Friday, March 1

[dirac]

An obituary for Anthony Russell-Roberts, who died at the age of 79 last January, in  The Sunday Times.

Quote

Ashton had given little thought to the practicalities of these arrangements, leaving Russell-Roberts with the “legal nightmare” of how to co-ordinate this heritage. The beneficiaries were expected to draw up their own contracts and supply performers with information about the choreographer’s original designs, music and notation scores.

Obituaries and appreciations published previously.

Alastair Macaulay

Quote

Russell-Roberts was the son of Ashton’s beloved only sister Edith. He often spoke of his memories of Ashton visiting his mother in deep depression on multiple occasions; although his mother would begin with the same depression, it was always she would could rouse her brother into laughter. When Russell-Roberts became the Royal Ballet’s artistic administrator in the mid-1980s, some unfairly tried to claim that this was Covent Garden nepotism; he was already an experienced opera administrator in opera houses away from London. Russell-Roberts soon proved himself a canny diplomat around the sometimes Byzantine realm of the Royal Ballet: I remember once, after asking him a tough question about the company’s lack of a music director, being disarmed by the intelligence and bonhomie with which he cheerfully entered into discussion.

Judith Mackrell for the Royal Opera House.

Quote

During those years Russell-Roberts worked closely with four of the Company’s artistic directors, Norman Morrice, Anthony Dowell, Ross Stretton and Monica Mason, collaborating on creative and marketing strategies, shaping budgets and overseeing foreign touring. Balancing the demands of finance and creativity was a delicate art but Russell-Roberts was ever mindful of his need to respect and facilitate the vision of each Director. Above all he was a tireless defender of The Royal Ballet itself, in particular during one of the darkest times in its history when, between 1997 and 2000 the Royal Opera House went dark for renovations. The Company was rendered homeless during that time and Russell-Roberts was indefatigable in warding off threats of closure and cuts to the number of dancers, leaving no stone unturned to find new sources of funding to keep the Company together and afloat. Due in no small part to him, it weathered the storm intact and in remarkably good financial shape.

 

[dirac]

The Joffrey Ballet performs in Berkeley this month.

Quote

The Berkeley Symphony joins this engagement for live music.

 

[dirac]

A TV interview with Natalia Ashikhmina about her retirement from the Louisville Ballet.

Quote

Natalia Ashikhmina will perform for the final time in the Louisville Ballet's "Romeo and Juliet."

 

[dirac]

Ballet Edmonton appoints a new artistic director.

Quote

She [Kirsten Wicklund] replaces Wen Wei Wang, another Vancouver dance talent who has transformed the company as its artistic director for the past six years.

 

[dirac]

An interview with Lacey Hammond Harrington, the National Ballet of Canada's footwear co-ordinator and dye workroom manager.

Quote

Harrington not only co-ordinates and organizes every pair of shoes in each NBC production, but fits each dancer, and then paints, dyes and embellishes each shoe that hits the stage. After all, flamboyant characters such as the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter demand such attention to detail. While most might be familiar with the rabbit ears, the top hat and the endless tea cups, a tremendous amount of work goes into the shoes they twirl in on.

 

[dirac]

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's old house for students is for sale.

Quote

There is no need for the space since students are now leasing their own apartments. The ballet is recommending identified student housing in September 2024 in the Cultural District, close to the Benedum Center and Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus lines.