6 replies to this topic

[dirac]

A review of New York City Ballet Moves by Laura Bleiberg in The Los Angeles Times' blog.

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The downside is Moves’ restricted repertory; on this occasion, no works by co-founder George Balanchine, the artistic foundation of City Ballet. That was a disappointment.

Some masterpieces do fit Moves, and quite nicely. “Dances at a Gathering” (1969), Jerome Robbins' work for five couples, celebrates love, playfulness and Chopin’s piano pieces. Pianist Susan Walters began, and Gonzalo Garcia ambled on, dreamily applying gentle assurance to a slow mazurka.

[dirac]

The Guangzhou Ballet visits Vancouver.

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Also sharing the stage with the professional dancers will be the Goh Ballet Academy, which will be performing the snow scene from its version of The Nutcracker choreographed by Anna Marie Holmes.

Chan Hon Goh, director of the Goh Ballet, said when she was younger she met Zhang who was in Vancouver for about three months working on a recreating a scene from Dream of the Red Chamber, an original ballet choreographed on the National Ballet of China.

[dirac]

Cuts in funding may lead to a major layoff at Northern Ballet.

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"It's a very limited profession and to lose 25% of the workforce of classical dancers in the north is appalling."

Mr Skipper said attracting sponsorship for dancers was just one of "several" initiatives the company was considering to fill the black hole left by the Arts Council funding cut.

[dirac]

Reviews of the Birmingham Royal Ballet in a triple bill.

Daily Express

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First out of the bag is Ninette de Valois’ 1937 chess-inspired fantasia, Checkmate. Bright and colourful, this is an Alice in Wonderland-inspired ballet with a dark, vicious heart.

The war between the Reds and the Blacks is played out in huge set pieces, with spirited red pawns kicking off the action before the Black Queen enters to spoil the fun.

The Evening Standard

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The exuberance of John Cranko's Pineapple Poll, created in 1951 to a selection of tunes by Arthur Sullivan, stands in polar opposition to Checkmate's sterile formalism. Carol-Anne Millar brings the sort of well-observed, square-shouldered indomitability to the role of Poll, a lovestruck harbour salesgirl, that makes her look like ballet's answer to Catherine Tate.

The Telegraph

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This pressure does show a little here on the three BRB girls, chiefly in a certain stiffness to their porte de bras. But, even so, the impression is a fine one. All three – with the fleet Natasha Oughtred at their centre – pour their hearts into the piece, never fudging Ashton’s exquisitely original and detailed choreography, and generally embracing its (and the César Franck score’s) serene lyricism.

[dirac]

Boca Ballet Theatre holds a luncheon to kick off its new season.

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"A Princely Affair" includes excerpts from this season's productions and showcases Daniel Ulbricht, award-winning principal dancer with New York City Ballet. Ulbricht previously thrilled patrons as the Golden Idol at Boca Ballet Theatre's "La Bayadère" and captivated luncheon guests at "A Princely Affair." He has also made a donation for a spontaneous live auction for two orchestra tickets and backstage passes to a New York City Ballet production. He is joined this year by Lauren Lovette, another rising star at New York City Ballet.

[Helene]

Eva Kistrup on Royal Danish Ballet for her blog on danceviewtimes.

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If nothing else Hübbe's directorship have ben true to his strategy of limiting the number of styles requested by the company and the results have been no less than impressive. The company have reach a much higher standard in record time, great talents reach principal quality faster, the corps is in optimal shape. Still the director is receiving request to include more modern ballets. At the press coference on last year's repertoire, Hübbe was also criticist for not including more Danish choreographers. The critism has made Hübbe a bit careful, but not to much, hopefully, about bringing in more Balanchine works.

[dirac]

A review of Ballet Maribor in "Radio and Juliet" by Jim Ruggirello for Gazettes.com.

http://www.gazettes....1cc4c002e0.html

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The dance was sharp and skillful, the expressiveness understated but no less vivid and powerful. The use of black and white video to frame the live action, and to comment on points along the way, added to the atmosphere of alienation and detachment created by the dynamic but unemotional movements.

    And that music by Radiohead was mesmerizing, holding the capacity crowd spellbound and heightening the impact of the dancers’ interactions. The group is not your average rock ensemble, and pianist Christopher O’Riley has featured some of their tunes on his recitals. Here the ever-shifting soundscape, rather than accompanying or commenting on the action, served as a counterpoint to the bare stage and its nameless occupants.