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Posted on April 29, 2021
In this issue, we begin a four-part series on diversifying dance. Many months in preparation, and inspired by the stance members of the dance community took in response to the Black Lives Matter protests held last summer following the murder in the US of George Floyd, I am delighted Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp, with his extensive knowledge of the UK’s dance sector, has agreed to take on this project for Dancing Times. My ambition is that the series will act as a catalyst for a larger debate around the subject from others working on the UK’s dance scene.
As the take up of COVID-19 vaccinations continues to be a success, thanks to all the work done by our wonderful NHS, there are signs – following the “false dawn” of last autumn – that, all being well, dance companies will soon be able to perform once more in the UK. Ballet Theatre UK, Northern Ballet and The Royal Ballet have all announced upcoming performances in the pipeline, and a number of musicals are also promising to be back on stage very soon. More worrying, however, is the news that the internationally important Theatre and Performance collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum may be dissolved following restructuring of the museum’s curatorial departments due to a £10 million deficit caused by the pandemic. To read more on this, and also to find out about the online petition launched in protest of this happening, see News.
JONATHAN GRAY
16 – Diversifying dance. Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp introduces a new series
20 – Virtual winner. Teresa Guerreiro catches up with Prix de Lausanne winner António Casalinho
30 – Staying close. David Mead interviews Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Marion Tait
52 – The politics of dancing. Alison Gallagher-Hughes meets Arunas Bizokas
26 – Heartbeats in percussion. Nicola Rayner finds out about boleadoras from Sarah Louis-Jean
34 – Learning from lockdown. Deborah Weiss talks to Kate Simmons of KS Dance
38 – Rambert’s Rooms. Photographs by Camilla Greenwell
56 – Tips on technique. By James Whitehead
57 – Technique clinic. By Phil Meacham
58 – Simon’s Guide to Swing. By Simon Selmon
59 – Stepping Out. By Pete Meager
60 – Somewhere in time. By Jack Reavely
6 – News. Royal Ballet plans, new assistant director for BRB, Aljaž and Janette on screen
12 – Letters
15 – Talking Point. By Nathalie Harrison
41 – Dance Scene International. Sarasota Ballet
44 – FRANCE/dance. By Laura Cappelle
46 – Letter from St Petersburg. By Igor Stupnikov
48 – Notes from New York. By Jack Anderson
63 – Dancer of the Month. Margaret Willis meets Northern Ballet’s Mariana Rodrigues
66 – Obituaries. Patrick Dupond, Jimmy Gamonet de los Heros
68 – Media. Matthew Paluch reviews Performance Psychology for Dancers
71 – Products
72 – Education. Rambert School
74 – Health. Debbie Malina looks at golf
77 – Classifieds
78 – Calendar
82 – Last Dance. We look back to April 1981