dance

'She was Paris': RIP Zizi Jeanmaire (1924-2020)

ismene Brown Wednesday, 22 July 2020

"You talk like Marlene Dietrich, you dance like Zizi Jeanmaire, your clothes are all made by Balmain, and there’s diamonds and pearls in your hair…" .

'If they had been any closer my face would have misted up': filming 'Men at the Barre'

Richard Macer Tuesday, 26 May 2020

“That’s Marcelino Sambé, he’s wonderful,” said the artistic administrator of the Royal Ballet as I followed her down one of the many corridors that weave throughout the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. “He’s a newly promoted Principal, a very special talent indeed!” I looked over my shoulder at the figure disappearing through some doors.

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The deathless Alicia Alonso, in person

ismene Brown Friday, 18 October 2019

The magnificent, controversial Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso, who asserted that she would live to 200, died yesterday in Havana, aged nearly 99.

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theartsdesk in Riga - 43,290 Latvians sing and dance for their country

David Nice Tuesday, 24 July 2018

"They incessantly break down, destroy and fragment the mistrust that exists among people," wrote a Latvian journalist of a folklore group during the start of the Baltic countries' "singing revolution" against Soviet rule in 1988.

Michael Chance on continuing opera in Hampshire: 'good people like to work with good people'

Michael Chance Wednesday, 06 June 2018

Out of the blue comes a phone call. A freelance career is based on those to a certain extent. Certainly mine has been. But this one was a bit different. “Would you come and talk to us about the way forward?”. I soon learnt that what this actually meant was, “would you launch and run a new opera festival for us?”

Manon, Royal Ballet review - glitter and betray

David Nice Friday, 30 March 2018

"Massenet feels it as a Frenchman, with powder and minuets," declared Puccini in annoucing his own operatic setting of the Abbé Prévost's 1731 novel Manon Lescaut.

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Sir Matthew Bourne remembers Scott Ambler 1960-2018 – 'A prince among men'

Matthew Bourne Thursday, 22 March 2018

Nobody deserves the title of New Adventures “legend” more than Scott Ambler; nobody is remembered more affectionately – the generosity of spirit, the many kindnesses, the fierce loyalty, the tears of pride in company notes sessions, the endearing eccentricities and, of course, the highly embellished and hilarious stories are all legendary to those that knew and worked with him.

Best of 2017: Dance

theartsdesk Saturday, 30 December 2017

With forelock-tugging celebrations of a choreographer who died 25 years ago and a summer visit by the Mariinsky the highest-profile events in the calendar, 2017 may not be remembered as a vintage year for British dance.

Bolshoi's controversial Nureyev ballet opens – to ovations and bans

ismene Brown Monday, 11 December 2017

Nureyev, the most notorious new production at the Bolshoi Ballet’s modern history, premiered last night in Moscow to a 15-minute standing ovation and exclamations of official approval even by Putin’s press secretary – but the ballet’s creator and director languished under house arrest, refused permission to see...

Fierce: the Birmingham festival which reaches out to Europe and beyond

Aaron Wright Wednesday, 18 October 2017

Since its inception in 1997 Fierce, Birmingham’s International Festival of Live Art & Performance, has championed the work of performance makers not often seen in Britain. The pantheon of body artists under Mark Ball’s era as director included the likes of Franko B, Ron Athey and Kira O’Reilly.