November 2021

Posted on November 25, 2021

Editorial and contents November 2021

We mark an important milestone in this month’s issue of Dancing Times – the centenary of the first complete performance in the UK of Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty (or The Sleeping Princess as it was titled by Serge Diaghilev for his Ballets Russes production back in 1921). The work has played such a significant role in the history of ballet in Britain (becoming the signature work of The Royal Ballet) that this seemed the right time to look back a century and find out just how it was viewed by a public who had never seen the ballet before. 

In Dance Scene International, we record the reopening of theatres across the country following the pandemic, which includes a huge amount of new work being performed by some of our leading dance companies. 

Finally, with this issue, we also say farewell to the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), which has played host to the Dancing Times since 2016. The RAD will shortly be moving into its wonderful new premises and, from November 1 onwards, the Dancing Times team will all be working from home for the forseeable future. We can still be contacted by letter, email or telephone, of course, but please check our new address and telephone number opposite. I would like to extend our thanks to everyone at the RAD who has made the stay in our office on the third floor such a happy one, particularly Luke Rittner, Gerard Charles and Melanie Murphy – they have all proved to be true friends of the magazine.

JONATHAN GRAY

Dancing Times, November 2021 Volume 112 Issue 1335

Cover Stories

16 – 100 Years Awake. Jonathan Gray finds out how Dancing Times reported Serge Diaghilev’s legendary production of The Sleeping Princess in 1921

20 – Invention and extravagance. Sarah Woodcock looks at Léon Bakst’s designs for The Sleeping Princess

25 – She’s the top. Nicola Rayner interviews Sutton Foster, star of the musical Anything Goes

29 – Riding the waves. Deborah Weiss talks to Sabine Naghdi about her forthcoming book, Tears of a Ballet Mother

Features

32 – Emerging conversations. Susan Crow considers how best to educate tomorrow’s ballet dancers

36 – Poussin and the Dance. Alastair Macaulay looks at a new exhibition at London’s National Gallery

Dance Today

66 – The International Championships 2021. Martin Cutler reports

68 – Tips on technique. By James Whitehead

69 – Technique clinic. By Phil Meacham 

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

71 – Stepping Out. By Pete Meager

72 – Somewhere in time. By Jack Reavely

Regulars

8 – News. Dane Hurst leaves Phoenix Dance Theatre, Acosta Danza UK tour dates announced

13 – Letters

15 – Talking Point. By Cyril W Beaumont

39 – Dance Scene International. Reviews this month include Birmingham International Dance Festival, English National Ballet, Dutch National Ballet

57 – Variety Lights. Barbara Newman sees Frozen at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

59 – Letter from St Petersburg. By Igor Stupnikov

61 – FRANCE/dance. Laura Cappelle reviews the Paris Opéra Ballet in Le Rouge et le noir 

62 – Notes from New York. Leigh Witchel watches the return of New York City Ballet

75 – Dancer of the Month. Margaret Willis interviews Ballet Black’s Alexander Fadayiro

79 – Obituaries. Colin Jones

81 – Media

83 – Products

85 – Education. balletLORENT launches Young Creatives programme

88 – Classifieds

89 – Calendar. Our guide to what’s on in the UK and abroad

94 – Listings. Where to learn to dance

98 – Last Dance. We look back to November 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.