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Obituary - Dai Ailian
Distinguished teacher known as "the mother of Chinese dance" who preserved and exhibited regional folk dance
London
    "She was understandably proud that her reputation in Britain was such that there is a statue of her in the entrance hall of the Royal Academy of Dancing."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-2045564,00.html

Royal Ballet
Ballet Imperial, Afternoon of a Faun, Tchaikovsky pas de deux, The Firebird
UK, London, Covent Garden
Dancers: Acosta, Ansanelli, Bonelli, Bussell, Lamb, Marriott, Pennefather, Rosato, Watson, Yanowsky
by John Percival
    "Balanchine himself mounted his Ballet Imperial at Covent Garden in 1950 and (dare I say?) it was more strongly and commandingly danced then. Still, tackling its homage to ballet’s Russian past must benefit the new casts..."
The Stage

San Francisco Ballet
Ballet puts aside the fancy stuff for a fun romp in 'Rodeo.' You can darn near see the dust fly.
Rodeo, Spring Rounds, Magrittomania
USA, San Francisco, War Memorial Opera House
Dancers: Boada, LeBlanc, Legate, Long, Molat, Nedviguine, Smith, Tan
by Rachel Howard
    "Of the two Ballet programs now alternating, this is the one to see. Maybe twice."
San Francisco Chronicle

Joffrey Ballet
Star-crossed lovers live, die with Joffrey
Romeo and Juliet
USA, Chicago, Auditorium Theatre
Dancers: Gluckman, Levine, Robin, Shives, Wilkins
by Lucia Mauro
    "...the Joffrey Ballet's reprise of this classic, based on Shakespeare's tragedy, proves to be a refined and reliable achievement."
Chicago Tribune

National Ballet of Canada - Jennifer Fournier, Darci Kistler, Melissa Hayden and many others
Brilliantly Balanchine
Choreographer left mark on ballet and ballerinas alike
Toronto
By Susan Walker
    "You make yourself a Balanchine dancer by dancing his ballets. Your legs change, your body changes, you become a filly," said Canadian-born dancer Melissa Hayden, a principal with New York City Ballet from 1949 to 1979."
Toronto Star

UK Arts Funding - David Lammy (Culture Minister)
The arts column: sinister shadow falls over arts funding
The Labour government seems to be itching to ditch the 'middle man' Arts Council, says Rupert Christiansen
London
by Rupert Christiansen
    ""We must reform the Arts Council," Lammy said. It's got "to slim down", "get smarter" and prove that it is "more than a passive cash machine". Most significantly, he thinks that there is a strong case for "loosening the reins" between the council and many companies that have "reached a sufficient level of organisational maturity to merit autonomy".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/02/15/bacol15.xml

Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival £1m in the red
Edinburgh
By Tim Cornwell
    "The festival ran up the deficit producing a record six new shows last year. Some of the cash is being recouped as the shows are sold on.
    "Sir Brian McMaster, the festival's director, said there was no reason to be alarmed by the event's financial health. The festival was not asking those who fund the event to pick up the debt, he said."
http://entertainment.scotsman.com/theatre/headlines_specific.cfm?id=11074

Richard Alston Dance Company
They swoon with longing, and so do we
Such Longing, Gipsy Mixture, Fever
USA, New York, Joyce Theater
Dancers: Goddard, Peedo
by Apollinaire Scherr
    "When people say a dance is steamy, it's usually because the dance has said so first. In fact, it can't shut up about it. Alston keeps quiet. He understands that sensuality is sufficient unto itself, and he's willing to risk the accusation of being safe in order to let us have that experience."
Newsday

Richard Alston Dance Company
A slow burn - Richard Alston's dance company smolders, but never catches fire
Such Longing, Gipsy Mixture, Fever
USA, New York, Joyce Theater
Dancers: Baio, Goddard, Lawrance, Nikoloulea, Peedo
by Robert Johnson
    "Inventiveness seems less important to Alston, however, than establishing leit-motivs. When Martin Lawrance begins the next piece, "Such Longing," with a knee jutting out to one side, we've seen this angle before."
Newark Star Ledger

Susan Marshall
Looking at clouds from both sides now
Shifting atmospheric conditions featured in Marshall work premiering at Montclair State
New York
BY ROBERT JOHNSON
    ""I like the multiple meanings of 'cloudless' and how we think of clouds," says Marshall. "They're very emotionally rich. While being cloudless implies sunny skies, it also suggests that you're not cloudless forever. It implies the whole range of experience."
    "Clouds, she says, also may appear divine."
Star Ledger

Flamenco Festival New York
The Fiery Spirit of a Gypsy Camp Swirls Through the City
New York Flamenco Festival Gala
USA, New York, City Center
Dancers: Baron, Barrio, Campallo, Esmeralda, Marín
by John Rockwell
    "It was a curious affair, although by now New York audiences are used to, and perhaps even expect, this kind of flashy, carefully plotted and not very spontaneous flamenco extravaganza."
The New York Times

Studio Wambach
Resolution!: Nausea
UK, London, The Place
by Roberto Ekholm
    "...nicely wrapped in sensual moves, bohemian costumes and the smoother kind of jazz."
The Place

KAPPA-TE-g
Resolution!: Ubiquitous
UK, London, The Place
by Roberto Ekholm
    "This is a tightly structured piece with a strong vocabulary, even if there are moments when the choreography feels self-indulgently dragged out."
The Place

Mickael Riviere
Resolution!: Decalage
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Riviere
by Roberto Ekholm
    "Best enjoyed in the company of a crowd of encouraging tourists at Covent Garden’s Piazza."
The Place

Gaurier-Levy Dance Theatre
Resolution!: Whisper
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Gaurier, Levy
by Martin Hargreaves
    "The solemnity with which she peeled and examined oranges or they both dipped their clothes in a bucket of water was, I expect, a signal that these were symbolic moments but they were lost on me."
The Place

Bottlefed Tanztheater
Resolution!: Camille
UK, London, The Place
by Martin Hargreaves
    "The narrative was occasionally punctuated by dance routines that were abstractions of nervous tics..."
The Place

Twitch
Resolution!: Imagine me in Gucci Earrings (IMAGE)
UK, London, The Place
by Martin Hargreaves
    "The whole thing needed to go under the knife for some major reconstruction."
The Place

A Camp
Resolution!: If you lived here you'd be home now
UK, London, The Place
by Laura Griffiths
    "With its fragmentary structure overall this is an unhinged creation."
The Place

LIFE Performance
Resolution!: Oh Abraham
UK, London, The Place
by Laura Griffiths
    "Adjusting the setting does not disguise the blandness of what’s on view."
The Place

Sarah de Fonseca Dance Theatre Company-
Resolution!: Fraction
UK, London, The Place
by Laura Griffiths
    "Said to exhibit the ambiguous nature of modern-day relationships, the piece is apparently committed to an onslaught on anyone who considers themselves part of a couple."
The Place

Impact Dance and ZooNation
Into The Hoods, Underworld
UK, London, Peacock
by Gavin Roebuck
    "Though sold out to an enthusiastic young audience, some of whom seemed to have participated in their youth training workshops, this type of show is for a niche market."
The Stage

Renegade Theatre
Rumble
UK, London, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Dancers: Erdik
by Lucy Wallis
    "The evening is an exhilarating spectacle to watch."
The Stage

Simply Ballroom
Simply Ballroom
UK, Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Theatre
Dancers: Blair, Lait, Main
by Mike Martin
    "It would be unfair to single out particular individual performers for praise as they are all of such high quality, but..."
Stage

Sacha Craddock and Emma Gladstone
3 stars
Live Screen: (many short works)
UK, London, Sadler's Wells
Dancers: Meyer-Keller, Radvan, Ramamurthi
by Zoe Anderson
    "So many short works are hard to take in. Perhaps the next show, planned for November, could have shorter screenings, or easier movement from one auditorium to another."
Independent

Adrienne Truscott
Road Trip - Let's pack up and go somewhere. Where? Let's just go.
they will use the highways
USA, New York, P.S. 122
Dancers: Covelli, Medlyn, Neumann, Truscott, Dibella, Merriwether, Slaysman
by Deborah Jowitt
    "Adrienne Truscott's they will use the highways begins, and I'm instantly smitten."
The Village Voice

Curt Haworth
All Fall Down - How to exist on red alert
Descent
USA, New York, Danspace Project
Dancers: Kraus, McArdle, Pearl, Sciscioli, Somma
by Deborah Jowitt
    "Descent is uneven in terms of its overall shape and thrust, but it's brave. And, at its best, bristling with human warmth and indignation."
The Village Voice

Donna Uchizono Company
Newest work puts Uchizono in the pink
Approaching Green
USA, Houston, DiverseWorks
Dancers: Boule, Escalante, Harakas, Tentindo
by Molly Glentzer
    "Much of Uchizono's movement is a marvel of contact improvisation and shared balance technique. The dancers spiral around the stage in tangled group hugs that are simultaneously clingy and articulated, flailing yet controlled."
Houston Chronicle

Zoe Scofield
Delicate dance of collaboration
there ain't no easy way out
USA, Seattle, On the Boards Studio Theatre
by Brangien Davis
    "Zoe Scofield's "there ain't no easy way out" reveals how seamless and exquisite such collaboration can be. The opening image, crafted by Seattle-based video installation artist Juniper Shuey, is so spooky and entrancing it would be a shame to spoil it..."
Seattle Times

Zoe Scofield
OTB's dances touch on similar topics: life (and death) and life (in the office)
there ain't no easy way out
USA, Seattle, On the Boards Studio Theatre
by Alice Kaderlan Halsey
    "Program notes suggest this work is a musing on life and death. Like all good art, however, it works on many levels and can inspire a host of thoughts and emotions."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Monster Squad
Delicate dance of collaboration
Island Desk- my teeny tiny knowledge of nothing
USA, Seattle, On the Boards Studio Theatre
by Brangien Davis
    "The movement is powerful and raw and compelling..."
Seattle Times

Monster Squad
OTB's dances touch on similar topics: life (and death) and life (in the office)
Island Desk- my teeny tiny knowledge of nothing
USA, Seattle, On the Boards Studio Theatre
by Alice Kaderlan Halsey
    "...the overall effect is of a talented group of artists exploring everyday life in a highly original way."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Adoniou Dance
Adoniou dance imagines blindness
As we close their eyes, In-sight
USA, San Francisco, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Dancers: Bonadonna, Campos, Davis, DeLyon, Schickel, Smith
by Rachel Howard
    "I hope Adoniou gets another chance to adjust his risk-taking movement theater to such a vast space. Though you might not know it from last weekend's outing, his work deserves to be seen on a large scale."
San Francisco Chronicle

Boston Conservatory Dance Division
A radiant glimpse of talent to come
Les Sylphides, Pulcinella (A Post Modern Baroque Approach), Con Temperamento
USA, Boston, Boston Conservatory
Dancers: Alexander, Li
by Karen Campbell
    "The evening's greatest delight was the premiere of Curran's rousing ''Pulcinella (A Post Modern Baroque Approach)." This charmingly playful piece is the choreographer's strongest work to date."
The Boston Globe

Julia Ritter Performance Group
The variety of dance and humanity
Dances from the Garden: Odd Sympathies (something just happened to me)
USA, New Brunswick, State Theatre
by Robert Johnson
    "The dancers hung loose in the opening number ... a multi-layered and mysterious work..."
Newark Star Ledger

Randy James Dance Works
The variety of dance and humanity
Dances from the Garden: 2 out of 200
USA, New Brunswick, State Theatre
by Robert Johnson
    "... dancers' limbs outlined in jagged silhouettes. Rough-and-tumble floorwork required hearty exertion."
Newark Star Ledger

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
The variety of dance and humanity
Dances from the Garden: Incense
USA, New Brunswick, State Theatre
by Robert Johnson
    "...lively and elegantly defined shapes."
Newark Star Ledger

Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company
The variety of dance and humanity
Dances from the Garden: Living Room Music excerpt, Odisea
USA, New Brunswick, State Theatre
by Robert Johnson
    "Carolyn Dorfman's work appeared frankly dramatic..."
Newark Star Ledger

Dance Drama Company
Moving Beyond Borders, in Leaps and Turns
Borders, Red
USA, New York, Citigroup Theater
Dancers: Fishbein, Golan, Haramaty, Lazovski, Yaacobi
by Claudia La Rocco
    "There were echoes here of Pina Bausch, but "Red" lacked the element of tragedy that gives her humor such depth. Ms. Friedland's choices felt too haphazard..."
New York Times

Reggie Wilson
Song and Movement Meet, an Easygoing Couple in Love
The Tale- Npinpee Nckutchie and the Tail of the Golden Dek
USA, New York, Dance Theater Workshop
Dancers: Hamilton, Kalloo, Kouakou, McCourty, Wilson
by Gia Kourlas
    "The singers and the dancers aren't just talking to be heard; they're having a conversation."
The New York Times

San Francisco Ballet
Apollo, Blue Rose, Quaternary
USA, San Francisco, War Memorial Opera House
Dancers: Blanc, Boada, Feijoo, Garcia, LeBlanc, Maffre, Magierek, Molat, Patten, Possokhov, Smith, Tan, Vilanoba, Waldo, Zahorian
by Renee Renouf
    "Dance Critic Rita Felciano summarized the response when she said, “It is the perfect ballet,” to my comment “If there was only one great ballet Balanchine ever did, Apollo has be it.”
Ballet.co Magazine

San Francisco Ballet
Rodeo, Spring Rounds, Magrittomania
USA, San Francisco, War Memorial Opera House
Dancers: Boada, Hohenstein, LeBlanc, Legate, Long, Magierek, Mangosing, Molat, Nedviguine, Smith, Tan
by Renee Renouf
    "I’d love to see company and Taylor conspire with a darker or melancholic work; to stretch the dancers’ dramatic capacities Taylor would be ideal."
Ballet.co Magazine

Mara Galeazzi
Mara in Motion 2006: new Fenton, Margot and Rudy, Le Corsaire pdd, Birthday Offering pdd, Ondine excerpt, Sleeping Beauty pdd’, and many others
Italy, Brescia, Teatro Grande
Dancers: Choe, Cuthbertson, Faruque, Galeazzi, Lamb, Mazzeo, Pennefather, Watson
by Mandy Kent
    "Many congratulations to Mara and all her ‘team’ of dancers, technicians and friends who arranged this special gala and made our trip to Brescia such fun. Thanks for letting us join you afterwards so that the London ‘posse’ really felt part of the adventure."
Ballet.co Magazine

Martina Seitl Christer Lundahl
Resolution!: Projekt
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Lundahl, Seitl
by Graham Watts
    ". This was a couple that the audience cared about, wanting them to overcome a long list of “unresolved relationship issues” and the tender, happy ending made this a romantically appropriate late addition to our Valentine’s night programme."
Ballet.co Magazine

Helix Dance
Resolution!: For Better For Worse
UK, London, The Place
by Graham Watts
    "Heaven only knows what it was all about!"
Ballet.co Magazine

Nordic Allure
Resolution!: Sacred Compulsions
UK, London, The Place
by Graham Watts
    "The final piece was equally pretentious but in an altogether different way..."
Ballet.co Magazine

Christopher Wheeldon
Scenes From the Future of Ballet
New York
By Jennifer Dunning
    "...in the act of reaffirming the values central to his work, Mr. Wheeldon may well, like George Balanchine, expand the boundaries of what is considered classical ballet."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/arts/dance/19dunn.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Ballet Flamenco - Sara Baras
The stamp of greatness
Sabores
UK, London, Sadler's Wells
Dancers: Baras
by Luke Jennings
    "She seems to manipulate time and silence. The Spanish call it 'duende', the soul-force of flamenco."
The Observer

Ballet Flamenco - Sara Baras
For a fuller flavour
Sabores
UK, London, Sadler's Wells
Dancers: Baras, Ortega, Serrano
by David Dougill
    "Baras’s virtuosity is undeniable, but I prefer her in frolicsome mood rather than when she is embodying the soul’s pains."
The Sunday Times

Compania Andres Marin
For a fuller flavour
Asimetrias (Asymmetrical)
UK, London, Sadler's Wells
Dancers: Marin
by David Dougill
    "I found much relief in the two guitarists’ musical interludes."
The Sunday Times

Maya Plisetskaya Gala
The stamp of greatness
Maya Plisetskaya Gala: Giselle
UK, London, Covent Garden
Dancers: Marquez, Plisetskaya, Putrov
by Luke Jennings
    "... it was a resonant evening, at many levels."
The Observer

Royal Ballet
The stamp of greatness
Giselle
UK, London, Covent Garden
Dancers: Marguez, Putrov
by Luke Jennings
    "Last week, I watched the Royal Ballet's Ivan Putrov carry off a fabulous cabriole sequence in his act two variation in Giselle..."
The Observer

Kings of the Dance
In 'Kings,' pomp but little circumstance - The program by four leading dancers includes five premieres, but the choreography lacks expressive meaning
Kings of the Dance: For Four, Wavemaker, Afternoon of a Faun, Carmen, We Got It Good, The Lesson
USA, Costa Mesa, Orange County Performing Arts Center
Dancers: Cojocaru, Corella, Kobborg, Stiefel, Tsiskaridze, Yanowsky
by Chris Pasles
    ""Kings of the Dance" is set to go to the New York City Center next week. But it's not likely to go into the history books."
Los Angeles Times

San Francisco Ballet
'Apollo' overshadows two S.F. Ballet premieres
Apollo, Blue Rose, Quaternary
USA, San Francisco, War Memorial Opera House
Dancers: Blanc, Boada, Feijoo, Garcia, LeBlanc, Maffre, Molat, Possokhov, Smith, Tan, Vilanoba, Waldo, Zahorian
by Stephanie von Buchau
    Quaternary: "Apparently people still need to be reminded that dance comes from music. The choreographer who has "an idea," as Wheeldon apparently did, and then looks for an existing score, has already got a strike against him."
Inside Bay Area

Joffrey Ballet
Joffrey pours its talent into elegant 'Romeo'
Romeo and Juliet
USA, Chicago, Auditorium Theatre
Dancers: Calmels, Gluckman, Goodman, Kepley, Levine, McSween, Patterson, Robin, Shives, Sklute, Smith, Villanueva, Wilkins
by Hedy Weiss
    "From its sweepingly panoramic scenes to its most intimate moments of love and death, this is a "Romeo and Juliet" to treasure."
Chicago Sun-Times

Swan Lake, Houston Ballet, Stanton Welch and Christopher Wheeldon and others
Feathers fly
Swan Lake is a ballet icon, which is why choreographers love to shake it up
Houston
By Molly Glentzer
    "Welch's $1.6 million Swan Lake -- the company's most lavish production since Stevenson's $1.2 million Cleopatra in 2000 -- will not be a homoerotic, Matthew Bourne-esque spectacle..."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/arts/dance/3667480.html

Robert Moses Kin
Molten movement in Robert Moses' first two programs
Other Gods, Return, The Marking of Apology, Speaking Ill of the Dead, The President's Daughter
USA, San Francisco, Kanbar Hall, Jewish Community Center
Dancers: Foley, Wells, Dowman, Taylor
by Janice Berman
    "...why not drop by and help celebrate his company's 10th anniversary? You'll get to see the work of several choreographers and intriguing movement qualities. The word that comes to mind is gooey."
San Francisco Chronicle

Cloud Gate Dance Theater - Lin Hwai-min
A man on a mission
As Lin Hwai-min turns 59, his dance company Cloud Gate continues to rack up success after success
Hong Kong via Taipei
By AP
    "The former dancer and writer also said he became less rigid as he grew older.
    "When I was young I thought things were clear-cut. Things had to be straightforward. Now I'm not this way,'' Lin said in a Hong Kong hotel room, where he sat barefoot, cross-legged on a sofa chair while clutching a pillow."
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2006/02/19/2003293768

Bodiography - Dancers bodies
What does a ballet dancer look like?
Maria Caruso's ballerinas fight the reed-thin image with every graceful leap and pirouette
Baltimore
By Linell Smith
    "At first, it seems like an oxymoron: A ballet company spreading the message about the dangers of starving the body to fit the art form's aesthetic.
    "But Bodiography, a contemporary ballet company in Pittsburgh, goes even further. Not only does founder and artistic director Maria Caruso believe that the ballet world can accommodate women who are athletic, fit and curvy, like herself, but that it can encourage a youthful market by choreographing ballets to music by Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/custom/aetoday/bal-ae.spotlight19feb19,0,3075957.story?coll=bal-aetoday-headlines

Simo Kellokumpu Company
Resolution!: Raw Dog
UK, London, The Place
by Sanjoy Roy
    "Bewildering but visually arresting, well performed, and Kellokumpu has lots of good compositional ideas."
The Place

Simo Kellokumpu Company
Resolution!: Raw Dog
UK, London, The Place
by Laura Griffiths
    "Here's a reminder that choreography really is an art."
The Place

Anh Ng Dance
Resolution!: Shadow
UK, London, The Place
by Sanjoy Roy
    "...Ng is obviously following some narrative logic in the piece, but it’s completely lost in the translation from concept to performance."
The Place

Anh Ng Dance
Resolution!: Shadow
UK, London, The Place
by Laura Griffiths
    "...when a baby's gurgling finishes the piece it only dampens what was otherwise going so well."
The Place

Kate Brown
Resolution!: Too late too late!
UK, London, The Place
by Sanjoy Roy
    "These unprepossessing performers impart a childlike touch to a small, disarming and curiously affecting piece."
The Place

Kate Brown
Resolution!: Too late too late!
UK, London, The Place
by Laura Griffiths
    "...succeeds as the kind of piece that doesn't ask too much of the audience."
The Place

Studio Wambach
Resolution!: Nausea
UK, London, The Place
by Donald Hutera
    "Thank God for the music, a jazzy brew of guitar, sax and double bass, even if sound and motion rarely gelled."
The Place

KAPPA-TE-g
Resolution!: Ubiquitous
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Shirai
by Donald Hutera
    "Her small, earnest slice of spiritual minimalism was probably too internal for its own good, but hardly unwatchable."
The Place

Mickael Riviere
Resolution!: Decalage
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Riviere, Chaudhari, Conroy
by Donald Hutera
    "The trio had something to say kinetically. It was a pleasure to be in their company."
The Place

New York City Ballet
With a Casting Change, a Duet Acquires a New Sensuousness
After the Rain, In the Night, Scenes de Ballet, Sonatas and Interludes, Concertino, Western Symphony
USA, New York, State Theater
Dancers: Angle, Evans, Fairchild, Fowler, Hendrickson, Hytlin, Marcovici, Mearns, Neal, Nichols, Peck, Piskin, Ramasar, Reichlen, Ringer, Rutherford, Somogyi, Soto, Sylve, Whelan, Woetzal, Zungre
by John Rockwell
    "After the Rain" may count as Mr. Wheeldon's masterpiece, at least so far."
The New York Times

Sara Baras
Ole! It's the flamenco revival
Sabores
UK, London, Sadler's Wells
Dancers: Ortega, Serrano, Baras
by Jenny Gilbert
    "...the excitement builds to such dizzying intensity that your normally sober critic was heard to emit an involuntary yelp."
Sunday Independent

Bill T. Jones and Regain the Heart Condemned
Putting Toes to the Metal
New York
By Melena Ryzik
    "Of the many things that the hardcore music scene is known for, refined dancing is not among them.
    "In our world, it's a bunch of morons running around hitting each other," said Oscar Vargas, 19, the singer for the Bronx hardcore band Regain the Heart Condemned.
    "So the band's fans may be surprised by its next gig, at the Skirball Center this week, when Regain the Heart Condemned will serve as the backing band for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/20/arts/dance/20jone.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Vincent Dance Theatre
Broken Chords
UK, Sheffield, Lyceum
Dancers: Vincent
by Donald Hutera
    "Broken Chords is brave, intelligent entertainment, although I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was more important for Vincent to have made than for me to see."
The Times

Eating and Theatre/Dance Going in London
Art of the matter
Please, give us thought for food - an evening at the theatre cannot be sustained by a packet of crisps
London
by Debra Craine
    "As a dance critic, I spend a lot of time at Sadler’s Wells, and my spirits rose considerably when I discovered its bijou Garden Café, tucked away by the stage door. For £4.50 I can get a tasty sausage and pepper casserole with herbed rice within minutes."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,266-2046330,00.html

Noa Dance
Building From Solo to Sextet, Some Quirks Along the Way
Pax Aeterna, Hebrew Tales
USA, New York, Joyce SoHo
Dancers: Bommel
by John Rockwell
    "But in the future, she {Nelly van Bommel} might be better advised to concentrate her presentations on fewer, longer and stronger works in which she most deeply believes."
The New York Times

Flamenco Festival Washington
Gala de Andalucia's Fluid Flamenco Footwork
Flamenco Festival - Gala de Andalucia: Paso a Dos
USA, Washington, Lisner Auditorium
Dancers: Campallo, Esmeralda, Marin
by Paula Durbin
    "The vivacious Esmeralda joined in the fun that escalated through the company's finale into something beyond excitement, and a delighted audience responded with a standing ovation."
Washington Post

Russian National Ballet
Russian National Ballet offered too much 'Beauty'
Sleeping Beauty
USA, Los Angeles, Ahmanson Theater
Dancers: Chemalina, Kaukov, Kinzikeev, Nekhlyudova
by Julia Osborne
    "Some dance for dance's sake, especially in the prologue and Act I, could have been trimmed, shortening the production's more than two-and-a-half-hour length. Many who brought youngsters departed at intermission, and others began leaving near the two-hour mark."
Las Vegas Review-Journal

Denver Ballet - Gil Boggs ( new AD)
Dancing toward prosperity?
Denver
By Kyle MacMillan
    ""He's the kind of guy to go to a dinner party with some board people and come away being friends with the people that he sat with at the table," Barbee said."
http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_3517198

Alabama Ballet - new Sleeping Beauty
Alabama Ballet plans 'hybrid' version of 'Sleeping Beauty'
Birmingham (USA)
By Michael Huebner
    "(Tracey) Alvey brings a British point of view to the production, but also knows the Russians very well.
    "We did the Petipa version, which Tatiana bases her choreography on," says the Kent, England, native of her experiences with London City Ballet. For the Alabama production, she is focusing her attention on the fairies - pivotal roles in the ballet."
http://www.al.com/entertainment/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/114034411194550.xml&coll=2

Miami City Ballet
Tropical Nights
Ballet supporters will step up to the plate
Miami
By Daisy Olivera
    "The palpable excitement at Miami City Ballet in anticipation of its 20th anniversary gala has socialites taking their vitamins because of an event-packed social calendar.
    "...Immediately after the performance a select crowd of about 100 supporters attended an invitation-only black-tie ''Imperial Supper'' hosted by Her Imperial Highness Princess Thi-Nga of Vietnam in honor of her late father H.I.H. Prince Vng Thi of Vietnam and of the Ballet Imperial with guest of honor Edward Villella.
    "The lobby of the ballet building was transformed into an enchanting garden setting where guests dined banquet-style. Harpist Esther Underhay..."
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/13910394.htm

I completely second Debra Craine's comments about food in the West End theatres. Given that several of the restaurants I've been to recently (oh, and in Islington, too - and Woking, for that matter) have proved incapable of supplying more than one course in what I would consider a reasonable time (i.e. 1 1/4 hours or more), I've often ended up feeling seriously hungry again by the interval, yet most theatres supply little more than high-sugar and high-salt snacks. I've often ended up having to buy an ice cream just to get some sustenance, rather than because I really want one ...

I'm rather surprised at the complaints from the Las Vegas reviewer about the length of RNB's Sleeping Beauty, especially given that a colleague of mine took her two young boys to ENB's production, their first-ever ballet, which lasts almost three hours. I'd warned her that it probably wasn't an ideal first ballet for boys owing to its length, but *they* apparently sat pretty much entranced through the whole thing, and her plans to take them home halfway, or even 3/4-way, through if they were bored evaporated completely. Perhaps Las Vegans have shorter concentration spans?

Good to see Ismene Brown out and about in the Telegraph yesterday, even if she was reviewing WNO's Flying Dutchman in the place of their indisposed opera critic.

And talking of the Telegraph, today's version (in a non-ignorable banner on the front page) has another of their "exclusive" ticket deals with the Royal Ballet. Nice if you don't mind paying above the odds for the first night of Romeo and Juliet - £100 plus a couple of extras, and it doesn't even say that top-price seats are necessarily included ...

Of course a photo of Ed and Lauren in R&J is non-ignorable

Nuevo Ballet Espanol
Flamenco's High Passions, in Distinct Interpretations
Flamenco Directo
USA, New York, City Center
Dancers: Rodriguez, Rojas, Berna, Greco
by Roslyn Sulcas
    "...the painful intensity that brings meaning to flamenco was largely absent."
New York Times

Ballet Flamenco de Andalucia
Flamenco's High Passions, in Distinct Interpretations
Journey to the South
USA, New York, City Center
Dancers: Hoyos
by Roslyn Sulcas
    "The ensemble is appealingly youthful and energetic in well-staged sequences, but the dancers have little chance to show the individuality essential to flamenco."
New York Times

Compania Antonio El Pipa
Flamenco's High Passions, in Distinct Interpretations
De Tablao
USA, New York, World Music Institute
Dancers: Pipa
by Roslyn Sulcas
    "...but the unpretentious, enjoyable evening offered a piece of flamenco history that seems to be disappearing fast."
New York Times

School of American Ballet
From younger limbs, some full-grown magic
Scenes de Ballet
USA, New York, State Theater
Dancers: Morgan, Tisserand
by Apollinaire Scherr
    "Debuting in 1999, the now-acclaimed choreographer's (Christopher Wheeldon) first hit is a valentine to his art - its history, the years of devoted practice it exacts and the magic they create together."
Newsday

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre
Cursive III
Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Cultural Centre
by Kevin Ng
    "Lin explores the spirit of kuangcao (wild calligraphy), which in its more abstract style is regarded as the pinnacle of the calligrapher's art. The form's wildness is clearly reflected in Lin's energetic choreography, which abounds in rapid steps and jumps."
Financial Times

Scottish Dance Theatre
No Stronger Than A Flower, Forty Minutes
UK, Edinburgh, Festival Theatre
by Thom Dibdin
    "No Stronger Than A Flower is a welcome addition to the company’s repertoire, which will easily sustain several viewings."
The Stage

Renegade Theatre
Rumble
UK, Stirling, MacRobert
by Keith Bruce
    "It was a joy and a privilege to be part of a sold-out house, most of them substantially less than half my age..."
The Herald

Stephanie Schober Dance Company
Catch
UK, Leeds, Carriageworks
Dancers: Isobe, Schober
by Kevin Berry
    "Catch is a piece of pure physical poetry. It casts a hypnotic spell. Isobe and Schober are fascinating dancers.
The Stage

Oregon Ballet Theatre
Oregon Ballet puts some gorgeous sizzle into winter - Winter program - A glorious trio of dances explores the connections of music and dance
Quick Time, Who Cares, Just
USA, Portland, Keller Auditorium
Dancers: Cotton, Larsen, Martuza, Mueller, Roper, Sultanov, Underwood, Drake
by Bob Hicks
    "Just" is very much a ballet, but McIntyre stretches the neoclassical definition of beauty, pushing his four dancers into ungainly positions and abrupt, sometimes chunky rhythms, then reasserting the power of formal line and punctuating sections with little flash-friezes of stillness.
The Oregonian

Lilith Lab
Resolution!: Phos
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Chaulvin
by Donald Hutera
    "...an unconventional but memorable journey."
The Place

Lilith Lab
Resolution!: Phos
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Chaulvin
by Roberto Ekholm
    "At times the physical contortions become kitsch, but with the accompanying sound- score by Alex & Solex Phos is captivating and as a concept works as a whole."
The Place

Ektos Dance Theatre
Resolution!: Gnosis
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Reuter
by Donald Hutera
    "Ektos Dance Theatre's episodic entertainment didn't outlast interest, and in fact it left me wanting more."
The Place

Ektos Dance Theatre
Resolution!: Gnosis
UK, London, The Place
by Roberto Ekholm
    "...Gnosis demonstrates the potential to touch and entertain."
The Place

Jagged Antics
Resolution!: Soul Saga
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Hill, Opoku-Addaie
by Donald Hutera
    "The piece felt uncentred, too. But it wasn't without a youthful spark."
The Place

Jagged Antics
Resolution!: Soul Saga
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Opoku-Addaie
by Roberto Ekholm
    "It starts to feel all too serious and the irony and humour get lost."
The Place

Nada Gambier
Resolution!: Confessions - the autopsy of a performance
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Gambier
by Keith Watson
    "It takes some front to sit stark naked on stage with only a banana and a bottle of tomato ketchup for company. And then do nothing."
The Place

Brazen Dance Theatre
Resolution!: POLARIZE
UK, London, The Place
by Keith Watson
    "... once Claudia Borgna's fab costumes had been ditched, the dance descended into pretty standard floor flailing."
The Place

Satu Tuomisto Dance
Resolution!: Viivana
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Tuomisto
by Keith Watson
    "It's a fine line between engaging eccentricity and wearying wackiness and Finland's Satu Tuomisto crossed it more than once..."
The Place

Synergy
Resolution!, We Can We Will
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Dickson
by Sanjoy Roy
    "High point: Louise Dickson’s song about the muscle and the hot water bottle – not that it’s funny, but Dickson has a beautiful soulful voice."
The Place

Ironinc
Resolution!: 'Due to Unforeseen Circumstances...'
UK, London, The Place
by Sanjoy Roy
    "This cool, canny piece was a lift for the audience too."
The Place

Tiny Hands
Resolution!: (Santa Maria de los) Buenos Aires
UK, London, The Place
by Sanjoy Roy
    "Imagine a Catholic tango art movie: lots of suggestive imagery, not a lot of action, all vaguely mysterious."
The Place

65 Litres Productions
Resolution: Adagio con Brio
UK, London, The Place
Dancers: Elmore, Pegorer
by Roberto Ekholm
    "... gave us an insight into the dynamics and philosophy of tango."
The Place

Turbulanace Dance company
Resolution: Esther
UK, London, The Place
by Roberto Ekholm
    "Unimaginative and at times clumsily executed, the choreography betrayed a lack of sensitivity and understanding of Plath’s astonishing prose."
The Place

Semekor Performing Arts
Resolution: Shadow from the Past
UK, London, The Place
by Roberto Ekholm
    "...colourful and entertaining choreography complemented by strong costume and lighting ... a great piece of rhythmical dance."
The Place

Not much to report today, so far..

Obituary – Dai Ailian
Leading Figure in Chinese Ballet, Dies at 89
“During the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and '70s, she was removed from her post with the Central Ballet and assigned to do manual labor.”
By Ben Mattison
Playbill

Chitraleka Dance Company
Tears of Fire
UK, Salford, Lowry
by Natalie Anglesey
"Premiered at The Lowry, prior to a national tour, this fascinating performance is a delight from start to finish."
The Stage

Matthew Bourne
Playbill.com’s brief Encounter with Matthew Bourne
Ernio Hernandez questions the choreographer about his current productions and his plans for the future.
“EH: As if all that weren't enough, are you working on anything else?”
MB: I think the next thing I do for my company will be small and experimental like Play Without Words “.
Playbill

Matthew Bourne
More questions and answers from Bourne on Swan Lake as it tours the States.
By Sid Smith
Chicago Tribune

Born to Dance
And interesting new study suggests that some people are more predisposed than others to dance.
"People are born to dance," says Richard Ebstein, one of the researchers. "They have (other) genes that partially contribute to musical talent, such as coordination, sense of rhythm. However, the genes we studied are more related to the emotional side of dancing — the need and ability to communicate with other people and a spiritual side to their natures that not only enable them to feel the music, but to communicate that feeling to others via dance."
By Jennifer Viegas
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20060220/dancer_hum.html

My Perfect Weekend – Darcey Bussell
A spot of trivia:
Ballerina Darcey Bussell loves boat trips, museums and getting away to foreign cities
“I'm stepping down soon as a full-time principal with the Royal Ballet and the idea is that I get to manage things better”, she says.
By Anthony Gardner
The Telegraph

The Kings of the Dance – preview
4 Ballet Kings From 4 Countries
“Let's get the obvious out of the way. The title of "Kings of the Dance" — a new ballet showcase for four marvelous male dancers, Angel Corella, Johan Kobborg, Ethan Stiefel and Nikolai Tsiskaridze — is unfortunate at best, and a bit humiliating at worst. Of course, it's all about marketing. And "Lord" was already taken.”
By Gia Kourlas
New York Times

Rambert Dance Company – Mark Baldwin
Right of reply
Mark Baldwin responds to his critics:
“Tunes and joy be damned. They want to be taken seriously - and were, simply by David Dougill writing about them.”
The Guardian

Rambert Dance Company
Rambert is to perform a new ballet for the Lowry Theatre inspired by the artist’s paintings. The performance in his honour has been created by choreographer Darshan Singh Bhuller.
“A ballet inspired by the painter LS Lowry will be premiered in his home city to mark the 30th anniversary of his death.“
BBC News

It could be you ...
What should lottery money be spent on next? Britain's cultural leaders give their views, amongst them, Alistair Spalding and Tony Hall..
Spalding: “There's still investment needed. I would like to see greater access to the arts for people who don't get any. It's not just about discounted tickets; it's about going out into the right areas, finding the people, and finding ways for them to come into the theatre”.
Hall: “Maintaining buildings is as big a challenge as building them in - and the choice can be either keep the money on stage or maintain the building.”
Interviews by Brian Logan
The Guardian

Matthew Bourne
SWANIE...How I Love Ya!!
Swan Lake
USA, Chicago, Cadillac Palace Theatre
Dancers: Vincent, Panchenko, Plant
by Michael J Roberts
    "Bourne’s vision is stunning. His research of the creatures and how they move give the swans’ emotional depth. The wings of The Swan wrap around The Prince in the duets and The Swan even takes flight with the Prince in tow."
Broadway World

Richard Alston Dance Company
British Eden
Fever, Such Longing, Gypsy Mixture
USA, New York, Joyce Theater
Dancers: Baio, Binder, Brown, Diquero, Goddard, Lawrance, Nikoloulea, Peedo, Romo, Strattner
by Deborah Jowitt
    "The movements Alston devises are almost always delectable, wisely inventive without shouting their unusualness...the dancers are superbly skilled, sensitive to the utopian climate that Alston creates without sentimentalizing its beauties and small griefs."
The Village Voice

Danzahoy
From Venezuela, a Serious Exodus to a Tango, Boldly Lit
Exodo
USA, New York, Joyce Theater
Dancers: Broquet, White
by John Rockwell
    "With all that, the whole thing seemed more dogged than enlivening, more earnestly high-minded than emotionally involving."
The New York Times

Reggie Wilson
Stepping Out
The Tale- Npinpee Nckutchie and the Tail of the Golden Dek
USA, New York, Dance Theater Workshop
Dancers: Hamilton, Kalloo, Kouakou, McCourty, Wilson, Alaong, Flowers, Harding
by Deborah Jowitt
    "The "tale" is an enigma, but in it heaven and earth sing out together."
The Village Voice

X Factor
The After Hours, Smoke
UK, Edinburgh, Traverse
Dancers: Bowdeb, Manavit, Poole
by Thom Dibdin
    "..the piece (Smoke)has enough in it to provoke a thoughtful response but lacks the fluidity which would provide greater strength and cohesion."
The Stage

New Territories Dance Festival
Set Up, Tramway, Glasgow
Setup
UK, Glasgow, Tramway
by Mary Brennan
    "Horta and his outstanding performers set up a chain-reaction of fascinating questions. Best of all, they leave the answers up to us."
The Herald

New Territories Dance Festival
Setup
Setup
UK, Glasgow, Tramway
by Not named
    "From the moment we entered the theatre, we were thrown into confusion. Like children arriving at a party, we were given nametags...Now that I was a man called Aiden, what would become of me."
Scotsman

Kings of the Dance
Kings of the Dance: For Four, Wavemaker, Afternoon of a Faun, Carmen, We Got It Good, The Lesson
USA, Costa Mesa, Orange County Performing Arts Center
Dancers: Cojocaru, Corella, Kobborg, Stiefel, Tsiskaridze, Yanowsky
by art076
    "Kobborg impressed me the most, though admittedly, he did get the most interesting choreography on the program."
Ballet.co Postings Review

Rambert Dance Company
A Steel Garden, Judgment of Paris, Divine Influence, Constant Speed
UK, Newcastle, Theatre Royal
Dancers: Cooper, Hollingsworth, Joyce, Polley, Symonds, Towler, Wiser
by Ann Welsh
    "All-in-all an excellent programme which left you with a feel-good factor and wanting more. Rambert are on excellent form."
Ballet.co Postings Review

Rambert Dance Company
A Steel Garden, Judgment of Paris, Divine Influence, Constant Speed
UK, Newcastle, Theatre Royal
Dancers: Joyce, Towler
by Ian Graham
    "I have seen fuller houses for modern dance at the Theatre Royal but the reception was very warm."
Ballet.co Postings Review

Can I pick up on other bits of this article, including this from the Director of the National Gallery:
"Drip by drip, this great and imaginative idea has been eroded. Revised ministerial instructions in 1998 meant that the money must be applied to social purposes. In 2004, it was still possible for the Heritage Lottery Fund to be generous towards the acquisition of Raphael's Madonna of the Pinks. But in 2005, the fund spent only £1.18m on acquisitions out of £357.6m committed to other things. So, what should happen in 2009? The fund should be required to spend 50% of its proceeds on works of art. ..."

and point out that there is currently a public consultation going on about what Lottery money should be spent on. Have your say by the end of February or lose it, as they (don't) say:

http://www.ballet.co.uk/dcforum/news/3121.html

Birmingham Royal Ballet
The Seasons, Carmina Burana
UK, Birmingham, Hippodrome
Dancers: Jimenez, Mackay
by Pat Ashworth
    "Carmina Burana is just awesome...It is a great sequence of events in which scuttling seminarians are caught up in the whirlwind of power."
The Stage

Matthew Bourne
This 'Swan Lake' doesn't really take flight
Swan Lake
USA, Chicago, Cadillac Palace Theatre
Dancers: Vincent
by Hedy Weiss
    "Bourne...wants to have it all ways. His "Swan Lake" attempts to be both an homage to the original classic, and a wacky, modern, decidedly homoerotic satire on it. The result might best be described as 'Forbidden Ballet'."
Chicago Sun-Times

Danzahoy
Despair and its fated affair with contact improvisation
Exodo
USA, New York, Joyce Theater
Dancers: Broquet
by Apollinaire Scherr
    "When featured performer Jacques Broquet collapses in the carnations at the dance's end and discovers that life is beautiful, you may find yourself thinking, 'Whatever'."
Newsday

Maxine Steinman and Dancers
Stories Told in Body Language
Window Stories, Still We Sit, Rockwell Unraveled, Let Go
USA, New York, Ailey Citigroup Theater
Dancers: Costa, Kyle, Loukiano, Macher, Spain, Steinman
by Claudia La Rocco
    "Unfortunately, Ms. Steinman's other dances had few tales to tell... the interminable "Window Stories..a collage of of sound and music, suggested lives lived on top of one another, but Ms. Steinman's choreography failed to illuminate the relationships."
New York Times

Covent Garden – Fundraising
Covent Garden seeks local friends
Dame Judith Myhew Jonas attempts to recruit Friends outside the UK.
“If you think it's difficult raising money for performing arts institutions located outside the Beltway, just try doing it for one in another country. It's much harder -- even when the recipient is as worthy and well-known as London's Covent Garden. “
Washington Times

The Mature Dancer
Maturity, experience add depth to ballet roles
“Over the last few decades, dance has pushed the physical boundaries to the edge of danger --choreography that strains knees, hips, shoulders and backs.”
By Mary Ellen Hunt
Contra Costa Times

<<<<< But one has to wonder if, short of can-you-top-this virtuosity, four male dancers can cohere over a whole program as three bellowing tenors can so easily do.>>>>>

Bellowing????