Ballet.co Magazine
For April 2007

Previous Ballet.co magazine - March 2007
Next Ballet.co magazine - May 2007

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

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Interviews



Monica Mason
Director, The Royal Ballet
Monica Mason was a recent guest of the Ballet Association... a wonderful and lengthy account of what's happening in the company from the boss...



Maria Kochetkova
Soloist, English National Ballet
The much noticed ENB Soloist talks to Ian Palmer about her dancing and iPod life...



Ludovic Ondiviela, Michael Stojko, James Wilkie
The three Royal Ballet dancers were guests of the Ballet Association back in November 2004 - a report for posterity has just emerged...

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In the Galleries

Currently our Images Gallery contains over 3000 images.


Rob Appleby
Ballet and Dance Drawings
Rob Appleby, lecturer and illustrator, has just given us an albums worth of his wonderful, fleeting, ballet drawings - enjoy.


John Ross Photographs
Albums added 03/07...


Royal Ballet
Children of Adam & Theme and Variations
London, Covent Garden



Royal Ballet
Apollo
London, Covent Garden



Royal Ballet
Onegin
London, Covent Garden

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Features



Ballet Renews its Positions in a Modern World
An important press release from the Ballet Futures Alliance (*)


Viva España
Between March 16th and 18th, the Spanish property and lifestyle exhibition Viva España hosted a Strictly Come Spanish Dancing competition. Carole Edrich reports...


So, You Want to Learn to Dance?
Another in the series from Anjuli Bai:
Dancing Injured, Dancing Sick...


* Ballet.co's April fool for this year

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Diaries and weblogs


Jarkko Lehmus weblog...
the Scottish Ballet dancer who tells it like no other. 'What Really Happened In The Glasscage of Emotion'
Jarkko and a bad injury... "You'll probably never again read anything remotely as sober or informative on this blog." (weblog home)

Tiit Helimets and Molly Smolen


"My wife (Molly Smolen) danced Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan. She is absolutely amazing in it. When I watch her I forget that she is my wife because she takes me away somewhere into the world of Isadora. Thank you Ashton."     (Weblog Home)



Madame Galina weblog...
Galina is delusional and becomes a Swiss Miss...
(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. A brief update from Emma Chadwick Freya Jeffs and Matthew Williams about where they are... (Weblog Home)

Weblog writers
Carole Edrich
Daniel Jones

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Reviews
Ballet.co reviews entered between 01/03/2007 and 31/03/2007 are included here...

Danish Reviews

Royal Danish Ballet

'Caroline Mathilde': Jane Simpson

"...I kept wishing that Flindt had done a lot of things differently. It's rather sad, in retrospect, to see so much dancing talent poured into such a leaky vessel: the dancers make the evening, and they deserve much stronger material than this."

'La Sylphide, The Lesson' bill: Jane Simpson

"The Lesson had Morten Eggert as the Teacher: he always looks interesting, whatever he's doing, but I've never managed to catch him in a big role before. I've come to think of him as a bit 'edgy'..."


USA Reviews

San Francisco Ballet

'Eden/Eden' bill: Renee Renouf

" Eden/Eden: "Beyond what I describe, however, I can contribute little to the excitement. Perhaps next season I can be a more discerning observer. What was seen was faultlessly executed, strong in visual and kinesthetic impact, danced by those named like there was no tomorrow."

'Program V': Renee Renouf

"Coming into special focus might be the conceptual catch phrase for Program V's opening night. It established Sarah Van Patten as a special dramatic force; I would not be surprised if she doesn't graduate to principal status in the 2007-2008 announcements."

'The Sleeping Beauty': Renee Renouf

"It's a handsome production, and, while the company may not be infused with the assumptions of tradition, it still renders the French fairy tale cleanly with a good, clear compensating energy."


Bolshoi Ballet

'Don Quixote': Oksana Khadarina

"Vasiliev possesses a unique blend of powerful physique, excellent athletic skills, immaculate virtuoso technique and a lively personality – a winning combination indeed! ...Her multiple fouettes and soaring jetes are performed to perfection – pristinely and with astonishing rapidity. At the same time, Osipova dances with innate charm and eloquence."


New York City Ballet

'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Oksana Khadarina

"The heart of the ballet and a true stellar moment of the opening night performance was the romantic and sensuous love duet splendidly danced by Wendy Whelan and Philip Neal in the second act. Envisioned as a triumph of love, this sublime pas de deux is a metaphor of human happiness, the representation of fulfillment of the dreams of the primary characters."

'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Fedora

"Great, wholesome fun for your entire family!"


Paul Taylor Dance Company

'Lines of Loss': Rachel Straus

"I suppose friends can air kiss each other too, but after Trusnovec lifted Viola upside down, holding the entirety of her weight by her ankles, it seems a bit incongruous to say "Ta Ta" so conventionally."


Forsythe Company

'Three Atmospheric Studies': Rachel Straus

"In Forsythe's action play - a ballet it is not - the American-born choreographer brings the American-led war home though pedestrian movement under duress. The effect is brilliant. ...With this encouragement from the theater establishment, I fear that William Forsythe will hang up his dance card. I hope he doesn't."


Mark Morris Dance Group

'The Argument' bill: Oksana Khadarina

" Grand Duo: "In the last movement, Polka, the dancers create an exhilarating, whirling circle, stomping feet and clapping hands, bringing the program to a powerful, breathtaking finale."


Vincent Mantsoe

'Men-Jaro': Renee Renouf

"As genial and unassuming as he appeared in the Q & A, Manstoe is a compelling stage figure, evoking memories of Jose Limon. Mantsoe is generous in his support of his four dancers; within the deceptively loose movement rising from his South African heritage, he makes a powerful, precise impact."


Eifman Ballet

'The Seagull': Anjuli Bai

"One can't help but wonder if happiness exists anywhere in Boris Eifman's choreographic world. Of the several productions I have seen by this choreographer, I can't recall in any of the stories he chooses to present either as a whole or in part, any instance of human happiness, joy, and love of life, success, fulfillment or any of the other positive attributes of life."

'The Seagull': Renee Renouf

"Eifman has obviously borrowed freely from the current palette of dance styles; not only hip-hop but Forsythe to appreciable degree. His skill lies in the mixture, musical selection and movement to emphasize the passionate histrionics of his given theme. The response by so many dance-savvy theater goers should remind choreographers that dramatic tales are out there to be explored."


Ballet San Jose

'Blue Suede Shoes, Baker’s Dozen' bill: Renee Renouf

"It would be intriguing if Ballet San Jose was able to take Blue Suede Shoes abroad. Balletomanes would witness a minted interpretation of some very American takes on living."


Jess Curtis

'Under The Radar': Renee Renouf

"Patent in this synthesis of diverse elements is that geshlossen needs to be applied to a rigid definition of the beautiful, evocative and talented. It also applies only when artists of the calibre in Under The Radar exhibit can enforce and make such a nonconventional viewpoint a reality."


Buglisi Dance Theatre

'Caravaggio Meets Hopper' bill: Elizabeth McPherson

"The final dance “Carravagio Meets Hopper” has a film noir quality to it, but disjointed, as if one landed on the set of a movie in which the pieces had been torn apart and put back together but not exactly in the correct order."


Hong Kong Reviews

Sylvie Guillem and Akram Khan


'Sacred Monsters': Kevin Ng

"Of course most members of the audience had come to see Guillem the dancer, more than Guillem the actress, and in this they weren't disappointed."

'Sacred Monsters': Natasha Rogai

"...the piece lacks dramatic or choreographic substance, and remains essentially an exercise in narcissism. But then dance is a narcissistic art form, and these are undoubtedly dancers of exceptional ability and presence."


Leipzig Ballet

'The Great Mass': Natasha Rogai

"Musically, the evening was an undoubted success. Under conductor Frank Beermann, the well-constructed score was performed superbly by orchestra, soloists and the glorious choir. ...The dance was more problematic."

'The Great Mass': Kevin Ng

"An uneven work overall, though it was good to see this German company in Hong Kong for the first time."


Italian Reviews

La Scala Ballet



'Lady of the Camellias': Susy

"'m still under the spell woven by this tiny ballerina (Ferri) who's able to make her roles grow and speak loudly about emotion, drama, sensuality..."


UK Reviews

Royal Ballet

'Children of Adam' bill: Jeffery Taylor

"Balanchine's newly acquired Theme and Variations, based on Tchaikovsky's score, appears to have been created specially for the company. Alina Cojocaru's technique defies classification; whatever is required of her, her body speaks a unique language..."

'Children of Adam' bill: Jane Simpson

" CoA: "Bravo to Marriott for trying. ...In all, though, it registers as an interesting idea rather than an achieved implementation."

'Children of Adam' bill: Wulff

"Children of Adam I found a rather problematic offering. Certainly it is a work that can be interpreted at various levels with its themes of brotherly and sexual love, exclusion, jealousy and forgiveness, but I found it lacking in dramatic impact and the choreographic invention less striking than in Tanglewood."

'Children of Adam' bill: Marike van Aerde

" CoA: "Ondiviela's interpretation (Younger Brother) was heart-wrenching in its vunerability and confusion, and his ability to make his techinical skill look so moving, made his the best performance of both casts."




'Onegin': Lynette Halewood

"Overall, a very wrenching experience which will give further casts a good deal to live up to."

'Onegin': Jeffery Taylor

"Six years ago unwise RB director, Ross Stretton, bought the company's current production of John Cranko's Onegin from Stuttgart Ballet. It looked tired then. Today it remains second rate. Tchaikovsky's music sounds drab, Cranko's chorography is shallow and the only possible reprieve is outstanding individual performances. Last Wednesday even that did not happen."

more reviews in Postings Reviews section


American Ballet Theatre

'London Programmes Roundup': Alison Penfold

"So, to sum up, rather a mixed bag. We saw a lot of works from the company, yet despite (or perhaps because of?) the variety of works shown, I don't feel I've had a real chance to assess them on the basis of this short season, although I certainly wasn't convinced that I'd seen one of the world's great ballet companies."


English National Ballet

'Melody on the Move' bill: Jeffery Taylor

"This is what ENB is all about, presenting works around the UK that exhilarate, fascinate and amuse an audience and doing it with panache and unequivocally high standards."

'Sinfonietta Giocosa' bill: Ian Palmer

"Everything about Hampson's piece is right - its response to Martinu's joyous, babbling score ...in a cascade of neo-classical invention, the seamless flow of its music matching the perpetual stream of its motion; its tightly knit structure which like Rubik's cube jumbles and un-jumbles into miraculous logic..."

'A Million Kisses to my Skin' bill: Lynette Halewood

"...how does it all shape up ? The company overall looked confident and relaxed and very much at home in works that fitted them well. New work brought out aspects to some of the dancers that I hadn't appreciated before, and I wanted to see both them and the new works again."

'The Canterville Ghost': Charlotte Kasner

"This is a gift of a story, so one wonders why on earth we saw so little of it in this version. ....This is a gift of a story, so one wonders why on earth we saw so little of it in this version."


Rambert Dance Company

'Anatomica 3' bill: Richard Amey

"An astonishing World Premier of Anatomica 3 brought Rambert's 2007 visit to Brighton to a storming climax and close..."


Henri Oguike Dance Company

'Little Red' bill: Ian Palmer

"Oguike is at his best when setting dances to live music and no more so than in what he calls his “signature work”, Front Line, to Shostakovich's 9th String Quartet, whose rhythmic ostinati (the rhythm in which Shostakovich heard the rising of Jewish bones) become a pulse which drives Oguike's anguished choreography violently onward..."

'Little Red' bill: Graham Watts

"Small but perfectly formed. Everything about the Henri Oguike Dance Company oozes quality. The gold standard begins with Henri's choreography..."


Richard Alston

'The Devil In The Detail': Ian Palmer

"The freedom of the music, its St. Vitus-like energy (the ragging of the rhythm is truly a call to dance) finds happy enlightenment in Alston's vision, proving him once again to be one of the finest musicians working in dance today."

'The Devil In The Detail' bill: Richard Amey

"The piano rags and waltzes of Scott Joplin came up smelling of roses again to rescue from deepening reclusiveness the first night of Richard Alston Dance Company's Spring Tour..."


Northern Ballet Theatre

'A Sleeping Beauty Tale': Jeffery Taylor

"Most attractive of all, though, is the strong feeling of commitment that drenches the stage, a result of the bond of mutual trust between director and dancers that illuminates the whole evening."

'The Three Musketeers': Janet McNulty

"I've just been re-reading my postings from the first run of Three Musketeers last Autumn and I am pleased to report that I enjoyed the four performances I saw in Edinburgh even more!"

more reviews in Postings Reviews section


Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre

'The Bull': Graham Watts

"'The Bull' will appeal to anyone who likes comic books, Tanztheater, Kill Bill or Pulp Fiction; but if Songs of Praise or Emmerdale are more your cup of tea then it's certainly not for you."


Sasha Waltz

'Dido and Aeneas': Graham Watts

"At first I worried about what I might be missing but I soon stopped caring, only to be jerked away from potential slumber by that beguiling end sequence."


Common Ground Sign Dance Theatre

'Places that Pass' bill: Ian Palmer

"...(the) dancers comprise profoundly and partially deaf artists as well as those who are hearing, and the company's stylistic language is a fusion of British Sign and dance (“Signdance”) that can appear both powerfully mimetic and weirdly abstract. In its ethos and in its manner, the company is stuffed with good intentions. Alas these are not matched by the means in which they are presented."


Tavaziva Dance Company

'Bophelo': Graham Watts

"This little company, which has already come such a long way in such a short time, clearly deserves a great future."


Jump

'Jump': Jeffery Taylor

"...not to be missed."


Moscow Ballet La Classique

'Don Quixote': Richard Amey

"It is a spectacular, foot-tapping romp and if more than the 220 people - who failed to match a Swan Lake or a Sleeping Beauty attendance - had dared to come and seek out the unfamiliar, the ballet would be become an instant favourite in the town. Because it was just that with us."


Jazzgalore


'A Musical World': Ian Palmer

"The school (Northern Ballet School) deserves praise."


The Big Ballet

'Hens and Pens and Swan Plus' bill: Jeffery Taylor

"Katya Yurkova heavily invests in guaranteed arthritic knees in later life as she hauls her 110 kilos around en pointe. The sooner she stops the better."

'Hens and Pens and Swan Plus' bill: Trog Woolley

"Obviously this company plays it entirely for laughs and while an obvious crowd pleaser, I felt that it could have been so much more."

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Postings Reviews section

Brenda Wong Aoki 'Uncle Gunjiro's Girlfriend': Renee Renouf
Sylvie Guillem and Russell Maliphant 'Solo' bill: Paul Arrowsmith
Royal Ballet 'Children of Adam' bill: Simonetta Dixon
Royal Ballet 'Children of Adam' bill: Ian Macmillan
Royal Ballet 'Children of Adam' bill: Paul N
Royal Ballet 'Children of Adam' bill: Paul Bunton
Royal Ballet 'Children of Adam' bill: After Buckle
Royal Ballet 'Children of Adam' bill: Michael LL
Royal Ballet 'Onegin': Paul Arrowsmith
Royal Ballet 'Onegin': Celine Tan
Royal Ballet 'Onegin': Amanda Steeds
Rambert Dance Company 'Lady into Fox' bill: Janet McNulty
Northern Ballet Theatre 'A Sleeping Beauty Tale': Janet McNulty

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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 March to 31 March (last update of this page) we have 374 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.

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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.

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