Ballet.co Magazine
For July 2008

Previous Ballet.co magazine - June 2007
Next Ballet.co magazine - August 2008

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

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Interviews and Features




Jeanetta Laurence
Assistant Director
Royal Ballet
Jeanetta Laurence was a recent guest of the Ballet Association - a fascinating report on how a major company makes it all happen



Lydia Lopokova
Bloomsbury Ballerina...
Judith Mackrell's new book reviewed by Ian Palmer: "Mackrell presents Lopokova as a delightful charmer, eccentric yet entirely winning, and ensures that the “genius” of her personality can never be forgotten.".



Deirdre Chapman
RB First Soloist
Deirdre was a guest of the Ballet Association back in April 2007 - we are catching up with a report released in December 2007...


Johanna Adams
Senior Ballet Stage Manager
Royal Opera House
Johanna was a guest of the Ballet Association back in September 2007 - we are catching up with a report released in January 2008...


Silent Tango
on London Bridge
Carole Edrich goes off to the launch of TangoCommute - just one of the Big Dance 2008 attractions and bound to get you moving...

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Diaries and weblogs


Jarkko Lehmus weblog...
the Scottish Ballet dancer who tells it like no other...
'Counting The Days'
SB have just started their tour of smaller venues: "The first week of the small scale is done. An empty day in Kelso and two solid days of playing 70's porn funk in the dressing room in Costa del Berwick-Upon-Tweed took it's toll with the in-group already descending into a mess of aching bodies and brainfarts. When you rehearse in the open spaces of the studios you have to have your sense of humour intact when you arrive in these tiny venues. Being the consummate professionals we still pulled ourselves together for the shows and delivered, judging by the audience reaction, by the spade load." (weblog home)


Dane Hurst weblog...
the Phoenix Dance Theatre dancer and recent National Dance Award winner is our latest webloger...
'Expressions and Manifestations' - 3 poems from Dane this month. Hear is the start of number 2...
Who Cares
Who is he, Who is she, Who are they
Can we judge, Can we praise, Do they care
Is it real, Is it fake, Is it art
Can they speak, Do they speak, Do we care
..."
(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. This years blogers are Brenda Lee Grech, Rym Kechacha and Tom Conlan.
Rym and Tom report this month...
Tom: "Our most recent tour was Taunton, Bridport and Frome. In Taunton we stayed In a lovely Premier Inn rite opposite a pub(yay!). It wasn't quite as homely or characterful as the one in Chipping Norton but the deal or no deal and wordsearch games on the itbox kept us occupied for a good few hours." (Weblog Home)



Carole Edrich Weblog...
'Succumbing to the siren lure of serious dance couture'
A photo job and lots of pictures of pretty frocks and gowns. See also Carole's Feature on Silent Tango (Weblog home)

Weblog writers
Helene Cooper
Madame Galina
Daniel Jones

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In the Galleries

Currently our Images Gallery contains approximately 4500 images.

English National Ballet
Strictly Gershwin in Pictures...


English National Ballet
Strictly Gershwin rehearsals
with Daria Klimentova and Friedemann Vogel
photographed by Pedro Lapetra



English National Ballet
Strictly Gershwin
photographed by John Ross



English National Ballet
Strictly Gershwin
photographed by Dave Morgan


Dave Morgan's
Royal Ballet Curtain Call Pictures


Royal Ballet
2007-2008 Season
London, Covent Garden

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Reviews
Ballet.co reviews entered between 01/06/2008 and 30/06/2008 will be included here...

USA Reviews

American Ballet Theatre

'Rabbit and Rogue, Etudes' bill: Rachel Straus

"Unlike Tharp's In the Upper Room, where her fluid jazz-inflected style and classical ballet steps seductively intermingled, in Rabbit and Rogue, Gomez and Radetsky were cut off from a cohesive dance vocabulary. In their bad boy gesticulations, Tharp seemed to be saying enough of this classical stuff..."

'La Bayadere': Eric Taub

"But who cares? The story's not there to instruct or enlighten, but to entertain us and take us to exotic places: fantasyland India, and the afterlife. La Bayadere's moral isn't in its story or spectacle. It's hiding in plain sight, in the shimmer of the corps' transcendent bourrees, the arc of Part's admonitory finger and its promise of heaven, and a thousand other places. Une question morale indeed."

'Don Quixote': Rachel Straus

"When Herman Cornejo, who has been described as diminutive in stature, jumped as high as the second story of Santo Loquasto's set design of a Spanish plaza, the audiences gasped. Many great male dancers have been kept from plum roles like this one because of their lack of height. Fortunately, ABT doesn't measure Cornejo's worth in inches. With the petite Xiomara Reyes as Kitri, Cornejo found a fitting partner and one that executed 32 fuettes with limpid grace."

'The Sleeping Beauty': Siobhan Burke

"But ultimately, this Sleeping Beauty felt more like an exaggerated nod to tradition than an attempt to breathe new life into a classic. If Petipa were alive today, he might tell his successors to stop trying so hard."


New York City Ballet

'Damian Woetzel's Farewell': Eric Taub

"I can't think of any male dancer, including the famous Russian ones, who's danced at as consistently high a level for as long as did Damian Woetzel, who retired from New York City Ballet on June 18. It wasn't just that Woetzel was a supreme virtuoso and supreme artist but that, blessed with an astonishing natural facility, he made even the most mind-boggling feats seem easy as falling off a log."

'Jewels': Eric Taub

"On a sweltering summer day in the city, what could be more welcome than a visit to the cool viridian grotto of Emeralds, in the happily air-conditioned New York State Theater? This was the last Jewels of the season, and the company sent it off grandly. It's been gratifying this season to see so many of Balanchine's masterworks looking crisp, polished and well-rehearsed, as with this loving and memorable performance."

'There and Then' bill: Eric Taub

"Going from the ridiculous to the sublime, Damian Woetzel again gave a superlative performance in Prodigal Son, the ballet with which he'll end his dancing career ... next week? It's too painful to contemplate..."

'Musical Muses': Eric Taub

"I've always loved the Divertimento from "Le Baiser de la Fée, Balanchine's condensed abstraction of the story of a boy enchanted by a fairy's kiss. It's eerie in how it suggests the ballet's women, Megan Fairchild and an ensemble of twelve, can appear as both happy young peasant girls, and so much more. ...There's far more beautiful and evocative dancing here than I can begin to go into in one review."

'Bach to Glass A Musical Odyssey II': Eric Taub

"More often than in any season in my recent memory, I've found myself leaving the State Theater buoyant and happy, floating on a cloud and babbling into my cel phone about what a wonderful, great, fantastic program I've just seen. As Constant Readers might recall, I usually find something or other to bitch about. It's a little unsettling to finish a program thinking "I wouldn't have changed a thing," and even more unsettling to add: "Maybe Peter Martins knows what he's doing..."

School of American Ballet

'Bach to Glass A Musical Odyssey II: 2 and 3 Part Inventions': Eric Taub

"So why are these kids so transcendently joyful? On one level, they're happy because Robbins wanted to make a happy ballet for them, but I think the answer lies in their scrupulous attention to every little detail of their performances."

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Ballet Across America - Program 1


Houston Ballet

'Velocity': Oksana Khadarina

"The pace of this piece is conveyed by its title. Danced to a selection of vibrant minimalistic compositions of American composer Michael Torke, Velocity sets the cast in perpetual motion with an exhilarating speed. Here, the choreographer makes the classical ballet steps look not only ultra modern but also highly athletic."


Ballet West

'Serenade': Oksana Khadarina

"Serenade was a beautiful showpiece for the Ballet West's ballerinas. The opening night cast led by Christiana Bennett, Kate Crews, and Katherine Lawrence danced gracefully and sincerely, highlighting the poetic movements with a special touch of delicacy and nuance."


Pennsylvania Ballet

'In the Night': Oksana Khadarina

"On opening night, the best dancing came from Riolama Lorenzo and James Ihde in the second pas de deux – a glamorous, stately duet of two lovers who found endless happiness and contentment in each others arms."


Ballet Across America - Program 2


Kansas City Ballet

'Ballet Across America: The Still Point': Oksana Khadarina

"...The Still Point is a modern fairy tale and a meditation on human experience. It has the inescapable charm of an old Hollywood romantic movie, naïve and sentimental, with a predictable, happy end."


Pacific Northwest Ballet

'Ballet Across America: Jardí Tancat': Oksana Khadarina

"The cast genuinely communicated the work's powerful themes: It was a dramatically strong, compelling performance."


Washington Ballet

'Ballet Across America: Nine Sinatra Songs': Oksana Khadarina

"There was no dull moment in the Washington Ballet's Sinatra Songs. Culminating the program, the beautiful and vibrant cast clearly had a blast."

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Pennsylvania Ballet

'Carnival of the Animals' bill: Lewis Whittington

"The flyspace of the Academy of Music stage framed the backdrop for Pennsylvania Ballet's 'Jupiter Symphony' choreographed by Peter Quanz, scored to Mozart's 41st opus. Quanz's both surfs Mozart's musicality and allows for his 20 dancers to bring their personalities to it, the interplay allows not only gorgeously classical theatricality, but simmering balletic detailing."


Compagnie Maguy Marin

'Umwelt': Rachel Straus

"Umwelt finally ended, when lighting designers Alexandre Béneteaud and Denis Mariotte burnished the shimmering Transporter glow and the last piece of material crap was thrown to the floor. The tornado was over. Then one bold audience member yelled, “Boo!” Those of us who remained to the end of the sold-out show laughed in response and in collective relief. Then we clapped..."


Boston Ballet

'Swan Lake': Carla DeFord

"Under the direction of Jonathan McPhee, the Boston Ballet orchestra not only gave a passionately committed account of Tchaikovsky's immortal score, but also supported Ponomarenko in every decision she made. The pure thought she projected was realized in partnership with the conductor and musicians in the pit of the Wang Theatre."


Neil Greenberg

'Quartet With Three Gay Men, Really Queer Dance With Harps': Siobhan Burke

"With music and movement layered just right, Greenberg achieves what seems to be his forte, deftly assembling the strata of a dance so that new meaning peaks through when we least expect it."


Compagnie Heddy Maalem

'Le Sacre du Printemps': Rachel Straus

"Why does he reinforce age-old stereotypes of black dancers as symbols of savage beauty? Clearly he knows that those of us who are thinking deeply about his choreographic choices can't help but consider his ideas philosophically disturbing, regardless of his dancers strengths and their devotion to his work."


Birju Maharaj

'Indian Classical Dance - Kathak': Renee Renouf

"The Lord Krishna's love of butter has elicits wide interpretation and Birju previously regaled his audience with Krishna's bald faced explanations of why he had swiped the butter. Returning to the theme, he dwelt as much on Yashoda, her making the butter, her cosmetics before going out after she secured the butter vessel to the ceiling. Birju, switching characters, shrank to kindergarten size, large eyes smouldering..."

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Russian Reviews

Bolshoi Ballet

'The Golden Age': Kevin Ng

"Merkuriev was tender in the pas de deux. All his solos were done with panache and vigour, showing off his impressive virtuosity. He was particularly brilliant in the manege of temps de fleche in his solo as part of the divertissements of the fishermen's dances..."

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Danish Reviews

Peter Schaufuss Ballet

'Divas': Jeffery Taylor

"Premiered last week, former classical ballet star, Peter Schaufuss's Divas, features glamour trio Edith Piaf (Caroline Petter), Marlene Dietrich (Zara Deakin) and Judy Garland (Irina Kolesnikova). The music is middle of the road popular, the steps classically based modern, the dancers brilliant and judging by the opening night's standing ovation, the audience very happy indeed."

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Hong Kong Reviews

Hong Kong Ballet

'Tricolor': Natasha Rogai

"In reviewing this fine programme, as well as giving credit to Artistic Director John Meehan and his staff at HKB, mention should be made of the contribution made by the guest repetiteurs – Maina Gielgud and Paul DeMasson for Suite en Blanc, Donald Mahler for Lilac Garden and Sandy Jennings for Rubies."

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Berlin Staatsoper Ballet

'Sleeping Beauty, Balanchine Evening': Don Q fan

"Overall the Balanchine Evening was very good - all the better as well as my ticket was a mere €20 and I had a brilliant stalls seat with a great view!! I'm not sure anywhere in the UK would offer quite such good value for such top notch dancing."

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UK Reviews

Royal Ballet

'Romeo and Juliet': Jeffery Taylor

"As Juliet, Sarah Lamb's body fits MacMillan's choreography as if born to it. Long of back and limb, Prokofiev's music flows through her as graphically as MacMillan could ever have wished. Dramatically she drives the whole evening..."

'Romeo and Juliet': Na Na

"In conclusion, a remarkable partnership which still has a way to go. Cuthbertson deserves the hype, Pennefather is rapidly convincing me that he's deserving of her brilliance."

'Romeo and Juliet' on a Big Screen Relay: Ann Williams

"Firstly, I have to say that I found the screening technically very disappointing; it was as if we were watching the action through something resembling a fly-screen... As to the actual performance, I can't speak too highly of Sarah Lamb's Juliet. Her dancing was, as usual, exquisite, and although she's been accused of being too cool, there was no evidence of this in Sunday's passionate and moving performance."

'Dances at a Gathering, The Dream' bill: Lynette Halewood

"Performances of Ashton's The Dream improved after an untidy start. The final performance of the three was the most satisfying by some distance. This was in large part down to the relationship between Watson and Benjamin..."

'Dances at a Gathering, The Dream' bill: Jeffery Taylor

"Dances at a Gathering has achieved a holy cow status among the cognoscenti, perhaps due to a childhood fondness for ballet as sweet innocence, compliant, handholding girls and jolly japes from the chaps. The dancers do a superb job... but the work is as dead as the Dodo. All I can say is, grow up."

'Dances at a Gathering, The Dream' bill: Paul Arrowsmith

"Thought Dances had a greater depth than at the opening performance, with more resonance, though at the same time being more abstract, with no hint of a narrative. ...But – half as much would be enough. Plenty! Though, have to say, the audience didn't become restive till the last three numbers."

more reviews in Postings Reviews section


English National Ballet

'Strictly Gershwin': Jeffery Taylor

"What class the dancers of English National Ballet nonchalantly displayed in choreographer Derek Deane's latest blockbuster. In Strictly Gershwin, a dazzling celebration of dance, they rushed through the audience, raced around ramps and danced themselves ragged while delighting in their job and delivering the goods with quality and panache."

'Strictly Gershwin': Graham Watts

"There is more good than bad in this programme: although the opening sequences can certainly do with a make-over, the second Act is generally excellent, building up to a stunning finale where ballet eventually finds itself at home with Gershwin."

'Strictly Gershwin': Lynette Halewood

" So yes, it was all a lot of fun and adored by its public, but if I was in ENB's shoes I would still have pause for thought. The actual ballet segments of the work didn't really seem to appeal to the audience quite as much as the rest (hence the ticket offers for the forthcoming triple bill). Some of this must be down to Derek Dean's rather utilitarian choreography."

more reviews in Postings Reviews section


Birmingham Royal Ballet

'Desmond Kelly Gala': Janet McNulty

"I will say from the outset that this was a FABULOUS EVENING..."

'Giselle': Janet McNulty

"All in all - BRB are on terrific form at the end of a long season and I am looking forward to more Giselles at the Lowry in a couple of weeks."


Mariinsky Ballet

'Gala and Jewels' in Birmingham: Kevin Ng

"On the first night of “Jewels”, the high point was “Diamonds”, with Viktoria Tereshkina divine in the ballerina role. Her pure classical dancing conveyed perfect harmony and bliss, and had an inevitability. She was lyrical and heart-melting in the pas de deux."


Ascendance Rep

'The Cathedral Tour: Standing Stones': Ian Palmer

"In its dancers Lansley and Wesson have performers of complete integrity; and at forty-five minutes in length, it is the perfect size. Catch it as it comes to a Cathedral near you."


Jonathan Lunn

'Reading Room, Self-Assembly' bill: Graham Watts

"I left bemused, with sore eyes, but still treasuring the memory of capturing a rare sighting of Carly Best."

'Reading Room, Self-Assembly' bill: Libby Costello

"Lunn brought an extremely polished piece to the stage at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, giving audiences a chance to see contemporary choreography at its best. The touring of this work is also an exciting prospect as this type of work often stays London bound. Reading Room clearly demonstrates that Lunn's choreography is never dull, overly long nor self congratulatory. It is simply all it needs to be – seamless."

'Bahok': Lynette Halewood

"Bahok... is both absorbing and irritating. It contains some wonderful moments of inventive and beautiful dance making as well as many passages of dialogue which are sometimes tedious. The dancers are tremendous and Khan exploits their different backgrounds and training well. But I wished at times they would just shut up and dance."

more reviews in Postings Reviews section


Peter Schaufuss Ballet

'Divas': Graham Watts

"However, despite these self-imposed hostages to fortune, Schaufuss' show still manages to end up on the credit side of enjoyable – and undoubtedly enjoyed by a fullish house around me in the stalls – and for this we have to credit three excellent performances by the lead dancers and the bittersweet nostalgia affectionately recalled by some of the most memorable tunes of the twentieth century..."


Dick Wong

'B.O.B. - The Final Cut': Charlotte Kasner

"BOB* is neither workshop nor performance. The whole work could have been built into a wonderful comedy routine that would have sustained a short evening's performance or a springboard for academic discussion, but it took itself too seriously altogether..."


Royal Ballet School

'Linbury School Show': Lynette Halewood

"It was very recognisably McGregor, all extreme angles and energy with that curious dipping, ducking motion of the head he seems to favour. The dancers looked terrific in it, as if it was their native language."


'Linbury School Show': Diandri

"Of the newer pieces I liked Chehon Wespi-Tschopp's Ursula Moreton prize winning piece. He showed a really theatrical eye for stagecraft in the opening few minutes & I felt that he might be a future choreographer with something new to say..."

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Postings Reviews section
English National Ballet 'Strictly Gershwin': Michael LL
Northern Ballet Theatre 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Janet McNulty
Akram Khan and the National Ballet of China 'Bahok': Diandri
Royal Ballet 'Dances at a Gathering, The Dream' bill: Wulff
Royal Ballet 'Dances at a Gathering, The Dream' bill: Celine Tan
Royal Ballet 'Romeo and Juliet': Simonetta Dixon
Royal Ballet 'Romeo and Juliet': Diandri
Royal Ballet 'Romeo and Juliet': Jenny Taylor
Royal Ballet School 'Graduate Washington Tour Preview': Wulff
Royal Ballet 'BP Summer Big Screens: Romeo and Juliet': James Hayward
Royal Ballet 'BP Summer Big Screens: Romeo and Juliet': Alison Penfold
Ballet Central 'Steps to Bach' bill: 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 June to 30 June (last update of this page) we have 310 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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