January 2012

Posted on January 26, 2012

Firstly, all at Dancing Times would like to wish our readers a Happy New Year! As the magazine moves into its 102nd year, we endeavour to continue bringing you all the very best in dance, be it news, reviews, opinions, interviews and features. In this issue, Luke Jennings, dance critic of The Observer, thinks it high time classical ballet cleaned out the attic in his Talking Point column; Kathryn Wade offers advice to young graduates about to embark on auditions for professional contracts; Debbie Malina investigates hypermobility in dancers; Laura Dodge asks if dance has become gymnastics; and Gerald Dowler interviews The Royal Ballet’s Nehemiah Kish.

As ever, this month we also feature a wide range of reviews of dance performances from companies in the UK and across the world. For 2012, magazine subscribers received a free calendar in recognition of their support over the year. If you would like to obtain a calendar, which is not for sale in the shops or newsagents, why not take out an annual subscription for Dancing Times, or sister magazine Dance Today? They make perfect New Year presents! Details can be found here. Finally, I would like to start the year on a very happy note by offering our congratulations to Nicola Rayner, editorial assistant of this magazine and editor of sister magazine, Dance Today, who married her fiancé, Jason Draper, in Wales on December 2.

JONATHAN GRAY

January 2012 Volume 102 Issue 1217

Features

15 A normal man on stage. The Royal Ballet’s Nehemiah Kish interviewed by Gerald Dowler

19 Matt at MOVE IT. Dancing Times meets Matt Flint

21 If at first you don’t succeed… Kathryn Wade offers practical audition advice for young dancers about to embark on a professional career

27 Larger than life. Mindy Aloff considers recent cinema screenings of live performances danced by the Bolshoi Ballet

37 Misunderstanding Madam. Richard Glasstone ponders on some aspects of Ninette de Valois’ personality and career

43 Has dance become gymnastics? Laura Dodge examines whether the artistry and expressiveness of dance has been lost in favour of showy technique. Photographs by Frederika Davis

Regulars

7 Dance Matters. ENB Emerging Dancer Award, Fonteyn DVD competition

11 Letters

12 Talking Point. Luke Jennings thinks it high time classical ballet cleaned out the attic

31 Dance Health. Debbie Malina on hypermobility in dancers

39 Variety Lights. Barbara Newman on Medea and Castor and Pollux

49 Dance Scene. Reviews this month include : Ballet Cymru, Rambert Dance Company, Ballet Theatre UK, The Featherstonehaughs, Ballet of La Scala, and the Bolshoi Ballet

71 Letter from St Petersburg. Igor Stupnikov sees Eifman’s Rodin

73 Dance Media. Books and DVDs reviewed and previewed by Mary Clarke
and Jonathan Gray

77 Dance People. A blue plaque for John Gilpin

79 Obituaries. Ruth Currier, Stanley Hawkins, Ken Russell

81 Dance Education. Dance Proms at the Royal Albert Hall

83 Classifieds

84 Where to Learn

86 Calendar

Into Dance

93 Dancer of the Month. Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Tzu-Chao Chou interviewed by Margaret Willis

96 Waltzing into the New Year by Zoë Anderson

98 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.