Ian Macmillan

I would certainly mention Cathy Marston's Jane Eyre for Northern Ballet as something to remember from 2016.

Over the past year or so it has been noticeable that the Times' picture editor likes to fill odd spaces in the News pages with a ballet or dance related photo - and why not, when these can be so appealing to the eye? So this morning we find one of Zen as a radiant Marguerite, linked to a caption noting that she will 'step down' next July.

T4B: Indeed you do, as I have done many, many times in my youth! If you Google the terms 'thurible' and 'thurifer' (he who carries a thurible) and then 'Santiago de Compostela' to see it all done in mega-style, you'll get the idea.

Whilst watching Matthew Bourne's Red Shoes last night, I became aware of a 2-part Latin inscription on the top of the proscenium arch that is an essential part of Lez Brotherston's staging for the show. The first part, clearly visible was "INCEPTUM IULIO" and, on the other side but never quite so clear for me was, I'm sure, "VARIO EXACTUM." Now what I believe was there were words saying "Begun by Julius" and that seems straightforward enough. But what follows? I can't make sense of anything involving exactitude and am toying with some derivative of 'agere,' something like "Carried on by others." And if that's anywhere near the truth, does anyone know from where the inscription may have been taken? It sounds like something from a monument in classical Rome. Or to be really fanciful, might it be a pun - an Empire theatre referring back to Rome and its empire? I always like shows that leave you with something to think about!

We saw it earlier this evening, a most satisfactory Christmas present. Some very amusing moments, highly effective staging as so many others have mentioned, and the spirit of the film neatly translated to the stage. (And full marks to MD Benjamin Pope, resplendent in bright red patent shoes at the curtain calls.)

Melody: Much as I would also like to see her remain involved in some way with the RB - she could be (is) a character dancer sans pareil - the tone of the Company's press release seems all too final. But let's see ......

Just a thought - if one were to use the definitions that apply (more or less) in music, wouldn't the Tchaikovsky ballets be "romantic" rather than "classical"? Is there an inference in this thread that there's a substantial difference between "classical" and "the Classics" - Discuss! (I will now get back into my box.)

And for something completely different, yesterday BBC2 ran "West Side Stories - The Making of a Classic," a programme with quite a bit of good dance content that easily withstood Bruno Tonioli's Strictly-engendered tendency to gush.

Katherine: You got me thinking and a check with my Oxford Book of Carols tells me that, sure enough, I've always sung about Nine Ladies Dancing - and a further check with a Wikipedia entry reveals considerable change in the gifts given over some 250 years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_(song)

After a gap of some 20 years, The Times has today revived its costings of the various gifts bestowed in The Twelve Days of Christmas. Overall, the cost this year would be £22,803 as compared to £14,837 in 1995 but, in real terms, this year's total is reported as less since, had the basket of goodies risen in price with the RPI, it would have cost £26,637 this year. Thus "a diehard romantic spoiling his true love would be £3,834 better off this year." There is, however, considerable variation in the comparative costings of the various items listed - and of interest here, "Dancers have benefited most from wage inflation while the poor partridge has dived in value." This conclusion was reached by asking Equity to quote for 11 Ladies Dancing, drawn from first-year members of the Royal Ballet Corps, on a week's pay to cover the two nights on which they were billed to appear (nights 11 and 12, presumably), with time to rehearse and attend classes. In 1995 this would have cost £2,750 but this year that has risen to £7,236 a 166% increase. (A partridge, by comparison, cost £3.99 in 1995 but just £3.60 today.) The same Equity ballet contract in 1957, when my wife joined the then Opera Ballet, was signed by David Webster and paid just £7-10s a week.

Last night's programme reminded me that I only saw Darcey on stage very rarely and that my two most vivid memories came via TV - her supremely assured Rose Adagio during the 1999 ROH Reopening Night, and the last minutes of her final performance in Song of the Earth when, whatever may have been the case at other times, her face and eyes were fully involved in the story being told in that anguished, winding reverse bourrée. And she's a joy on Strictly!

There is a sense of inevitability about this news - indeed, was there not a 'scare' about her going a year or so back? I have found her to be the most compelling dance actress I've seen, a story-teller as much through her face and eyes as through her steps. As I sit here I think of her as I first saw her, the resigned bride in Les Noces and, at the other extreme, the manic Red Queen she created for Wheeldon's Alice, with the commanding, yet gentle, Paulina of Winter's Tale at some point in between. A class act, one who will be sorely missed.

Links – Friday 23 December, 2016 Reviews – Royal Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty (2006 Revival), London: Debra Craine, The Times Neil Norman, The Stage Mark Pullinger, Bachtrack Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Preview – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, The Red Shoes: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Review – The Trocks in New York: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Review – Northern Ballet, Beauty and the Beast, Leeds: Charles Hutchinson, The Press Review – Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, Mambo 3XXXI, El Cristal, Reversible, Monaco: Financial Times Documentary Review – Reset, POB & Benjamin Millepied: Peter Bradshaw, Guardian Feature – Twins reunited in American in Paris tour cast: Jordan Levin, Miami Herald Feature – Best of 2016 in Chicago: Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times Feature – Alicia Alonso at 96: Staff, Economic Times Exhibition – Robert Rauschenberg at Tate Modern, London: Jann Parry, DanceTabs Today’s Nuts: Review – New York City Ballet & Gelsey Kirkland Academy productions, New York: Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Slide Show – NYCB and SAB, Nutcracker for the holidays: NY Times News – PNB’s Nutcracker raises concerns over ethnic stereotyping: Lili Tan King, NWCN News And some ‘specials’ to celebrate the Forum’s 5th birthday today: 1 – New York City Ballet dancers share their skincare routines!: Marissa DeSantis, TeenVogue 2 – Self-discovery at The Nutcracker: Julie Burchill. New Statesman

Links – Thursday 22 December, 2016 Review – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, The Red Shoes, London: Graham Watts, Londondance Reviews – Sarasota Ballet, Jewels, Sarasota: Carrie Seidman, Herald-Tribune Anna Dearing, YourObserver.com Tour Review – An American in Paris (Wheeldon): Tampa: Carrie Seidman, Herald-Tribune Review – Arthur Pita, The Little Match Girl, London: Erin Whitcroft, Independent Preview – Noche Flamenca, La Ronde, Creación, Antigona: New York: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Keith Hennessy & Jassem Hindi, “future friend/ships”, San Francisco: Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes News – Ballerinas storm the streets of Cairo: Staff, BBC News Feature – Irina Kolesnikova/St Petersburg Ballet Theatre Company in New Zealand: Sarah Catherall, Dominion Post Preview – Martin del Amo/FORM Dance Projects, Champions, Sydney: Elissa Blake, Sydney Morning Herald Today’s Nuts: Review – English National Ballet, The Nutcracker, London: Clement Crisp, Financial Times Tour Review – Australian Ballet, Storytime Ballet - The Nutcracker, Sydney: Jill Sykes, Brisbane Times Report – Joffrey Ballet celebrates Wheeldon Nutcracker Opening: Candace Jordan, Chicago Tribune News – Colorado Ballet is Goldstar National Nutcracker Award winner!: AP, Washington Post Including some choice varieties: Preview – Shumka Dancers, Citie Ballet & Others, Clara’s Dream: Edmonton’s Ukrainian Nutcracker: Salena Kitteringham, Edmonton Journal Tour Preview – Jennifer Weber/Decadancetheatre, The Hip Hop Nutcracker, Richardson, TX: Mark Lowry, Star-Telegram

4 reviews in this morning's Links.

Links – Wednesday 21 December, 2016 TV Reviews – Darcey Bussell: Looking for Margot: Marina Vaizey, Arts Desk Jasper Rees, Telegraph Sam Wollaston, Guardian Andrew Billen, The Times Feature – The Trocks balance camp and skill: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times TV News – New York City Ballet, February 2017: Michael Cooper, NY Times Review – Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Group, Citizen, New York: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Review – Arthur Pita, The Little Match Girl, London: Duska Radosavljevic, Exeunt Film Review – Reset, a Benjamin Millepied Documentary: Isabelle Milton, The Upcoming From today’s global bag of Nuts: Review – Oakland Ballet Company, The Nutcracker (Lustig), Oakland: Claudia Bauer, DanceTabs Feature – Behind the scenes at ENB’s Nutcracker: Rachel Moss, Huffington Post News – A Nutcracker in Cairo: Staff, Ahram Online News – Providence, R.I., Stolen Nutcracker costumes returned: Karen Lee Ziner, Providence Journal News – The San Jose Nutcracker: Leba Hertz, SF Chronicle

Links – Tuesday 20 December, 2016 Reviews – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, The Red Shoes, London: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Margaret Willis, Bachtrack Anna Winter, Exeunt Feature – Ethan Stiefel & a first commission for Washington Ballet: Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post Feature – Toronto’s best of 2016: Martha Schabas, Globe and Mail Review – Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Performance Group, Citizen, New York: Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, Bachtrack Feature – Learning to love The Nutcracker”: Sandra Martin, Globe and Mail Feature – West Australian Ballet at 65: Raphael Morris, Arts Hub Feature – Original Skin, Nudity in Dance stages a comeback: Sharon Verghis, The Australian News – Royal Ballet of Flanders to stage Café Müller: Lisa Bradshaw, Flanders Today

Pixie: This will be of no help at all, I suspect, but there are likely to be others here who will remember Victor Sylvester's regular ballroom dance programmes on the BBC - Monday nights, I think, in black and white, so long, long before Strictly. (Latin American dances were danced to genuine Latin American music and rhythms, for example.) Anyway, we were regularly given the sequin count on the ladies' dresses, often into the several-1000s, and we'd be assured that Mum, Grandma, Aunts had sewed every one by hand. Any chance of your getting others in to help?

Looks a bit on the large side for Ex Cathedra and that's not Jeffrey Skidmore in charge. A University group, perhaps?

None of us can see everything and, that being so, perhaps sweeping statements are best avoided, even by luminaries such as Ms Ferri, and even if it were clear just what she may have meant by 'completely modern.' I would offer much of the narrative work of Cathy Marston for her consideration, and I am sure there are many others equally worthy.

Somebody has to say it: No, I'm Spartacus ..... but Congratulations and a Very Happy Birthday!

Links – Thursday 8 December, 2016 Best of 2016: - New York: Alastair Macaulay, Gia Kourlas, Siobhan Burke, Brian Seibert, NY Times - Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Preview – Sarasota Ballet, Jewels (Company premiere), Sarasota: Nick Friedman, Your Observer Reviews – Eifman Ballet, Up and Down, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Neil Norman, The Stage Vera Liber, BTG Gallery - Foteini Christofilopoulou, DanceTabs Review – Lucinda Childs Dance Company, Lucinda Childs: A Portrait, New York: Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times Feature – David Hallberg ready to dance again: Elissa Blake, Sydney Morning Herald Preview – The Trocks, soon in New York: Brian Schaefer, NY TImes Review – National Ballet of China, The Peony Pavilion, London: Rachel Elderkin, Fjord Review Feature – On the inside at American Ballet Theatre’s Holiday Gala: Ellen Olivier, LA Times News – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures in 2017: Robin Johnson, Official London Theatre Feature – Reggie Wilson/Yeman Brown, Citizen: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Diary – Next week in New York: Brian Schaefer, NY Times Review – Sydney Dance Company, PPY16 – Revealed, Sydney: Jill Sykes, The Age Preview – Atamira Dance Company, Pango/Black, Wellington: Sarah Catherall, Dominion Post And, ever mindful of the major questions of the day, there is this: May to explain Brexit with interpretative dance: The Daily Mash

Links – Wednesday 7 December, 2016 Review – Paris Opera Ballet, Jiří Kylián Trple Bill, paris: Jade Larine, Fjord Review Review – National Ballet of China, The Peony Pavilion, London: Gerald Dowler, Classical Source Interview – Angelo Greco of San Francisco Ballet, 2016 Bruhn Prizewinner: Penelope Ford, Fjord Review Review – Company of Elders, Fragments, Not Forgotten; Echoes, Glory Days, London: Siobhan Murphy, DanceTabs Preview – Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, Icons – Graham, Cunningham, Taylor, New York: Joshua Barone, NY Times Preview – GeraldCaselDance, Triple Bill, San Francisco: Leba Hertz, SF Chronicle Film – Northwest Tap Connection, Hell You Talmbout: Corinne Chin, Seattle Times Report – Mark Morris, Sounds of India, New York: Ryan Wentzel, Brooklyn Rail Review – Faye Driscoll, Thank You for Coming: Play, New York: Ivan Talijancic, Brooklyn Rail Some big global Nuts: Feature – Chris Wheeldon, creating a Nutcracker For Joffrey Ballet: Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times Feature – Princely duties at The Nutcracker: Marina Harss, New Yorker Tour preview – Australian Ballet, The Nutcracker (Storytime production): Myke Bartlett, The Weekly Review And for the couple who have everything – Hire dancers for your Anniversary: Theresa Avila, New York Magazine

Links – Tuesday 6 December, 2016 Review – Lyon Opera Ballet, Trois Grandes Fugues, Créteil: Laura Cappelle, Financial Times Review – Zurich Ballet & Philharmonia/Soloists & Chorus, Verdi “Requiem”, Zurich: Sarah Batschelet, Bachtrack Previews – L.A. Dance Project/Benjamin Millepied, Quad Bill, Los Angeles: Sandra Barrera, Press-Telegram Laura Schreffler, Haute Living Reviews – Lucinda Childs Dance Company, Lucinda Childs: A Portrait, New York: Martha Sherman, Danceviewtimes Robert Greskovic, Wall St Journal Streaming Review – Australian Ballet, Cinderella (Ratmansky): Anna Winter, Exeunt Review – Company of Elders, Fragments, Not Forgotten, Echoes, Glory Days, London: Philippa Newis, Bachtrack Preview – Smuin Ballet, The Christmas Ballet, Bay Area: Leslie Katz, SF Examiner Short Profile – Akane Takada, Royal Ballet Principal: James Tarmy, Bloomberg Review – Ballet West, The Nutcracker (Sklute), Salt Lake City: Kathy Adams, Salt Lake Tribune Review – Hexagon Dance Collective, Hexagon, Excerpt 1, Proxemics, Los Angeles: Jeff Slayton, SeeDance Review – Same Planet Performance Project, Honey, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Review – Tentacle Tribe, Fractals of You, Montreal: Mark Mann, Dance Current … and something your Links team often muse about: Alice Saville, Exeunt

New stuff? Get to today's Links for a Verdi Requiem and a nearly-ready Cleopatra.