April 2009

Posted on March 4, 2009

MOVE IT, the dance exhibition held at London’s Olympia, this year attracted more than 19,000 visitors, and it was wonderful for the Dancing Times team to meet so many of our readers, both old and new, at our stand. It was an extremely busy weekend, with dance schools and colleges, dancewear and dance equipment manufacturers, and innumerable other stallholder’s battling to gain attention.

MOVE IT promises an even bigger exhibition at Olympia next year, and you can read David Jays’ report on the 2009 event on page 18. On page 15 of this issue, Richard Alston, one of the UK’s most distinguished choreographers, talks to Barbara Newman about his career and influences. Sheila Cross continues her invaluable guide to dance degree courses on page 39 and in Talking Point on page 12 Alistair Spalding, artistic director of Sadler’s Wells, writes about his admiration for William Forsythe. On page 47, we pay tribute to the late Jocelyne Adams, who, along with Mary Clarke, was director of Dancing Times for many years. I never worked with Jocelyne, but I vividly remember the time when, as a teenager, she kindly took me along to a performance by the Bolshoi Ballet in Battersea Park and then drove me back across the river in time to catch the last train home to Leicester.

Jonathan Gray

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Contents

14 Outstanding Achiever. Richard Alston interviewed by Barbara Newman

18 MOVE IT. David Jays reports from this year’s dance exhibition

23 Talent Spotting. Imogen Walker, Sanna Nordin and Emma Redding investigate talent

29 A Knight to Remember. Remembering Robert Helpmann by Gerald Dowler

33 Ballets Russes de Serge Diaghilev. Part 6 researched by Sarah Woodcock

39 Dance by Degrees. Part 2. Sheila Cross looks at postgraduate courses

43 Dancing Around Europe. Part 7. By Louise Bennett

47 Jocelyne Adams, 1929-2009. A tribute to an old friend

49 Another Opening. Shun-kin reviewed by Barbara Newman

53 DanceScene International
UK: Colin Dunne; CandoCo Dance Company; Henri Oguike Dance Company; Birmingham Royal Ballet; Ballet Black; Northern Ballet Theatre; Sylvie Guillem, Russell Maliphant and Robert Lepage; Tanja Liedtke
OVERSEAS: New York City Ballet 6

9 Books. The Ballet Companion by Eliza Gaynor Minden and Reading Dance by Robert Gottlieb reviewed by Mary Clarke. Black Dance in London, 1730-1850 by Rodreguez King-Dorset reviewed by Madeleine Inglehearn

75 Obituary. Flemming Flindt, Pearl Lang, Marina Svetlova

Regulars

6 Dancematters.

Sadler’s Wells dance contest

10 Letters to the Editor

12 Talking Point. By Alastair Spalding

67 Letter from St Petersburg. By Igor Stupnikov

73 Miscellany.
Stella Mann

79 Teachers & Training.
New Trinity qualification, Prix de Lausanne, Grandison Clark Awards

83 Classified

84 Where to Learn

86 Calendar

97 CDs & DVDs

IntoDance

101 IntoDance A Snow White diary by London Children’s Ballet’s Dex Lee

104 Dancer of the Month – Adela Ramirez. Interviewed by Margaret Willis

106 Your Page

Simon Oliver

Simon Oliver has been production editor of Dancing Times since 2010 and is highly experienced in design across print and online magazine production. Throughout his career, Simon has worked on a diverse range of subjects including music, family history, book collecting and poker.