Ian Macmillan

Links – Monday 5 December, 2016 Review – Zurich Ballet/Philharmonia/Soloists & Chorus, Verdi “Requiem”, Zurich: John Rhodes, Seen and Heard Reviews – Australian Ballet, Coppelia, Sydney: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Deborah Jones, FollowSpot Review – Macedonian Ballet, Cleopatra … in rehearsal, Skopje: Margaret Willis, DanceTabs News – Joffrey Ballet to take Pastor’s Romeo & Juliet to New York: Joshua Barone, NY Times Review – St Petersburg Ballet Theatre, Swan Lake (Kolesnikova), Macau: Natasha Rogai, SCMP Reviews – ZviDance, On the Road; Caleb Teicher, Meet Ella; Dylan Crossman, [insert Title], New York: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Short Video – Alvin Ailey dancers in rehearsal: NY Times Tour Reviews – Nederlands Dans Theater: - Sehnsucht, In the Event, Stop-Motion, Montreal: Robert Everett-Green, Globe and Mail - Safe as Houses, The Statement, Stop-Motion, Woke Up Blind, New York: Joel Benjamin, TheaterScene Reviews – Measina Festival: Aumaga, Shel We? Etc, Wellington: Ann Hunt, Dominion Post Chris Jannides, Theatreview Review – Ate9 dANCE company, The Niners Mixed Bill, LA: Jeff Slayton, SeeDance News – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui wins Harvard Leadership Prize: Lisa Bradshaw, Flanders Today Feature – Learning ballet one step at a time: Bill Lynch, Charleston Gazette-Mail

Having still a memory from some years ago of the transfixing execution scene in National Ballet of China's Raise the Red Lantern, I was interested to see what Peony Pavilion would have to offer. And whilst my wife would not agree, I found last night's final performance wholly satisfying. No great emotional involvement, as others have said, but I did find myself involved in trying to figure out what was happening and, with the clues given here and in the programme, that didn't seem too difficult overall. I was much taken by the score, a patchwork of Western 'classics' cleverly through-composed with new interpolations for vibes, strings, clarinet and percussion. The Sunrise from Daphnis and Chloe worked a treat as our heroine awake from her Act 1 dream to the quotidian surroundings of a new day, neatly choreographed and not without humour. (In Act 2, it struck me that the Infernal Judge might have got a few bars of somebody's Dies Irae as he dispensed justice, but no.) So, and as others have said, lots of beautiful moments, with impressive group choreography and some gorgeous costumes - and saying that leads to a mention of the Kunqu singer, Jia Pengfei. Robed magnificently, and with a voice production sounding most strange to my western ear, she could not be ignored as she glided about the stage. All in all, a most interesting evening.

Links – Sunday 4 December, 2016 Feature – Matthew Bourne/New Adventures, The Red Shoes: David Jays, Sunday Times Review – National Ballet of China, The Peony Pavilion, London: David Dougill, Sunday Times Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Amelia Forsbrook, Exeunt Reviews – Michael Keegan-Dolan/Teac Damsa, Swan Lake/Loch na hEala, London: Luke Jennings, Observer David Dougill, Sunday Times Review – Australian Ballet, Coppelia, Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald Reviews – Lucinda Childs Dance, Lucinda Childs: A Portrait, New York: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Feature – Best dance of 2016: Luke Jennings, Observer Review – Impermanence Dance Theatre, Sexbox, London: Luke Jennings, Observer Feature – Sergei Polunin, Dancer and more: Valerie Lawson, Dancelines Review – Botis Seva, Women of Sun, London: Graham Watts, DanceTabs Review – Pam Tanowitz, Once with me, Once without me, Miami: Jordan Levin, Miami Herald Review – Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Voices – Young Choreographers Program, Sarasota: Carrie Seidman, Herald-Tribune Review – Chicago Dance Crash, And now for the Dancing Pants, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Today’s Nuts: Review – Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Nutcracker (Balanchine), Seattle: Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times Review – Washington Ballet, The Nutcracker (Webre), DC: Sarah L Kaufman, Washington Post

On similar lines, on a night, somewhere around the UK, way back in the days of the RB Touring Company. The dancer who was to be the 'vision' of the White Swan Queen, appearing whilst Odile worked her wily charms on the hapless Prince, had the support on which she was standing collapse as she did her earnest pleading. No injury sustained, happily, but probably some loss of dramatic impact. (Told to me by the lady concerned.)

Links – Saturday 19 November, 2016 Feature – English National Ballet Director, Tamara Rojo: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times Feature – Tim Yip’s designs for Akram Khan’s Giselle and others: Staff, Guardian Reviews – English National Ballet, Giselle (Khan), London: Hanna Weibye, Arts Desk Zoë Anderson, Independent Anna Winter, Exeunt Feature – Ashley Shaw, on being Matthew Bourne’s Vicky Page: Debra Craine, The Times Feature – Wayne McGregor’s 10 years at the Royal Ballet: Elly Parsons, Wallpaper* Review – Royal Ballet Season, Fille and Anastasia, London: Kevin Ng, ejinsight Review – Nederlands Dans Theater, Safe as Houses, Woke Up Blind, The Statement, Stop-Motion, NY: Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn,Bachtrack Review – Dorrance Dance, The Blues Project, NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs News – Scottish Ballet, 2017 Programme: Kelly Apter, The List Preview – Rambert at 90, Ghost Dances, Edinburgh: Mary Brennan, Herald Review – Hubbard Street Dance, Terrain, Niebla, Falling Angels, Sarabande, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Diary – Next Week, UK: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Feature – Ballet keeps dancers Lucy Green & Mayela Marcos on the move: Bernadette Rae, Dionne Christian, NZ Herald Review – Emma Fishwick, Kynan Hughes & Others, In SITU 2016, Perth: Nerida Dickinson, Australian Stage Review – James Wilton Dance, Leviathan, London: Lynette Halewood, DanceTabs Review – Tentacle Tribe, Fractals of You, Montreal: Rebecca Galloway, Bachtrack Gallery – Rambert, Merce Cunningham Event, London: Stephen Wright, DanceTabs Preview – Michael Clark Company, Triple Bill, Miami: Hilary Saunders, Miami New Times Preview – Limon Dance Company, Night Light, Corvidae, Miami: Diana Dunbar, Miami New Times Toronto Reviews – Martha Schabas, Globe and Mail - Canadian Stage/Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie, Dollhouse - ProArteDanza Season 2016, Diversions, Fearful Symmetries Interview – Choreographer Pioneer Winter: Minhae Shim Roth, Miami New Times Preview – Smuin Ballet, The Christmas Ballet, Bay Area: Leba Hertz, SF Chronicle Ridiculous Title Winner – Gillian Walsh, “xgzdiiiiiicdiirrwjfffffffff (pronounced grief),” NY: Siobhan Burke, NY TImes Today’s choice selection from the global Nut tree: Video Preview – Lauretta Summerscales & English National’s Production, London: David Ellis, Evening Standard Preview – Joffrey Ballet, Wheeldon production premiere, Chicago: Staff, BWW Review – Ballet Ireland, Dublin: Christie Seaver, Irish Times Preview – Ballet West production, Ogden, Utah: Anna Burleson, Standard Examiner Diary: – 5 Boston Area Nuts (and others): Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald - and 5 Bay Area Nuts (scroll down): Michael Zwiebach, SF Classical Voice

Folks, can we please ease up on the language here - where, by the way, we have a marked preference for English - and restore an aura of calm to this thread.

Further to Floss and Bruce W, above, I wondered yesterday when Alastair Macaulay's working in the USA might come up over this 'national view' issue. There is an incidental mention of being British in this lengthy 2011 interview for Pointe magazine: http://pointemagazine.com/inside-pt/issuesdecember-2011january-2012confessions-dance-critic/

Anyone who has the time and inclination to count the MacMillan and Ashton ballets for the RB may find these links useful: MacMillan: http://www.kennethmacmillan.com/ballets/all-works.html Ashton: http://www.frederickashton.org.uk/ballets.html Edit: My apologies and I clearly had too many tabs open, leading to my repeating the MacMillan link. The corrected Ashton one I had intended is based on David Vaughan's book - see Lee's post, below - but is very much a pared-down version of the Appendix there. Further work would be needed to confirm the companies involved for each.

You don't like noise, prefer music? Go to Sadler's Wells for a bit of Haydn, superbly delivered.

Whilst the ROH was resounding with the noise (as some say) of a new McGregor piece, Sadler's Wells was filled last night with a fine performance of Haydn's ever colourful The Creation, providing the motive force for Mark Baldwin's contemporary work for Rambert. This had been premiered at Garsington Opera back in the summer, using the same Gothic tracery screen, behind which sat an orchestra and chorus (the BBC Singers), with conductor (Paul Hoskins) and soloists visible in arched openings. So, on that foundation, and with Sarah Tynan, James Gilchrist and Neal Davie in front, the music was never less than assured. For his choreography, Mark Baldwin had elected to "go beyond pure interpretation and into the realm of pure dance." To my mind, he succeeded only in part, and I'm left uncertain whether contemporary movement is enough to sustain a work of this length - and there were moments when some very odd poses were being struck, surely of some significance to him, but rather lost on me. But, on the whole, it was worth seeing - and certainly worth hearing - and it clearly went down well with the audience.

A clever reminder of a JL Christmas past: https://twitter.com/innocent/status/796639412771819520 No time lost at Innocent in thinking that one up, I must say.

Having finally seen a catch-up screening in Cambridge today, I come late to the table. I don't recall too much of the last revival that I saw live at the ROH, but I came away entirely happy with the 3-Act format today. I have had reservations about Ms Osipova in the past, but I drop them all now. Her performance was truly remarkable and the close-ups afforded in the cinema screening, especially in Act 3, were particularly revealing - she really was living that role, I must say. And, my goodness, Christina Arestis can do hauteur and really icy froideur! All in all, an impressive show, and I'm sorry that others were disappointed in it.

Links – Tuesday 8 November, 2016 Review – Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Analogy/Dora: Tramontane, NY: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – Paris Opera Ballet, Balanchine: Homage to Violette Verdy, Paris: Jade Larine, Fjord Review Review – Akram Khan Company, Chotto Desh, NY: Brian Seibert, NY TImes Interview – BRB’s Brandon Lawrence: Staff, To The Pointe Q&A – Didy Veldman on her new company, Umanoove: Bruce Marriott, DanceTabs Reviews – Hong Kong Ballet, Lady of the Camellias (Caniparoli), HK: Kevin Ng, Time Out HK Natasha Rogai, SCMP Review – Nederlands Dans Theater 1, Sehnsucht, In the Event, Stop-Motion, Montreal: Rebecca Galloway, Bachtrack Review – Vail Dance Festival: ReMix NYC, Mixed Bill, NY: Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, Bachtrack Review – Pacific Northwest Ballet, Brief Fling, Forgotten Land, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Seattle: Alice Kaderlan, Seattle pi Review – Richard Alston Dance Company, Stronghold, Mazur, Isthmus Remix, Brisk Singing, Glasgow: Mary Brennan, Herald Review – Company Chordelia & Solar Bear, Lady Macbeth: Unsex me here, Glasgow: Kelly Apter, Scotsman Feature – Raven Hehr, Head of Wardrobe with Alberta Ballet: Leah Hennel, Calgary Herald Review – Vincent Dance Theatre, Virgin Territory, London: Josephine Leask, Londondance Reviews – Yang Liping, Under Siege, London: Siobhan Murphy, Londondance Graham Watts, Bachtrack Review – Platform 16, Lost & Found, Variations on themes …. by John Bernd NY: Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Feature – Martha Graham’s Charlotte Landreau on performing in Havana: Dance Magazine - An alternative view: Havana Times Review – Pat Graney Company, Girl Gods, LA: Victoria Looseleaf, Fjord Review Preview – Diablo Ballet, A Swingin’ Holiday and More, Walnut Creek: Leba Hertz, SF Chronicle Preview – San Francisco International Hip-Hop Dance Fest: Leba Hertz, SF Chronicle Review – Misa Kelly & Others, TURF Mixed Bill, LA: Jeff Slayton, SeeDance Feature – How Australian ballerinas workout: Anna McClelland, Vogue Australia

Links – Monday 7 November, 2016 Feature – Wayne McGregor & Steve Reich & Multiverse for the Royal Ballet: Sarah Crompton, Sunday Times Review – Sounds of India Festival: Mark Morris Dance Group & Kerala Kalamandalam, New York: Marina Harss, DanceTabs Review – Vail Dance Festival: ReMix NYC, Mixed Bill, New York: Mary Cargill, Danceviewtimes Deborah Jowitt, Arts Journal/DanceBeat Review – Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Art Songs, Meyer, SF: Rita Felciano, Danceviewtimes Film – Young Men, Michael Nunn, William Trevitt, Ballet Boyz: Sarah Crompton, Sunday Times Review – Vincent Dance Theatre, Virgin Territory, London: Sanjoy Roy, Guardian Review – Funsch Dance Experience, Le grand spectacle de l’effort et de l’artifice, SF: Claudia Bauer, DanceTabs Review – Nitin Sawhney with Sebastien Ramirez & Honji Wang, London: Sara Veale, DanceTabs Documentary – Ella: Ella Havelka, the first indigenous dancer with Australian Ballet: William Yeoman, West Australian Feature – Patricia Crosbie: Cork City Ballet, Giselle: Barry Egan, Irish Independent Review – Dance Proms 2016 (RAD, ISTD, IDTA Schools), London: Sara Veale, DanceTabs

My apologies, but I now realise I missed two items from this morning's Sunday Times Culture supplement whilst doing Links. I'll include them tomorrow - but if you have no Times access and want to see a 2-page feature on Wayne McGregor and Steve Reich and the making of Multiverse for the coming RB Triple Bill, you may want to visit a newsagent. The other missed piece is on the making of a film, Young Men, by Messrs Nunn and Trevitt with the Ballet Boyz.

Links – Sunday 6 November, 2016 Review – Royal Ballet, Anastasia, London: David Jays, Sunday Times Review – San Francisco Ballet, Cinderella (Wheeldon), Washington DC: Oksana Khadarina, DanceTabs Review – Vail Dance Festival: ReMix NYC, Mixed Bill, NY: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Review – Arthur Pita & HeadSpaceDance, Stepmother/Stepfather, Ipswich: Luke Jennings, Observer Reviews – Company Chordelia & Solar Bear, Lady Macbeth: Unsex me here, Glasgow: Mark Brown, Sunday Herald Lorna Irvine, Fjord Review Tour Review – Ballet Boyz, Life – Double Bill, Richmond: Jeffery Taylor, Sunday Express Review – Yang Liping, Under Siege, London: Ka Bradley, Exeunt Review – Alberta Ballet, Dracula (Stevenson), Edmonton: Salena Kitteringham, Edmonton Journal Review – Dance Makers Collective, Dads, Sydney: Matt O’Neill, Australian Stage Review – Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company, Salvador, DC: George Jackson, Danceviewtimes Review – Funsch Dance Experience, Le grand spectacle de l’effort et de l’artifice, SF: Allan Ulrich, SF Chronicle Preview – Lucinda Childs Dance Company, A Portrait (1963-2016), LA: Jessica Gelt, LA Times Review – Dorrance Dance, ETM: Double Down, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune

Links – Saturday 5 November, 2016 Reviews – Yang Liping, Under Siege, London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Lyndsey Winship, Evening Standard Rachel Elderkin, The Stage Howard Loxton, BTG Interview – Xander Parish at the Mariinsky: Graham Spicer, Gramilano Review – Vail Dance Festival: ReMix NYC, A very mixed bill, NY: Alastair Macaulay, NY Times News – 2016 UK National Dance Awards Nominations: DanceTabs Preview – Sara Mearns & Jodi Melnick, Working in Process/New Bodies, NY: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Review – Ballet BC, Beginning After, Fugaz, Sortijas, Schachmatt, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Straight.com Review – Platform 2016: Lost and Found/Various Collaborators, Variations on Themes ... by John Bernd, NY: Siobhan Burke, NY Timesh Book Preview – The Art of Movement, Ken Browar & Deborah Ory: Katherine Brooks, Huffington Post Feature – Training hard to win trophies, but at what cost? Jordan Levin, Miami Herald Review – Dance Makers Collective, Dads, Sydney: Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald Film – Touch Compass Dance Company, Exhibition & Performances, Auckland: Raewyn Whyte, NZ Herald Diary – UK, Next Week: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Exhibition – Degas: A New Vision, LA: Christopher Knight, LA Times Preview Q&A – Xin Lili, AD Shanghai Ballet: Peter Robb, Ottawa Citizen Feature – Wayne McGregor on working with Dame Judi Dench: Eleanor Steafel, Telegraph Review – Pat Graney Company, Girl Gods, LA: Jeff Slayton, SeeDance Preview – Tere O’Connor Dance, Undersweet, Transcendental Daughter, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune

Just out in the US, it seems, a glossy coffee-table volume from New York. Extracts here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ballet-photographs-ballgowns_us_581a3984e4b0c43e6c1da83a Amazon UK has it for release in the UK from 24 November, at £40 - and it seems there will also be a KIndle edition at £9.99; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Movement-Ken-Browar/dp/0316318582

Links – Friday 4 November, 2016 Reviews – Royal Ballet, Anastasia, London: Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard Anna Winter, Exeunt Reviews – White Light Festival, New York: - Nrityagram Ensemble, Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times - Nrityagram Ensemble, Kerala Kalamandalam Kathkali Troupe. Alastair Macaulay, NY Times Reviews – Yang Liping, Under Siege, London: Louise Levene, Financial Times Debra Craine, The Times Preview – Akram Khan, Chotto Desh, NY: Roslyn Sulcas, NY Times News – Dance highlights in Australia, 2017: Elissa Blake, Brisbane Times Review – Wang Ramirez with Nitin Sawhney, London: Zoë Anderson, Independent Exhibition – Rodin and Dance: The Essence of Movement, Courtald Gallery, London: Judith Mackrell, Guardian Feature – Hip-Hop helping refugees find their feet: Koren Helbig, Guardian Feature – Barnet Bopping, helping to fix the NHS: Guddi Singh, Guardian Review – Ballet Collective, Triple Bill - What Comes Next, NY: Leigh Witchel, Danceviewtimes Diary – New York, 4 – 10 November: NY Times Feature – Marissa Alma Nick, Making Miami Move: Nicole Martinez, Miami New Times Preview – Full Circle Dance Company, A Woman’s Place: Purpose, Passion, Power, Columbia, MD: Valerie Bonk, Baltimore Sun Feature – Ezra Dickinson, Psychic Radio Star, Seattle: Brendan Kiley, Seattle Times Preview – Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba, Chicago: Laura Molzahn, Chicago Tribune Video – Bolshoi Airborne Ballet (+ Katherine Jenkins): IOL and elsewhere!

Young Mr Scarlett continues to keep busy - this news is contained in the Press Release here: https://madmimi.com/p/5cccf8?fe=1&pact=419170-135326198-8326731442-db0c166fa5ea16b2efebbe03229c331b6d5d08e8

.... but arguably better than being told it was yesterday?

So, is the talking point going to be Xander Parish's return to London as Guest Albrecht, and Michaela DePrince's London debut as Myrthe? (Other Guest Artistes will also be available, it seems.)

I'll catch this revival at one of the cinema performances coming up, but I did see it last time around and, given the significance it has assumed here over the past 48 hours or so, have no recollection of any such discussion of this Rasputin scene on ballet.co at that time.... but I stand to be corrected on that. So, somewhat related: 1. In the Review supplement, today's Times has a long review of a new biography, "Rasputin - Faith, Power and the Twilight of the Romanovs" by Douglas Smith. It's headlined 'A heavenly messenger or just sex mad?' He appears to have been strong on 'touch' in a number of ways. 2. Cathy Marston's first work in Bern was a "Firebird" based in the Romanov court circa 1915, where her Firebird was the monk, Rasputin, wth his influence over the Tsarina through his seeming ability to cure the young prince.

John: You're not the first to find that clearing cookies can extend access, if not always universally so, and I agree that Google seems able to create access denied via other entry points. And if you do Twitter, you may find access to links sometimes easier from Tweets from the newspaper concerned.

.... and whilst you're thinking, Janet, I do believe that the works you mention were commissioned by companies based somewhat north of the M25 ...... where the choreographers were also Company Directors, that's probably not surprising .... and I'll just say Goodnight rather than bang on about the way Cathy M and her narrative ability ended to be ignored. Goodnight!