper, LA Times Feature – New York Area: A-Y/dancers & Arts on Site: M G Lee, Brooklyn Rail Feature – Rehearsed Formulas: Momix & Loïe Fuller: George Kan, Brooklyn Rail And definitely for the technically informed: In the wings at the Linbury/ROH: ET Now

And, as I understand, she (then Lynn Springbett) emerged from a fairly special year at the newly-named Royal Ballet School that also had Antoinette Sibley and Marcia Haydée in it.

Alison: You posted 8 minutes ago - and I agree that there was something odd on some, but not all, pages around that time - but happily all seems OK now.

Weather and traffic permitting, my wife and I should be there too - and we'll be joined by three grand-daughters getting their first Marston experience. Our last visit to Leeds was for the opening of Cathy's Tale of Two Cities for Northern (still NBT at that time?) in 2008 - somewhat to our surprise we ended up in a Times Style supplement after an Interval interview!

Links – Sunday 3 March, 2019 Obituary – Bonnie Merrill – Dancer, Teacher, Choreographer: Heather Wisner, Oregon Artswatch Review – Royal Ballet of Flanders, Fall, Chronicle, Boléro (Wim Vanlessen’s final performance), Antwerp: Graham Watts, DanceTabs Review – New York City Ballet, Prodigal Son, Liebeslieder Waltzes, New York: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Review – National Ballet of Canada, Apollo; Nigh;, The Sea Above, The Sky Below; Paquita, Toronto: Michael Crabb, The Star Preview – Sarasota Ballet, Apparitions, Stars and Stripes, Sarasota: Jay Handelman, Herald-Tribune Preview – Boston Ballet, Full on Forsythe –Triple Bill, Boston: Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald Review – Jessica Lang Dance, Lyric Pieces, The Calling, Thousand Yard Stare, This Thing Called Love, San Francisco: Heather Desaulniers, DanceTabs Interview – Oleg Ivenko, on playing Nureyev in The White Crow: David Jays, Sunday Times Review – Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Bon Voyage, Bob, London: Sarah Crompton, The Observer Review – Beijing Dance Theater, Hamlet, Wilmington, NC: Chase Harrison, encore online Review – National Dance Company Wales, Awakening – Triple Bill, Newport: Othniel Smith, BTG Review – Java Dance Theatre, The Creamery, Hamilton: Dr Debbie Bright, Theatreview Tour Review – Footnote NZ Dance & Guangdong Modern Contemporary Companies, Hemispheres, Wellington: Greer Robertson, Theatreview NB: For those with access, there appears to be a very positive review of English National Ballet’s Giselle in the Chicago Tribune but it’s still blocked in the UK since GDPR last year.

Links – Saturday 2 March, 2019 News – Legal action begun on financial management of Balanchine Trust: Sarah L Kaufman, Washington Post Review – English National Ballet, Giselle (Khan), Chicago: Hedy Weiss, WTTW Opinion – Progress but not equality at NYCB? Marina Harss, NY Times Feature – RNZB Principal Abigail Boyle faces retirement: Bess Manson, Dominion Post Review – Polish National Ballet, Swan Lake, Montreal: Rebecca Galloway, Bachtrack Review – Ballet B.C., Program 2 – 1st Flash, WHICH/ONE, Solo Echo, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Reviews – Charles Atlas, Rashaun Mitchell, Silas Reiner & Others, Tesseract, London: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Lynette Halewood, DanceTabs Anna Winter, The Stage Rachel Nouchi, BTG Tour Review – Rambert, Life Is A Dream, Leicester: Sally Jack, BTG News – Special Award for Matthew Bourne at this year’s Oliviers: Playbill Diaries: - London during March: Staff, Londondance - New York, This Spring: Marina Harss, New Yorker - UK, Next Week: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian (As ever, scroll down) - Southern Cal, Next Week: Matt Cooper, LA Times - Montreal Area in March: Jim Burke, Montreal Gazette - Vancouver in March: Dana Gee, Vancouver Sun Gallery – UK National Dance Awards for 2018: Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Review – Java Dance Company, Back of the Bus, Hamilton: Dr Debbie Bright, Theatreview And you’ll have to check out The Price of Fun: James Tozer, Economist 1843 Magazine

My memories of Previn predate his LSO time by several years, from around 1960/61, when my jazz pianist friend Bob introduced me to his Trio albums "Gigi" and "My Fair Lady" - and I recall being quite taken aback when he subsequently turned up in the UK as a classical conductor.

Links – Friday 1 March, 2019 News – NYCB’s New Leaders: Jonathan Stafford & Wendy Whelan: Michael Cooper, NY Times (and elsewhere) Sarah L Kaufman, Washington Post Review – Washington Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, Washington DC: Maria Di Mento, DC Theatre Scene Features – William Forsythe at Boston Ballet: Karen Campbell, Boston Globe Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Feature - The day I was bewitched by Rudolf Nureyev: Roderick Gilchrist, Telegraph Feature – Northern Ballet’s George Liang: David Mead, SeeingDance Review – Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Program A: Bach 25, Star Dust, New York: Joel Benjamin, TheaterScene Review – Yorke Dance Project, Playground, Between and Within, Communion, Imprint, Winchester: Rachel Elderkin, Fjord Review Review – Cie l’Oublié(e)/Raphaelle Boitel, When Angels Fall, New Jersey: Merli V Guerra, Fjord Review Review – BODYTRAFFIC, Contemporary Mixed Bill, Scottsdale, AZ: Merilyn Jackson, Fjord Review Diaries: - New York, Next Week: Brian Schaefer, NY Times - Vancouver International Dance Festival: Shawn Conner, Vancouver Sun Review – Waikato Contemporary Dance Trust, Sheltering Moves, Hamilton: Dr Debbie Bright, Theatreview Review – Shaun Parker & Company, KING, Sydney: Geraldine Higginson, Dance Australia Feature – Behind the cancellation of the Australian Dance Awards: Karen van Ulzen, Dance Australia Review – Faith, Smack That (a conversation), London: Karl O’Doherty, Reviews Hub And there's also this: Picture Essay – Forget Tango: the Murga of Buenos Aires is a riot of sequins & salvation: Kate Stanworth, Guardian

Katherine, thank you. The New York Times now has the news in a possibly more digestible form.

Links – Thursday 28 February, 2019 Feature – Choreographer Cathy Marston and her brand of narrative ballet: Maggie Foyer, Dance International Interview – Sir Richard Alston, looking to the future: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Review – Royal Ballet, Don Quixote, London: G J Dowler, Classical Source Tour Preview – Mark Morris Dance Company, Pepperland, London+: Chris Wiegand, Guardian Reviews - Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Bon Voyage, Bob, London: Graham Watts, Bachtrack Laura Freeman, Spectator (+ Since She) Preview – Sarasota Ballet, Preparing Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes: Niki Kottmann, YourObserver. com Review – Vicky Shick & Dancers, next to the sink, New York: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc 5Q & A – Choreographer James Cousins on Epilogues: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Speaking in Dance – Melissa Toogood & Calvin Royal III: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – ArtsEmerson/Raphaëlle Boitel, When Angels Fall, Boston: Don Aucoin, Boston Globe Review – Jody Kuehner (aka Cherdonna Shinatra)/DONNA, DITCH, Seattle: Becs Richards, Seattle Times Diary – Portland & Oregon: Jamuna Chiarini, Oregon Artswatch Review – Bouge de lá, The 26 Letter Dance, Ottawa: Carly Maga, Toronto Star Preview – Peggy Baker Dance Projects, Who We Are In The Dark, Montreal: T’cha Dunlevy, Montreal Gazette Review – Footnote NZ Dance & Guangdong Modern Dance Companies, Hemispheres, Dunedin: Hannah Molloy, Theatreview Something with potentially serious ramifications for ballet and dance: Feature – Noise in the orchestra pit: ROH legal case: Tim Bano, The Stage

Links – Wednesday 27 February, 2019 Feature – William Christie/Les Arts Florissants, Rameau, Maître à Danser, New York: Marina Harss, NY Times Feature – Balanchine’s Dark Waltzes: Can Love Suffice? Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Feature – The Rite of Spring: what would music be without it? Gillian Moore, Guardian Review – Paris Opera Ballet, Dogs Sleep, Les Noces (Lidberg), Faun, Paris: Joy Wang, SeeingDance Reviews- Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Bon Voyage, Bob, London: Sarah Kent, Arts Desk Siobhan Murphy, DanceTabs Review – BalletBoyz, Them/Us, Edinburgh: Kelly Apter, The Scotsman Interview – Choreographer Angie Pittman: Siobhan Burke, NY Times Feature – Choreographer Martin Lawrance: John Byrne, The Stage News – Boston Ballet, 2019-20 Season: Staff, BWW Boston Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Globe Review – Farah Saleh, What My Body Can/t Remember, Edinburgh: Claire Sawers, The List Review – Bill Young/Colleen Thomas & Co, Mixed 6-Bill, New York: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat

Links – Tuesday 26 February, 2019 Obituary – Dame Margaret Scott, Australian Ballet: Michelle Potter, Dance Australia Reviews – New York City Ballet, New York - Sleeping Beauty: Michael Popkin, Danceviewtimes - Interplay, In the Night, NY Export: Opus Jazz: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc Reviews- Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Bon Voyage, Bob, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Rachel Elderkin, The Stage Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times (+ Since She) Reviews – Michele Wiles/BalletNext, Birds of a Feather, La Folia, Bachground, Hey Wait, New York: Rose Marija, BWW Sheila Kogan, TheaterScene Picture Feature – BalletBoyz, Them/Us, Touring: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Review – Lucy Ribchester, The List Interview/Preview – Ivan Putrov, Against the Stream, London: David Mead, SeeingDance Review – Michael Keegan-Dolan/Teac Damsa, Swan Lake/Loch na hEala, Perth: Humphrey Bower, Daily Review Review – Elmhurst Ballet Company, “Origins” Mixed Bill, London: Naomi Cockshutt, BTG Review – Minh Tran & Dancers, Anicca (Impermanence), Portland: Martha Ullman West, Oregon Artswatch Review – Footnote Dance & Guangdong Modern Dance Companies, Hemispheres, Christchurch: Ian Lochhead, Theatreview Review – Slap Festival, Various Groups, York: Catherine Love, Guardian Letters to the Editor responding to the lead Link on 12 February: New Yorker News - Dance teacher left shocked when four sets of twins joined her ballet class: The Metro

Dear Sim, you guessed!