Swan Lake. The Australian Ballet (2023). A second look
…years) to stage a fully successful production of any large scale ballet, being there rather than watching ‘from the comfort of my own home’ gave me a new and more positive impression. In Act I, following an interesting Prologue in which we learnt of the long-standing role of von Rothbart, the dancing from those gathered to celebrate Prince Siegfried’s name day was joyful and just gorgeous to watch. As often happens, my eye was drawn to Joseph Rom…
Sydney Dance Company turns 50
…ey’s Vis-à-vis Dance Canberra back in the 1990s. In addition, Sydney Dance Company, under its various different names, has been touring to Canberra for almost the entire 50 years of its existence. In fact, the company’s first season under the name Dance Company (NSW) was in 1971 in Canberra, when Love 201 with that commissioned score from Peter Sculthorpe was presented. The program Bonachela/Nankivell/Lane is Bonachela’s tribute to Sydney Dance Co…
Dance diary. October 2019
…n read more about the items mentioned above, as well as other dance works being performed, and can download the full program. Norton Owen and Jacob’s Pillow I was delighted to discover recently that my friend and colleague in the United States, Norton Owen, was honoured with the award of the prestigious Louis Rachow Distinguished Service Award by the Theatre Library Association in the US. The image and biography below are from the Association’s we…
Walter Stringer’s dance photography
…Odette) 994/5 Swan Lake, Act II, 1958, Lynn Seymour (Odette), David Blair (Siegfried) 994/6 Swan Lake, Act II, 1958, Lynn Seymour (Odette), David Blair (Siegfried) 994/7 Swan Lake, Act II, 1958, Lynn Seymour (Odette), David Blair (Siegfried) 994/8 Swan Lake, Act III, 1958, Lynn Seymour (Odile) 994/9 Swan Lake, Act III, 1958, Lynn Seymour (Odile), David Blair (Siegfried) 994/10 Swan Lake, Act III, 1958, Lynn Seymour (Odile), David Blair (Siegfried)…
Swan Lake. Royal New Zealand Ballet
…t perhaps only temporarily? Swan and Prince are together, but the misogynist magician will be back. He was conquered once, for now, but there may come a need to conquer him again. The resourceful lighting design by Jon Buswell contributes much here. Branden Reiners as von Rothbart in Swan Lake. Royal New Zealand Ballet, 2024. Photo: © Stephen A’Court Jennifer Shennan, 3 May 2024 Featured image: Mayu Tanigaito as Odile and Laurynas Vejalis as Siegf…
Talking to Martin James … about teaching
…est teachers in the world and making it completely obvious that they were being complex and complicated. All the people who might have been doing shows in the evening thought, ‘Really! Just give us a basic class.’ That happened quite lot and it still happens today. You have to consider what teaching is about. We have to consider who we are working for—is it for ourselves, or for people we are hoping to make better dancers? My performing career is…
Dance diary. September 2022
…r how those who make screen dance conceive of its dance component. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crasXhae9rk Promotions at Queensland Ballet And on a non-Canberra note, but one I am really pleased to include, Queensland Ballet has just promoted Mia Heathcote and Patricio Revé to principal artists. Both dancers have been dancing superbly recently and the promotions are well deserved. Patricio Revé and Mia Heathote in Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon. Qu…
Darren McIntyre: another Aussie in the States
…Montgomery Ballet located in Montgomery, Alabama, has annouced that its new artistic director will be Australian dancer and graduate of the Australian Ballet School, Darren McIntyre. Michelle Potter, 19 January 2012…
Igor Schwezoff. The Australian interlude, 1939–1940
…iography, Borzoi, Schwezoff tells of the hardships he endured while living under the Communist regime until he finally defected, arriving in Harbin, China, in 1931. He had been initially smuggled over the border from Vladivostok where he was performing, and had then been detained in China in abject conditions and hidden by various supporters until he was finally free to travel to Europe. The story told in Borzoi concludes, however, in 1931 and, wh…
Dance diary: April 2012
…up and used as the title. Below is a promotional clip for the DVD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ALFoVdvNrY Gailene Stock In April I had the huge pleasure of recording an interview with Gailene Stock, currently director of the Royal Ballet School, London. I was inspired to suggest that an interview with Stock be made for the National Library of Australia’s Oral History and Folklore Collection after visiting her in London last year to talk to he…