Dance links for 15 September to 3 October: Conservative ballet, 1930s Jitterbug and what’s on in dance
Here are my latest dance links for 15 September through to 3 October:
- Katie Pearson on auditioning for dance college – Choreographer, Performer and Dance Tutor at Lewisham College, Katie Pearson, talks to IdeasMag about auditioning for pre-vocational dance training…
- Jitterbug clips from 1930s Pathe newsreels – fantastic clips from 1930s – these will make you wanna move!
- British Fashion Council: inspirations 2012 – Pina Bausch dancers are an inspiration for fashion house Felder Felder in this mood board ahead of London Fashion week
- English National Ballet at Conservative party conference – English National Ballet is delighted to have been invited to dance at the Conservative Party Conference, on Monday 3 October in Manchester as part of Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s address – noone was more surprised to see this than I was, but turns out Rosie Kay dance company was there last year
There are a number of great dance events coming up in and around London too – here’s my pick:
- Dance movie all nighter in London – if you didn’t catch this don’t worry – there’ll be more next time round
- Dance Umbrella timetable – dotted around the country – make sure you snatch some of this year’s dance umbrella
- Degas and the Ballet – in pictures – I saw this (see review) and it’s still on so catch it if you can
- Birmingham Royal Ballet at Sadlers Wells – just for two days in october – catch them if you can
Birmingham Royal Ballet team up with photographer Richard Battye for city campaign
Elisha Willis in Moseley park Photograph: Richard Battye
Great news to hear Birmingham Royal Ballet has been photographed by Richard Battye across their hometown city to promote the area and kick off the company’s 2011/12 season.
I’ve posted about Battye before, who has been photographing dance for years and held a number of exhibitions in Birmingham. A few years ago I went to his digbeth studio to see the set up and experience being pictured ‘in flight’.
It’s great to see the world class ballet company teaming up with this excellent local photographer.
Now Battye has photographed Birmingham Royal Ballet’s thirteen Principal dancers, the company Director David Bintley, Assistant Director Marion Tait and Chief Executive Christopher Barron in areas of Birmingham that mean something special to them, away from their work with the company.
Speaking about the project he said:
“It was especially interesting photographing the dancers and staff in their chosen Birmingham locations celebrating the city and all it has to offer. There is a wealth of culture and creativity within the city which is why I have based myself here. Birmingham Royal Ballet is known internationally and the city’s name goes with them as they tour. My thanks to all the varied locations and venues that helped with this project”
The photographs can be viewed here – and show a human personal side to the dancers and company directors. See the picture featured of principal dancer Elisha Willis in her favourite Moseley Park and Robert Parker at Birmingham Airport (althought I doubt this is a favourite haunt and more and idea on the city PR side).
‘All that I was unable to voice found its release in dance’ – Alexandra Claire on becoming a writer after dance
Alexandra Claire left the world of dance after ten years to become a writer. In a guest post for the digital dancer, ahead of the publication of her book Random Walk, Claire explains how movement traverses all
Alexandra Claire. Photo: Simon Fowler
I remember that even as a very small child, I flung myself passionately into dance at the slightest provocation; a piece of music, an anger that I was unable to voice, intolerable beauty; in fact, all that I was unable to voice found its release in dance. From my very first ballet lesson at five years old, I only ever wanted to be a dancer and when I retired at twenty-nine, after a ten-year career in the performance and choreography of contemporary dance and physical theatre, working with companies such as Earthfall, Man Act, National Dance Company Wales (then Diversions) and my own Arts Council funded project company, Tripswitch, I felt satisfied that I had fulfilled my ambition – at least as far as my twisted and torn body would allow.
It was the strangest thing not to dance. I am a dancer as fundamentally as I’m a human being. Pushing a zimmer-frame or riding on a motor-scooter, I’ll still be a dancer, because dance can only be imposed upon the body from the outside in a limited way: dance really comes from within. It resides within. And if you are extremely fortunate, it will take possession of your body.
Degas and the Ballet: Accuracy, movement and light – review
The Dance Lesson by Edgar Degas Photograph: National Gallery of Art, Washington
At most ballet schools you’ll find two types of teacher – one hellbent on improving your technique – and the other, softer teacher, who is all about making you dance to the music and feel the movement. A good dancer is one who has practised both to finesse.
Edgar Degas, unlike any other artist, manages to mirror both disciplines in his own work. Not only does he portray a studied technique in his artwork on 19th century dancers, but his paintings, sculptures and photographs also possess something of the lucidity of movement, invoking a feeling of dancing to any gazing onlooker.
Degas and the Ballet: Picturing Movement, curated by Richard Kendall, is a most comprehensive exhibition of the artist’s work on dance. Presented at the Royal Academy of Arts, there are 85 pieces of artwork in total – with many rare and unseen works including a 360 degree tour of the drawings which were the origins for the famous Little Dancer sculpture, and photographs of dancers he took in later life.
Similar to any ballet recital or stage dancer – the exhibition contains high power impact notes – bright impressionist swirls of pastel colours and dynamique stage sequences. And then there are periods of slower progression, studied poise and interlocking sequences which have a quiet methodology. Read more…
Dance links for week ending 9 September – Strictly is back and just as predictable as ever
These are my latest dance links for this week – you can see there’s a heavy Strictly theme – as the contestants were announced and the first show goes live tomorrow:
- Strictly contestants announced | AFP Google News – Robbie Savage, Edwina Currie and Nancy Dell’olio are among a range of controversial sports stars and celebrities who dominate the line up for the new series of British TV show Strictly Come Dancing.
- Strictly Come Dancing – the professionals | Ballet News – So, who are the professional men this year and what are they looking forward to ? Unsurprisingly they all want to make it to the final and lift the glitterball, but Robin Windsor is also looking forward to a whole new set of vests !
- Cupcakes & Conversation with Sascha Radetsky, Soloist, American Ballet Theatre | Royal Ballet Blog – Ahh! It’s the guy from Centre Stage… oh the memories.
- Stricty contestests in pictures | the Guardian - Well Alex Jones has already got her baps out – but browsing through this list I can’t help but think for the most part, who ARE these people? Once again Strictly rears its ugly head and although I can’t stand how set-up and awful it is – I also can’t help but be glued to the TV and will no doubt blog about it here.
Holly Valance in Strictly Come Dancing
But my first and most prevalent thought on Strictly has got to be about the fact Holly Valance is a contestant. Aside from the fact is a huge admission that she’s slipped out of stardom as a popstar in the early noughties so being a pretty B-class celeb (hello Lulu, you’re here too?) and is eager to get her showbiz life back on the road – it’s also MASSIVELY unfair as Holly’s had professional training for dancing on stage and in her pop music videos.
It was EXACTLY the same thing for Rachel Stevens who was in the tween band S Club 7 – and ended coming second in the 2008 Strictly finals. There are plenty of other sexy young something the BBC could’ve found to participate with no dancing experience but just as much sex appeal. It’s a shame this year’s Strictly will be just as predictable as any other – with the public dragging some poor malcoordinated soul through all the rounds alongside a couple of young starlets with previous dancing experience and a rugby player right to the end. Still, I’ll no doubt be vaguely watching and blogging along this series.
Richard Winsor: From dance darling to… soap star
At university Hollyoaks was my guilty pleasure – escapist mindnumbing drama to sooth the soul weary from the (only slightly) more heavy-hearted stories from English playwrights and poets.
But in recent years work has taken over and it’s very rarely that I indulge in a half-hour episode of silliness. There are always new faces, but you never need to know what’s gone on before. Cast members come and go – few go on to anything truly great, many come back with twisted storylines years later.
So on returning home from work – and just so happening to stumble on the last ten minutes of an episode – you can imagine how I spluttered over my cup of tea when I realised the new heart-throb in Chester was none other than my most loved of contemporary dancers.
Richard Windsor
Richard Winsor conveyed a new type of contemporary dance that made me feel it had grew into its time. Dancing the lead in Matthew Bourne’s striking Dorain Gray in 2008 – he’s the man (well the duo) who actually compelled me to blog about what I saw - starting a fruitful career in online journalism.
I sat aghast to see Richard as ‘Father Francis’ in Hollyoaks. Of course he was a superb actor in Dorian and Edward Scissorhands… and must crave a career in acting. But let’s hope, like the characters in Hollyoaks, he decides to return to dance – for such a short stint on the stage would be a great shame for UK audiences.
Update 13/09/2011: I can indeed confirm Winsor is still dancing – as he was in my contemporary class tonight! Aside from making me feel sheepish & rather awestruck – I did happen to notice he’s in fine fit form and no doubt returning to the stage soon. Watch this space.
Dance links for August 2011 – Dance, dance, party, party and Danish ballet drugs scandal
Here are my latest dance links for 21 July through 21 August:
- Xander Parish: the Brit who ran off to join the Mariinsky Ballet
- Dance Dance Party Party: the night out clubbing that’s good for you – Interesting piece on a new type of dance work out – ever been clubbing and felt you were sweating off the pounds? Sounds like fun – but probably would rather go dancing with my mates…
- Terry Monaghan obituary
- Royal theatre in Denmark releases drug report - quite scandalous really – here’s an excerpt:
After weeks of pressure from the media the Royal Danish Theatre released on Tuesday a controversial report alleging that cocaine abuse is rampant among members of its ballet company.
Dance links for week beginning 11 July – Petit, Strictly Pippa and BBC breakfast bungle
Time for another round up of links I’ve found across the web this week.
But first please do excuse the horrendous WordPress error which kept appearing on my last links piece post publishing – testing out a new tool – hopefully won’t happen again. Here goes…
- Bolshoi superstars Ivan Vasiliev and Natalia Osipova dance Romeo and Juliet – video – this was on in London this week – wish I had been organised enough to have got tickets – looked awesome though
- Strictly Come Dancing: who would join Pippa Middleton in your ideal lineup? - Really? Pippa? Feel a Strictly blog season coming on….
- Oh So Totally Rad; Romeo and Juliet; Cocteau Voices – review
- Ethan Stiefel: New Zealand state of mind This again looked awesome – very jealous of New Zealand right now
- Roland Petit obituary - very sad news for the ballet world this week with the detah of Roland Petit. The ENB are currently running a show in his honour
- The Guardian has this gallery of images of tween freestyle dancers in Belfast in their sparkly get up – it’s great so check it out here Read more…
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Coppélia – a review
Artists of Birmingham Royal Ballet; photo: Bill Cooper
There comes a time in one’s ballet-watching life when the old classics just don’t cut it anymore – they feel outdated, tired and sometimes bashfully cringey – playing on themes, stories and motifs that often no longer seem relevant. This is how I’d come to view Coppélia – the bizarre story of the ancient toy-maker who is woefully deceived by mischievous villagers in search of some way to occupy a night between engagement and marriage. I’d danced it in my teens days and grown bored of the plot.
But true to form, Peter Wright’s Coppélia, staged at Birmingham Royal Ballet’s home in the city’s Hippodrome, is a reinvigorated production with a fresh approach – which left me and Thursday’s audience stunned at its marvel – met with a resounding applause and standing ovation by some. Read more…
Dance links for week beginning 15 June
Here are my latest dance links for 15 June – this is a new type of post I’m trying so bear with me.
- A new arena for dance: Will 50,000 people flock to the O2 for Romeo and Juliet? – Features, Theatre & Dance – The Independent – And it is for them? As in, anyone? “Yes, literally. Actually, maybe not literally, but for the vast majority of people, yes, I am certain that ballet – and opera – is for everyone. Give people the chance to see a ballet, understand the story, and watch the thrill of dancers like Tamara and Carlos performing this repertoire, they will get the excitement, too.”
- National Dance Company of Wales – review | Stage | The Guardian
- I recently went to visit the new Pointe Blank exhibition which went on show to tie in with the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of Coppelia. Not only was the show a hit – but the exhibition of artists’ illustrations based on the sentimental comedy really brought a new fresh take on the ballet. To The Pointe | Blog | Design Week
