Current Ballet.co Magazine
April 2006

We have the next Ballet.co Magazine coming together and you can see it grow through the next month until it is released at the end of April.

Next Ballet.co Magazine
May 2006 - go see a work in progress

Previous Ballet.co magazine - March 2006

---

Quick Links for this magazine
Interviews, Features, In the Galleries, Reviews, Postings Reviews, External Reviews, Photographic Copyright and Credits

---

Interviews




Kim Brandstrup
Jane Simpson catches up with the multifaceted and very busy Kim Brandstrup on the eve of his premiere - Pulcinella - for Birmingham Royal Ballet...



David Fielding
With the premiere of his 'Scarlet Pimpernel' this month David Fielding talks to Graham Watts about creating works for children and grown-ups and all between...

---

Royal Ballet Interviews

More Ballet Association Guest interviews...



Jonathan Cope
Jonathan talks about his life in ballet and the motor-cycle accident that sadly robbed us of seeing him dance at his final performance...


Roberto Bolle
Roberto Bolle, the international star and Royal Ballet Guest Principal, was a recent guest of the BA...


Vanessa Palmer
The much loved Royal Ballet Soloist and Assistant Ballet Mistress talks with Joan Seaman

---

Features

'Ballets Russes' film by Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine: Jeffery Taylor

Irina Baronova: "The greatest inheritance we dancers of the past can pass on to today's young, is love of the art. Without love art goes out the window."


Madame Galina's Iraq Diary...
Madame Galina (aka Iestyn Edwards) did a tour of the British troups in Iraq. This is the diary of what happened...



Reneouf on Siegal on Tharp
Renee Renouf reviews Marcia B, Siegal's book '‘Howling Near Heaven: How Twyla Tharp Reinvented Modern Dance’...

UK Dance Funding Shake-up...
UK Government and Arts Council To Reorganise Dance Funding. Emphasis on New Work, Value for Money, Health and Life Long Learning. (April, 1 2006)


Learning Tango in London
Carole Edrich has the advice and answers


So, You Want to Learn to Dance?
Another in the series from Anjuli Bai:
One Teacher or Two...

---

DVD Reviews


Royal Ballet DVD's
'The Prince of the Pagodas'
'Romeo and Juliet'
Reviewed by Graham Watts



Bolshoi Ballet/Opera DVD
'Mlada'
Reviewed by Ian Palmer



Northern Ballet Theatre/BBC
'A Simple Man'
Reviewed by Simonetta Dixon

---

Diaries and weblogs



Madame Galina...
'Hello World'. Madame Galina (aka Iestyn Edwards) is a ballerina in the great Russian tradition trying to make sense of ballet and life in an ever changing world. (Weblog Home)

Also see Madame Galina in Iraq feature


Christopher Hampson...
'Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined'
(Diary home)...



Jatkko Lehmus weblog... the Scottish Ballet dancer who tells it like no other. This months title is 'What Happened Then And Who Needs The Alps Anyway?'... (weblog home)


Jessica Wright D.A.N.C.E. Weblog
'Better late than never!'
Jessica is a student on the prestigious prestigious European D.A.N.C.E. (Dance Apprenticeship Network aCross Europe) programme under the artistic direction of William Forsythe, Wayne McGregor, Angelin Preljocaj and Frederic Flamand.
(Weblog home)...



Ballet Central weblog
Each year we follow some final-year Central School of Ballet students through their final training, UK tour and hunt for jobs. The 2006 diarists - Julia Davies, Katherine Hollinson and Robert Phillips are well into the tour now and going well in Abergavenny and beyond...
(Weblog Home)

Other regular weblog writers
(but not writing in the last month):
Carole Edrich
Peter Quanz

---

In the Galleries

Currently our Images Gallery contains approximately 2100 images.

John Ross Photographs
Albums added in April 2006...


Paco Pena - Peacock - London


Royal Ballet - La Fille mal gardee - April 2006


Eun Me Ahn Company - Chunhyang - London


Russell Maliphant Company - London

---

Reviews

USA Reviews

San Francisco Ballet

'Program V': Renee Renouf

" Sandpaper Ballet: "It's an opportunity for everyone to look almost aggressively cheerful, happy and apple-cheeked, and do they ever!"

'Program VI and Ballet Mori': Renee Renouf

Ballet Mori: "A hard piece to evaluate in overall dance worth, Possokhov and Maffre created images of struggle, chaos and ultimate resignation rendered with characteristic Maffre intensity and focus."


Perm Tchaikovsky Ballet

'Swan Lake': Renee Renouf

"They warm my heart and I would happily see them again."


Russian Reviews

Kirov Ballet

'Don Quixote' bill: Kevin Ng

"This Kirov production of "Don Quixote" always gives me infinite pleasure."

'Mariinsky International Ballet Festival': Kevin Ng

" Ondine: "This ballet was also a triumph for Leonid Sarafanov..."


Swedish Reviews

Swedish Royal Ballet

'Tristan': Preston Palon

"You need to be familiar with the story to understand what's happening on stage, but I would say that this work is also enjoyable as pure dancing if you don't happen to know the plot."


Hong Kong Reviews

City Contemporary Dance Company

'Iron and Silk': Natasha Rogai

"Both pieces revolve around light and shadow, and are well contrasted under the label “vulnerability meets invincibility”."


UK Reviews

Royal Ballet

'Castle Nowhere triple bill': Jeffery Taylor

" Polyphonia: "British born Wheeldon has clearly inherited the dance making gene of Frederick Ashton, that gift enabling him to scatter the steps of the classical ballet technique and end up with form, meaning and a profound musicality."

'Castle Nowhere triple bill': Louise Bennett

"'Requiem' creates a mood and atmosphere on stage that is difficult to achieve through any other medium. It was well performed by a committed company, and partially made up for the disappointment of the much anticipated 'Castle Nowhere'."

'La Fille Mal Gardee': Lynette Halewood

"Pink ribbons, showers of rose petals for the happy couple, the world's tiniest horse on stage – it could all sound irredeemably cute, but it isn't. The whole production radiates warmth and affection."

'La Fille Mal Gardee': Wulff

"Again the corps de ballet danced with great enjoyment, and I was glad to note that the singing on the final exit has been restored, a detail which seems previously to have been allowed to lapse."

'Giselle': Margaret Willis

"Though Watson's acting can be somewhat bland with textbook reactions at dramatic moments, he stamped his own individuality on this role, showing us a caring, go-getter hero who doesn't think past the present, but is eager to play, to please, to woo and to win."

more reviews in Postings Reviews section

Bolshoi Ballet

'Bolshoi Gala': Charlotte Kasner

"An evergreen favourite on such occasions, Don Quixote reminded us of a truly great Bolshoi production that shows their dramatic and fiery dancing at its best. Maria Alexandrova and Sergei Filin stepped into illustrious shoes with élan and aplomb and left the audience buzzing..."

'Swan Lake': Charlotte Kasner

"Mention must be made of Yan Godovsky as the jester, usually absent in non-Russian/Soviet productions. For all its virtuosity, this role can often irritate and seem as redundant as the hapless Benno but Godovsky succeeded in creating a three dimensional and symbolic character, quite Shakespearian in its suggestion of farce."

'Swan Lake': Ian Palmer

"Everyone knows that it is a corps de ballet which makes a company and the Bolshoi's corps is at present miraculous and I suggest much changed from its last visit to the UK in 2004."

'Giselle': Ian Palmer

"She (Lunkina) performs Giselle once more, on Wednesday 12th, and if you care anything for ballet get ye hither, by hook or by crook, to Nottingham and witness a Giselle for our age."

'Spartacus' bill: Kenneth Brown

"Grigorovich's Spartacus deserves its place in the repertory. His Swan Lake has surely had its day, and ought to be dispensed with."


Northern Ballet Theatre

'I Got Rhythm': Janet McNulty

"This piece is serious fun and when performed as well as NBT have been doing it for the last couple of months you really do leave the theatre on a high!"


Ballet Flamenco de Andalucia

'Journey to the South': Carole Edrich

"Technically brilliant, beautifully conceived, designed and put together Cristina Hoyos is always a pleasure to watch but for some reason this time it didn't evoke the feelings or passion that I had expected."


Ballet Nacional de Espana

'Golpes de la Vida' bill: Carole Edrich

" Golpes de la Vida: "My favourite piece of the night, this duet was danced with feeling and technical excellence and I loved that the dancers kept their characters even after the applause."


Collectif Acrobatique de Tangier

'Taoub': Ian Palmer

"In these acrobats, there is a real sense of security, of absolute confidence in each others strengths. There is challenge, there is game and I was once or twice transported to that beach in Tangier, where the sand has given the Hammichs a real softness to their bounce, and how I wished I could see them at play in the rawness of that environment, free from the rigidity of Bory's theatrical conventions, of the strictures of the Queen Elizabeth Hall."


Gala de Andalucia

'Gala de Andalucia': Carole Edrich

"Even if you don't recognise names or faces, you only need to see them to know that they're right at the top of Andalucian flamenco."


Guys and Dolls

'Guys and Dolls': Mandy Kent

"The present cast continue through till August so if you're looking for a feel-good show which is truly funny with some great songs I highly recommend this one."


Michael Flatley - Celtic Tiger

'Celtic Tiger': Jeffery Taylor

"Gone is the Flatley pride and passion, now, I assume, it's last ditch provisions for the private pension plan."


Paco Pena

'A Compas': Carole Edrich

"There were no gimmics here, just talent, depth and form. It was flamenco at its best, and no two performances will be the same. I'm looking forward to going back."

'A Compas': Charlotte Kasner

"Paco Peña has done much over the years to keep flamenco alive, innovative and vibrant but on this ocassion it was polish rather than emotion that shone through."


Russell Maliphant Company

'New Solo' bill: Ann Williams

"The slight lack of fizz in the closing piece, however, didn't in any way dampen the audience's appreciation , to judge by the hugely enthusiastic reception at the end of the evening,. To those of us who've been keenly watching Maliphant for years, this was gratifying indeed - we'd been right all along."

'New Solo' bill: Lynette Halewood

"I wonder what Maliphant's job description was when he hired his female dancers for this particular programme. "Amazonian women dancers required. Must be fearless. Able to lift each other without perceptible effort. NB Must not be afraid of the dark..."


Sara Baras

'Sabores': Carole Edrich

"Sara Baras is always a consummate professional. She consistently transmits flamenco with the same power, meaning and spirit on a large stage that it has in its more intimate, traditional environments."


Twyla Tharp

'Movin' Out': Jeffery Taylor

"Movin' Out, choreographed by US veteran choreographer Twyla Tharp, is wall to wall dancing. Unfortunately, apart from sensational male lead Rod Todorowski, it is also a major trip through a maze of déjà vu, that sinking feeling of 'where have I seen all this before?'"

'Movin' Out': Wulff

"I attended a preview performance last Wednesday and found it a most enjoyable evening of high energy dancing - two hours with interval - although definitely not for those who are sensitive to amplified music."

---

Postings Reviews section


Postings Reviews section
Royal Ballet 'Castle Nowhere triple bill': Ann Williams
Royal Ballet 'Castle Nowhere triple bill': Michael LL
Royal Ballet 'Giselle': Simonetta Dixon
Royal Ballet 'Giselle': Mandy Kent
Royal Ballet 'Giselle': Paul N
Royal Ballet 'Giselle': Celine Tan
Royal Ballet 'Romeo and Juliet': AlexP
Royal Ballet 'Romeo and Juliet': Jim Fowler
Royal Ballet 'Castle Nowhere triple bill': Bruce Wall

---

External Review Links
Each day Ballet.co scour the world for Review links (and news and interviews ones too) and put them in our database along with our own reviews. You can see the last few days' links on the:
TodaysLinks page

In the period from 1 April to 30 April (last update of this page) we have 257 links for you.

Alternatively try searching for exactly what you are after with our: Reviews Advanced Search page

All our links list dancer details, a full list of pieces performed and a brief quote that gives the flavour of the review. Sadly not all papers maintain their links and so we cannot absolutely guarantee any particular URL. Enjoy, and if you think we have missed a review do send us a link.

---

Photographic Copyright and Credits

All photographs are copyright and cannot be taken and/or used elsewhere. Click on an image to be taken to the associated page where appropriate credits are stated.

The ballet.co Screensaver

What professional site would be complete without a screensaver! Courtesy of Louis we bring you the ballet.co screensaver and its absolutely free.

You need to be running Windows 95 and we can deliver it in 2 ways depending on if you have the capability to handle zip files (or not). Zip files are smaller and hence load much quicker, but you need special software to decode them. If you are not sure best to use the larger exe file.

Once its on your machine, double click on install.exe, it will tell you the screensaver is installed, then go into the control panel, double click on display and follow your nose to the screensaver section where you should find our ballet one listed. Here are the links to get the screensaver;

      ballet.co screensaver as an zip file (1132Kb)
      ballet.co screensaver as an exe file (2293kb)

These are not small files and might take more than a few minutes to load. The screensaver has been produced using professional software and as such should work on all (Windows95) machines. We can't however offer guarantees (though we would be gob-smacked if there are any probs). Enjoy!