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Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards 200722 January 2008 London, Covent Garden © Jeffery Taylor Former dancer, Dance Critic and an Arts feature writer for the |
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Career politician and Culture Minister Margaret Hodge turned up last week at the annual National Dance Awards, Britain’s only dance specific Awards ceremony. Holding court in the Paul Hamlyn Floral Hall as Awards were scattered across the dance spectrum from Henry Oguike to Darcey Bussell, the Minister confessed to how little she knew about the subject. Perhaps she aimed for the sympathy vote, but she missed. Anatoly Iksanov, General Director of Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre and the Bolshoi Ballet’s young superstar, Natalia Osipova, both acutely aware of the international significance of British dance, took the trouble to fly over especially for the event. In spite of the murdered spy Alexander Litvinenko/ British Council brouhaha still rumbling, they even brought two Russian television crews. Happily Iksanov took home a prize for the Bolshoi Ballet Company, while Osipova walked away with Best Female Dancer. After Ms Hodge expressed her intention to address the problem of the UK’s dance funding Mistress of Ceremonies Angela Rippon advised her, “Don’t forget, Margaret, we’re all witnesses.”
Since 1950, England’s national football team has only one win in twelve World Cup appearances and since 1968, no wins at all in seven European Championships. In 2007 a three year sponsorship deal netted British football’s Premier League alone an eye-watering £2 billion. In 2007/8 the entire roll call of British dance organisations, a major jewel in the UK’s cultural crown and with a glittering international reputation, will receive government grants of £44.5 million. That is a conundrum to address, Ms Hodge, perhaps you can let us all know when you have sorted it out.
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