July 2008

Posted on June 4, 2008

This issue of Dancing Times is the last for which Mary Clarke takes responsibility as Editor but, as she insists, it is not “the end of an era”. It sees a happy transition to a younger generation as Jonathan Gray, who has been her close associate for several years, before that, for 16 years, a member of the curatorial staff at the Theatre Museum, and a devoted reader of the magazine for some 30 years (since age 10), takes over. Mary Clarke has been named Emeritus Editor by the magazine’s Trustees and will thus retain an interest and become an occasional contributor.

The invaluable Dancing Times team, listed on this page, remains unchanged while the writers and photographers, some long serving, some more recent and younger, stay with us. Echoing a famous remark of Ninette de Valois (her mentor) Mary Clarke says firmly “it takes more than one to produce a magazine”. This issue of Dancing Times, for which she takes only partial credit, characteristically reflects a range of topics: from interviews with dancers and with a distinguished impresario; to a serious study of the state of Black Dance in the UK; to an important warning to dancers about to sign contracts; to extensive reviews of professional performances as well as the equally important news about teachers and training, with a special feature on the New Zealand School of Dance. It is the hope and belief of the present Editor that her successor will cement existing policies and initiate fresh ones, respecting the past but heralding the future. And to everyone who has sustained her for nearly half a century, undying gratitude and love.

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8 Letters to the Editor

11 Talking Point. Art Historian Martin Butlin writes about design for dance

12 Royal Ballet stars Laura Morera and Ricardo Cervera interviewed by Gerald Dowler

19 Mission Impossible? Bill Harpe reports on the state of Black Dance in the UK

22 Spirit of the Indomitable. Impressario Lilian Hochhauser interviewed by David Jays

25 Dance Schools: New Zealand School of Dance by Alison Kirkman

28 The Right of Sprung examines one of the Dance Review’s key challenges for
the future of dance education

31 Kiwis Land at BRB. Dancers Gaylene Cummerfield and Matthew Lawrence interviewed by Zoë Anderson

35 Before You Sign on the Dotted Line. Francis Yeoh unravels the mysteries of contracts for dancers

39 Dancers After Dancing. Patricia Linton talks to Carl Myers

43 DanceScene International – UK: Birmingham International Dance Festival, Scottish Ballet, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, The Royal Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, The Kirov Ballet, The Royal Ballet in The Linbury, The Peony Pavilion, Akram Khan Company and the National Ballet of China, English National Ballet. Overseas: New York City Ballet.

63 Letter from St Petersburg by Igor Stupnikov

67 Obituaries – Alberto Lorca

93 Christopher Hinton-Lewis is our Dancer of the Month interviewed by Margaret Willis

96 Barbara Newman introduces West Side Story

98 Your Page

6 Dancematters This month: Win dance classes at The Place

65 Miscellany
This month: Dance Honours

69 Teachers & Training This month: LCB, RAD Boys

75 Classified

76 Where to Learn

78 Calendar

89 Book & DVD

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.