JMcN

Northern Ballet (the Theatre has been dropped from the name) have introduced a website featuring Dangerous Liaisons. It includes a short "making of", a gallery and the story. It's well designed and gives a good taster for the ballet. It's got me anticipating the start of the season even more! Here's the link: http://dangerousballet.com/

Bart - thanks so much for posting the link. When I scrolled down even further I found a poster for a triple bill that was absolutely unforgettable, including Rudolf Nureyev's utterly magnificent performance in Miss Julie. It must have been Robert de Warren's final season in charge of NBT as Christopher Gable took over the reins in the autumn of 1987. Janet

Robert de Warren did a production for Northern Ballet Theatre in around 1985. It was the first performance I ever saw by NBT. My most abiding memory is the dark makeup of the dancer performing Othello ending up all over the pale pink dress of Desdemona in the final scenes. I must have enjoyed it though because 25 years later I'm still an avid fan of the company!

Birmingham Royal Ballet have been posting lots more rehearsal footage on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/12617758 The links can also be reached through the company website: http://brb.org.uk/ Do go and have a look!

My first Giselle was Mary McKendry with Maurizio Bellezza as her Albrecht. It was London Festival Ballet at the Liverpool Empire in 1985, in Mary Skeaping's production that ENB still perform. I think it was some time before I really started to realise what a masterpiece this production is and all I can remember is my feeling of boredom. I have seen this production many times over the intervening years (including last year) when I have enjoyed it tremendously asnd I feel quite ashamed of my initial reaction. One of the most memorable performances of Giselle that I can remember is one in Plymouth six or seven years ago. Robert Parker was injured during the rehearsal and Chi Cao took over the role very late in the day. The Giselle that evening was a glorious Nao Sakuma. Northern Ballet Theatre had a most memorable production of Giselle set in a ghetto in the second world war. The second act used male and female dancers as vengeful spirits. The choreography for Giselle and Albrecht was traditional. One of the most memorable performances of Giselle I have ever seen was Charlotte Broom and Daniel de Andrade in Cardiff in 1998. To this day, Denis Malinkine in this production is my defining Albrecht. This production was made by Michael Pink and he has remounted it for Milwaukee Ballet. I wish we could see it again.

Although it is some years since I read the book, the incident is covered in Margot Fonteyn's autobiography. I'm sure the archives add more detail but I'm not quite sure why anyone (ie the British press) is dealing with this as fresh news given that she did write about it herself!

A couple of reviews and a feature article: http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movie...cal-pas-de-deux http://origin-www.thestar.topscms.com/ente...ector-li-cunxin http://www.windsorstar.com/entertainment/m...4773/story.html I've got to agree about the slomo on the leaps. Chi is one of the most musical dancers I have seen and it would have been nice if that could have come across on the big screen.

Apart from the ribbons in Fille there is also the maypole and, of course, Alain's umbrella as well as the engagement ring in the final scene oh - don't forget the pony! How about the pigeons in Two Pigeons, and the ropes that are used the bind the Young Man as well as his artist's brushes and easels. The rude mechanicals in David Nixon's A Midsummer Night's Dream are the "stage management team" and have appropriate props. He makes great use of parasols in Madame Butterfly and letters in Dangerous Liaisons. There is also a super sequence in Act 1 of Swan Lake featuring bicycles. David Binley has dogs in Giselle and a horse for Bathilde to arrive on (but only in Birmingham). He's got a bicycle in Madding Crowd and shoes and shoe boxes in Hobson's Choice.

NORTHERN BALLET THEATRE - DANGEROUS LIAISONS - LLANDUDNO - MAY 2010 NBT gave four performances of a much re-worked Dangerous Liaisons in Llandudno last weekend. The narrator has gone and the story is told entirely through dance. The performance starts with a salon hosted by the Marquise and the main characters are gradually introduced. We see the Marquise filled with rage because her ex-lover Gercaud has become engaged to the young, innocent Cecile. She persuades Valmont to seduce Cecile and also introduces the young girl to Dauncenay. The set is simple and elegant - a white room with doors at the back. There are panels that can be made translucent so the action going on behind them can be seen - this device is used to show some of the Macchiavellian goings-on to great effect. Other panels are giant mirrors or plain walls and revolve to let dancers in and out. The music is a selection of Vivaldi, which makes perfect sense as he was active around the same time that the action is set. The main action takes place in a series of stunning duets with some fabulous, inventive, daring lifts. Act 2 is particularly compelling. I particularly like the ravishingly romantic duet at the end of act 1 where Valmont finally succeeds in seducing Tourvel. Act 2 starts with Valmont using a courtesan as a writing desk while writing to Tourvel. It results in a humerous, sexy, sassy duet. The ending of the ballet is very unusual and I think very brave. I won't spoil the end by explaining. Two casts shared the four performances and both were superb. Martha Leebolt and Tobias Batley were utterley subsumed into the roles of the Marquise and Valmont. I believe that Martha is one of the very best dance actresses of the current generation; she imbues even the tiniest gesture with meaning. When she realised that Gercaud was engaged, from where I was sitting I was looking at her back and it was radiating rage - it was a breath-taking moment. Pippa Moore was sublime as Tourvel - it was heartbreaking to see her being seduced and then betrayed by Valmont. Micaela Paolacci was a flirtatious and naughty Cecile - it was plain to see how she was easily led into a sexual relationship with Valmont and how she fell in love with Dauncenay (intelligently danced by Giuliano Contadini). I found the action easy to follow and, speaking to other people, so did the rest of the audience. David Nixon has produced a compelling and inventive work that I would highly recommend. In the next few weeks it can also be seen in Glasgow and Cardiff and in September it will be shown at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. WYP is a very different dance space and it is always an exciting venue to attend. You are very close to the action indeed!

BRB are performing in Norfolk, Virginia, this week (three performances of Swan Lake). I'd love to hear reports from anyone who sees the performances.

At the suggestion of a colleague I looked on ebay. The Australian site would not allow me to input a UK address so I tried the uk site. A number of Austrailian companies were selling the film so I chose one at random. You have to bear in mind that the film will be region 4 so you will need a multi-region player. I'm certainly glad I made the effort!

I've seen two performances at the Lowry this week. I have no technical knowledge of dance but am an avid watcher. I think this company is absolutely terrific and I very much enjoyed the two performances I saw. On Thursday evening we were treated to the mixed programme entitled "The Magic of Dance". This particular evening had sold out within days as Carlos Acosta was guesting in the Don Q pdd. The evening seems to have been formulated to show off the whole company so that, rather than gala party pieces, we see some cut down chunks of various ballets. The chunks did not always make sense but they did enable us to see the strength and depth of the company. The audience went absolutely wild for the Don Q pdd with Viengsay Valdes and Carlos Acosta and I must say that they danced with sparkle and panache and their joy at being on stage was very evident. They well deserved the acclaim their performance garnered. As the appearances outside London are without an orchestra, Miss Valdes could not do her usual party trick balances (which was to my preference - when I saw her do this some years ago in London with an orchestra she held her balances for so long that the orchestra had to stop!). My personal highlight was the very glorious Anette Delgado in Sleeping Beauty. She was absolutely radiant and her glorious technique really hits the spot. Javier Torres was her very dashing prince. Yesterday afternoon I saw Swan Lake with Sadaise Arencibia and Alejandro Virelles in the leading roles. It is a Soviet-style production with a happy ending. The sets are simple back-cloths on the whole - the set for the "white acts" is particularly effective. The second act is very much "after Petipa" but is very beautiful and it is wonderful to see the Cuban swans with all the arabesques at exactly the same angle. All the head and arm movements were particularly beautiful and how quiet the dancers are on stage! The black swan pdd is done as though time has stood still and only Siegfried and Odile are there (a curtain has come down concealing all the other dancers). I found this particularly effective. This is the only production I have seen where when von Rothbart's spell has been broken the swans are very clearly returned to their human forms (a very quick change with a overdress over the tutu). Again this is very effective. I thought both the leading dancers were excellent and I was also very taken with Dani Hernandez in the pas de trois in act 1. Yonah Acosta was spectacular as the jester, although this is one role that I could happily live without! A joy of both performances I saw is how the whole company performs as a company (if you see what I mean - all the dancers, no matter how small their role stays absolutely in character and enhances the performance) and performs with such obvious joy that you cannot but help having a silly grin on your face throughout.

Well, my dvd arrived from Australia and I finally managed to see it! I saw Li dance with Houston Ballet at the Edinburgh Festival in the late 1980s. His wife, Mary McKendry, was my first Giselle in 1985 when she was still dancing with London Festival Ballet. I got Li's autobiography for Christmas when it was first released in 2003 and found it an inspirational read. Chi Cao is my favourite dancer. I was desperate to see this film! Was it worth it? Yes it was!! Li's autobiography spans his life from early childhood to his retirement from Australian Ballet. It is such a broad story that I wondered how the whole would fit into one film. The film doesn't really go into his early life, it starts with him arriving in Houston on his first ballet exchange and he starts thinking back on his life. The film concentrates on his experiences in Houston and his defection. It is a love story and a political thriller rolled into one. It's got some lovely dance sequences but they did make me want to see more. Chi gave a very intelligent and believable portrayal of Li. The whole film is very much an ensemble piece. I enjoyed the film very much and would recommend it. It is also good to have some of Chi's dancing on film for posterity.

Both Birmingham Royal Ballet and Northern Ballet have some fabulous actors in their ranks. BRB has Robert Parker, of course, and Alexander Campbell is one of the rising stars. Of the ladies, Nao Sakuma, Ambra Vallo and Vicki Marr stand out for me. At NBT, Kenneth Tindall is amazing in everything he does these days; his creation of Sydney Carton in Tale of Two Cities and his interpretation of Heathcliff have been exceptional. Martha Leebolt must be one of the best dance/actresses of the current generation.

Could I ask where you saw the film? Sadly it hasn't turned up on British shores yet. I've got the dvd on order from Australia. I think it was released on 4th October so I am waiting with bated breath for its arrival.

It's very hard to choose just one work! A friend and I were somewhat less than enthused by the West End offerings when we were on our way on holiday and, because we had seen an intriguing review, booked to go and see a ballet performance. For me, it was an overnight transformation. That ballet was John Cranko's ONEGIN performed by LFB (now ENB) with Marcia Haydee and Richard Cragun guesting in the leading roles. This ballet is still very special for me. Another ballet that I hold very dear is David Bintley's Hobson's Choice. Not only is it a comic masterpiece of a ballet (and very faithful to the play) but it reminds me of my Dad and my Nan and Grandad and I never tire of seeing it. Of all the Ashton's I have seen, Enigma Variations is a wonderful masterpiece. I also adore The Dream. Speaking of Shakespeare, David Nixon's imaginative take on A Midsummer Night's Dream is an absolute delight to treasure. Do I like some ballets because, for whatever reason, they mean something personal to me and do I like others because of the glorious choreography, staging etc. Just a thought ....

I've seen Albert Evans dance a couple of times with NYCB in the UK. He is the dancer I remember most from their visits with his magnificent stage presence. Very best wishes to him for the future.

I remember seeing an exhibition of photographs by Gordon Anthony (brother of Dame Ninette de Valois) called Shadowplay that was absolutely stunning. He made great use of lighting effects and shadows. There was one particular photograph I remember of Margot Fonteyn as Firebird that was an absolute masterpiece. I also admire the work of Bill Cooper and Antony Crickmay and more recently Tim Cross and Phil Hitchman.

Can we qualify these statements a little? It certainly depends on the child does it not? I KNOW I was attending Swan Lake and loving it by age 6 at the latest. I knew the story and thought it a fantastic one. As for too much dancing...That is what I wanted to see. We were going to the ballet after all. I had been taking "ballet classes" if you can call them that for 3 years already at that point and thought I wanted to be a dancer. I know you were speaking generally, but to hear some of the great joys of my childhood deemed "absolutely not suitable"... As an introduction to ballet I would agree neither is the best for a child, but for a child that shows an interest in the art form, why on earth not? When I first started travelling around England to see ballet, my only choice was to see Saturday matinees. I spent too many of these being deafened by chattering children (and their parents) and being kicked in the back through my seat to think that either SL or SB is suitable for young children. These children were not naughty - they were bored. The performances where they were not bored were ones where there was a stronger less esoteric story such as Coppelia or magic tricks such as Nutcracker. If anyone were to ask for my advice I would stick to what I said and tell the that I did not think SB or SL suitable for youngsters. I first took my oldest niece to see Coppelia when she was 7; she was entranced by it. Our second foray with my youngest niece too, equally successful, was BRB's Hobson's Choice. I went to see the ballet once on a school trip. It was LFB (now ENB) doing Peer Gynt. I don't remember a thing about it except that I have an enduring loathing for "Morning" (so much so that I complained about the "hold" music at the call centre I have to contact on a regular basis!). I discovered dance for myself through London Contemporary Dance Theatre and fell into watching ballet by accident when going to see Onegin on a trip to London when there was nothing we fancied on in the West End and we had seen an intriguing review. That was on 26th May 1984.

I agree that Sleeping Beauty is absolutely not suitable for children - far too much dance and not enough story. I would put Swan Lake in the same category. I think Nutcracker could be a good starter - particularly BRB and NBT's current productions. I would also recommend NBT's A Christmas Carol, which is a close telling of the Dickens tale and the dancers sing carols, which add interest. Also, David Nixon's Peter Pan is suitable for young children. The performance I saw recently had an audience jam-packed with young children and there wasn't a peep out of them once it had started. David Bintley's Beauty and the Beast is a magical treat for all the family too.

The British New Year Honours List has been announced. I was thrilled to see that NBT Artistic Director, David Nixon has been awarded the OBR for services to dance. Since his arrival in 2001, David Nixon has not only kept the NBT torch alive but has extended the dream (sorry mixed metaphors but what the heck!). Congratulations to David Nixon OBE and to all at NBT.

Maria Fay used to write regularly for the Dancing Times, who may be able to point you in the right direction. Her book and dvd on floor barre technique still seem to be available.

I agree with Hans about other companies introducing more Bournonville. I don't go to see RB much these days but one of my happiest of recent performances was a performance of Kobborg's production of La Sylphide. Does the Bournonville style meld with the Russian classics. In 2008 a friend and I saw a performance of Don Q with Anette Delgado and Joel Carreno guest starring and it was a wonderful evening but the difference in style was very obvious. On the same trip we saw Onegin and the RDB looked more comfortable in that. The ideal for me would be for the RDB to continue as keepers of the style while forging ahead with a newer identity. I can't even begin to work out if this would be feasible.

BRB have posted a video of festive greetings on Vimeo. Here is the link: http://vimeo.com/8073916 Very best wishes to all at BRB for the Festive Season

At Birmingham Royal Ballet there are a number of young dancers whom I enjoy watching very much: James Barton is a beautifully neat dancer, very deft and an excellent actor. He made a wonderful debut as Petrushka last year - very moving - and is hilarious in Alaskan Rag. He, and another of my favourites - Nathanael Skelton (a very elegant dancer) - were the first two dancers from Elmhurst to be offered contracts after that school hooked up with BRB. Callie Roberts has also caught my eye since she joined a couple of years ago. She has a vivacious stage presence. Chris Rogers-Wilson has proved to have a real talent for comedy and has a smile that lights up the auditorium without the need for lights! Jonathan Caguioa has a lovely warm stage presence and lights up every performance that he is in.