January 2019 issue

Posted on December 19, 2018

We took a gamble with the January 2019 issue by putting Strictly Come Dancing’s Joe Sugg on the cover – for the past three years, we have correctly predicted the winner of the BBC series, but will we be right for a fourth time? Joe Sugg also features inside the magazine, with Marianka Swain giving her personal overview of the latest series. To start the New Year, we also feature “All the As” – Alina Cojocaru, Anton Du Beke, Alexei Ratmansky and Auditions. Why not take a look?

Dancing in the moment

Gerald Dowler interviews English National Ballet’s Alina Cojocaru

“I still love dancing and performing. I put a lot of pressure on myself, because I’m aware I have less time, but now I accept that if today doesn’t quite work, there is always tomorrow. I have learned to listen to myself more, when to push and when to rest and I’m more focused on the emotional side of my work, which is much more fun, but it’s important always to give your best.

“When I first heard of basketball coach John Wooden’s ‘definition of success’, it literally changed my life because I used to feel down for several days after a show, thinking about what I didn’t manage to achieve and looking for reasons. Wooden says success comes from being satisfied with your effort, so now, if I do a bad show but I can say I gave it everything I had, that I gave 100 per cent in rehearsals, then there was nothing more I could have done and I can go home and sleep that night, and the next day work to put right what didn’t go so well. It’s a much better approach.”

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Beke in the saddle

Ballroom dancer Anton du Beke talks to Nicola Rayner about his new show and the most recent series of Strictly Come Dancing

‘“It’s a new show,’ explains Anton on the phone from a car on the way to a Strictly rehearsal in late November. ‘The music and choreography have changed and there’s a lot of pre-production, of course. The concept of the show changes every year, so there’s costuming to be done and arranging, too, because we have an orchestra and then the last thing we do is get into the studio and choreograph the show.’

“In preparation, Anton and Erin are working with a director-choreographer, Nikki Woollaston, who comes from the musical theatre world. ‘We’ve been working with her for five years now,’ explains Anton. ‘Ours is about the biggest show that tours. We don’t have a set because the orchestra is the set, if you know what I mean, they’re on stage. It’s about the biggest show that goes on the rounds.’”

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Audition advice

With thousands of students applying each year and numerous institutions with their own procedures, auditioning for a vocational dance school can be an anxious and baffling process. Laura Dodge shares everything you need to know to maximise your chances of getting a place at your college of choice

“Remember that auditioning isn’t just about a school assessing your suitability, but also a chance to think about whether the college is right for you. As Donald McLennan, director of Millennium Performing Arts, says: ‘You get a sense of a college when you audition. Students should think very carefully before making a decision. It’s like buying a house – does it feel right when you walk in?’”

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Also in the January issue…

Margaret Willis catches up with choreographer Alexei Ratmansky

Fátima Nollén discovers a blossoming dance scene in Peru

Marianka Swain on the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing

Paul Arrowsmith meets Tamas Detrich, the new director of Stuttgart Ballet

Lee Knights suggests how to pick the perfect dance holiday

Gerald Dowler starts a new series on the history of ballet in Russia between 1941 and 1961

Iris Fanger attends a seminar on Marius Petipa

Jann Parry thinks the relaunched Linbury Theatre could honour the past as much as it heralds the future

Will Bozier of New Adventures is our Dancer of the Month

Tips on technique: James Whitehead on jive

Technique clinic: Phil Meacham on rise and fall

Rachel Rist on what a grand plié must have

Simon Selmon looks at the UK Lindy Hop revival

Same-sex dance: Marianka Swain looks back on same-sex dancing in 2018 and previews 2019

Jack Reavely recalls a memorable night

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Plus

News of the National Dance Awards, a new Romeo and Juliet from Matthew Bourne, Rambert announces the name of its new director, Gillian Lynne remembered

Reviews of Ballet Theatre UK, Brendan Cole, The Royal Ballet, Didy Veldman, Northern Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Ballet Central, Hadestown at the National Theatre and Fiddler on the Roof at Menier Chocolate Factory

International reviews of Bavarian State Ballet, White Dance Theatre, National Ballet of Canada, Korean National Ballet, Boris Charmatz, Paris Opéra Ballet, International Diaghilev PS Festival in St Petersburg, Balanchine: The City Center Years in New York, Twyla Tharp, and the Hungarian State Ballet

Obituaries of Philip Lansdale and Joan Thomas

Education news of the International Choreographic Award, Carl-Alan Awards, Prix de Lausanne, a new patron for bbodance, National Youth Dance Company, Dutch National Ballet Choreographic Academy

The January issue is now in shops – including branches of WHSmith – or you can buy your print copy here or buy your digital copy from all good app stores

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.