Joyce DiDonato has always been fearlessly honest, or at least, has the courage to be honest, though it may cost her a great deal emotionally to get over her fear. I don't know, but I do know that her … [Read more...] about Joyce DiDonato dedicates Last Night of the Proms performance to Russian gays
The Independent
Critics Round-Up: An ‘imaginatively crafted delight’ or a ‘thin ballet’? Royal Ballet’s Alice
We know that the Royal Ballet's dancers are exceptional, we've seen that the designs and lighting are magical, but the jury is still out on whether Christopher Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in … [Read more...] about Critics Round-Up: An ‘imaginatively crafted delight’ or a ‘thin ballet’? Royal Ballet’s Alice
Janet-Street-Porter on the three ballerini: Polunin, Proietto and Putrov break the mould
The Three Tenors, says Janet-Street-Porter, brought opera to an entirely new audience, using popular material performed in arenas, not concert halls. Can former Royal Ballet star Ivan Putrov do the … [Read more...] about Janet-Street-Porter on the three ballerini: Polunin, Proietto and Putrov break the mould
Thomas Allen on Jenkins, Watson & Co: ‘These people have never sung an opera in their lives’
In today's Independent, Sir Thomas Allen speaks his mind about the Katherine Jenkins and Russell Watson school of singing: I refuse to give in to this fake popularisation and lowbrow quality, and … [Read more...] about Thomas Allen on Jenkins, Watson & Co: ‘These people have never sung an opera in their lives’
Mikhail Baryshnikov on boycotts, ballet, ‘Black Swan’, Studio 54, ‘Sex and the City’, contemporary dance and being a sex symbol
As "In Paris" arrives in Tel Aviv for nine performances, Mikhail Baryshnikov talked to Elad Samorzik of Haaretz: On age and repertoire "Listen, I am 63 years-old. It depends what you're … [Read more...] about Mikhail Baryshnikov on boycotts, ballet, ‘Black Swan’, Studio 54, ‘Sex and the City’, contemporary dance and being a sex symbol
Critics Round-up: Royal Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty
In 2006 Monica Mason decided to go back to the beginning with the Royal Ballet's signature ballet, The Sleeping Beauty: consign the 2003 Makarova disaster ("dramatically shapeless and emotionally … [Read more...] about Critics Round-up: Royal Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty
Critics Round-up: Royal Ballet’s Limen/Marguerite and Armand/Requiem
It seems that the Royal Ballet can't go wrong. The company has been on a winning streak, which is continuing, justly, into Monica Mason's final season as director. This triple bill succeeds in … [Read more...] about Critics Round-up: Royal Ballet’s Limen/Marguerite and Armand/Requiem
Critics Round-up: New York City Ballet’s Ocean’s Kingdom
The review headlines ran "That Sinking Feeling", "Soggy Ocean Kingdom", "All Wet" - you get the idea. But this was Sir Paul McCartney's début in the world of ballet, the company was the great Yew … [Read more...] about Critics Round-up: New York City Ballet’s Ocean’s Kingdom
Critics Round-up: the Royal Opera’s Faust
Gounod's Faust is, on the one hand, a gift for directors and performers - as Geoff Brown says in The Times, "It’s a Cecil B De Mille film directed by Bob Fosse, and Hell on Earth in more ways than … [Read more...] about Critics Round-up: the Royal Opera’s Faust
Critics Round-up: Royal Ballet in Jewels
This production opens Monica Mason's last season as director of the Royal Ballet. To recall the company as it was 10 years ago, after the dreadful year in which Ross Stretton’s directorship had … [Read more...] about Critics Round-up: Royal Ballet in Jewels
Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Anna Karenina
The fifth offering from the Mariinsky divided the critics. Most had reserves over Alexei Ratmansky's storytelling, but even Kenneth MacMillan's Manon received a hammering on its first outing. The … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Anna Karenina
Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Scotch Symphony / Ballet Imperial / In The Night
The fourth Mariinsky programme to grace the Royal Opera stage was another triple bill: Scotch Symphony and Ballet Imperial by George Balanchine, and In The Night by Jerome Robbins. Although this was … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Scotch Symphony / Ballet Imperial / In The Night
Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Don Quixote
The third ballet programme brought to London by the Marrinsky Ballet was Don Quixote, the perennial crowd-pleaser with which the Bolshoi scored such a success a year ago. Strangely only two days of … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Don Quixote
Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Homage to Fokine
The second of six programmes brought to London by the Mariinsky was a triple bill of Mikhail Fokine's choreography: Chopiniana, The Firebird and Scheherazade. The Times explained the programming: In … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Homage to Fokine
Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Swan Lake
The Mariinsky kicked off their 3-week stay at the Royal Opera House with Swan Lake. An obvious, and right, choice, Immutable is the Mariinsky’s root foundation in classical tradition. Everything they … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Swan Lake
Critics round-up: Romeo & Juliet… Osipova, Vasiliev, Lendorf & Ashton
Her Osipova's Juliet starts out as a hyper teenager, whirling on brilliantly fast feet. There's an immediate abandon to her dancing, movement sweeping through her small frame. As an actress, she … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Romeo & Juliet… Osipova, Vasiliev, Lendorf & Ashton
Rufus Wainwright’s Velvet, Glamour and Guilt at the Opera House
From the July 18 until July 23 Rufus Wainwright is taking over the Royal Opera House. Although Elton John and Björk have given concerts there already, this 'residency' is something different; a … [Read more...] about Rufus Wainwright’s Velvet, Glamour and Guilt at the Opera House
American Ballet Theatre attorney guilty of siphoning off union dues
An attorney for a small, independent union of ballet dancers and stagehands pleaded guilty Thursday to falsifying reports about more than $350,000 in checks he wrote to himself, his law firm and his … [Read more...] about American Ballet Theatre attorney guilty of siphoning off union dues
Critics round-up: Sylvie Guillem at Sadler’s Wells – “Dancers have a cruelly curt use-by date. They’re better fresh. Or are they?”
She's done it again, and everyone's delighted that Guillem still has the possibility to enchant, astonish and all those other adjectives that the press have been hurling around in the last 24 hours. … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Sylvie Guillem at Sadler’s Wells – “Dancers have a cruelly curt use-by date. They’re better fresh. Or are they?”
Critics round-up: Richard III with Kevin Spacey
Well the critics loved much, if not all, of the Bridge Project's much anticipated swan song production of Richard III with Kevin Spacey. The production is now at London's Old Vic theatre before going … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Richard III with Kevin Spacey
Among the fish & chips were Rojo & Acosta: the Royal Ballet at the O2
Covent Garden it ain't. The crowd is six times the size and a good half of them of them will be munching hot dogs throughout but the Royal Ballet's debut run at London's O2 this weekend is a great … [Read more...] about Among the fish & chips were Rojo & Acosta: the Royal Ballet at the O2
Tamara Rojo on why you should go to the O2 Arena
"Ballet can inspire you, it can liberate you from the worries in your life, make you free, transport you to a different world. When you sit and watch a ballet you have an opportunity to feel empathy … [Read more...] about Tamara Rojo on why you should go to the O2 Arena
Daniel Barenboim at the Wigmore Hall: ‘an interpretation that reached for the stars and at times touched them’
The hush was devout, the expectation electrifying. Daniel Barenboim playing at the Wiggy! Not for 40 years has it been possible to write that. If Salome had suddenly appeared, plus veils, to dance at … [Read more...] about Daniel Barenboim at the Wigmore Hall: ‘an interpretation that reached for the stars and at times touched them’
Critics round-up: Shrek The Musical opens in London
Shrek The Musical has opened in London's West End and seems to have generally won over the nation's critics. It's New York run wasn't a runaway success and producers must have been a little nervous on … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Shrek The Musical opens in London
Critics round-up: Strictly Gershwin with the English National Ballet at London’s Royal Albert Hall
Difficult-to-please Clement Crisp gives a four-star crit for the English National Ballet's dance show "Strictly Gershwin": For this show is jolly, welcoming, coasting along on tunes that everyone … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Strictly Gershwin with the English National Ballet at London’s Royal Albert Hall
Critics round-up: Royal Ballet Triple Bill – Scènes de ballet – Voluntaries – Rite of Spring
"Whether you regard the triple bill as an evening of highlights or an insubstantial pageant depends on the programme," - says the Daily Express, before going on to review the Royal Ballet's latest … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Royal Ballet Triple Bill – Scènes de ballet – Voluntaries – Rite of Spring
Critics round-up: Ballo della regina (Balanchine) – Live Fire Exercise (Wayne McGregor) – Danse à grande vitesse (Christopher Wheeldon)
The Royal Ballet's new triple bill brings two new pieces: Balanchine's Ballo della Regina, and a new creation by Wayne McGregor called Live Fire Exercise. The critics were almost all in agreement … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Ballo della regina (Balanchine) – Live Fire Exercise (Wayne McGregor) – Danse à grande vitesse (Christopher Wheeldon)
The Royal Ballet’s Sarah Lamb talks to The Independent
Sarah Lamb is sewing shoes: I sew four or five a week, and I use a razor blade to pare them down. Today in the Manon rehearsal the floor is dirty in the first act, then you get blood on a shoe in the … [Read more...] about The Royal Ballet’s Sarah Lamb talks to The Independent
Director Deborah Warner on her love of Bausch and her difficulty with ballet
I jump at any chance to see Pina Bausch's work, and so I'm thrilled to hear the rumour that we may be treated to a retrospective of all her works in the London 2012 Festival - she told The … [Read more...] about Director Deborah Warner on her love of Bausch and her difficulty with ballet
Critics round-up: Betty Blue Eyes – A pig takes over the West End as Cameron Mackintosh brings home the bacon
Cameron Mackintosh hasn't lost his magic touch, and after 10 years without a new musical he's come up with Betty Blue Eyes which has delighted the critics. It's a musical about a pig, the animal kind, … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Betty Blue Eyes – A pig takes over the West End as Cameron Mackintosh brings home the bacon