As a celebrated creator and performer throughout the world Nigel was simultaneously acclaimed as both “a national treasure” (Arts Council of England) and branded “the unreconstructed bad boy of physical theatre” by London Metro.
Features
Features and previews about Dance and Dancing
A very enjoyable evening, which raised over £40,000, for which huge thanks to Swarovski and other sponsors and donors...
It's a fortunate dance-goer who can discover a critic whose opinions she can trust – doubly fortunate if it's a critic who sees and reports on more performances than any of the rest. It's more than fifty years since I first found that I was turning to John Percival's reviews before anyone else's...
The compere of the evening was Anthony Dowell, in fine voice. He spoke the narration, enacted several of the characters and gallantly danced the ‘Fred step’ from Pavlova’s 'Gavotte' with Ursula Hageli as Anna.
It is beyond obvious to see the strength of the relationship these two ends of the dance spectrum have created since being thrown together for the tour two months ago.
On 24 May CCN Ballet de Lorraine of Nancy will premiere “La Création du Monde, 1923-2012” for the KVS Festival in Brussels. Our re-creation of the original Ballets Suédois production is the centrepiece for a new work by Congolese choreographer, Faustin Linyekula.
The exhibition ‘Monica Mason: A Life With The Royal Ballet‘ opened in February, but only last week did I see it properly – at a private view, which also happily involved some speeches and a party with a lot of old friends and colleagues of Monica Mason. A privilege to be there and nice to have free run of the house and the time to stand and stare at some scrummy pictures...
International Ballet Festival – Dance Open Performances: Bad Boys of Dance, Gala Tribute to Natalia Dudinskaya, Dance Open – Gala of International Ballet Stars St Petersburg, Oktyabrsky Concert Hall and others 14-16 April 2012 www.danceopen.com It’s that time of year in St Petersburg when the water from the taps comes out dirty yellow as the winter’s ice and snow melt into the system...
Bob Lockyer must be truly proud of his birthday gift: not a dud amongst the commissions he has brought about, sending three young choreographers on their way to a promising future.
So what has made her a ballet legend? The simple fact that she lives, breathes and demonstrates the finest techniques of Russian classical ballet. She is fastidious in her footwork, has the most beautiful pliable back, expressive arms and has perfect proportions and great sensitivity...
Unfortunately, I’m not blessed with the gift of predicting the future, but I will go out on a limb and say that by no means is Matthew Bourne finished creating yet, which means we can all look forward to reading the third edition of this book, liberally sprinkled with even more remarkable insights in another ten years time.
Take a test group of regular ‘Brits’ and show them a card with an apple computer emblem and, like a psychologist delving deep into their subconscious, ask them what comes to mind; Steve Jobs, iphone, ipad, creative, successful – they’d probably say. Now flash a card with ‘Ballet’ written on it.
What a nice find! A casual Google search, a few weeks ago, led me to a book I’d never heard of but which has turned out to be doubly interesting as well as, already, a source of a lot of pleasure.
Fifty or sixty years ago, no true ballet-lover would have dreamt of visiting London without calling in at Cyril Beaumont's famous bookshop in Charing Cross Road. The great and the good of the dance world went to learn from his vast store of knowledge, to reminisce about the golden years of the Diaghilev company, or just to exchange gossip...