Kaleidoscope: St Andrews University Dance Society's next Show

St Andrews University Dance Society have read Ballet at University and have just sent the following message through Facebook:


The show will take place in the Byre Theatre which is a great St Andrean institution that we nearly lost a few years ago (see the History page on the theatre's website).

The word "byre" is an old Scottish and North Country word for cowshed. The theatre was called the Byre because it was originally housed in a cowshed. I remember it well for I attended a couple of its performances before the new theatre was constructed just off South Street.

The old building was so cramped that it required a sign asking patrons in the front row not to rest their feet on the stage.

I should mention in passing that the University has a competitive dance team called The Blue Angels who seem to be very successful. The Blie Angels also have a show in the Byre on 28 March 2017. I wish all the best to everybody concerned.

St Andrews is very easy to reach from Taynuilt, Gillian - and Glasgow, Mel. It is also a small part of Scottish Ballet's history too, Christopher. Do support these splendid young people.

Palladio

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One of my favourite young dancers in any company is Cristiano Principato, an Élève with the Dutch National Ballet. I interviewed him shortly after he joined the Junior Company (see Meet Cristiano Principato of the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company 3 Dec 2014) since when his career has taken off like a rocket.

Cristiano has been asked by his company to create a new ballet called Palladio as part of its New Moves programme for its up and coming young choreographers on 24 June 2016.  Cristiano discusses his work in this video.

He will also get a chance to show this work to his father and other members of his family as well as their friends and neighbours at the Gala for Alessia at the Silvio Pellico Theatre in Trecate just outside Novarra on the 28 June 2016 (see The Beautiful Dancers at the Gala for Alessia 8 May 2016).

If you see no other ballet this year this is the one you must see - Dutch National Ballet Junior Company, Linbury 28-29 May 2014

On 4 April 2013 I posted a short article on Michaela dePrince while she was still in the United States. I wrote:

"I can't wait to see her in  England".

A few months later I noticed that she had come a lot closer to England by joining the Junior Company of the Dutch National Ballet. I made a special trip to Amsterdam on the 24 November 2013 to see the company at the Stadsshowburg. I was bowled over by the performance as was the rest of the audience.  It went wild for the company. Not just for dePrince - though she was magnificent - but for the other 11 members and their artistic director Ernst Meisner who have produced something remarkable.  Now at last they are coming to the Linbury on the 28 and 29 May.

If you have never seen ballet before this is the show you should see first.  If you are not charmed by these wonderful young dancers then nothing will charm you.  If you only see one show this year this is the one you should see.  Tickets range from £7 to £20 and students are entitled to concessions.  You can book on-line or by calling 020 7304 4000.

I would have raved about dePrince had she come from Singapore or Suriname but I have a special regard for her because she does come from Sierra Leone. I was married to a Sierra Leonean for 28 years and I have travelled around that beautiful country. A lot of Sierra Leoneans live in London. I shall be bringing at least two of them, my sister in law and my daughter manquée, on the 29. I have told them about Amsterdam and also about dePrince's story which brought tears to their eyes. Sadness but also enormous pride.

Last week, attention was focused on Nigeria as Jim O'Neill has identified it as a future economic giant but I have seen comparable innovation and creativity in Freetown and indeed among the Sierra Leonean diaspora here.  That tiny country does not get a very good press in England when it is noticed at all but it should. It has produced writers like Aminatta Forna, composers like John Akar and now a beautiful dancer. I am sure there are plenty more where they came from not to mention the scientists, engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, business leaders and others who will draw their inspiration and confidence from those artists.