“It’s very special to dance. And it’s even more special to dance a Balanchine ballet” - Suzanne Farrell
Interviews
Interviews with dancers and others
Shivalingappa first caught my eye at the 2007 Fall For Dance festival, where she danced Varnam, a Kuchipudi solo. I was immediately struck by her musicality, the power and precision of her footwork, and the absolute clarity of her movements. And to the grace of her upper body and a jump that seems to comes out of nowhere, light and airy as a cat’s.
Ethan Stiefel formally retired from dancing with ABT this summer, but has been hard at work as Director of RNZB for over a year now. On the eve of company announcements about their 2013 season and the premiere of Giselle, his first commissioned production, Valerie Lawson catches up with him...
The Director of her own company at the Saarbrucken Opera House, she is in London to choreograph a new work, Labyrinth of Love, for Rambert Dance Company, the centrepiece of their autumn tour...
"It’s very lonely out there... I mean, it would be nice to have some sort of mentorship with regard to what it takes to be a choreographer."
...you are pushing the work of female choreographers - where does that spring from?
Q: Any regrets?
Ans: "No regrets — I would do it all again the same way."
Who are your favorite choreographers? 1. "Christopher Wheeldon. He picked me for the first ballet I had created on me .. and I have worked with him on every single work he has done since I joined SFB."
It’s not about the technique anymore, it’s about that extra special something that makes you stand apart from everyone else...
Muriel [Maffre] was an inspiration for me because she got so many great roles even though she was tall. After she retired I started to get some of her old parts.
The best thing about being at SFB is that I got to work with so many choreographers. It inspired me so much.
"I think for me the high point is that I don’t see Boston audiences as having any limitations. When I got here everybody was telling me what I couldn’t do and people warned me to play it safe. But I have found people extremely open and willing to explore and I’m really thrilled about that."
My nickname in BRB used to be Bastard - and something happened with Ballet Hoo! - I don't know whether it's my age, or the kids we worked with, but it made me realise that you can get the best out of dancers and students by coming in on a certain level and talking to them on a certain level - not always shouting. I do shout still, I do get very angry...
Equal parts free spirit and self-disciplinarian, Emery LeCrone manages to make the creative life look easy.
It’s a very special time when a new company is formed and about to give its very first performance – we caught up with the founding director…
In a life at the BBC the director, Bob Lockyer, was an outstanding champion of dance for the camera. Now 70, he is still indefatigable in his enthusiasms
I want to bring more of the public to the artform and see the enjoyment it brings. I suppose I believe I have something to say!
And I also love the fact that the city built this huge building to recognize classical ballet. Here in Texas we have the biggest monument to classical ballet in North America. That’s very cool. It was funded completely by private giving — from people who love the art, people who love classical ballet. That’s so exciting!
Not Trusting to Fate - The Frederick Ashton Foundation’s avowed purpose is to perpetuate the choreographer’s legacy. But to do so, it needs the co-operation of those to whom Ashton willed his ballets...