tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879703087392318242024-03-19T11:32:33.924+00:00Methods of DanceNorth West dance news, reviews and personal viewsPeter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.comBlogger778125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-83098248481885270332024-03-12T12:59:00.004+00:002024-03-12T12:59:50.013+00:00Olivier Awards 2024: dance nominations<p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Best theatre choreographer</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fabian Aloise for <i>Sunset Boulevard </i>at the Savoy Theatre</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf for <i>Dear England </i>at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Arlene Phillips with James Cousins for <i>Guys & Dolls </i>at the Bridge Theatre</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mark Smith for <i>The Little Big Things</i> at @sohoplace</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Susan Stroman for<i> Crazy For You</i> at the Gillian Lynne Theatre</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Outstanding achievement in dance</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Isabela Coracy for her performance in <i>NINA: By Whatever Means</i>, part of Ballet Black: Pioneers at the Barbican Theatre</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jonzi D for his artistic direction of Breakin’ Convention 2023 International Festival Of Hip Hop Dance Theatre at Sadler’s Wells</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rhiannon Faith for her community focussed conception of <i>Lay Down Your Burdens </i>at The Pit at Barbican</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Best new dance production</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Broken Chord</i> by Gregory Maqoma & Thuthuka Sibisi at Sadler’s Wells</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>The Rite Of Spring</i> by Seeta Patel at Sadler’s Wells</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>La Ruta </i>by Gabriela Carrizo, part of Nederlands Dans Theater - NDT 1 at Sadler’s Wells</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Time Spell </i>by Michelle Dorrance, Jillian Meyers & Tiler Peck, part of Turn It Out With Tiler Peck & Friends at Sadler’s Wells</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">On a personal note, as I went to see it and thought it was terrific: <i>Sunset Boulevard </i>leads the nominations for this year’s Olivier Awards, with a combined 11 nods.</span></p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-71435334023249882572024-03-11T09:00:00.003+00:002024-03-19T11:32:03.001+00:002024 - The Year in Dance<div><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">January</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">February</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">March</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>INK | Dimitris Papaioannou</b> | Sadler's Wells, London | 1 March *****</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">More performance installation than dance in any real sense, INK was an extraordinarily beautiful and completely fascination performance by Papaioannou himself - who proved to be very smart, witty and charming in the unusually engrossing post-show discussion - and a (mostly) naked Šuka Horn. Because the lip of the stage was raised to accommodate the pool in which the action took place and because much of the action was low-level a considerable amount of the action was infuriatingly/tantalisingly out of sight for the front few rows, resulting in much meerkat bobbing up and down by the otherwise engrossed audience to see what was causing the splashing. Personally, I was able to see enough that my imagination (and a bit of pre-research) seemed sufficient to fill in the blanks and it barely impacted on my enjoyment of this remarkable sensory experience. I greatly admired his production <i>The Great Tamer</i> and sadly missed (entirely my own fault) his last London show <i>Transverse Orientation</i> so I'm very happy to have made the effort to see INK. </span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Triple Bill | VERVE </b>| New Adelphi Theatre, Salford | 9 March ****</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Good to see Verve for the first time since (I think) 2016. Matteo Marfolglia's <i>A Field of Beauty</i> was terrific; Joy Alpuerto Ritter's piece on family relationships with its bunches of flowers motif was a bit sentimental for my taste; and it was a great opportunity to see (LA)HORDE's distinctive 'Jumpstyle' er... style in <i>People Used to Die</i>: great energy and excitement and some terrific performances.</span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>UK Premiere Tour | São Paulo Dance Company</b> | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 12 March [Dance Consortium UK tour] ***1/2</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Loved the choreography and staging but didn't really feel that I was witnessing greatness or striking originality. Beautiful nonetheless. </span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Being Human | Lisa Simpson & Susan Kempster</b> | The Lowry [Studio] | 20 March</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Turn </b>| Company Chameleon Studios | 22 March </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Watch It | Wendy Houstoun </b>| The Lowry [Studio] | 22 March</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Triple Bill 2024 | Emergence</b> | New Adelphi Theatre, Salford | 22-23 March</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Far From Home | Alleyne Dance</b> | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 26-27 March</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>April</b></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Mehek | </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Aakash Odedra and Aditi Mangaldas </b>| The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 16 April [Slightly surprised to see this booked in to the Lyric, to be honest.]</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Death Trap (Ben Duke Double Bill) | Rambert</b> | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 18-20 April</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>May</b></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Three (Triple Bill) | Motionhouse </b>| Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield | 2 May</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Accountants | Keith Khan | Aviva Studios</b> | 4-11 May 2024 [Keith Khan’s <i>The Accountants</i> takes real data from India and China and transforms it into a visual allegory for the stage [combining] dance from leading choreographers from China (Xie Xin) and India (Terence Lewis) with stunning visuals.]</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Karresakare |Igor x Moreno </b>| The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 22 May</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Triple Bill 2024 | Emergence</b> | Waterside, Sale | 23 May</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>June</b></span></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Korean Dance Festival - Cheok</b> | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 3-4 June</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>From England With Love | Schechter II</b> | HOME | 6-8 June</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Triple Bill 2024 | Emergence |</b> New<b> </b>Adelphi Theatre, Salford | 21-22 June</span></li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>July</b></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Brave Space </b>| The Lowry | 18-20 July [Cirque]</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>A Chorus Line</b> | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 23-27 July [Music Theatre: I wouldn't normally include a musical in the listings but A Chorus Line is a musical about (Broadway) dancers and is packed with brilliant dance numbers - and it's a personal favourite]</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>September</b></span></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby | Rambert </b>| Liverpool Empire | 17-21 September</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ivan Michael Blackstock | TRAPLORD</b> | Aviva Studios | September 2024</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>October</b></span></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Re:INCARNATION | </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Qudus Onikeku | The QDance Company</b> | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 8-9 October [Dance Consortium]</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby | Rambert</b> | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 22-26 October</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Giselle | English National Balle</b>t | Palace Theatre | 30 October-2 November [This is the classical Mary Skeaping version]</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>November</b></span></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake: The Next Generation | New Adventures</b> | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 19-30 November</span></li></ul></div><div><br /></div>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-36777675883201836392024-03-04T10:09:00.006+00:002024-03-04T17:10:49.752+00:002025 - The Year in Dance<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>January</b></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Nutcracker in Havana | Acosta Danza</b> | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 27-28 January</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Nutcracker, set in Havana, choreographed by Carlos Acosta, to a new version of the Tchaikovsky score. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>February</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>March</b></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Cinderella | Birmingham Royal Ballet</b> | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 6-8 March</span></li></ul><p></p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-468212345670801922024-02-07T16:26:00.004+00:002024-03-04T17:14:18.427+00:00Manchester - So much to answer for<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At the time of writing the only national touring companies that can reasonably be expected to visit Manchester or Salford are currently: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Birmingham Royal Ballet (The Lowry)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">English National Ballet (Palace Theatre)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Hofesh Shechter Company (thanks to an established relationship with HOME)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">New Adventures (The Lowry)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Rambert (The Lowry)</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>February:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Northern Ballet</b> - newly controversial since their decision to forgo the Northern Sinfonia due to cost and to only perform to recorded music henceforth - have announced the 2024 touring programme and are making no effort whatsoever to perform in Manchester (or Salford). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Phoenix Dance Theatre</b> - Liverpool's Everyman have announced that dance is returning to their stage for the first time in 10 years in the form of Phoenix Dance Theatre. I saw Phoenix several times at Liverpool Playhouse and at least once at The Lowry. They won't be playing The Lowry on this tour. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Birmingham Royal Ballet</b> - BRB have fallen victim to the financial misfortunes of Birmingham City Council and now face a 50% funding cut this financial year and a 100% cut the following year. This is not BRB's sole source of funding but marks a significant change from Carlos Acosta's arrival, when he announced (naively I thought at the time) that he would be speaking to the Council about funding. Back then, pre-Covid, BRN would visit The Lowry twice a year (spring and autumn). Now it is once a year, always one of the reliable classics, and the fear is that there is a now chance that we may lose even that. Touring is the most expensive thing these large companies do and break-even on touring has long been the target. Profitable income generally comes from festive base residencies and low-cost add-ons such as cinema screenings and TV licensing. </span></div><p><br /></p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-66297271191131041232023-11-06T10:30:00.004+00:002024-02-01T15:08:18.671+00:002023 - The Year in Dance<h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">January</span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">February</span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>WASTELAND | Gary Clarke Company | CONTACT | 1-3 February ***</b> </span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Most of the rave sections were terrific - although Clarke's attempt to recreate a warehouse full of people with just five dancers (entirely possible using light) was undermined by the 'last miner' slumped in his armchair watching TV centre stage throughout. The locally-sourced performers - which made his previous show <i>Coal</i> so emotionally resonant - here created a slightly sad air of amateurishness that made me long for the raving to begin.</span></div></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">March</span></h4><ul><li><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> | Rambert</b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>| The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 14-18 March ****</b></span></span></li><li><span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Woolf Works | Royal Ballet | Royal Opera House, London | 12 March *****</b></span></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have never properly seen the Royal Ballet but when I saw they were including Wayne McGregor's <i>Woolf Works</i> in their current season I decided to change that situation. Already a fan of the piece, having seen it online and owning the DVD, it was worth the effort. Simply wonderful. And great to hear Max Richter's beautiful music played live. And to see Alesandra Ferrri in the role created on her that brought her out of retirement - an inspired move by McGregor.</span></div><ul><li><span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>What Is Left? | The Overhead Project | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] 20 March [Circus] ****</b></span></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Considered, intelligent circus show blending acrobalance and contemporary dance with an original score.</span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">April</span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Kontemporary Korea | Korean National Contemporary Dance Company | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 24 April </b>[part of: Festival Of Korean Dance 2023] *****</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Exciting, distinctive, refreshing, modern, with a real understanding of space and pace. </span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Gold: The Journey of Light | Equilibrio Dinamico Dance Company | Riley Theatre (NSCD), Leeds | 29 April *****</b></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The programme by this attractive junior Italian company was made up of five pieces but every one managed to marry perfectly with exactly the kind of choreography I want to see with modern soundtracks and gorgeous lighting. Simply terrific. </span></div></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">May</span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Skid / SAABA | GöteborgsOperans Danskompani | Sadler's Wells, London | 12 May *****</b></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Damien Jalet's <i>Skid</i> was a spectacular and unique piece performed on a stage sloped at a 34 degree angle, where falling and struggle became a poetic exploration of tension, release and human strength and frailty. But I was primarily there to see Sharon Eyal's <i>SAABA</i>: her third original work for the company after <i>Untitled Black</i> (2012) and <i>Autodance</i> (2018). <i>SAABA</i> is classic Eyal: precise, delicate, awkward, elegant, surreal, unearthly and utterly compelling. Ori Lichtik's DJ score is diverse, darkly-witty and sinuous. They are a wonderful company producing exactly the kind of diverse challenging choreography I crave and their generosity in making a changing programme of works available online during lockdown was very welcome.</span></div></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">June</span></h4><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: arial;">MIF23 | Manchester International Festival | Factory International </b><span style="font-family: arial;">+ elsewhere | 29 June-16 July [Programme confirmed Spring 2023]</span></div></blockquote><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">July</span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: arial;">Find Your Eyes | Benji Reid | Academy 1 | 12-16 July </b><span style="font-family: arial;">[part of MIF23] ****</span></li></ul><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Despite Benji Reid's extensive background as a Hip-hop dancer, choreographer and dance theatre-maker - he's one of the UK key progenitors of Hip-hop theatre - calling Find Your Eyes 'dance' is a stretch (although not one anyone is being asked to make). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Reid has since moved into award-winning photography although characteristically has forged his own unique path: a photographer utilising dance and the capturing of motion and narrative without being a 'dance photographer': he styles this Choreo-Photolism. He's also a mean portrait photographer. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Characteristically for Reid - who has transcended and redefined multiple careers to express his own unique vision and skills - this show for MIF23 defies, deconstructs and rebuilds genres to create a theatre show that combines fascinating stagecraft, personal, thoughtful narrative, movement and live photography. It's kind of theatrically static but makes for a fascinating 90 minutes of Reid's charisma and quiet confidence, carefully-constructed dramaturgy, creative process and remarkably beautiful imagery - and there are dancers. If you have any kind of interest in photography or deconstructed dance or performance installation this is a show worth catching.</span></div></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>R.O.S.E. | L-E-V and Young with Ben UFO | New Century | 13-16 July </b>[part of MIF23] *****</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The promise of moving the dancers from the stage to the dancefloor in a club environment with DJ was slightly alarming but the experience was terrific. You almost certainly got less from the performance if you tried to just watch it from the side-lines - there were low bleachers on three sides - but if you got right in and entered in to the negotiation of space with the dancers as they appeared it could be hugely rewarding. The dancers - of course - were terrific, in nude genderless lace lingerie-inspired bodysuits and dramatic floods-of-tears makeup, facial piercings and extravagant rings. Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar's choreography was very on-brand and therefore completely mesmerising and they were both with the audience throughout the show. Ben UFO's varied and interesting techno DJ set was terrific and the entire event - which lasted around 2 1/2 hours managed to generate a genuine sense of excitement and occasion. Well done MIF. </span></div></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">August</span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">September</span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">October</span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Akram Khan's Giselle | English National Ballet | Palace Theatre | 19-21 October *****</b></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It is 2017 since I last saw Akram Khan's <i>Giselle</i> and it has lost little of its power. There were some small specific details I missed from the original performances of Tamara Rojo's Giselle - specifically the clarity of the needle and thread motif - which was so wonderfully informed by an exquisite world-weariness and kindness, and from Jeffery Cirio's spiky Hilarion. However, Aitor Arrieta's Albrecht was tonally perfect and Victor Prigent, debuting in the role of Hilarion, was simply fantastic, bringing a provocative cheekiness - and threat of aggression - to the role. Isabelle Brouwers brought a strong sense of inevitability and menace to Myrtha - and Stina Quagebeur - who originated the role - is a very hard act to follow. The opening scene of Act II - where Albrecht rages against the landlords, having done nothing previously in defence of Giselle - remains vaguely problematic, but the narrative pull and coherence of the revised story, the ridiculously marvellous score and the Tim Yip's designs are as fresh and exciting as ever. </span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Free Your Mind | Danny Boyle/Boy Blue</b> <b>| Factory International/Aviva Studios | 27 October</b> [Large scale Matrix-themed <b>Factory International</b> opening event | Hip Hop Dance] ***</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Free Your Mind</i> was ambitious in scale and big on spectacle - as it needed to be to mark the launch of Factory International - or Aviva Studios, as it became just before MIF this summer. However, the spectacle was largely empty and the piece was chronically undermined by a complete lack of coherence and some largely unremarkable performances. The chunks of <i>The Matrix</i> were largely undigested and lacking in narrative cohesion, and the non-<i>Matrix </i>additional ideas were simplistic and underdeveloped. The whole thing had the air of something constructed by someone who's biggest achievement is putting together an Olympic opening ceremony - but this needed to be more than a pageant and was ultimately underwhelming on a grandiose scale. </span></div></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">November </span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Rite of Spring | Seeta Patel Dance | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 21 November ****</b></span></li></ul></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">December</span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Lunar Halo | Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan | Sadler's Wells, London | 1 December</b> ****</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Very much the style of dance I enjoy - and by some incredible dancers - however the subject matter wasn't as interesting as it may have sounded and the amorphous score by Sigur Ros only occasionally coalesced from random noise into something more tangible and appealing. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2023</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In summary 2023 rather than seeing the green shoots of recovery post-Covid demonstrated the continuing damage caused by what is approaching a generation of cuts and other attacks to the arts by the government (and Brexit). Contemporary dance and ballet especially are struggling to maintain let alone regain momentum, to the extent that it is necessary to consider whether contemporary dance (broadly-speaking) is in terminal decline and whether the dance environment hasn't been entirely steered in an alternative direction. This is not evolution, this is symptomatic of a restrictive regime saying one thing and doing another. </span></div>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-77785706801405243302023-10-23T13:54:00.000+01:002023-10-23T13:54:22.007+01:00Greenwich Dance Announces Closure<p><a href="https://greenwichdance.org.uk/about-us/news/greenwich-dance-announces-closure/">It is with great sadness that Greenwich Dance today announces it has entered redundancy consultation with all staff as it prepares to cease operations ahead of its forthcoming closure on 31 December 2023.</a></p><p>The Board’s decision to wind down the organisation comes following the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s shock decision in January this year to completely remove its longstanding Voluntary and Community Sector funding and an unsuccessful National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) application to Arts Council England in 2022.</p><p>Both significant developments have led to a major destabilisation of an already fragile funding situation, resulting in the loss of further Royal Borough of Greenwich project funds. Furthermore, a succession of nine Arts Council England National Lottery Project Fund applications have been rejected, the most recent of which likely due to the Government’s levelling up agenda.</p><p>Over the last year, Greenwich Dance has worked tirelessly to seek different funding models to support its work with artists and communities and protect its staff. Despite success in attracting funding from Trusts and Foundations including the National Lottery Community Fund, City Bridge Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, and Esmèe Fairbairn Foundation, and a successful community crowdfunder raising £10,000 towards space hire for its Dance for Wellbeing class programme, without support for its core costs Greenwich Dance is unable to continue operating.</p><p>In the five years since the organisation was removed from Arts Council England’s National Portfolio, Greenwich Dance has successfully navigated huge challenges and an incredibly unstable funding climate. During this period Greenwich Dance has brought in over £1.8m worth of funding for high quality dance-based activity in the local community, with almost half (£0.88m) of that being generated through successful relationships with 16 Trusts and Foundations. Since 2019 its in-person performances and workshops have seen over 43,000 attendances and its successful manoeuvre to digital work has received a further 115,000+ views and downloads.</p><p></p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-16030289793764451712023-09-11T14:06:00.002+01:002023-09-11T14:06:58.429+01:00Ex-dancers describe body-shaming at top ballet schools<p>Former dancers have said there is a long-running "toxic" culture of body-shaming and bullying at two of the UK's most prestigious ballet schools.</p><p>The BBC has spoken to more than 50 ex-students of the Royal Ballet School and Elmhurst Ballet School who attended between 2004 and 2022.</p><p>Many described developing eating disorders, while some said they had been left with mental health problems.</p><p>Both schools dispute the accounts given to the BBC.</p><p style="text-align: right;">[Read on]</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66720433">BBC News</a></p></blockquote><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001qgpd/panorama-the-dark-side-of-ballet-schools">BBC iPlayer - Panorama - The Dark Side of Ballet Schools </a></p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-42106385316835202772023-09-07T14:11:00.002+01:002023-12-21T17:57:08.721+00:00New Artistic Director for Phoenix Dance Theatre<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCf0WwyyT23i4pJz5_mZ_gPqM_ndSGDY1Z_WgelpNnW4m5HgHH9ElPyS-wYwf_7PCr8nmxd7hBNn2wQqThrBeYwgQg_0jbFsd9PDJCUQYeqBWihq8Eu8fAgdWCTKEPXZpZ5BP4jqMOHVY7s_hm2n2rrbdTHPOlMTrnK48HIxyH63Hm5TAr1mGQSPJN5Me/s700/Marcus-Jarrell-Willis_Standard.-Photo-Hugo-Glendinning.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="700" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCf0WwyyT23i4pJz5_mZ_gPqM_ndSGDY1Z_WgelpNnW4m5HgHH9ElPyS-wYwf_7PCr8nmxd7hBNn2wQqThrBeYwgQg_0jbFsd9PDJCUQYeqBWihq8Eu8fAgdWCTKEPXZpZ5BP4jqMOHVY7s_hm2n2rrbdTHPOlMTrnK48HIxyH63Hm5TAr1mGQSPJN5Me/w200-h130/Marcus-Jarrell-Willis_Standard.-Photo-Hugo-Glendinning.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Hugo Glendinning</td></tr></tbody></table>Phoenix Dance Theatre have announced the appointment of Texan dance and choreographer Marcus Jarrell Willis as their new Artistic Director. <p></p><p>Delia Barker, Chair of the Board of Trustees said today: “We are delighted to make this announcement today of the appointment of Marcus Jarrell Willis. This is an exciting time for Phoenix as we are at the beginning of a new chapter for the company. Marcus’ appointment is key to a different way of working, nurturing and providing opportunities for talented individuals who may otherwise face barriers to securing leadership opportunities. Marcus’s depth of experience and his commitment to involving our many diverse communities, especially young people, match our ambition to create pathways for the development of artistic talent, particularly those from Black and other global majority communities. I am truly excited about what Marcus will bring to Phoenix, but also the role he will play in aiding Phoenix Dance Theatre to redefine leadership paths and development opportunities in the dance industry.”</p><p>Phoenix seem to have been through a period of instability and change since the departure of Sharon Watson - and many companies have especially struggled to cope with the challenges of Covid, a changing cultural climate and an increasingly hostile arts funding environment. Hopefully this does indeed mark a positive new era of creativity and stability for a company that used to be a favourite. </p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-9520403632463873072023-06-06T18:41:00.000+01:002023-07-11T13:59:30.738+01:00'National' Dance Awards 2023 | Nominations + Winners<p> <b>The 23rd National Dance Awards</b></p><p><b>#NDA23</b></p><p><b>Announcement of Nominations</b></p><p>The Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle is pleased to announce the short-listed nominations for the National Dance Awards (#NDA23).</p><p>The qualifying period for performances was between 1st January and 31st December 2022.</p><p>The short-listed nominees are taken from nominations made by the members of the Dance section of the Critics’ Circle.</p><p>In total there were 387 companies, choreographers, performers and other creative artists nominated (up from 355 in 2021), from which the short-listed nominees are:</p><p><b>DANCING TIMES AWARD FOR BEST MALE DANCER</b></p><p>William Bracewell (The Royal Ballet)</p><p><b>Jeffrey Cirio (English National Ballet)</b></p><p>Francesco Gabriele Frola (English National Ballet)</p><p>Jonathan Goddard (Freelance artist)</p><p>Brandon Lawrence (Birmingham Royal Ballet)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>BEST FEMALE DANCER</b></p><p>Francesca Hayward (The Royal Ballet)</p><p>Momoko Hirata (Birmingham Royal Ballet)</p><p>Fumi Kaneko (The Royal Ballet)</p><p>Katja Khaniukova (English National Ballet)</p><p>Laura Morera (The Royal Ballet)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>STEF STEFANOU AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COMPANY</b></p><p>Birmingham Royal Ballet</p><p>English National Ballet</p><p>Nederlands Dans Theater 2 (NDT2)</p><p><b>Scottish Ballet</b></p><p>The Royal Ballet</p><p><br /></p><p><b>BEST MID-SCALE COMPANY</b></p><p>Acosta Danza</p><p>Ballet Black</p><p><b>Lost Dog</b></p><p>Mark Bruce Company</p><p>National Dance Company Wales</p><p><br /></p><p><b>BEST INDEPENDENT COMPANY</b></p><p><b>Alleyne Dance</b></p><p>Burrows & Fargion</p><p>Matsena Productions</p><p>Rhiannon Faith Company</p><p>Thick and Tight</p><p><br /></p><p><b>BEST CLASSICAL CHOREOGRAPHY</b></p><p>William Forsythe for Forsythe Evening (English National Ballet)</p><p><b>Jess and Morgs for <i>Coppélia</i> (Scottish Ballet)</b></p><p>Crystal Pite for <i>Light of Passage</i> (The Royal Ballet)</p><p>Alexei Ratmansky for <i>Giselle</i> (The United Ballet of Ukraine)</p><p>Christopher Wheeldon for <i>Like Water for Chocolat</i>e (The Royal Ballet)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>BEST MODERN CHOREOGRAPHY</b></p><p>Ivan Blackstock for <i>Traplord</i> (Sadler’s Wells x 180 Studios/ The Factory/Altruviolet)</p><p>Ben Duke for <i>Cerberus</i> (Rambert)</p><p><b>Ben Duke for <i>Ruination</i> (Lost Dog)</b></p><p>Aakash Odedra and Hu Shenyuan for <i>Samsara</i> (Aakash Odedra Company)</p><p>Benoit Swan Pouffer for <i>Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelb</i>y (Rambert)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>EMERGING ARTIST AWARD</b></p><p><b>Musa Motha (Dancer, Rambert)</b></p><p>Jake Roxander (Dancer, ABT Studio Company/ABT)</p><p>Beatrice Parma (Soloist, Birmingham Royal Ballet)</p><p>tyroneisaacstuart (Dancer and Musical Artist)</p><p>Rhys Antoni Yeomans (Dancer, English National Ballet)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>OUTSTANDING FEMALE MODERN PERFORMANCE</b></p><p>Anique Ayiboe as The Chosen One in <i>Rite of Spring</i> (École des Sables))</p><p>Jemima Brown as Clorinda in <i>Clorinda Agonistes</i> (Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company)</p><p><b>Zeleidy Crespo in <i>100% Cuban</i> (Acosta Danza)</b></p><p>Naya Lovell as Grace in <i>Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby</i> (Rambert)</p><p>Zizi Strallen as Lana in <i>The Car Man</i> (New Adventures)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>OUTSTANDING MALE MODERN PERFORMANCE</b></p><p>Jean-Daniel Broussé as Hades in <i>Ruination</i> (Lost Dog)</p><p><b>Israel Galván in <i>La Consagración de la Primavera</i> (Compañia Israel Galván)</b></p><p>Musa Motha as Barney in <i>Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby</i> (Rambert)</p><p>Guillaume Quéau as Thomas Shelby in <i>Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby</i> (Rambert)</p><p>Hu Shenyuan in <i>Samsara</i> (Aakash Odedra Company)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>OUTSTANDING FEMALE CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE</b></p><p><b>Constance Devernay-Laurence as Swanilda in Coppélia (Scottish Ballet)</b></p><p>Francesca Hayward as Tita in <i>Like Water for Chocolate</i> (The Royal Ballet)</p><p>Fumi Kaneko as Odette/Odile in <i>Swan Lake</i> (The Royal Ballet)</p><p>Marianela Nuñez as Natalia Petrovna in <i>A Month in the Country</i> (The Royal Ballet)</p><p>Maria Pagés in <i>An Ode to Time</i> (Compañia Maria Pagés/Flamenco Festival)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>OUTSTANDING MALE CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE</b></p><p>Manuel Liñán in <i>Viva!</i> (Compañia Manuel Liñán/ Flamenco Festival)</p><p>Bruno Micchiardi as Coppelius in <i>Coppélia</i> (Scottish Ballet)</p><p>Vadim Muntagirov as Crown Prince Rudolf in <i>Mayerling</i> (The Royal Ballet)</p><p><b>Marcelino Sambé as Pedro in <i>Like Water for Chocolate</i> (The Royal Ballet)</b></p><p>Joseph Taylor in the title role of <i>Casanova</i> (Northern Ballet)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>OUTSTANDING CREATIVE CONTRIBUTION</b></p><p><b>Bob Crowley (Designer, for <i>Like Water for Chocolate</i>)</b></p><p>Roman Gian Arthur (Composer, for<i> Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby</i>)</p><p>Mikael Karlsson (Composer, for <i>Hotel</i>)</p><p><b>Paco Peña (Director and Guitarist, for <i>Solera</i>)</b></p><p>Joby Talbot (Composer, for <i>Like Water for Chocolate</i>)</p><p><br /></p><p>The winners will be announced at a live lunchtime ceremony to be held at The Coronet Theatre on Monday, 5th June . The Critics’ Circle is grateful to Anda Winters and the team at Coronet Theatre for their unstinting support.</p><p>The event will also play host to the De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement for which there are no prior nominations, won by Jonzi D</p><p>Although there was a wide spread of nominations covering a record 28 separate companies, The Royal Ballet once again tops the list with a total of 14 nominations (down from 17 in 2021), followed by English National Ballet and Rambert (7 each), Birmingham Royal Ballet (5) and Scottish Ballet (4).</p><p>In terms of individual productions, The Royal Ballet’s <i>Like Water for Chocolate</i> and Rambert’s <i>Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby </i>top the list with five nominations each.</p><p>Announcing the nominations, the Deputy Chair of the National Dance Awards, Debra Craine, said: “There is a rich assortment of dance amongst this year’s nominees. Although ballet still gathers the biggest share of nominations, there is a strong contingent from contemporary dance and flamenco.”</p><p>The Chair of the National Dance Awards, Graham Watts OBE, added: “This has proved to be another strong set of nominations as we got back to a full year of live theatre and dance. The dance critics will have a very difficult job choosing from these outstanding nominees, any one of which would be a worthy winner.”</p><p>The National Dance Awards have been organised by the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle in each year of this Millennium to celebrate the vigour and variety of Britain’s thriving dance culture. They are presented by the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle, which brings together over 60 dance writers and critics. They are the only awards given by the body of professional dance critics in the UK.</p><p>The National Dance Awards will be sponsored this year by Stef Stefanou, Harlequin Floors, Tendu, the Ballet Association, London Ballet Circle, The L&M Trust, Lee McLernon, Danza&Danza International, Celeste Fenichel, Assis Carreiro and others to be announced.</p><p>The Awards Committee wishes to express grateful thanks to our sponsors, without whom the event would not be possible; to the body of dance critics across the UK for giving their time to ensure the best possible list of nominees; and, above all, the companies, choreographers and performers for providing such a rich variety of choice.</p><p><a href="https://criticscircle.org.uk/national-dance-awards-2022-announcement-of-nominees/">https://criticscircle.org.uk/national-dance-awards-2022-announcement-of-nominees/</a></p><p>COMMENT: Despite the blather from the Chair and Deputy Chair of the National Dance Awards 2022 was hardly an amazing year for dance as reflected in the fact that almost everything that was on has garnered a nomination (more or less). As usual, apart from nominations for Scottish Ballet (who only leave Scotland to visit London these days) the nominations are almost comically London-centric - although a handful of things did actually tour (let alone come to Manchester). I confess I couldn't muster the energy for <i>Samsara</i>, avoid Acosta Danza where possible, and have yet to see the appeal of Thick and Tight. </p><p>Of the few shows nominated that I actually saw, Ben Duke's Cerberus for Rambert was terrific. And I'm very pleased to see a nomination for the delightful Jean-Daniel Broussé - who is ostensibly a circus performer - for Lost Dog's <i>Ruination</i>, which had great reviews but only showed at the Linbury Studio.</p><p>Much like the world of dance I am slowly emerging from my post-Covid funk but let's not pretend 2022 was a great year for dance - despite Rambert's (hopefully short-lived) swing to popularism and the enduring quality of the leading ballet companies. Let's hope there isn't always a need to pad out nominations with flamenco and to remember that there is amazing original and creative dance being made and performed out there - even if not in the UK. And spare a thought for nominees Mark Bruce Company - who were dropped from the ACE portfolio this year. </p><p><br /></p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-52209009762432090062023-04-03T12:56:00.000+01:002023-04-03T13:19:26.749+01:00Olivier Awards 2023 (Dance Nominations)<p> <span style="font-family: arial;">Olivier Awards 2023: nominations in dance categories</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Best new dance production</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Light of Passage by Crystal Pite at Royal Opera House</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Pasionaria by La Veronal at Sadler’s Wells</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Traplord by Ivan Michael Blackstock at 180 Studios (The Strand) - WINNER</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Triptych (The Missing Door, The Lost Room and The Hidden Floor) by Peeping Tom at Barbican theatre</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Outstanding achievement in dance</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Manuel Liñán for his choreography of ¡Viva! at Sadler’s Wells</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Dickson Mbi for his choreography of Enowate at Sadler’s Wells - WINNER</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">(My review for the Reviews Hub - <a href="https://www.thereviewshub.com/dickson-mbi-enowate-the-lowry-salford/">https://www.thereviewshub.com/dickson-mbi-enowate-the-lowry-salford/</a>)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Raquel Meseguer Zafe for her dramaturgy of Ruination by Lost Dog at Royal Opera House – Linbury theatre</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Catrina Nisbett for her performance in Family Honour by Spoken Movement at Sadler’s Wells</span></p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Special award<br /></b><b>Dame Arlene Phillips</b></span></div>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-74106840727414577792023-02-17T16:18:00.001+00:002023-02-17T16:18:56.483+00:00German ballet director ‘smeared dog faeces on critic’s face’ after bad review<p>The director of a leading German ballet company has been sacked from his post and is being investigated by police after allegedly smearing a critic’s face with his dog’s excrement at the premiere of his new show after she described one of his productions as “boring” and “disjointed”.</p><p>Marco Goecke confronted Wiebke Hüster, the ballet critic of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), in the interval of his latest show on Sunday night.</p><p>He attacked her verbally before producing a bag of dog faeces from his pocket and rubbing the contents in her face, the FAZ and the critic said.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/13/german-ballet-director-smeared-poo-face-of-critic-who-wrote-negative-review-hanover-state-opera">German ballet director ‘smeared dog faeces on critic’s face’ after bad review</a> [the Guardian]</p><h1 class="dcr-y70mar" style="--source-text-decoration-thickness: 4px; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.15; margin: 0px; padding: 4px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #121212; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-weight: 500;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/14/german-ballet-director-marco-goecke-offers-no-apology-over-dog-faeces-incident">German ballet director offers no apology over dog faeces incident</a> [the Guardian]</span></span></h1>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-26972031757858533742023-02-08T18:58:00.005+00:002023-02-16T16:23:53.050+00:00Black Sabbath The Ballet to premiere in Birmingham in September and BRB2<p></p><blockquote><p>Ballet and heavy metal may not be an obvious pairing, but that's the mash-up fans will be getting when Black Sabbath - The Ballet opens later this year.</p><p>The brainchild of Birmingham Royal Ballet director Carlos Acosta and the band's Tony Iommi, the ballet will premiere in Birmingham in September.</p><p>It will feature eight Black Sabbath tracks plus new music inspired by them.</p><p>Iommi told Radio 4's Today he hopes the "rags to riches" tale will attract "both our fans and ballet fans".</p><p>Acosta told the programme he had been a big fan of the band since a friend introduced him to their music around the year 2000.</p></blockquote><p style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64544418">BBC News</a> </p><p style="text-align: left;">I'm not sure if this is terrible idea (the Sabbath tracks will be re-orchestrated for the Royal Ballet Sinfonia) but has the potential to be awesome.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.brb.org.uk/shows/black-sabbath">https://www.brb.org.uk/shows/black-sabbath</a></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">This full-evening ballet promises to be a unique undertaking with three composers and three choreographers, led by renowned Choreographer Pontus Lidberg (whose work has been performed by the Swedish Royal Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet) and Composer Chris Austin (whose work includes orchestrating the White Stripes music for Wayne McGregor’s Chroma) working alongside award-winning writer Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer, The Opera) to create an extraordinary metal symphony over three acts. Black Sabbath themselves have been closely involved in developing this unique collaboration.</p></blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">Three composers and three choreographers sounds to me like a hot mess. But we'll see. Pontus Lidberg is a potentially interesting choice. </p><p style="text-align: left;">The company have also recently announced the launch of BRB2.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote>BRB2 is a new initiative where BRB pro-actively seeks out some of the best young ballet graduates from around the world to join a two-year performance programme, providing vital employment for the next generation of exceptional ballet dancers (aged 18-22) to transition from training into jobs at BRB or other leading ballet companies, impacting the dance sector worldwide. </blockquote><p>This fundamentally seems like a terrific idea but it seems a shame that the programme for their inaugural tour is an Acosta-selected (naturally, it is literally his job) mixed bag of (mostly) classical set pieces - pas de deux etc. There looks to be around ten pieces in the programme, which is a horrible idea (in my opinion). A curate's egg, anyone? </p><p>Neither show is coming to Manchester / Salford, by the way. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p></blockquote><p></p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-15242224052007126322022-12-15T11:23:00.004+00:002023-01-11T17:55:03.475+00:002022 - The Year in Dance: Review of the Year<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Pre-Covid, at this point in the year I would look at the 25-30 dance shows I had seen during the year and pick out my top ten favourites. Sometimes I would need to add a 'best of the rest' list because I'd seen so much I rated and enjoyed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This year I have seen twelve shows. Twelve. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There are reasons for this. The pandemic delivered a blow to the live entertainment industry across the board from which it has yet to fully recover. Some areas have recovered faster and stronger than others but dance and theatre are still less active and performing to smaller audiences generally. Especially dance. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Recent ACE funding decisions have delivered fresh blows the impact of which are not yet known - but many companies face real-terms cuts to funding or the loss of their NPO status entirely.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Personally, I am less willing to travel to see dance so I have missed things in previous years I would likely have seen, in Chester, Liverpool and Huddersfield (mostly). I still went to London a couple of times. Like many people I feel differently to before in enclosed and organised spaces leading to off-putting anxiety (and sometimes full-blown panic attacks, although these have lessened over time). Some of the ways I have tackled anxiety are by avoiding shows that are long (+90 mins) or without an interval, changing where I sit in theatres - front and centre now tends to be more middle and end of row (especially an empty row) - and not booking shows that look like they might be less interesting to me personally or companies I don't especially feel the need to see again. I know this is unhelpful to those companies who need audiences so badly right now but there it is. </span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;">The Days | Theo Clinkard</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">| The Lowry [Studio] | April </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A conceptually simple but unexpectedly-moving duet that unfussily created a powerful emotional narrative, punched home with some clever musical choices and tenderly-measured performances from Maria Nurmela and Ville Oinonen and two locally-recruited older performers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Le Pain | Jean-Daniel Broussé | </b>The Lowry [Studio] | April </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The cirque content in this show from JD of Nikki and JD fame is relatively low so it is more of a mixed media physical theatre piece with lots of humour, film, dance, some acro - and bread-making. It is a beautifully-constructed piece, full of warmth and humour and charisma from a performer who literally embodies all those qualities - plus some really good bread. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Dance | Rambert</b> | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | May </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This was a triple bill featuring the marvellous <i>Eye Cand</i>y by Imre van Opstal and Marne van Opstal - shown as part of the summer livestream but much more impactful and (good) strange on stage - a new Ben Duke commission (<i>Cerberus</i>) - which was terrific - and a piece by Alonzo King created in 2000 for Alvin Ailey (<i>Following the Subtle Current Upstream</i>). The third piece was less to my taste but I had been so blown away by <i>Eye Candy</i> and <i>Cerberus</i> that it still seemed like a very strong programme.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Double Murder (Clowns/The Fix) | Hofesh Shechter Compan</b>y | HOME | June</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I have seen <i>Clowns</i> so many times (twice on stage and more times than I can count online) that I was not especially excited to see it again (especially with so many recent personnel changes in the company). But I was wrong. <i>Clowns</i> is terrific: poetic, exciting, shocking, funny, sexy and thought-provoking. New piece <i>The Fix</i> was unexpectedly simple and different: "a response to global pandemic, loneliness and isolation that settles on hope and hugs as the answer" [the Guardian]. I found it deeply moving and at the end as I stood in the front row while dancer Frédéric Despierre hugged me it felt everything I needed at that moment. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Dark in the House | L-E-V Dance Company | Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar</b> | Bold Tendencies, Peckham Rye, London | July</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Apparently Sharon Eyal had planned to restage 2011's <i>House</i> - which has never been seen in the UK - for this new three-day residency. Instead she reworked elements of <i>House</i>, <i>OCD Love </i>and <i>Wet</i> (2022) - which was created as part of their <i>This Is Not A Love Show - A Series of Dance Performances</i> at Kraftwerk Berlin in January into a site-specific new work. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The result - soundtracked by Ori Lichtik for the first part and DJ Koreless for the second - was a hypnotic exploration of Eyal's strange/beautiful, precise, extreme, spiky, languid, not-quite-robotic choreography performed in near-darkness (Part 1) or floods of red, green and pink (Part 2). Having been slightly underwhelmed by <i>Love Chapter 3</i>'s oddly light-hearted tone at Sadler's Wells in May, this dark, alien beauty - which I saw twice on consecutive nights - made me fall in love with Eyal's work all over again. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Bold Tendencies is such a fantastic venue - the top two floors of a no-longer-in-use multi-storey carpark - and the smaller audience these performances are designed for - they also promoted her 2021 residency in Selfridge's loading bay - gives these shows a very special atmosphere and sense of excitement. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Kin | Gecko</b> | HOME | September</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Gecko are a physical theatre company with strong dance unpinning their work and their new show <i>Kin</i> - which is on the highly-topical subject of migration - is particularly strong on dance content. Anyone who likes Hofesh Shechter would enjoy this as it shares much of the same DNA. Dark, comic, intelligent and impactful: visually dynamic and wonderfully creative. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">A really fantastic</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> show that they will continue to tour (and refine) in 2023. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-77891622132174966882022-11-14T10:30:00.003+00:002023-05-30T13:58:09.273+01:002022 - The Year in Dance<h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">January</span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Swan Lake | Russian State Ballet of Siberia | Bridgewater Hall | 3-4 January</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Mariposa | DeNada Dance Theatre | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 16 January ['a queer tragedy inspired by Puccini’s Madame Butterfly'] </i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Short and Sweet | Thick and Tight | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 18-19 January</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Swan Lake | Moscow City Ballet | Opera House | 20-21 January</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>The Nutcracker | Moscow City Ballet | Palace Theatre | 22 January</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Nobody | Motionhouse | Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield | 25 January</i></span></li></ul></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">February</span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>The Band | Levantes Dance Theatre | Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield | 8 February</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Bluebelle | Theatre Re | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 8-9 February [Physical Theatre]</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Nobody | Motionhouse | HOME | 10-12 February</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Kattam Katti | Pagrav Dance Theatre | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 11 February [Modern South Asian dance theatre]</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Extended Play: DONUTS | The Lowry [Studio] | 11-12 February</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Romeo and Juliet | Russian State Ballet of Siberia | Liverpool Empire | 14 February</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>The Snow Maiden | Russian State Ballet of Siberia | Liverpool Empire | 15 February</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Swan Lake | Russian State Ballet of Siberia | Liverpool Empire | 16 February</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Wedding | Gecko | Storyhouse, Chester | 16-19 Febru</span></i><span style="font-size: x-small;">ary</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>100% Cuban | Acosta Danza | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 22-23 February</i></span></li></ul></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">March</span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i>Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker!<span> | Liverpool Empire | 1-5 March </span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>Don Quixote | Birmingham Royal Ballet</span><span> | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] 2-5 March - the Birmingham Royal Ballet return after a two-year pandemic-related absence</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>The Chosen Haram</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 3 March [Queer Cirque] ***</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>First Steps: Cinderella's Storybook | Birmingham Royal Ballet</span><span> | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 4 March [Interactive bite-sized fairytale ballet for younger audiences]</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span>A Tale of Two Cities | Lost Dog</span><span> | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 15-16 March</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>The Dan Daw Show | Dan Daw</span><span> | HOME | 17-19 March [part of Submerge festival]</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Dance Double Bill | Alessandro Sciarroni and Thick & Tight</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> | Salford Lads Club | 22 March [part of: Submerge festival in association with The Lowry]</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>Overflow - Alexander Whitley Dance</span><span> | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 22-23 March </span></i></span></li><li><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>Jumbie | Jamal Gerald</span><span> | HOME | 23-26 March [Black queer interdisciplinary performance] [part of Submerge festival] - cancelled</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>Deluxe | BalletBoyz</span><span> | Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield | 28 March</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>Tour 2022 | VERVE</span><span> | <a href="https://www.newadelphitheatre.co.uk/event/verve-triple-bill/">New Adelphi Theatre, Salford</a> | 29 March [bizarrely for a Tuesday this is a matinee starting at 2pm]</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>Deluxe | BalletBoyz</span><span> | Storyhouse, Chester | 30 March-1 April</span></i></span></li></ul><p></p><span style="font-family: arial;">April</span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Platform: The Showcase | CONTACT | 1 April [Hip hop & mixed media showcase]</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>40 Years of Phoenix | Phoenix Dance Theatre | Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield | 7 April </i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Pinocchio: a ballet for children | Northern Ballet | Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield | 10 April </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Days | Theo Clinkard</b> | The Lowry [Studio] | 19 April **** </span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;">Conceptually-simple but unexpectedly-moving duet that unfussily creates a powerful emotional narrative, punched home with some clever musical choices and tenderly measured performances from Maria Nurmela and Ville Oinonen. </span><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Le Pain | Jean-Daniel Broussé</b> | The Lowry [Studio] | 21 April ****</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;">The cirque content in this show from JD of Nikki and JD fame is relatively low so it is more of a mixed media physical theatre piece with lots of humour, film, dance, some acro - and bread-making. It is a beautifully-constructed piece, full of warmth and humour and charisma from a performer who literally embodies all those qualities - plus some really good bread. </span><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Emergence 2022 | New Adelphi Theatre, Salford | 29-30 April</i></span></li></ul></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">May</span></h4><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>One Another | National Dance Company Wales | Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield | 4 May </i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Public | Ockham's Razor</b> | The Lowry | 7-8 May | Free and unticketed event outside The Lowry at 12pm and 3pm ***</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Double Bill (Set/Reset & Last Shelter) | Candoco Dance Company | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 10-11 May</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>The Shadow | Company Chameleon | <a href="https://www.companychameleon.com/">Chameleon Studios, Openshaw</a> | 18-20 May </i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Barely Visible | Waterside, Sale | 18 May [Cirque: part of Pride in Trafford]</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Casanova | Northern Ballet | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 18-21 May</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Dance | Rambert </b>| The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 25-27 May [Triple bill featuring the marvellous <i>Eye Candy</i> by </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Imre van Opstal and Marne van Opstal</span> <span style="font-family: arial;">- shown as part of the summer livestream - a new Ben Duke commission (<i>Cerberus</i>) and a piece by Alonzo King created in 2000 for Alvin Ailey (<i>Following the Subtle Current Upstream</i>)] ****</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Emergence 2022</b> | Waterside, Sale | 26 May ***<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Love Chapter 3: The Brutal Journey of the Heart | L-E-V </b>| Sadler's Wells, London | 27 May ****</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The final part of Sharon Eyal's Love trilogy, Chapter 3 has a distinctly-different soundtrack by Ori Lichtik that mixed country, folk, Americana and Latin - which gave Eyal's characteristic movement a more organic and lighthearted, witty feel. I assume the title is ironic as this was by far the least brutal piece of the trilogy. The dancers were expectedly charismatic and amazing. Truth be told, this is the least-engaging and emotionally flattest piece I have seen the company produce but I still found fascination and wonder in the movement and the beauty of her company of dancers. </span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Witness This | Company Chameleon | Harpurhey Shopping Centre, Manchester | 28 May @ 12.30pm & 3pm [part of SICK! Festival]</i></span></li></ul></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">June</span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i>Nobody | Motionhouse <span>| Storyhouse, Chester | 15 June</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman";">∞ </span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;">[Infinity] | Humanhood<span> | The Lowry [Lyric] | 21 June </span></span></span></span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Double Murder (Clowns/The Fix) | Hofesh Shechter Company <span style="font-weight: normal;">| HOME | 22-25 June *****</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>Blame Game | Kundle Cru</span><span> | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 23 June [Urban cirque]</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>The Red Shoes (1948)</span><span> | The Plaza, Stockport | 24 June [See the classic 1948 Powell and Pressburger film in <a href="https://stockportplaza.co.uk/whats-on/film-the-red-shoes-cert-u/">Stockport's Super Cinema and Variety Theatre</a> at 11am or 7.30pm]</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>Emergence 2022</span><span> | New Adelphi Theatre, Salford | 24-25 June </span></i></span></li></ul></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">July</span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i>Curfew | El-Funoun Palestinian Dance Troupe & Hawiyya Dance Company<span> | Unity Theatre, Liverpool | 16 July [part of: Liverpool Arab Arts festival]</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i>Lifted | Mimbre <span>| Waterside Plaza, Sale | 23 July @ 3pm and 7pm [Cirque. part of: Refract: 22]</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i>Muguwa <span>| HOME | 23-24 July [part: of Salaam Festival]</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>Street Cat Strut </span><span>| Waterside Plaza, Sale | 24 July @ 1, 2 and 3pm [Cirque. Part of: Refract:22]</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>Invisible Cities | Sirocco Dance Theatre</span><span> | International Anthony Burgess Foundation (IABF) | 24-25 July</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span>Glam | Etta Ermini Dance Theatre and Van Huynh Company</span><span> | Waterside Plaza, Sale | 29-30 July @ 12pm and 4pm [part of: Refract:22] </span></i></span></li></ul></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://watersidearts.org/whats-on/?category=refract22">Refract: 22 festival</a></span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Dark in the House | L-E-V Dance Company | Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar</b> | Bold Tendencies, Peckham Rye, London | 29-30 July *****</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Apparently Sharon Eyal had planned to restage 2011's <i>House</i> - which has never been seen in the UK - for this new three-day residency. Instead she reworked elements of <i>House</i>, <i>OCD Love</i> and <i>Wet </i>(2022) - which was created as part of their T<i>his Is Not A Love Show - A Series of Dance Performances at Kraftwerk Berlin i</i>n January into a site-specific new work. The result - soundtracked by Ori Lichtik for the first part and DJ Koreless for the second - was a hypnotic exploration of Eyal's strange/beautiful, precise, extreme, spiky, languid, not-quite-robotic choreography performed in near-darkness (Part 1) or floods of red, green and pink (Part 2). Having been slightly underwhelmed by Love Chapter 3's oddly light-hearted tone, this dark, alien beauty - which I saw twice on consecutive nights - made me fall in love with Eyal's work all over again. </span></div></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">August</span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">September</span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Reverie | Georgia Tegou and Michalis Theophanous</b> | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 20-21 September ***1/2</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Kin | Gecko </b>| HOME | 27 September - 1 October *****</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dark and deeply moving, universal and yet incredibly personal, this dance theatre production is thought-provoking, layered and plays to Gecko's strengths at storytelling through movement and drama. Fans of Hofesh Shechter would likely enjoy this - and the dance content is strong, dynamic and emotive. Fans of Priti Patel might not be so keen. </span></div></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">October</span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Alice | Jasmin Vardimon Company | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 1 October</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://watersidearts.org/whats-on/3177-shuffle/">Shuffle</a> | Waterside, Sale | 1 October [Interactive street dance performance]</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>the album by SAY | SAY | The Lowry [Studio] | 4 October</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Groove | Outbox | CONTACT | 5-7 October</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Swan Lake | English National Ballet | Palace Theatre | 5-8 October</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Emerging | Scarabeus Aerial Theatre | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 7-8 October [Cirque]</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Samsara | Aakash Odedra Company | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 9 October </i></span></li><li><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Born To Exist | Joseph Toonga </span><span style="font-family: arial;">| The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 14 October</span></span></i></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Tin Man | Joss Arnott Dance | Waterside, Sale | 14 October</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Dream | Ballet Cymru | Storyhouse, Chester | 18 October [new retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream]</i></span></li><li><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Clorinda Agonistes | Shobana Jeyasingh Dance</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 18-19 October</span></span></i></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Blak Whyte Gray | Boy Blue</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> | HOME | 20-22 October </span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Delicate | Extraordinary Bodies | The Lowry [Studio] | 25-26 October [Cirque]</i></span></li></ul></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">November</span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i>I M PACT: Dance Lab | <span>The Lowry [Studio + online] | 2 November </span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i>Hold Tight | Vincent Dance Theatre <span>| Unity Theatre, Liverpool | 4 November </span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i>Beauty & the Beast | Ballet Theatre UK <span>| Waterside, Sale | 5 November (Matinee only]</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>What Songs May Do | Rendezvous Dance</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | The Lowry [Studio] | 11 November ****</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Schrödinger | Reckless Sleepers</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> | New Adelphi Theatre, Salford | 11-12 November [Physical theatre]</span></i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><i><span>Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty</span><span> | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 22-26 November </span></i></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;">December</span></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Double Bill (Say It Loud & Black Sun) | Ballet Black | The Lowry [Quays Theatre] | 1-2 December</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>The Dan Daw Show | Dan Daw | HOME | 1-3 December [UK Theatre Awards 2022 nominee]</i></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As dates pass what I have seen remains in 'normal' text and shows missed or unseen change to a smaller italic font. In previous years I have simply deleted past shows (unless of particular interest) but this year to map my changed habits and experience of watching dance post-Covid I'm logging what I didn't see. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">At this point (in early October) it looks as if I may only see around 15 shows in 2022. This is probably a little less than half what I was seeing pre-Covid - not only because my eagerness to see 'everything' has diminished enormously but because there is simply less - and less interesting - on. </span></div>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-29940575213269692822022-11-09T15:13:00.005+00:002022-11-14T13:27:46.884+00:00ACE 2023-26 Investment Programme - Dance<p><b>The dance companies below were given NPO status and funding as part of the 2023-26 Investment Programme:</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Amina Khayyam Dance Co</li><li>Blink Dance Theatre</li><li>CoDa Dance Company</li><li>Company of Others</li><li>DanceSyndrome</li><li>FRONTLINEdance</li><li><b>Gary Clarke Company Ltd</b></li><li><b>Humanhood</b></li><li>Impact Dance Foundation</li><li>IRIE! dance theatre</li><li>Jaivant Patel Company CIC</li><li>Just Us Dance Theatre Company</li><li>Kala The Arts</li><li>Magpie Dance</li><li>Nupur Arts Dance Academy</li><li>Pagrav Company Limited</li><li>Rhiannon Faith Company</li><li>Second Hand Dance</li><li>Seeta Patel Dance Ltd</li><li>Southpaw Dance Productions</li><li>Surface Area Dance Theatre CIC</li><li>Tech Styles Dance LTD</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Companies that have increased funding:</b></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>ACE Dance & Music</li><li>Balbir Singh Dance Company</li><li><b>Ballet Black</b></li><li><b>Boy Blue</b></li><li><b>Company Chameleon</b></li><li>Corali</li><li><b>Jasmin Vardimon Company</b></li><li><b>Northern Ballet</b></li><li><b>Phoenix Dance Theatr</b>e</li><li>RJC Dance</li><li>Serendipity</li><li>Stopgap Dance Company</li><li>TIN Arts</li></ul><p><b>Companies that have reduced funding (hard to see this as anything but an attack on national touring):</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Dance Consortium</b></li><li><b>English National Ballet</b></li><li><b>Rambert</b></li><li><b>Royal Opera House (incl. Royal ballet)</b></li><li><b>Sadler's Wells</b></li></ul><div>Obviously all companies whose funding remains unchanged face a real-term cut due to energy costs and inflation etc. </div><p></p><p><b>Companies that have lost NPO status: there isn't a list for this so picking up who the casualties are from the news of the companies' own social media channels:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Autin Dance Theatre</li><li>Avant Garde Dance Company</li><li><b>Mark Bruce Dance Company</b></li><li><b>Protein Dance</b></li><li><b>Russell Maliphant Dance Company</b></li><li><b>Shobana Jeyasingh Dance</b></li></ul><p></p><div><b>in bold</b>: companies I have seen</div>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-91079079245408581172022-10-24T12:03:00.004+01:002022-10-24T12:03:28.091+01:00UK Theatre Awards 2022<p>The UK Theatre Awards 2022 took take place at London's historic Guildhall on Sunday 23 October 2022.</p><p>The UK Theatre Awards are the only nationwide awards to celebrate the outstanding achievements of regional and national theatre. </p><p>There is only dance-specific award:</p><p><b>Achievement in Dance</b></p><p>Will Tuckett’s <i>Then or Now</i> for <b>Ballet Black</b>, exquisitely melding poetry, dance, light and sound into an intimate work that gently touches big themes of our times</p><p>The dancers of <b>Rambert</b> for their ability to inhabit any choreographer’s vision, as a company of unique, versatile, incredibly skilled performers</p><p><b>Dan Daw</b> for <i>The Dan Daw Show</i>, a kinky, joyful, unapologetic and vulnerable celebration of oneself and one’s body</p><p><b>The Winners were Rambert</b></p><p>also:</p><p><b>Northern Ballet</b> were nominated in the <b>Excellence in Touring</b> category. </p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-84180449042048045542022-10-13T17:23:00.008+01:002022-10-13T17:26:29.353+01:00FACTORY INTERNATIONAL is coming<p><b>INVENT TOMORROW TOGETHER</b></p><p></p><blockquote><p>At Factory International, we have a year-round programme of events for you. It could be theatre, dance, music, exhibition, performance or a combination. A twist on the familiar, or a leap into the unknown. </p><p>We’re putting art in the heart of Manchester; within reach of everyone. </p><p><br /></p></blockquote><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>FACTORY INTERNATIONAL</b> is the new £130m purpose-built home for Manchester International Festival - which returns in 2023 - but will also provide a year-round programme of events and artist and community activities. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>FACTORY INTERNATIONA</b>L opens SUMMER 2023</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>https://factoryinternational.org/<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2RAsyc2B9cPQjQoLK0pC4h5Qss9BZnyY_XJWwOLDnYOjm-3NwFKYQlncZX-sL7EJD8POSbfsQMhNgRDiz7t918Dt98uPs2CD0Us6mBobOsV6atMgjJes8TzZaN-eB2H_OljejOZw3_hTCe8J-IGfeTQaVsoIPY4Av-Rcb0oCxglA0CaPYWt7Hbb7nw/s2088/1.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="2088" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2RAsyc2B9cPQjQoLK0pC4h5Qss9BZnyY_XJWwOLDnYOjm-3NwFKYQlncZX-sL7EJD8POSbfsQMhNgRDiz7t918Dt98uPs2CD0Us6mBobOsV6atMgjJes8TzZaN-eB2H_OljejOZw3_hTCe8J-IGfeTQaVsoIPY4Av-Rcb0oCxglA0CaPYWt7Hbb7nw/w640-h374/1.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bAYML8QF7R0Ogsm5i6-RvEQlYSbWmLdaSNec3M95LklkB275ogHZ_OTgBxw-zAIx504hwPveoDYW9F7i10LguCaBNjW3M_BlPg620nB4YNWnL8cNpFhf65g_A0xi649cTQ16Q71i_8eq_c8fnYeDJNHbj4RBGodKHQg9STgeeiST7mhRq3r_Vyg4iQ/s1280/maxresdefault.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bAYML8QF7R0Ogsm5i6-RvEQlYSbWmLdaSNec3M95LklkB275ogHZ_OTgBxw-zAIx504hwPveoDYW9F7i10LguCaBNjW3M_BlPg620nB4YNWnL8cNpFhf65g_A0xi649cTQ16Q71i_8eq_c8fnYeDJNHbj4RBGodKHQg9STgeeiST7mhRq3r_Vyg4iQ/w640-h360/maxresdefault.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-22854264870281626052022-10-07T12:55:00.003+01:002022-10-07T17:42:21.453+01:00SOLD OUT<p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Palace Theatre has <b>SOLD OUT</b> English National Ballet's <i>Swan Lake</i> - 5-8 October.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm not <i>completely</i> sure of the significance of this but I can't remember the last time I saw dance at The Lowry in any of their three theatres and it being close to full - let alone sold out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> And The Lowry appear - in my opinion - to be losing sense in which of their three theatres to even programme dance. They have several times put shows in The Lyric this year that would clearly have been more appropriate to The Quays, while failing to draw a significant audience for Rambert (for example) - once so reliable but a company that has made the mistake of improving and modernising to the extent that it seems to have cost them the mainstream dance audience - or the mainstream dance audience has evaporated. (Which one can only ascribe to more than a decade of Conservative attacks on culture on multiple fronts.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Ironically Rambert may have just brought themselves back to (more) mainstream prominence by shamelessly creating a show based on Peaky Blinders - <a href="https://www.rambert.org.uk/whats-on/peaky-blinders-the-redemption-of-thomas-shelby/">Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby</a> After years of minor adjustments to their name they have even cannily badged themselves as Rambert Dance for this production instead of the current RAMBERT. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Swan Lake</i> is the most reliable ballet to programme - it combines a story that retains its ability to enchant (but is easy to follow and still retains huge affective power), spectacle and a score that is never less than delightful and full of strong melody and drama. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But this surely also indicates that there is an appetite for entertaining, well-produced, quality work by established, top-quality companies - that is marketed strongly. This seems so obvious that I can't believe I'm even saying the words. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So why is dance in such dire straights? Are <i>Swan Lake</i> (and probably <i>Romeo & Juliet</i>, <i>Sleeping Beauty</i> and <i>The Nutcracker</i>) and Matthew Bourne the last defiant bastions? Or is this Little England securing what is rightfully theirs - proper British ballet for proper British people?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Or - as I have long believed - do Manchester audiences (broadly-speaking) not mix their venues? The Lowry audience go to The Lowry. The ATG audience go to the Palace and the Opera House. And the HOME audience go to HOME (where Hofesh Shechter does pretty well). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So this selling out of <i>Swan Lake</i> is simply the ATG audience going to see their once-every 12-18 months ballet show?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The interesting thing will be how MIF's <a href="https://factoryinternational.org/"><b>Factory International</b></a> - which finally opens in summer 2023 - shakes things up - or fails to find that elusive audience that clearly isn't necessarily going anywhere else. </span></p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-5099721533795252772022-09-01T14:48:00.004+01:002022-09-01T14:48:43.688+01:00English National Ballet announces Aaron Watkin as new artistic director <p><b>English National Ballet </b>announces <b>Aaron Watkin</b> as new artistic director </p><p>The 52-year-old Canadian will succeed Tamara Rojo in August 2023 and arrives after 16 years as artistic director of Semperoper Ballett in Dresden.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-T1H3ovSrwFWcWnfpGKyYBWmxK6IJJkMBgnPV7YrRG-henWW3DfNVa3vHZ_3Xa6Ug0ejED8vLtYFRoOCOehytkP2ta0nE5qTZ-iBdfC8itSQUJBRvlpq7Z1-5CmWkvJcKsGq-8iiSzVJG3w7Sn_ppM7lbQ6mtc-ywhwBlVW_MmLviMiZVONvQllAupw/s560/Portrait-2014-Photo-by-Ian-Whalen-IMG_1565-copy-e1413879065884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="524" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-T1H3ovSrwFWcWnfpGKyYBWmxK6IJJkMBgnPV7YrRG-henWW3DfNVa3vHZ_3Xa6Ug0ejED8vLtYFRoOCOehytkP2ta0nE5qTZ-iBdfC8itSQUJBRvlpq7Z1-5CmWkvJcKsGq-8iiSzVJG3w7Sn_ppM7lbQ6mtc-ywhwBlVW_MmLviMiZVONvQllAupw/s320/Portrait-2014-Photo-by-Ian-Whalen-IMG_1565-copy-e1413879065884.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>Watkin has described his artistic vision [for Semperoper Ballett] as "based upon removing the borders that traditionally exist between classical and contemporary dance styles and redefining dance as the culmination of both."<p></p><p>Watkin is expected to continue to develop ENB along the path started by Tamara Rojo, who has spent the past decade improving and modernising the company - retaining classical work at the heart of the company while bringing in choreographers to create new contemporary work on the company. </p><p>Watkin's greatest challenge - especially after 16 years working in Germany's well-funded arts sector - is likely to be the UK's much less generous, penny-pinching approach to arts funding - not to mention a dwindling audience for dance following years of under-funding, neglect and outright vandalism by our Conservative overlords.</p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-9738767194154634882022-08-04T15:08:00.010+01:002023-05-15T14:59:17.993+01:00Repertoire - Sharon Eyal<div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Not pretending this is about dance in Manchester or the north west (something that is virtually dead in any case, so far as one can tell). This is obsession. </span></div>
<ul>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>AISHA AND ABHAYA (2020) (RAMBERT/ROYAL BALLET)</b></span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">AUTODANCE (2017) (GOTEBORGS OPERANS DANSKOMPANI, SWEDEN)</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>BEDROOM FOLK (2015) (NDT1) (BALLET BC) - seen online</b></span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">BERTOLINA (2006) (BATSHEVA DANCE COMPANY)</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>BILL</b> (2010) <b>(</b>BATSHEVA DANCE COMPANY) <b>(BALLET BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA)</b></span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">CORPS DE WALK (2011) (CARTE BLANCHE, NORWAY)</span></li><li><b>DARK IN THE HOUSE (2022) (L-E-V)</b> - Mash up of House, OCD Love and WET created specifically for BOLD TENDENCIES</li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">FAUNES (2021) (PARIS OPERA BALLET)</span></li><li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">FEELINGS (2016) (NDT2)</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>HALF LIFE</b> (ROYAL SWEDISH BALLET)<b> (STAATSBALLET BERLIN) (2019)</b></span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">HOUSE (2011) (BATSHEVA DANCE COMPANY)</span></li><li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">INTO THE HAIRY (2023) (L-E-V)</span></li><li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">JAKIE (2023) (NDT)</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>KILLER PIG</b> (2009)<b> </b>(CARTE BLANCHE,NORWAY) <b>(RAMBERT 2) (2019) (2021)</b></span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>LOVE CHAPTER 2 </b>(2016)<b> (L-E-V) (2021)</b></span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>LOVE CHAPTER 3: THE BRUTAL JOURNEY OF THE HEART (2019) (L-E-V)</b></span></li><li>LOV3 (2023)</li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">MAKAROVA KABISA (2008) (BATSHEVA DANCE COMPANY)</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>OCD LOVE </b>(2015)<b> (L-E-V) (2021)</b></span></li><li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">OCCUPATION (2020) (TANZMAINZ)</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">PLAFOMA (2012) (TANZCOMPAGNIE OLDENBURG, GERMANY)</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">PROCESS DAY (2014) (SCOTTISH DANCE THEATRE, UK)</span></li><li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">PROMISE (2021) (TANZMAINZ)</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>R A K M D L G D (L-E-V) (2019) (2021)</b></span></li><li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">R.O.S.E. (L-E-V) (2023)</span></li>
<li><b>SAABA (2021) (GOTEBORGS OPERANS DANSKOMPANI, SWEDEN) (2023)</b></li><li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">SALT WOMB (2016) (NDT1)</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">SARA (2013) (NDT2)</span></li><li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">SOUL CHAIN (2018) (TANZMAINZ)</span></li><li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>STRONG (2019) (STAATSBALLETT BERLIN) - seen online</b></span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">THE LOOK (2019) (BATSHEVA DANCE COMPANY, ISRAEL)</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">TOO BEAUCOUP (2011) (HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO, USA)</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>UNTITLED BLACK (2012) (GOTEBORGS OPERANS DANSKOMPANI, SWEDEN) - seen online</b></span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>USED TO BE BLONDE (NATIONAL YOUTH DANCE COMPANY, UK)</b> (2018)</span></li><li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">WET (2022) (L-E-V) </span></li><li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">2 CHAPTERS LOVE (2023) (STAATSBALLETT BERLIN) </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Key: Title of work (Year created) (Company created for) (Production staged by a different company - this means I have seen this production).</span></div><div>Anything in <b>bold</b> the author has seen performed. </div>
<div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubBzJsF7a66qrf78Fud3sL1iD4Maa7RIObbcUQox1YLfD0ZyX_mABK7DdmQK8R6CsgSNZP5av-QyjF_2Fa8P_FcaIjbWT3CwNzZ95wvo6oxbzdv2mdF14wa52B2bn3oFdvY_I1YHyzUks/s1600/2018_eyal_Battisti_0352.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubBzJsF7a66qrf78Fud3sL1iD4Maa7RIObbcUQox1YLfD0ZyX_mABK7DdmQK8R6CsgSNZP5av-QyjF_2Fa8P_FcaIjbWT3CwNzZ95wvo6oxbzdv2mdF14wa52B2bn3oFdvY_I1YHyzUks/s400/2018_eyal_Battisti_0352.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Life | Berlin Staatsballett</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killer Pig | Rambert2</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHG36HTIKDiLfKUdJEshO8MtMmcBq1FjCfUdyiXuNuzbTygnhOkYSnXX3FUh9KWW8Px3pnhVRotlXgIKjv0QMPVHVR37hz2SjBWNps7mcCIObrVBmN4HG6-1oAUBBJZiLHgNAB5A2cpLE7/s1600/Parts_of_Love_by_Sharon_Eyal_and_Gai_Behar__performed_by_L-E-V_dance_company_at_Bold_Tendencies__2019.___L-E-V__courtesy_Bold_Tendencies._Photography_by_Susan_Bi.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="1000" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHG36HTIKDiLfKUdJEshO8MtMmcBq1FjCfUdyiXuNuzbTygnhOkYSnXX3FUh9KWW8Px3pnhVRotlXgIKjv0QMPVHVR37hz2SjBWNps7mcCIObrVBmN4HG6-1oAUBBJZiLHgNAB5A2cpLE7/s320/Parts_of_Love_by_Sharon_Eyal_and_Gai_Behar__performed_by_L-E-V_dance_company_at_Bold_Tendencies__2019.___L-E-V__courtesy_Bold_Tendencies._Photography_by_Susan_Bi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parts of Love @ Bold Tendencies | L-E-V<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">"The androgyny, sexuality, space alienness, murkiness, tribalism, roboticism, energy, eroticism, wildness, sensuality, urbanism − all are among Eyal and Behar’s hallmarks... " Shir Hacham: <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-footloose-former-batsheva-dancer-breaks-her-silence-1.5268901">https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-footloose-former-batsheva-dancer-breaks-her-silence-1.5268901</a></span></div>
Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-22089523309516378772022-07-08T13:07:00.005+01:002022-07-12T11:24:49.184+01:00Essay Questions<div>1. The aftermath of Brexit and the pandemic has left British dance - with a few notable exceptions - looking diminished and somewhat provincial. </div><div>Discuss with examples.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. More than a decade of funding cuts and lack of investment in arts education has left dance audiences in the UK in a downward spiral - and with a more conservative attitude - and looks irreversible at the present time. Is this decline irreversible and what can be done to get audiences back?</div><div><br /></div><div>3. The funding restrictions enforced by Arts Council England have shifted the priorities of dance companies and dancemakers away from creating and performing work for audiences in favour of 'community engagement' activities in a way that has benefitted neither artists, audiences or communities. Discuss. </div><div><br /></div><div>4. More than a decade of Conservative government pursuing an anti-European agenda has resulted in more conservative audiences, fearful of ideas and innovation. Do you agree with this statement and what impact - if any - has this had on the work now being produced by British dance companies?</div><div><br /></div><div>5. Is British contemporary dance as we know it finished - or at the very least going through a seismic shift? What does the future hold?</div><div><br /></div><div>6. My audience is my enemy. If existing audiences in 'traditional' venues are preventing 'the community' from accessing culture who is the audience? And if new audiences in non-conventional spaces can be established what of the ticket-buying original audience?</div><div><br /></div><div>[2,500 words]</div>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-34070116446351649942022-06-16T11:52:00.003+01:002022-06-21T12:35:46.049+01:00National Dance Awards 2022<p><b>NATIONAL DANCE AWARDS 2022 #NDA22</b></p><p>Full list of nominees: winners in bold. </p><p><b>DANCING TIMES AWARD FOR BEST MALE DANCER</b></p><p>Jeffrey Cirio (English National Ballet)</p><p>Francesco Gabriele Frola (English National Ballet)</p><p>Brandon Lawrence (Birmingham Royal Ballet)</p><p>Vadim Muntagirov (The Royal Ballet)</p><p><b>Edward Watson (The Royal Ballet)</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>BEST FEMALE DANCER</b></p><p>(sponsored by Tendu)</p><p>Momoko Hirata (Birmingham Royal Ballet)</p><p><b>Marianela Nuñez (The Royal Ballet)</b></p><p>Natalia Osipova (The Royal Ballet)</p><p>Cira Robinson (Ballet Black)</p><p>Erina Takahashi (English National Ballet)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>STEF STEFANOU AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COMPANY</b></p><p><b>English National Ballet</b></p><p>New Adventures</p><p>Northern Ballet</p><p>Rambert</p><p>The Royal Ballet</p><p><br /></p><p><b>BEST MID-SCALE COMPANY</b></p><p><b>Ballet Black</b></p><p>Ballet Cymru</p><p>Hofesh Shechter Company</p><p>Motionhouse</p><p>Scottish Dance Theatre</p><p><br /></p><p><b>BEST INDEPENDENT COMPANY</b></p><p>Amina Khayyam Dance Company</p><p>Far From The Norm</p><p>Impermanence</p><p>Rhiannon Faith Company</p><p><b>Yorke Dance Project</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>BEST CLASSICAL CHOREOGRAPHY</b></p><p>(sponsored by The Ballet Association)</p><p>Gene Kelly & Christopher Hampson for Starstruck (Scottish Ballet)</p><p>Wayne McGregor for The Dante Project (The Royal Ballet)</p><p>Mthuthuzeli November for The Waiting Game (Ballet Black)</p><p>Arielle Smith for Jolly Folly (English National Ballet)</p><p><b>Valentino Zucchetti for Anemoi (The Royal Ballet)</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>BEST MODERN CHOREOGRAPHY</b></p><p>(sponsored by Harlequin Floors)</p><p>Miguel Altunaga for City of a Thousand Trades (Birmingham Royal Ballet)</p><p><b>Matthew Bourne for The Midnight Bell (New Adventures)</b></p><p>Robert Cohan for Afternoon Conversations with Dancers (Yorke Dance</p><p>Project)</p><p>Dimitris Papaioannou for Transverse Orientation (Dance Umbrella/Sadler’s</p><p>Wells)</p><p>Botis Seva for BLKDG (Far From The Norm)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>EMERGING ARTIST AWARD</b></p><p>(sponsored by The L&M Trust)</p><p>Nafisah Baba (Freelance Dance Artist)</p><p>Lanre Malaolu (Performer, Choreographer and Writer)</p><p>Bruno Micchiardi (Soloist, Scottish Ballet)</p><p>Gina Storm-Jensen (Soloist, The Royal Ballet)</p><p><b>Emily Suzuki (Artist, English National Ballet)</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>OUTSTANDING FEMALE MODERN PERFORMANCE</b></p><p>Cordelia Braithwaite as Clara in Nutcracker! (New Adventures)</p><p>Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes (Anything Goes/The</p><p>Barbican)</p><p>Rosie Kay in Absolute Solo 2 (Rosie Kay Dance Company)</p><p><b>Michela Meazza in the The Midnight Bell (New Adventures)</b></p><p>Yolande Yorke-Edgell in Lamentation (Yorke Dance Project)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>OUTSTANDING MALE MODERN PERFORMANCE</b></p><p>Dan Daw in The Dan Daw Show (Dan Daw Creative Projects)</p><p>Paris Fitzpatrick in The Midnight Bell (New Adventures)</p><p>Akram Khan in Xenos (Akram Khan Company)</p><p><b>James Vu Anh Pham in Outwitting the Devil (Akram Khan Company)</b></p><p>Richard Winsor in The Midnight Bell (New Adventures)</p><p><br /></p><p>OUTSTANDING FEMALE CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE</p><p>(sponsored by Lee McLernon)</p><p>Antoinette Brooks-Daw as Morgan in Merlin (Northern Ballet)</p><p>Alessandra Ferri in L’Heure exquise (The Royal Ballet/AF Dance/Ravenna Festival)</p><p>Marianela Nuñez in the title role as Giselle (The Royal Ballet)</p><p><b>Natalia Osipova in the title role as Giselle (The Royal Ballet)</b></p><p>Beatriz Stix-Brunel in After the Rain (The Royal Ballet)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>OUTSTANDING MALE CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE</b></p><p>(sponsored by London Ballet Circle)</p><p><b>Jeffrey Cirio in the title role as Creature (English National Ballet)</b></p><p>Vadim Muntagirov in the title role as Apollo (The Royal Ballet)</p><p>Tyrone Singleton as Romeo in Radio and Juliet (Birmingham Royal Ballet)</p><p>Joseph Sissens in The Statement (The Royal Ballet)</p><p>Edward Watson as Dante in The Dante Project (The Royal Ballet)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>OUTSTANDING CREATIVE CONTRIBUTION</b></p><p><b>Thomas Adès (Composer, for The Dante Project)</b></p><p>Rickard Berg (Composer, for Coppélia, KVN Dance)</p><p>Lez Brotherston (Designer, for The Midnight Bell)</p><p>Tacita Dean (Designer, for The Dante Project)</p><p>Logela Multimedia (Digital Imagery in the work of Motionhouse)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>BEST DANCE FILM</b></p><p>Kyle Abraham/New York City Ballet for When We Fell</p><p>Rhiannon Faith/Rhiannon Faith Company for DROWNTOWN</p><p>William Forsythe/CLI Studios for The Barre Project</p><p><b>Gene Kelly & Christopher Hampson/Scottish Ballet for Starstruck</b></p><p>Jo Strømgren/Rambert for Rooms</p><p><br /></p><p><b>DE VALOIS AWARD</b></p><p>John Ashford </p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-88458339681350442902022-05-06T17:56:00.002+01:002022-09-01T16:52:15.917+01:00Whinge whinge whinge...<p>The <b>HOM</b>E website has always proved somewhat frustrating because you 1) Can't access a simple list of what's on in date order: you need to keep reloading the page and scrolling through (unless I'm doing it wrong), and 2) Can't filter shows by genre so if the name or company is unfamiliar you have to look at the image and read the text to try to establish whether something is actually dance or not - or some other artform.</p><p>Now, increasingly, <b>The Lowry</b> has too many categories to search through when looking for dance ad dance-related shows: Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Contemporary Dance, Dance, Other Dance, Rambert, Circus (and they also have Physical Theatre and Contemporary sections) and not every show is accurately categorised against whatever 'grouping' they might fall into. They are regularly categorising Strictly stars' ballroom shows as Contemporary Dance...</p><p>This all contributes to the illusion that there is even less on than you might hope. </p><p>Sort it out. </p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-64747195197249553792022-04-14T11:19:00.004+01:002022-04-14T11:40:43.610+01:00Sharon Eyal maintains her Bold Tendencies<p><b>Sharon Eyal</b> is continuing her ongoing relationship with Peckham Rye art space <b>Bold Tendencies</b> and bring her company <b>L-E-V</b> back to their incredible former-multi-story car park home for another summer residency in 2022. </p><p>Eyal and co. memorably did this in August 2019 - creating new work for the space, reworking some of their repertoire and re-booting Eyal's piece created for NYDC <i>Used To Be Blonde.</i></p><p><b>Sharon Eyal and L-E-V - Dark in the House </b>will take place at <b>Bold Tendencies 28-30 July 2022</b>.</p><p></p><blockquote>She returns to Bold Tendencies with this new programme of four performances specially planned for the concrete spaces. Celebrating Eyal’s glitching exactness and intensity of feeling it includes House, a hypnotic and wild masterwork never before seen in the UK. Known for propulsive performances that fuse classical dance with underground club culture, Sharon Eyal seizes darkness with intention. Punctuating her sharp and brutal choreography with vulnerability and emotional depth, Eyal harnesses the human body to assume a grave beauty, capturing the raw condition of human expression.</blockquote><p><a href="https://boldtendencies.com/events-tickets/">Bold Tendencies: Events and Tickets </a></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5mmCxzSBrCaA3TDVkqqrqBBrn6ZHUfJOSbJXRzd8b98_f4XMvtxy5aH1tpbErE2QK4QWJCw1t7bUzc1bujpF2sAXHKPuyGpC9NmZa7Csn2Td32h0wy8Ou0V4kBi6O3jKXBvJlarG8buDWEtn_NStHMXtDOjIYTL6JHSrIFszY2h3A_CpKgE05ancZw/s1200/4220.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5mmCxzSBrCaA3TDVkqqrqBBrn6ZHUfJOSbJXRzd8b98_f4XMvtxy5aH1tpbErE2QK4QWJCw1t7bUzc1bujpF2sAXHKPuyGpC9NmZa7Csn2Td32h0wy8Ou0V4kBi6O3jKXBvJlarG8buDWEtn_NStHMXtDOjIYTL6JHSrIFszY2h3A_CpKgE05ancZw/w400-h300/4220.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-E-V at Bold Tendencies in 2019</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>L-E-V are additionally bring their Covid-delayed <b><i>Chapter 3: The Brutal Journey of the Heart </i></b>to <b>Sadler's Wells 27-28 May 2022</b> so fans of this remarkable choreographer and her outstanding company are really being spoiled this year. In fact, Eyal has shown - facilitated by her relationship with Sadler's Wells and Bold Tendencies - a strong dedication to showing their work in the UK - for which we are ever grateful. Bold Tendencies produced Eyal's sold-out and much-lauded pop-up residency in Selfridges Loading Bay in October 2021.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYa7_v-tGKsYmtAS5atkRW9IvTvHPOFYxw98ZePshKxy9GqxGaTkmtMhng3Smbc1exX_g4BaEbNx5wLB-7WYAocaqN6deNIFayGF4dxBxSKhYLo11QZgqSlKkk3ExNO12kF29NVTgnzVgDFgWHFK0nCJiTNDrovKOMqlVVqE0VY9Dd4BoZswgOPSTKnQ/s1000/H-Cooke-Fawcett-Concert-Wall-Bold-Tendencies-Commission-2017-photo-credit-Peter-Landers-Photography-20.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYa7_v-tGKsYmtAS5atkRW9IvTvHPOFYxw98ZePshKxy9GqxGaTkmtMhng3Smbc1exX_g4BaEbNx5wLB-7WYAocaqN6deNIFayGF4dxBxSKhYLo11QZgqSlKkk3ExNO12kF29NVTgnzVgDFgWHFK0nCJiTNDrovKOMqlVVqE0VY9Dd4BoZswgOPSTKnQ/w400-h320/H-Cooke-Fawcett-Concert-Wall-Bold-Tendencies-Commission-2017-photo-credit-Peter-Landers-Photography-20.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="PFDinTextStd-Light" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">Photo: Peter Landers</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87970308739231824.post-12408600637518846202022-04-12T17:55:00.000+01:002022-04-14T13:30:52.259+01:00Olivier Awards 2022 (Dance categories)<p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Outstanding Achievement in Dance</span></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Acosta Danza</b> for <i>De Punta A Cabo</i> in <i>100% Cuban | </i>Sadler’s Wells</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Dancers for <b>NDT2</b> Tour | Sadler’s Wells</span></li><li><span style="color: red; font-family: arial;"><b>Arielle Smith</b> for her choreography of <i>Jolly Folly</i> in <i>Reunion</i> by <b>English National Ballet | </b>Sadler’s Wells</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Edward Watson</b> for his performance in <i>The Dante Project | </i>Royal Opera House</span></li></ul><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Best New Dance Production</span></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Draw From Within</i> by <b>Rambert Dance Company</b> | Sadler’s Wells</span></li><li><span style="color: red; font-family: arial;"><i>Revisor</i> by <b>Crystal Pite </b>and <b>Jonathon Young</b> / <b>Kidd Pivot</b> | Sadler’s Wells</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Transverse Orientation</i> by <b>Dimitris Papaioannou</b> | Dance Umbrella at Sadler’s Wells</span></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: arial;">Winners in red</span></p>Peter Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905873923071250847noreply@blogger.com0