Amelia Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Strictly judge Darcey Bussell made a dame, in the New Year Honours. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42504660 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 It is great that someone from the world of dance is being recognised but when oh when will David Bintley be given the honour of a knighthood which is, in my opinion, way over due? 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newcombe Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 19 minutes ago, Odyssey said: It is great that someone from the world of dance is being recognised but when oh when will David Bintley be given the honour of a knighthood which is, in my opinion, way over due? Could not agree more and I reckon that Lesley Collier's is long overdue 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 46 minutes ago, Odyssey said: It is great that someone from the world of dance is being recognised but when oh when will David Bintley be given the honour of a knighthood which is, in my opinion, way over due? When he becomes a judge on a popular television programme? 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 I'm extremely pleased about David Pickering MBE. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Pigeons Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 How about Lynn Seymour? Someone else who I think has been overlooked. I know she's a CBE but we have Dame Merle and Dame Antionette -both well deserved- but i think Lynn should have had equal treatment. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Feature on the ROH website about NY Honours: http://www.roh.org.uk/news/ballet-recognized-in-new-year-honours-list-2018 Congratulations to: Lilian Hochhauser CBE, David Pickering MBE and Lucille Briance MBE. From abroad, Heather Brundson has become a Member of the NZ Order of Merit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavycapers Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 (edited) What a shame that BBC breakfast news programme, even though they kept referring to her as a ballerina, couldn't find a clip of Darcey actually doing ballet, instead of her performing on Strictly. Edited December 30, 2017 by cavycapers 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiona Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Congratulations Darcey Bussell on being made a Dame. This is wonderful news and so well-deserved! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Why, exactly? Services to self promotion? 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 3 hours ago, Two Pigeons said: How about Lynn Seymour? Someone else who I think has been overlooked. I know she's a CBE but we have Dame Merle and Dame Antionette -both well deserved- but i think Lynn should have had equal treatment. My thoughts exactly. Think of all the wonderful roles she created. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Pigeons Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 My apologies to Dame Antoinette. Got it right this time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 1 hour ago, cavycapers said: What a shame that BBC breakfast news programme, even though they kept referring to her as a ballerina, couldn't find a clip of Darcey actually doing ballet, instead of her performing on Strictly. When I was watching they (John Kay and Naga Munchetty) kept referring to her as 'Prima Ballerina'. I think there has been a thread on here before about what makes a prima ballerina and how exactly this title is awarded. Both presenters said something along the lines of... 'we can all name famous musicians and prima ballerinas, but somebody normal in N Ireland has been given an honour'. Can the general public all name famous prima ballerinas or were they specifically addressing us here on Balletcoforum?! And why not 'musicians and sports people'? That's right, try and stick that 'elitist' label on ballet again. Ludicrous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirley Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Such a shame that the usual posters are making their usual negative comments about Ms Bussell I would like to congratulate all 5 of those in the dance world who received honours for 'Services to Dance'. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 I think it's unnecessarily early to make Darcey a Dame; but she is by far the highest-profile British dancer of recent years and does use her profile in what I think is a very positive way. My real problem with this is that, as Odyssey says above (and assuming that dance can only have one high-level honour in each list), David Bintley has still not been knighted. I find it incomprehensible. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 As mentioned David Bintley who has not only run BRB successfully for years, but has choreographed many ballets and was also a very talented dancer. Lesley Collier for her wonderfully long and successful career as a ballerina and now as a coach in the RB. And most definitely Lynn Seymour, the ballerina who created some of the most important roles in the repertoire, three of them performed this past year. She was awarded the CBE in 1976 - 41 years ago! Lynn Seymour is now 78years old - when is she going to receive the formal recognition she deserves? When she is dead?? I think that the RB should be planning something also, ahem Mr O'Hare! All I can think of is all the glorious dancers past who were never considered for such a recognition of their artistry. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirley Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 2 minutes ago, bridiem said: My real problem with this is that, as Odyssey says above (and assuming that dance can only have one high-level honour in each list), David Bintley has still not been knighted. I find it incomprehensible. I quite agree re David Bintley but not sure if it is the case that dance can only have one high-level honour. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 I've looked into this in the past for a variety of reasons and people are nominated for honours. Anybody can nominate someone. Supporting evidence is required. The level of award (if approved) is decided by the Honours Committee. https://www.gov.uk/honours I am never surprised by who receives an honour. There are people who do not want to be honoured and perhaps there are deserving people who have not been nominated. Congratulations to the 5 awardees. I agree David Bintley is long overdue a knighthood. Perhaps if we feel strongly enough, we should nominate him... 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MargaretN7 Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 I know someone, not in the dance world, who was offered a knighthood and refused it. He had to put up with many people saying it was a shame he wasn't given one. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavycapers Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 (edited) I see that all the broadsheets have pictures of Darcey as ballerina (Odette and Sylvia) whilst the tabloids have pics of her from Strictly i don't think she received the award for services to Strictly. Sir Craig Revel Horwood...? Edited December 30, 2017 by cavycapers 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 1 hour ago, Shirley said: Such a shame that the usual posters are making their usual negative comments about Ms Bussell I would like to congratulate all 5 of those in the dance world who received honours for 'Services to Dance'. Just because people are questioning those who haven't received it, that doesn't mean they are making negative comments about those that have, does it?. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirley Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 12 minutes ago, Fonty said: Just because people are questioning those who haven't received it, that doesn't mean they are making negative comments about those that have, does it?. That is true Fonty and there are very deserving names mentioned that should have been awarded an honour before now but reading through the thread there does seem to be an air of negativity towards Ms Bussell receiving the award. It's not as though most posters have said 'Congratulation to Ms Bussell but such shame not to see David Bintley be knighted' for example. Your own comment seems to imply that her career in dance and association with various organisations over the last 30 years had nothing to do with the award - all she had to do was be a judge on a dance TV programme. You may or may not have intended the comment that way but that is how it reads to me. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 2 hours ago, Shirley said: I quite agree re David Bintley but not sure if it is the case that dance can only have one high-level honour. I didn't mean that literally - I was being bitter!! I just meant that I wouldn't realistically expect them to give more than one high-level honour to something that is (evidently) perceived to be elitist, minority etc. And Bintley is 'just' mainstream classical with nothing that particularly makes him known to a wider public, so he's on a stickier wicket than Bussell (or Matthew Bourne). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 (edited) 2 hours ago, Jan McNulty said: I've looked into this in the past for a variety of reasons and people are nominated for honours. Anybody can nominate someone. Supporting evidence is required. The level of award (if approved) is decided by the Honours Committee. https://www.gov.uk/honours I am never surprised by who receives an honour. There are people who do not want to be honoured and perhaps there are deserving people who have not been nominated. Congratulations to the 5 awardees. I agree David Bintley is long overdue a knighthood. Perhaps if we feel strongly enough, we should nominate him... I did in fact nominate someone I know for an honour, nearly 2 years ago. It took a lot of time and effort and he hasn't been recognised, which I think now means that he isn't going to be which is very disappointing. But he was someone who may not have been particularly known to 'the powers that be', whereas Bintley is very senior and known about and runs a major British company, so there should be absolutely no need to nominate him. And he long ago received a CBE so presumably wouldn't refuse a knighthood. (P.S. I would nevertheless happily support a nomination for Bintley if relevant!) Edited December 30, 2017 by bridiem 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Well, I will publicly congratulate Darcey, and say it is wonderful that someone from the world of ballet has received such recognition. My remark about being a judge on a tv show was in response to the query as to why David Bintley was not knighted, and was intended as a comment about the honours system in general, rather than how it related to any individual. It seems to me people are much more likely to have their names put forward if they are known to a wider audience, and currently in the public eye, even if it has nothing to do with their original career. After all, ballet dancers such as Seymour and Collier were to their generations what Bussell is to the current one. I have no doubt that if they appeared on a prime time tv show in some capacity, then someone might say, "They were an absolutely wonderful ballet dancer. Isn't it time they got the highest honour?" 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 (edited) 29 minutes ago, Shirley said: Your own comment seems to imply that her career in dance and association with various organisations over the last 30 years had nothing to do with the award - all she had to do was be a judge on a dance TV programme. You may or may not have intended the comment that way but that is how it reads to me. I think Fonty was implying (though of course she can speak for herself!) that without Strictly, Bussell wouldn't have been a dame (or at least not yet). I think that's almost certainly the case. But I'm very fond of her (not that I know her!) and pleased both for her personally and because I think she does help to popularise at least the idea of ballet (though whether new people actually go to performances as a result of her, I don't know). (And indeed Fonty spoke for herself at the very same time!) Edited December 30, 2017 by bridiem 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirley Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 15 minutes ago, bridiem said: I didn't mean that literally - I was being bitter!! I just meant that I wouldn't realistically expect them to give more than one high-level honour to something that is (evidently) perceived to be elitist, minority etc. And Bintley is 'just' mainstream classical with nothing that particularly makes him known to a wider public, so he's on a stickier wicket than Bussell (or Matthew Bourne). It would be interesting to see how many top honors are given to people not known to the wider public. Saying that I'm sure that if you mentioned Anthony Dowell and Monica Mason to the general public would they have known who they were when they were given their honors. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Shirley said: It would be interesting to see how many top honors are given to people not known to the wider public. Saying that I'm sure that if you mentioned Anthony Dowell and Monica Mason to the general public would they have known who they were when they were given their honors. In terms of the arts at least, I think it's more likely to be given to those who are more widely known. No, but Dowell and Mason were both directors of the Royal Ballet which I suspect gives them a sort of dispensation! (I assume/hope that KOH will in due course receive a knighthood by virtue of his position.) Edited December 30, 2017 by bridiem 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane S Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 19 minutes ago, bridiem said: And he long ago received a CBE so presumably wouldn't refuse a knighthood. I can imagine a lot of men would happily accept a CBE and indeed might not mind being able to write KBE after their names, but would not even consider the title that goes with it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirley Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 21 minutes ago, Fonty said: Well, I will publicly congratulate Darcey, and say it is wonderful that someone from the world of ballet has received such recognition. - very generous of you to say so. 21 minutes ago, Fonty said: My remark about being a judge on a tv show was in response to the query as to why David Bintley was not knighted, and was intended as a comment about the honours system in general, rather than how it related to any individual. It seems to me people are much more likely to have their names put forward if they are known to a wider audience, and currently in the public eye, even if it has nothing to do with their original career. I understand what you are saying that being a judge on Strictly has kept Ms Bussell in the public eye but her original career must have had some influence on her being given the job in the first place. From what I believe Ms Bussell is involved with quite a few dance organisations so perhaps it is her work with them has been recognised as cavycapers alluded to in a post further up the page. 21 minutes ago, Fonty said: After all, ballet dancers such as Seymour and Collier were to their generations what Bussell is to the current one. I have no doubt that if they appeared on a prime time tv show in some capacity, then someone might say, "They were an absolutely wonderful ballet dancer. Isn't it time they got the highest honour?" But they do not have to be on a TV show to be nominated do they? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLOSS Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 (edited) I think that a dancer has to do something else after retirement other than doing her job, however well she does it, to be in the running for a DBE or knighthood. I strongly suspect that in Bussell's case the "something else" has an RAD connection and has little or nothing to do with being on Strictly although that is no doubt what is referred to in the newspapers because that is how the majority of the general public know of her. But that is like believing that Judi Dench was made DBE because she appeared in "As Time Goes BY" and other television comedies. But if you were unaware of her theatre work you might think that it was an award for her appearances in popular television comedies rather than her theatre work going back to Zefferelli's Romeo and Juliet in the 1950's Each of the Presidents of the RAD has been appointed DBE staring with Adeline Genee co-founder of the RAD and its first President.She was made DBE in 1950. She retired in 1954 and in the following year Fonteyn was elected as President of the RAD. She was made DBE in 1956. On Fonteyn's death in 1991 Sibley , who had retired from dancing in 1989, was elected as President. She stepped down after twenty one years as President. In 2012 Bussell was elected President of the organisation. I am usually a very cynical soul but I think it is the RAD connection that is significant here as the presidency is not a figurehead role. Edited December 30, 2017 by FLOSS 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirley Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 48 minutes ago, bridiem said: I think Fonty was implying (though of course she can speak for herself!) that without Strictly, Bussell wouldn't have been a dame (or at least not yet). I think that's almost certainly the case. But I'm very fond of her (not that I know her!) and pleased both for her personally and because I think she does help to popularise at least the idea of ballet (though whether new people actually go to performances as a result of her, I don't know). She may well have been made a Dame (at some point) without Strictly as other dancers have. I personally do feel that any publicity for ballet is good and although the tabloid headlines have mentioned the Strictly on the front pages I hope that ballet also gets a mention. Showing my ignorance here but when was the last time a dancer was made a Dame or a Knight who hadn't been a director of a company? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirley Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 2 minutes ago, Shirley said: Showing my ignorance here but when was the last time a dancer was made a Dame or a Knight who hadn't been a director of a company? @ Floss - thank you for your post. I think it has, at least partly, answered my question above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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