November 2019

Posted on November 27, 2019

Editorial and contents November 2019

We are in the unusual position of having an opera singer on the cover of Dancing Times this month! Jakub Józef Orliński is a Polish countertenor specialising in performing music from the 17th and 18th centuries, but he is also a dedicated break dancer, and on page 20 we find out more about his love of dancing in his first-ever print interview with a dance magazine. We also talk to Motsi Mabuse, the new judge on Strictly Come Dancing, as well as Nancy Xu, one of the show’s new professional dancers. In addition, we celebrate the return of Coppélia to the repertoire of The Royal Ballet, meet Gregory Dean, the UK-born principal who dances and choreographs with the Royal Danish Ballet, and hear about the dance elements to be included in the new museum in Blackpool.

As the evenings draw in, it’s also time to take stock of the opening weeks of the autumn dance season, so in this month’s Dance Scene we report on a number of performances, both here in the UK and abroad. Lastly, I’m delighted to inform readers that Dancing Times is available to buy once more at the Royal Opera House shop, open again after it was closed for refurbishment.

JONATHAN GRAY

Dancing Times, November 2019 Volume 110 Issue 1311

Cover Stories

17 – Coming back. Jonathan Gray on the return of The Royal Ballet’s Coppélia

20 – Freedom of movement. Graham Spicer talks to countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński about his love of break dancing

24 – Strictly fabulous. Marianka Swain chats to Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse

89 – Dancer of the Month. Margaret Willis meets the Bolshoi Ballet’s Jacopo Tissi

Features

29 – Describing dance. Northern Ballet’s Pippa Moore talks to Gavin McCaig about her new career

33 – Getting involved. David Mead visits Déda, Derby’s centre for dance and circus arts

37 – Contemporary independents. Fátima Nollén hears about contemporary and independent dance in Cuba

41 – Good work in Denmark. Paul Arrowsmith meets the Royal Danish Ballet’s Gregory Dean

Dance Today

74 – A dance through time. Alison Gallagher-Hughes on Blackpool’s new museum

78 – Drama queen. Nicola Rayner interviews the newest Strictly professional, Nancy Xu

80 – Tips on technique. By James Whitehead

81 – Technique clinic. By Phil Meacham

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

83 – Stepping Out. By Marianka Swain

84 – Notes from the Dance Floor. Marianka Swain attends Mamma Mia! The Party

86 – Somewhere in time. By Jack Reavely

Regulars

6 – News. Spring at Sadler’s Wells and the Barbican Centre

13 – Letters

15 – Talking Point. By Alice Rush

45 – Dance Scene. Reviews include Birmingham Royal Ballet, Boy Blue, Dada Masilo, The Royal Ballet, The Australian Ballet

63 – FRANCE/dance. By Laura Cappelle

66 – Danza in Italia. By Graham Spicer

69 – Letter from St Petersburg. By Igor Stupnikov

71 – Notes from New York. By Jack Anderson

93 – People. David Hallberg and The Royal Ballet

95 – Obituaries. Morwenna Bowen, Stella Farrance, Jeffery Taylor

99 – Media. Sarah Woodcock reviews a new book on Murray’s Cabaret Club

101 – Products

102 – Education. Musical Theatre graduate shows 2019, CDMT conference

106 – Health. Debbie Malina looks at bone health for dancers

109 – Classified

111 – Calendar. Our guide to what’s on stage this month

118 – Listings. Where to learn to dance in the UK

122 – Last Dance

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.