December 2012

Posted on December 18, 2012

As 2012 draws to a close, we reflect on a year that saw a number of changes within the UK dance world. There were three new artistic directors of leading UK dance companies, cuts in Arts Council funding and threats to the inclusion of arts subjects in the new English Baccalaureate exams from 2015. (Click here for the link) One reason to be cheerful, however, was the formation of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science, on which we reported in our February 2012 issue.

We have, as always, an array of news, views and reviews in this latest issue, but I would like to take the opportunity here to mark two other events relevant to Dancing Times. December 16 is the centenary of the birth of James Monahan, poet, BBC administrator, former director of The Royal Ballet School from 1978 to 1983, and dance critic for The Guardian from 1935. Monahan had a distinguished military career during World War II and, before his death in 1985, contributed extensively and authoritatively to the pages of this magazine for many years. We salute the memory of a multi-talented man. Finally, as well as offering our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, we also offer congratulations to Katie Gregory, former editorial assistant to this magazine as well as former editor of Dance Today, and to her husband, James, on the birth of their son, Charlie George, on September 30, 2012.

JONATHAN GRAY

December 2012 Volume 103 Issue 1228

Features

14 The footballer, the gardener, his wife and their love of dance. Prominent figures in their own field talk dance with Paul Arrowsmith

19 A focus on style: the schools that inspired De Valois. In the first of a six-part series, Patricia Linton looks at the French school of ballet

23 Life on board. Laura Dodge explores the trials and tribulations of dancing at sea

27 A homecoming. Gerald Dowler attended the Ninette de Valois Symposium held at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre

35 View from the barre. At the age of 45, Frederick Lewis was inspired to take an adult ballet class…

Regulars

6 Dance Matters. Liam Scarlett, Sadler’s Wells, Midnight Tango and Musicals DVD competitions

11 Letters

12 Talking Point. Graham Watts wonders if it’s time to hold a dance Olympics?

31 Dance Health. Debbie Malina on the Dance Again Foundation, a charity launched to help dancers return to the stage after injury

39 Dance Scene. Reviews this month include : English National Ballet, Michael Clark Company, Jonzi D, and New York City Ballet

67 Letter from St Petersburg. By Igor Stupnikov

68 Dance Media. New books and DVDs reviewed by Jonathan Gray and Barbara Newman

71 Dance People. Daria Klimentová, Dance UK

72 Obituaries. Piers Beaumont, Hans Werner Henze, Helen Kastrati, Zora Semberova

75 Dance Education. Northern Ballet School, SLP College, National Youth Ballet

81 Classifieds

82 Where to Learn

85 Calendar

Into Dance

93 Dancer of the Month. San Francisco Ballet’s Sarah Van Patten interviewed by Margaret Willis

96 Stage Picture. Raymonda Act III by Zoë Anderson

98 Your Page

Jonathan Gray

Jonathan Gray is editor of Dancing Times. He studied at The Royal Ballet School, Leicester Polytechnic, and Wimbledon School of Art where he graduated with a BA Hons in Theatre Design. For 16 years he was a member of the curatorial department of the Theatre Museum, London, assisting on a number of dance-related exhibitions, and helping with the recreation of original designs for a number of The Royal Ballet’s productions including Danses concertantes, Daphnis and Chloë, and The Sleeping Beauty. He has also contributed to the Financial Times, written programme articles for The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, and is co-author of the book Unleashing Britain: Theatre gets real 1955-64, published in 2005.