Russian State Ballet of Astrakhan – Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet – Guildford
As its whistle-stop tour drew to its final week, the Russian State Ballet settled down for three consecutive days at Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.
Ballet San Jose – 2013 Benefit Gala – San Jose
This was an evening not to be missed. Newly appointed Artistic Director, José Manuel Carreño, made sure that the quality of the eighteen guest artists for Ballet San Jose’s Gala Performance would tantalise even the most skeptical dance fan.
Boston Ballet – La Bayadere – Boston
As for the whole ballet, it’s a 19th century expression of the racist Orientalist view that says India is a land of groveling slaves and despotic rajahs, unbridled lust and pervasive corruption, abundant opium and yielding odalisques. …Once past all that, however, it’s a lavish and thrilling spectacle with abundant pleasures for eye and ear.
Matthew Bourne / New Adventures – Sleeping Beauty – New York
For all Bourne’s imagination, his version makes even less sense than the original.
City Contemporary Dance Company – It’s My Turn showcase – Hong Kong
It’s My Turn is the 2013 edition of City Contemporary Dance Company’s annual showcase for new choreography… Although this wasn’t a vintage year, all four pieces offered something to enjoy…
Smuin Ballet – XXtremes: Seiwert, Kylian and Smuin bill – San Francisco
Earlier this month Smuin Ballet danced their XXtremes bill in San Francisco with works by Amy Seiwert, Jiri Kylian and Michael Smuin. Aimée Tsao with thoughts on the bill and where the company might be heading…
San Francisco Ballet – From Foreign Lands, Beaux, Classical Symphony and Symphonic Dances – New York
In its second mixed bill here in New York, San Francisco Ballet once again impressed with its vitality and the depth of its bench, as well as with its pleasantly unified look.
Susan Jones – Ballet Mistress, American Ballet Theatre
My father asked my original teacher in Rockville, Ms. Hood, whether it was viable for me to become a dancer, and she said she thought I could, even though I wasn’t blessed with beautiful legs and feet. But I had a lot of other assets…
New York City Ballet – Spectral Evidence, Soirée Musicale, Namouna – New York
One feels as Débussy did when he wrote, at the end of the nineteenth century, that “amid too many silly ballets, Lalo’s Namouna is something of a masterpiece.”
Michaela DePrince – Junior Company, Dutch National Ballet
An interview with Michaela DePrince ex Dance Theatre of Harlem and now with the Junior Company of Dutch National Ballet. Marina Harss talks to her about life and motivations and, inevitably, about DePrince often being a different colour to most other dancers on ballet stages and the issues around that…
Dance Odysseys at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival – 4 days of total dance immersion with Scottish Ballet and others…
Dance Odysseys at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival with reviews on 20 dance works by Scottish Ballet, Scottish Dance Theatre, Gelabert Azzopardi Companyia de Dansa, James Cousins and Rosie Kay. Also thoughts on 4 rare films and links to much video material and many other reviews. It’s big!
Virginia Johnson – Artistic Director, Dance Theatre of Harlem
Wherever Virginia Johnson goes, she seems to travel on a cloud, with a kind of regal composure few possess in our day. She appears imperturbable…
Bolshoi Ballet – The Flames of Paris – London
“Alexei Ratmansky’s Flames of Paris is a lot like Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake…” starts Jann Parry’s review…
Bolshoi Ballet – Jewels: Emeralds, Rubies, Diamonds – London
The Bolshoi’s glorious rising star, Olga Smirnova, was imperious…
Bolshoi Ballet – La Bayadère – London
Grigorovich’s staging of Act III is masterly. He has the fakirs lull Solor into an opium-induced sleep in a setting that lifts away to reveal a rocky arch. Within it Solor sees a vision of Nikiya enticing him into a ballet blanc nirvana
Bolshoi Ballet – Swan Lake – London
Grigorovich’s production is not concerned with dramatic plausibility or characterisation, which may account for Zakharova’s Odette remaining a remote vision and her Odile a cool doppelganger rather than a temptress.
Gallery – Bolshoi Ballet in Swan Lake
Maria Alexandrova/Ruslan Skvortsov and Svetlana Zakharova/Alexander Volchkov casts – 20 pictures
American Ballet Theatre – Sylvia – New York
Like a Fabergé egg with a tiny golden bird inside, Sylvia is decadent, a bit indulgent, but delightful.
Australian Ballet – Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake – Melbourne
I’ll take this Swan Lake over a traditional version, any day of the week.
