Darcey Bussell has been elected president of the Royal Academy of Dance, following Dame Antoinette Sibley, who retired in April after 21 years in the role.

Darcey Bussell has been elected president of the Royal Academy of Dance, following Dame Antoinette Sibley, who retired in April after 21 years in the role.

The dance programme for this year’s Edinburgh International Festival will include the Maryinsky Ballet (pictured), Angelin Preljocaj’s company, Deborah Colker Dance Company, Juillard Dance and more.

The twelfth Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards took place today at The Place, in the Robin Howard Dance Theatre. Members of the dance section of the Critics’ Circle vote for the awards, on performances given in the UK between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011.

The twelfth Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards took place today at The Place, in the Robin Howard Dance Theatre. Members of the dance section of the Critics’ Circle vote for the awards, on performances given in the UK between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011.

This week, dance fans can see everything from a lavish fairytale to a show that puts theatre technicians centre stage.

The Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China return to the UK this week. The company's unique view of Swan Lake (pictured) is at the London Coliseum from Tuesday 9 until Sunday, August 14, with further performances at the  Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff and Birmingham Hippodrome next week. The company use the ballet as a framework for impossible feats. In the most spectacular, already a hit on YouTube, the heroine dances, on pointe, on top of her partner’s head. Yes, really. I’ve seen it. She does.

The Maryinsky Ballet concludes its London season this week. Ekaterina Kondaurova and American star David Hallberg dance Swan Lake tonight, followed on Tuesday by Anna Karenina, a UK premiere.

The Maryinsky Ballet continue their London season this week, dancing the Homage to Fokineprogramme at the Royal Opera House tonight. Casting includes Anastasia Petushkova as the Firebird, plus Viktoria Tereshkina and Vladimir Shklyarov in Scheherazade.

Napoletango, a blend of Argentine tango and Neapolitan song, comes to the London Coliseum from Thursday until Saturday. The show has had sellout runs in Italy, and kicks off an international tour with these London performances. (You can read an interview with Napoletango star Pablo Moyano in our current issue.)