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By Alan, on January 27th, 2012
 A woman from Chepstow has been named as “Orchestra Manager of the Year” by the Association of British Orchestras after her campaigning efforts secured public cash for Sinfonia Cymru.
The chamber orchestra became the first Welsh organisation of its type to be revenue funded thanks to Sophie Lewis’ determined negotiations with the Arts Council of Wales. Ms Lewis managed to secure three years of funding,which will go specifically towards helping the young musicians in Sinfonia Cymru who are just starting out on their musical careers.
The orchestra manager will be presented with her prestigious award at the Association of British Orchestras’ annual dinner, after which she is heading to New York as one of only six UK musical professionals chosen to attend the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) Annual Congress.
Sinfonia Cymru now give regular performances at The Riverfront venue in the Welsh town of Newport, including weekday lunch time recitals from soloists and full orchestra shows at weekends.
Ms Lewis was delighted to have been awarded the first ever “Orchestra Manager of the Year” prize, adding that she was very proud of everything that she and her musicians have managed to achieve.
Jason Small, manager at The Riverfront, was also delighted to hear of Ms Lewis’s success, particularly as she has worked so hard to put on regular shows for music fans all over Wales.
By Alan, on January 20th, 2012
 Romeo and Juliet is the classic tale by William Shakespeare of two young lovers who, because of the warring between their two families, cannot be together. One of the grandest tragedy tales written, it would be well suited to a soap opera as well as a ballet performance.
Kenneth MacMillan directed the choreography for this stunning ballet production, and he is able to clearly show how this love develops between Romeo and Juliet, and how it is something that is truly worth dying for.
In the first Act we meet the protagonists, and Romeo and Juliet could not seem much less destined to fall deeply in true love with one another. Romeo is getting into street brawls, while Juliet seems more suited for playing with her doll than getting involved in romance. Her coyness in front of her potential suitor would suggest that even Romeo would struggle to seduce her.
But the dancers are able to convey the passion of the story to the watcher, thanks in no small part to the excellent choreography of MacMillan. Carlos Acosta, as Romeo, takes us through the bravado brought on by youth, through to the anguish on hearing his love is dead, and is grand throughout.
It is Tamara Rojo as Juliet however that steals the show. When she dances dejectedly at her realisation that she must be betrothed to a man other than her true love, it brings a lump to the throat. And when she whirls with passion around the torso and pelvis of Romeo, she makes it seem so simple, belying the demanding work required.
The performances of the lead actor and actress support this first full-length work of MacMillan, making this modern approach to a classic tale one well worth seeing, if you can get tickets.
By Alan, on January 19th, 2012
 2012 is set to be very interesting year for Scottish ballet It’s renowned artistic Ashley Page is set to leave the company in the summer, have completely overhauling both their ethos and repertoire since he joined the company is 2002. Over the past 10 years he has produced some dark and beautiful fairytale pieces, so it seems appropriate that one of is last tours is a version of the classic Grim story Sleeping Beauty.
Claire Robertson is the principal dancer who has been with the company for eighteen years, and she says that Sleeping Beauty has a special place in her heart as it was one of the first ballets that were created for her by Ashley. She added that it is very special to be part of a ballet’s creative process, especially a long one like Sleeping Beauty with loads of content and choreography, and having such a piece created for you is very special.
In the same vein as Cinderella and Alice, Page’s dark production of Sleeping Beauty is a million miles away from the fluffy Disney versions. Claire says that Ashley always sees things differently from anyone else, and has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve. For example, Aurora pricks her finger on a cactus, and her wedding is held in a top London hotel, unusual but beautiful none the less.
The production has been cleaned and freshened up since the last time the Scottish ballet took it on tour, and part of its charm is that is is constantly tweaked, thus giving audiences a surprise.
There is also a 65th anniversary tour of the Tennessee Williams classic A Streetcar named Desire and a special commission for the Olympics, this is certainly going to be a busy year for the Scottish ballet, so make sure you catch one of Ashley’s final productions.
By Alan, on January 10th, 2012
 British ballet’s male superstars are set for a successful 2012, with both Matthew Bourne’s company New Adventures and the all-male group Ballet-boyz planning a series of shows around the country.
Bourne, who earned his reputation with his men-only production of Swan Lake, has now been in the business for a quarter of a century, and is showing no signs of slowing down. Although tickets are like gold dust for the current run at Sadler’s Wells of “Nutcracker!”, his typically quirky take on the Tchaikovsky classic, fans around theUKcan look forward to a number of new touring productions over the new 12 months.
Once the national tour of “Nutcracker!” is concluded, Bourne’s talented dancers will be performing a series of revivals, including some of his earliest works. “Early Adventures”, a comedy ballet which launched Bourne’s career 25 years ago, will be followed by a long-awaited performance of his successful “A Play Without Words”.
2012 isn’t just about looking backwards for Bourne and New Adventures, however, as the year ends with the third and final instalment in his trilogy of modern takes on Tchaikovsky, with his own interpretation of the classic “Sleeping Beauty”. Entitled simply “Beauty”, Bourne has promisedLondonaudiences a classic love story with a paranormal twist.
Fans of Ballet-boyz, the tattooed bad boys of ballet, can also look forward to some fantastic shows in 2012. “Men in Motion” featuring both the musical and physical skills of principal dancer Ivan Putrov will be touring the country until April.
Once thought of as a stuffy and old-fashioned form of entertainment, the ballet establishment is now embracing the 21st century, introducing crowd-pleasing interpretations of classic novels and films, and even using elements of hip hop-style street dancing to reach out to a younger audience.
Londoners are spoilt for choice in 2012 when it comes to new dance productions, including the English National Ballet’s most daring and innovative show to date, “Time is of the Essence”, at the Hammersmith Apollo. Working alongside “Britain’s Got Talent” finalists and street dance champions Flawless, choreographers have come up with a ballet with a genuinely modern and edgy feel.
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few months, you will be aware that 2012 is the year that the Olympics also come toLondon; and alongside the hundreds of sporting events visitors can enjoy a number of ground-breaking cultural events. TanztheaterWuppertalPina Bausch: World Cities 2012 is a series of ten pieces by the late choreographer and dancer which aim to encapsulate the spirit of several different destinations, including Hong Kong andRome.
The Royal Ballet’s contribution to the Cultural Olympiad is going to be making an appearance on the Summer Big Screen during July and is inspired by artworks by the painter Titian. The live show is sure to be a sell-out and one of the highlights of a packed 2012.
By Alan, on January 7th, 2012
 A production of Hansel and Gretel has recently been put on by the Northern Ireland Opera at the Belfast Grand Opera House. The opera had a contemporary setting but the themes of the production date back as far as the story itself.
The story was written in the late 19th Century and has been remade for a modern audience, and this one is a pantomime production. The cast were very well-balanced and the translation work for the singing was perfect. The audience were instantly drawn into the whole production and it was immediately very effective. The audience wanted action and they got it from the very first moment.
Saving money is a big part of the production and many items on the stage transformed simply by the dreams of the characters. The details in the production are also excellent and you can see that the fridge magnets have been rearranged to spell “Satan gender hell.” Hansel and Gretel are played by Niamh Kelly and Aoife O’Sullivan respectively and they are seduced in the performance by dreams of gob stoppers, cream cakes and licorice.
This production of Hansel and Gretel suggests that the parents of the children are not very good, and this is a move away from the original story where was left unclear whether they were bad parents or if they had simply fallen on hard times. Whether this production is an opera, a pantomime or a Freudian essay it does not matter and the Northern Ireland Opera continue with a run of excellent performances.
Elsewhere, the Australian chamber Orchestra recently performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall being led by conductor Richard Tognetti. The orchestra is currently on a European tour and this is the second stop they have made in the UK. The production of the music is excellent and there is a real liveliness to the musicians performances. Some might regard the music as a little brash but it is certainly gripping and you will find yourself rather excited by the performance.
The first concert in 50 Years of Minimalism is a performance of the 1960s work by Terry Riley. The concert sold out and is a long production and the music is excellent, in fact many people might find that the concert just goes on for too long and it is almost a musical assault on the senses. The theme of the performance is minimalism and this is rather well done although at some points the entire thing seems a bit mystifying.
One of the earliest examples of proper minimalism was the Balinese Ceremonial Music for Two Pianos and was written in the mid-1930s. This was another excellent production put on by the orchestra and despite a minor slip-up in the performance recently it was altogether a very good production.
By Alan, on December 29th, 2011
 Only six short years before Weill wrote the The Threepenny Opera with its sharp Marxist edges, he wrote Zaubernacht, a simple story about children who see their toys spring to life. This sweet score was only recently rediscovered, and what really brings this new production to life is the inventive and witty staging courtesy of Aletta Collins and an excellent conductor in James Holmes.
Weill’s original score was a success in both New York and Berlin, then slipped into obscurity. It was in 2005 that a set of the orchestral parts were discovered in Yale University library, which led to the work being brought back to the stage. It is a very slight, light work that has a sinewy orchestration and a delightfully perky song from the fairy that causes the toys to come to life.
This production is aimed at a family audience, and Collins has firmly updated the story. The children have a squabble and are sent to bed in a modern bedroom with bunk beds covered in cartoon duvet covers which have been designed by Rachael Canning. Praise must be given to the child performers who are at the same time relaxed and spontaneous, whether they are bickering, playing games or getting into the adventure.
Lorena Randi dances as the mother, and she makes a good performance of being visibly exhausted and sends them back to bed again. The characterisation of the toys are brilliantly portrayed through both their body language and the costumes from Gabrielle Dalton.
Thomasin Gulgec’s toy monkey is missing his tail and has instead a tuft of stuffing, and the manufacturer’s label sticking out of the seam on his back. He wriggles feet first from the toy box then clambers clumsily around the entire room. Alessandra Ruggeri is Tumble Tot, a baby doll who is unnervingly flexible and rolls around on bandy legs clad in a blue babygro.
Owen Ridley-Demonck’s mighty robot strikes numerous noble poses, while all the while greeting to Earth are flashing up on the screen on his chest, while Greig Cook is a retro toy called Sir Green Knight, who swashes his sword bravely but isn’t quite in keeping with the modern world.
The entire work in unerringly charming and it is a real treat for the audience, and one of the best reworkings of an old story that has hit the stage in many a year.
By Alan, on December 22nd, 2011
 It seems that even some of our most revered pieces of classical music aren’t safe from the busybodies in Brussels. Some of the greatest works ever that have their place in the heart of European culture and composed by the likes of Vivaldi, Purcell and Bach may soon be unable to be heard as the composers intended. This is all thanks to an EU ruling which restricts the manufacture of cow gut to use as instrument strings.
Violins and cellos with such strings are played by specialist musicians to replicate the way that the music would have sounded when it was originally composed between 1650 and 1750. New and strict controls regarding raw materials from cows are now threatening this centuries old technique of instrument making.
Campaigners against the ruling state that in order to catch Creutzfeldt-Jakob, or mad cow, diseases from strings that had come from an infected animal, you would have to swallow several yards of string. Carolyn Clarke works for the manufacturer Bow Brand in Kings Lynn, Norfolk and she says that the gut is first bleached and then varnished during string making, it poses to risks to humans, and why would anyone eat a harp string?
Viktoria Mullova, a violinist who uses Guadagnini violin with gut strings from 1750,says that banning these strings is akin to telling pop stars they can no longer use a microphone. Those potentially affected by this new ruling are the European Union Baroque Orchestra, and a spokesman for the British based ensemble has said that ceasing production of gut strings would be catastrophic and they would have to close down.
By Alan, on December 21st, 2011
 The Australian Chamber Orchestra are currently midway through a whirlwind European tour, which included a royal performance for Prince Charles. The orchestra, with its 7 wind and 17 string players has already delighted audiences in London, Birmingham and Vienna, under the expert direction of Richard Tognetti.
There remaining performances include Antwerp in Belgium, Amsterdam, Wilhelmshaven in Germany, Luxembourg and the Swiss city of Basel. The troup are expected to present their wide repertoire of works from composers such as Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Mozart.
Ivan Hewett is a reporter from the Daily Telegraph newspaper, and he reviewed their London performance saying that although one doesn’t normally associate orchestras with being stylish, the Australian Chamber Orchestra has it in abundance. The orchestra performed for Prince Charles on December 12 in St James’ Palace state apartments, some 170 guests attended the concert which was followed by a grand reception.
By Alan, on December 15th, 2011
 A production of Hansel and Gretel has recently been put on by the Northern Ireland Opera at the Belfast Grand Opera House. The opera had a contemporary setting but the themes of the production date back as far as the story itself.
The story was written in the late 19th Century and has been remade for a modern audience and this one is a pantomime production. The cast were very well-balanced and the translation work for the singing was perfect. The audience were instantly drawn into the whole production and it was immediately very effective. The audience wanted action and they got it from the very first moment.
Saving money is a big part of the production and many items on the stage were transformed simply by the dreams of the characters. The details in the production are also excellent and you can see that the fridge magnets have been rearranged to spell “Satan gender hell.” Hansel and Gretel are played by Niamh Kelly and Aoife O’Sullivan respectively, and they are seduced in the performance by dreams of gobstoppers, cream cakes and licorice.
This production of Hansel and Gretel suggests that the parents of the children are not very good, and this is a move away from the original story where was left unclear whether they were bad parents or if they had simply fallen on hard times. Whether this production is an opera, a pantomime or a Freudian essay it does not matter and the Northern Ireland Opera continue with a run of excellent performances.
Elsewhere, the Australian chamber Orchestra recently performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall being led by conductor Richard Tognetti. The orchestra is currently on a European tour and this is the second stop they have made in the UK. The production of the music is excellent and there is a real liveliness to the musicians performing. Some might regard the music as a little brash but it is certainly gripping and you will find yourself rather excited by the performance.
The first concert in 50 Years of Minimalism is a performance of the 1960s work by Terry Riley. The concert sold out and is a long production and the music is excellent, in fact many people might find that the concert just goes on for too long and it is almost an assault of music on the senses. The theme of the performance is minimalism and this is rather well done although some points the entire thing seems a bit mystifying.
One of the earliest examples of proper minimalism was the Balinese Ceremonial Music for Two Pianos and was written in the mid-1930s. This was another excellent production put on by the orchestra and despite a minor slipup in the performance recently it was altogether a very good production.
By Alan, on December 11th, 2011
 Matthew Bourne has rejuvenated ballet by giving classic tales his own eccentric slant, as his latest production which brings ancient vampire like creatures by putting his own twilight like stamp on Sleeping Beauty looks set to be another success. This has just been announced as the latest project for the 51 year old choreographer, and Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet from 1889 will debut in its new guise in December 2012 at Sadler’s Wells.
The story will take us from the 19th century right up until the present day, and the dashing lead is portrayed as a creature with vampire like qualities, thus allowing him to survive the century that his beloved sleeps for. Bourne has said that Aurora, the heroine, will be part fairy who falls under the influence of her vampiric beau, which suggests that this production will be as ground breaking as his previous works.
Bourne told the Independent that you can’t ignore the fact that Sleeping Beauty is a fairy tale, but that also gives you the artistic licence to go where you want with the story. He added that he would be adding a few new twists to the much loved story and that there would be little to recognise in the plot which may also feature the 2012 Olympics.
The choreographer who hails from Hackney is perhaps the biggest name in British dance today. His 1995 ground breaking production of Swan Lake, which has all male swans, is the longest running ballet in the history of the west end.
Tamara Rojo is a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet, and she has said that Bourne’s most important talent is being able to bring dance to those audiences who wouldn’t normally have been interested in going to the ballet, and she added that he was one of the main reasons that dance was enjoying such a purple patch in the UK at the moment.
Bourne staged many amateur ballets in his youth and got a taste for the west end when he was a serious autograph hunter. After taking various temp jobs, he was granted a place in 1982 at the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance in London. He gained his place partly due to his enthusiasm and after graduating from his Adventures in Motion Pictures dance company, its name jokingly referring to Bourne’s cinematic style of choreography.
He is much admired by his peers, in particular his ability to imagine scenes as if he was looking through a lens. His former business partner David Massingham, who is now th e co-artistic director of the Birmingham International Dance Festival has said of Bourne that his productions are theatrical concepts that contain dancing, not the other way around as was expected.
Bourne’s own company are also celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2012, and will be enjoying a series of performances at London’s Sadler’s Wells, which will culminate with this latest production.
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A woman from Chepstow has been named as “Orchestra Manager of the Year” by the Association of British Orchestras after her campaigning efforts secured public cash for Sinfonia Cymru.
