September 2009
News: Dance Mapping report published
Arts Council England’s report on involvement in dance in England has just been published. It is the most comprehensive survey to date and was informed by research conducted with more than 1,400 dance artis… Continue Reading
Feature: Book review
!! Different Drummer: The Life of Kenneth MacMillan by Jann Parry***Faber and Faber Ltd****758pp. £30.00. Hardback* Reviewed by Graham Watts Introverted and frequently uncommunicative, Kenneth MacMillan’s… Continue Reading
Feature: Scottish Ballet - Forty Years
!! Scottish Ballet – Forty years by Mary Brennan***Pulisher:* Saraband. 192pp. Hardback***RRP: £25.00 – or £21 via Scottish Ballet’s online shop *There’s still a chance to win a copy i… Continue Reading
Bounce in Insane in the Brain at Peacock Theatre
‘Hats off to Fredrik Rydman’s inexhaustibility as the irrepressible hero, McMurphy, in a show that wows the fans.’
Crystal Pite: Kidd Pivot in Lost Action at Sadler's Wells
?I began to feel that its episodic structure, repeated sequences, portentous images, the use of lighting so dim that you need laser vision and frequent plunges into blackness might eventually drive me nuts.?
The Brandstrup-Rojo Project in Goldberg at Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House
‘Overall, this is an ambitious, overcomplex work, at times lively or poignant, at others more irritating than tantalising.’
Lotte Van Den Berg in Stillen at Lilian Baylis Studio
‘The elements of Stillenhave a wearisome familiarity and have often been the conduit for vacuous pretentiousness; she has taken those cliches of Tanztheater and used them deftly to evoke truths about the human condition. Success indeed’
Bonachela Dance Company in The Land of Yes and The Land of No at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Soutbank Centre
‘Above all, it represents a giant leap for Bonachala – imaginatively, musically and choreographically..’
Bonachela Dance Company in The Land of Yes and The Land of No at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Soutbank Centre
‘For the first time in Bonachela’s work there is a greater simplicity and compassion, along with a pursuit of line and form, all of it heightened by a score that works with the choreography rather than against it.’
News: World's first Bollywood dance syllabus
Honey Kalaria is opening the doors of her academy for the new term, from 21 September 2009. Fresh from the BBC Proms and Indian Voices Day – where Honey choreographed students from Honey’s Dance Acad… Continue Reading
Bonachela Dance Company in The Land of Yes and the Land of No at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Soutbank Centre
‘These are moments of gorgeous choreography, gorgeously danced, but they can’t total much more than 10 minutes out of a total of 85. Bonachela needs either more consistent inspiration, or else a merciless editor.’
Review: Bonachela Dance Company in The Land of Yes and The Land of No at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Soutbank Centre
For those of us who complain about an hour-long journey into work, spare a thought for Rafael Bonachela. He’s now commuting between two hemispheres, linking his new day job as the Artistic Director of Sydn… Continue Reading
News: Hackney Empire to close
Hackney Empire will close after this year’s pantomime season in January 2010 for a period of around six to nine months. The majority of the staff will be made redundant. It was very nearly demolished in 20… Continue Reading
The Brandstrup-Rojo Project in Goldberg at Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House
‘There are moments where Goldberg falls short of its own high standards: the contemporary dance material lacks bite, and some of the “real -life” rehearsal behaviour becomes surprisingly twee. But the performances are riveting…’
The Brandstrup-Rojo Project in Goldberg at Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House
‘Brandstrup catches the absorption of working dancers, though Goldberg is slowed down by repetition and some sentimental storytelling.’