December 2019

Posted on December 18, 2019

With the approach of Christmas, there are some seasonal treats in the latest issue of Dancing Times. That much-loved dancer Adam Cooper returns to the UK stage this month to appear in Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes at Sadler’s Wells, and we find out what he has been up to since he was last here in an interview with Gerald Dowler. We also hear from the stage designer Dick Bird, who so brilliantly reimagined Birmingham Royal Ballet’s lovely production of The Nutcracker for its performances at the Royal Albert Hall, and who is now working on a new piece for David Bintley and Sarasota Ballet next spring.

Also this month, we come to the end of Fátima Nollén’s series on dance in Latin America. It has given us a fascinating insight into a dance scene not often reported on here, and, to mark the “series finale”, we also catch up with Thiago Soares and Iñaki Urlezaga, two South American dancers familiar to us from their performances with The Royal Ballet. In addition, Lee Knights introduces us to bachata, a popular Latin dance originating from the Dominican Republic. Which leaves me just to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

JONATHAN GRAY

Dancing Times, December 2019 Volume 110 Issue 1312

Cover Stories

16 – Song and dance man. Adam Cooper talks to Gerald Dowler

21 – All hail, Johannes! Nicola Rayner on Strictly’s Johannes Radebe

30 – Thiago and friends. Kristyna Kashvili joins Thiago Soares on tour in Brazil

95 – Obituaries. Alicia Alonso,

Valerie Adams, Maria Fay

Features

24 – Here when you need us most. Clemmie Cowl on the Dance Professionals Fund

27 – Journey’s end? Fátima Nollén concludes her series on Latin America

34 – Ace of Spades. Iñaki Urlezaga talks to Fátima Nollén about bringing Pushkin to St Petersburg

39 – Nutcrackers and computer games. Paul Arrowsmith meets stage designer Dick Bird

Dance Today

74 – A year of change. Nicola Rayner reports from the International

78 – Romancing the roots. Lee Knights explores the history of bachata

80 – Tips on technique. By James Whitehead

81 – Technique clinic. By Phil Meacham

82 – Simon’s Guide to Swing. By Simon Selmon

83 – Stepping Out. By Marianka Swain

84 – Notes from the Dance Floor

86 – Somewhere in time. By Jack Reavely

Regulars

6 – News. Scottish Ballet in 2020, American Ballet Theatre celebrates 80 years,

ENB gala at the Coliseum

13 – Letters

15 – Talking Point. By Gavin McCaig

43 – Dance Scene. Reviews include Dance Umbrella, Northern Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance, Rambert, Hong Kong Ballet

65 – Variety Lights. Barbara Newman sees Falsettos and Orpheus and Eurydice

67 – FRANCE/dance. Laura Cappelle on Crystal Pite’s new work for the Paris Opéra Ballet

69 – Letter from St Petersburg. By Igor Stupnikov

71 – Notes from New York. By Jack Anderson

89 – Dancer of the Month. Margaret Willis meets Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Laura Day

93 – People. Karen Kain, Michael O’Hare, Alastair Marriott and Jonathan Howells

99 – Media. Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet on the big screen

101 – Products

104 – Education. Royal Academy of Dance, bbodance, Dance School of the Year 2019

107 – Ballets, battles and bullets. Debbie Malina considers the many links found between dance and the military

111 – Classifieds

112 – Calendar

118 – Listings

122 – Last Dance. We look back to December 1979

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.