July 2015

Posted on July 24, 2015

The training of young dancers is a theme that threads throughout this issue of Dancing Times, which is highlighted by Laura Dodge’s celebration of the UK’s youth ballet companies, and also by David Mead’s report on Elmhurst School for Dance, which this year marks the tenth anniversary of its move to Birmingham.

In addition, Ginny Brown reveals her belief in a strong future for dance in education; our Dancer of the Month, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Luke Schaufuss, talks about the training he received in Denmark; and we commence our annual round-up of end-of-year performances by vocational schools in Dance Education. We hear from American Ballet Theatre’s Marcelo Gomes, who will be appearing this month in Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man at Sadler’s Wells, and also from Peter Schaufuss, whose award-winning production of La Sylphide returns to London in August for the first time in many years. You will also find news of some exciting changes in Dancing Times on page 7. Finally, as we go to press, the death has been announced of John Auld, the dancer and director best known for his wonderful staging of Fokine’s Petrushka for Birmingham Royal Ballet – we shall pay tribute next month. 

JONATHAN GRAY

July 2015 Volume 105 Issue 1259

Cover stories

15 / Never stop growing. Marcelo Gomes, the princely star of American Ballet Theatre, is joining New Adventures for the sex and violence of Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man. He speaks to Zoë Anderson about challenges, choreography and change

19 / Dancing through the holidays. Laura Dodge finds out about three companies celebrating the talent of UK youth ballet dancers

23 / The Sylphide of Oz. Jonathan Gray talks to Peter Schaufuss and Li Cunxin about Queensland Ballet’s La Sylphide

27 / Celebrating our common ground. The ISTD’s Ginny Brown believes there is a strong future for dance in education

Features

31 / Take a walk on the wild side. Jeannette Andersen gets back to nature

35 / Music to dance to. Margaret Willis talks to conductor Richard Bonynge about his love of ballet music

39 / Flying high. David Mead spends a day at Elmhurst School for Dance

Regulars

06 / Dance Matters. Birmingham Royal Ballet

10 / Letters

12 / Talking Point. Laura Dodge wonders if choreographers need editors

42 / Dance Scene. Reviews include Rambert, Ballet Black, The Place and Stuttgart Ballet

59 / Variety Lights. Barbara Newman on The Pirates of Penzance and Beyond Bollywood

61 / Letter from St Petersburg. Igor Stupnikov salutes Diana Vishneva

63 / Notes from New York. Jack Anderson sees new productions of La Sylphide and The Sleeping Beauty

65 / Dance Media

67 / Obituaries. Maggie Black, Dudley Williams

69 / Dance People. Sergei Polunin

71 / Dance Health. Debbie Malina investigates Stretchworks

77 / Dance Education. Yorkshire Ballet Scholars, Ballet Central

83 / Classified

84 / Where to Learn

92 / Calendar

Into Dance

87 / Dancer of the Month. Luke Schaufuss interviewed by Margaret Willis

90 / U.Dance. By Zoë Anderson

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.