June 2021

Posted on June 24, 2021

Editorial and contents June 2021

So theatres are finally open again in the UK. Despite the potential new threat of an “Indian” variant of COVID-19 spreading across the country, dance companies were able to return to the stage from May 17 after an absense of more than five months. Those performances took place too late to be included in this issue of the magazine, but I am pleased to announce that Dancing Times will be publishing reviews from Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Northern Ballet, Rambert and The Royal Ballet next month in Dance Scene International – it seems a very long time to have been deprived of live performances of dance in an indoor venue, but now they are back, let’s hope they will remain so. 

There is a lot to read in the magazine this month: Laura Cappelle talks to Hugo Marchand, an étoile at the Paris Opéra Ballet; Fátima Nollén discovers how Ballet Nacional de España has been managing to continue performing on stage despite the pandemic in Spain; Vikki Jane Vile finds out what some of the Strictly Come Dancing professionals have been up to in lockdown; and Northern Ballet’s Gavin McCaig recounts what it has been like to create a new children’s ballet during the past 12 months. I write this during a torrential downpour, but despite the inclement weather outside, it really does feel like spring has finally arrived!

JONATHAN GRAY

Dancing Times, June 2021 Volume 111 Issue 1330

Cover Stories

15 – Profoundly affected. Laura Cappelle talks to the Paris Opéra Ballet étoile Hugo Marchand

19 – The odd couple. Nicola Rayner hears about Him and Me from Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice

37 – 101 years. Deborah Weiss visits Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance

63 – Dancer of the Month. Margaret Willis interviews Scottish Ballet’s Rishan Benjamin

Features

22 – Ballet for all? Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp continues his discussion on diversifying classical ballet

28 – Keep on going. Fátima Nollén meets Rubén Olmo, director of Ballet Nacional de España

33 – Design revolution. Jane Pritchard highlights the career of Claud Lovat Fraser

41 – Creating Pinocchio. Gavin McCaig describes the choreographic process behind his first children’s ballet

44 – The Cinderella men. Graham Watts talks to music directors Koen Kessels and Gavin Sutherland

Dance Today

54 – Back to business. Vikki Jane Vile catches up with the Strictly Come Dancing professionals

56 – Tips on technique. By James Whitehead

57 – Technique clinic. By Phil Meacham

58 – Simon’s Guide to Swing. By Simon Selmon

59 – Stepping Out. By Pete Meager

60 – Somewhere in time. By Jack Reavely

Regulars

6 – News. Matthew Bourne’s new show

10 – Letters

13 – Talking Point. By Teresa Guerreiro

46 – FRANCE/dance. By Laura Cappelle

48 – Letter from St Petersburg. By Igor Stupnikov

50 – Notes from New York. By Jack Anderson

66 – Obituaries. Jacques d’Amboise, Shirley Hancock, Ismael Ivo 

69 – Media. New ballroom and Latin CDs reviewed by Bryan Allen

71 – Products

73 – Education. Ballet Central on tour

74 – Health. By Debbie Malina

77 – Classifieds

78 – Calendar

82 – Last Dance. We look back to June 1981

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.