Visiting Friends - Ballet Black at Home

The View from outside the Feathers

Author Geoffrey Skelsey
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The day before I left for Amsterdam while the Beast form the East was still stalking its lair I visited Ballet Black for a rehearsal of extracts from Arthur Pita's  A Dream Within a Midsummer Night’s Dream and Cathy Marston's The Suit which the company will present at the Barbican between 15 and 17 March 2018. Every performance of that show is now sold out but the company will take it on tour to Newbury, Hatfield, Bristol, Nottingham, Inverness, Dundee and Exeter in Spring and no doubt Leeds and other venues in the North in the Autumn (see the Performances page of Ballet Black's website).

Pita's Dream is already a favourite with audiences and critics. I raved about it in 2014 when I saw it no less than 4 times in London, Southport, Nottingham and Leeds (see Extra Special - Ballet Black at the Linbury 26 Feb 2014  27 Feb 2014 and the links to other reviews and articles). The Suit also promises much with music by Philip Feeney and designs by Jane Heather.  As I don't want to spoil the anticipation of either ballet, all I will say at this stage is that Cira Robinson delighted me again as a regal Titania and Isabela Coracy as a playful Puck, Marston's work is dramatic and I was reminded of Jane Eyre and Rochester in the duet and the demons from Marston's work for Northern Ballet in the extract that was performed for us.

The rehearsal took place in Ballet Black's new studios at The Feathers Association in Lisson Grove. That's not a part of London that I know well and as Hull Trains delivered me to King's Cross with a couple of hours to spare I explored the neighbourhood.  It is largely residential with few places to eat though I managed to find a cafe a few hundred yards from the studios that served some excellent Moroccan specialities for a very reasonable price. The Feathers is positioned on a bridge above the railway tracks leading to Marylebone station from which the above photo must have been taken.

The visit was a special event for Friends of the company.  If you are not already a Friend, Thandie Newton, the company's patron, lists some of the benefits of membership:

"Internationally recognised for its vital message of giving black and Asian dancers the professional opportunities they merit based solely on their talent and dedication, Ballet Black continues to amaze. As a Friend, you will be making a valuable contribution to the sustainability of this small yet hugely significant company and will support its ongoing commitment to aspiring dancers and to its ever increasing and loyal audience. In return, Ballet Black will welcome you behind the scenes to watch Company rehearsals under the exceptional eye of Artistic Director, Cassa Pancho as well as with acclaimed guest choreographers. You will receive quarterly newsletters to keep you up-to-date about news, events and performances so you will never miss out."

After the show, the company invited us for tea and biscuits in their office where the dancers joined us. It was very pleasant to see them all again.  The only one I did not already know was Ebony Thomas who had impressed me in Leeds in November and I took the opportunity to introduce myself to him.

I am confident that this year's tour will be Ballet Black's most successful yet.  I shall watch the show on Friday 16 after which there will be a post show talk.   The next day there will be an open rehearsal and workshop as part of the Barbican OpenFest.  According to the blurb:

"Cassa Pancho (Artistic Director of Ballet Black) will conduct a Ballet Class for all ages on the Barbican Freestage, prior to Ballet Black's open rehearsal and performance on Saturday evening in the Barbican Theatre. This workshop is free and open to all, no prior experience necessary."

I can hardly wait.

Rachael Gillespie

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I am a colossal fan of Rachael Gillespie. I have singled her out for special commendation in many of my reviews and tweets. From this clip of her rehearsing with Jeremy Curnier you will understand why. She dances with passion but also with precision.

One of the articles in Friday's Friends' newsletter was 60 Seconds with ..... Rachael Gillespie.  It reminds readers that she comes from Swindon, a town that I had always associated with maddening roundabouts like this one.


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Henceforth, I shall associate Swindon with Cathy (see Wuthering Heights 19 March 2015), Tinkerbell (see Not too sure about Fairies but I certainly believe in Rachael Gillespie 21 Dec 2014) or one of the other roles that I have seen Gillespie dance. On reflection, it has just occurred to me that there may be a connection between Gillespie's prowess and Swindon's roundabouts. I've found from the little bit of ballet training that I have received that a dancer has to think fast on his or her feet. Negotiating Swindon's road system would be perfect mental training.

I won't spoil the article by telling you what else is in 60 Seconds save that there's a lovely self-deprecating story which shows that she must have a great sense of humour. She shares my love of Jane Austen and my hope to see Pride and Prejudice translated into ballet. Northern Ballet has two Brontë ballets in its repertoire, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Surely Austin's comedy of manners lends itself to theatre so much more naturally than the tragic tales of the maungy maids of Haworth.

Northern Ballet will present three new full-length works this year with plenty of new roles which I am sure she will make her own.

Last Chance to see Ballet Black in the North

South Yorkshire

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Ballet Black are coming towards the end of their national tour with the triple bill that David Murley saw at the Barbican (see Ballet Black at the Barbican 22 March 2016) and I saw at the Lowry and Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre (see Ballet Black made my Manchester Day 20 June 2016 and Never Better: Ballet Black in Leeds 18 Oct 2016). The company usually makes an appearance in Leeds but this year they have spoilt their fans in the North with performances of Dogs Don't Do Ballet in Sale (see As Fresh as Ever: Ballet Black's Dogs Don't Do Ballet in Sale 7 May 2016 and I never tire of Dogs Don't Do Ballet 8 May 2016) as well as those I have already mentioned and their forthcoming visit to the CAST theatre in Doncaster on 2 Nov 2016.

As I mentioned in my review of Northern Ballet's Madame Butterfly (Nixon's Masterpiece) on 22 May 2015 CAST is  "a £22 million municipal theatre that opened in 2013 (Ian Youngs £22m Cast theatre opens in Doncaster 6 Sept 2013 BBC website)" and is one of the plushest performing spaces I know. It has attracted not just Northern Ballet but also Wayne McGregor and other dance companies. This will be Ballet Black's debut in Doncaster and tickets seem to be selling well (see the "Book Tickets" page on the theatre's website).

In my humble opinion, this year's programme is the company's best ever with works by three of my favourite choreographers including Christopher Marney (artistic director of Ballet Central) whose work reminds me so much of John Cranko and Christopher Hampson of Scottish Ballet who was my joint choreographer of the year for 2015 (see Highlights of 2015  29 Dec 2015). All the works in this year's programme are sombre. Storyville which charts the destruction of a beautiful young woman is particularly sad. But they are also very beautiful.  Ballet Black is a company that delivers the sort of works that Luke Jennings seemed to be calling for on Front Row  on Monday which I discussed in Of Bikes and Buses 25 Oct 2016. I can't imagine why nobody on the programme mentioned that.

Ballet Black's remaining performances of the triple bill will be in Exeter, Watford, Harlow and Lichfield. Soon they will begin work on a new programme which will open at the Barbican on 2 March 2017. I gleaned the following details from the Barbican's website:

"A four-hander characterised by intricate detail and propulsive energy, Captured ebbs and flows to the fiery emotion of Martin Lawrance’s edgy choreography, set to a Shostakovich string quartet.
Celebrated British choreographer Michael Corder, whose glittering versions of Cinderellaand The Snow Queen have been seen across Europe, creates the evening’s second abstract piece for four dancers.
South Bank Sky Arts Award-winner Annabelle Lopez Ochoa turns a popular fairy tale on its head, as she gives her short narrative ballet a surprising twist. This time, the Wolf will regret ever meeting Red Riding Hood."

Those who like Ballet Black may wish to consider the company's Friends scheme. Membership does not cost much and it provides opportunities to get to know the company better.  Friends receive an occasional newsletter and invitations to attend events like the rehearsal of Marney's To Begin, Begin at the Barbican (see Ballet Black's First Friends' Event: A Rehearsal with Chris Marney 14 July 2016).

Anna Tsygankova

Anna Tsygankova danced Cinderella on the last night of the Dutch National Ballet's season at the Coliseum and her performance was a triumph. It was the first time that I had seen her but I will make sure that it is not the last. I hope that the next occasion that I see her will be at the opening gala of the Amsterdam ballet season on the 8 Sept 2015.

Tsygankova talks about her role in Cinderella in the above video that the company has released recently on YouTube.  In it she describes her collaboration  with Christopher Wheeldon which was clearly a remarkable experience. She states how it helped her develop as a dancer.  The video also shows glimpses of her in Don Quixote, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake and other ballets.

The final shots show her at the piano in a building with magnificent views of Amsterdam. She explains how she was brought up in a musical family where her parents practised every single day. From the little I heard she is an accomplished pianist in her own right,

The Dutch National Ballet is one of the world's great ballet companies and it is on our doorstep. Amsterdam is easier to reach than London for many of us in the UK and a good deal less expensive once you get there. There will be quite a contingent from this country at the opening gala. Kenneth Leadbeater has proposed a British chapter of the Friends of the Dutch National Ballet along the lines of the American Friends of Covent Garden and the London Ballet Circle has promoted that idea in its latest newsletter. The Junior Company has enjoyed two successful seasons at The Linbury and I hope we will bring them back to the UK (perhaps to Leeds) notwithstanding the closure of the Linbury.  Tsygankova will be assured of an appreciative audience whenever she steps onto one of our stages.

Li-Cunxin at London Ballet Circle

There are many advantages to living in Yorkshire but it is over 200 miles from the nation's capital which means that you have to allow a minimum of 5 hours (or, to be comfortable, 6) to reach it. On Monday 3 Aug 2015 Li-Cunxin, the artistic director of Queensland Ballet, was the guest of London Ballet Circle. I had been looking forward to hearing him ever since I learned that he was coming to speak at the Circle's AGM in January.

Both Gita and I had things to do on Monday morning which meant that we set off from Bradford at 15:30 that afternoon. As I work in London I have to go down there quite often and I have found that the quickest and most convenient way is to drive to Luton Parkway and then take Thameslink into town. "Why not leave the car at Sheffield and take the train all the wau?" I hear you say.  Three reasons. Although you can get some good deals on East Midlands Trains if you can book well in advance fares can be hideously expensive if you can't. Also, car paring costs an arm and a leg ar Sheffield station car park compared to £2.50 after 17:00 and at weekends at Luton Parkway. Secondly, you have to allow yourself an hour and a half from leaving home to boarding the train in order to drive to Sheffield, park your car, collect your ticket from the very slow and very temperamental ticket machines at Sheffield station and clamber with your luggage upstairs and over a bridge to reach the platform for the London train.  By contrast it is only 145.5 miles from Dodworth (where I pick up the M1) to Luton Parkway and takes an average of 2 hours and 37 minutes. Thirdly, there are 4 fast trains an hour on Thameslink which take me to within walking distance to most places in the West End City that I need to reach, Also East Midlands' express trains from Sheffield and the Midlands often stop at Parkway.

Although we left with high hopes on Monday we did not have very realistic expectations of hearing much if anything of what Li-Cunxin had to say. But the gods were smiling upon us.  There were no major delays or hold-ups on the M1 despite extensive roadworks on at least 4 stretches. We arrived at Parkway just after 18:30. The East Midlands express which usually departs at 18:32 had been delayed by a few minutes enabling us to catch it.  It delivered us to St Pancras just after 19:05. The doors of a departing Piccadilly line train opened for a second allowing us to sauté in and a Northern line train pulled in at Leicester Square just as we reached the platform. We dashed out of Embankment like bats out of hell and sprinted towards the Nigerian embassy. We squeezed into the lift and caught the voice of our chairperson as she introduced Li Cunxin and his interviewer Gerald Dowler.

I have never seen so many people at a London Ballet Circle meting. The room was packed.  Our numbers were swelled by members of the Queensland Ballet Friends who had flown from Brisbane to support their call. Extra chairs had been sent for and the chair invited those of us who could sit on the floor to do so at the front. Gita and I found a spot where we could hear and see everything and could catch the moderator's eye. We had made it and exchanged high fives.

I can't say anything about the talk because of the Chatham House Rule that applies to meetings of the Circle. Dowler interviewed Li Cunxin magisterially allowing plenty of pauses for questions. Although I knew quite a lot about Li-Cunxin before he spoke from his book Mao's Last Dancer and film of the same name the interview filled in lots of gaps in my knowledge. Li-Cunxin has clearly done great things for Queensland Ballet in the three years since he took it over. Afterwards he signed copies of his book and exchanged greetings with those like Gita and me who stayed to shake his hand.

Li Cunxin was here because the Queensland Ballet is dancing La Sylpide at the Coliseum. The show opened last night.  Gita and I will see it on Saturday and review it shortly afterwards. La Sylphde is a very special ballet for all kinds of reasons (see Queensland Ballet's La Sylphide - Why it is so special 22 July 2015). On 29 Dec 2014 I identified this season as one of the highlights of the coming year (see Looking Forward to 2015 - My Choices 29 Dec 2014).

One reason why I admire this company even before I have seen it is that it says that it is dedicated to sharing its  love of dance with as many people as possible. It  does that through performances, dance workshops, training programs, public talks, industry experiences, online resources and more (see the Learn page on the company's website and follow some of the links).  Of course, Northern Ballet does that here too and I am one of the beneficiaries of its Over 55 classes. So, too, do Ballet Cymru in Newport and Scottish Ballet at The Tramway. However, I get the impression that Queensland Ballet are particularly committed to bringing dance to everyone within their massive state of over 715,000 square miles. I wish this company well in London and I hope to see it back soon.

British Friends of the Dutch National Ballet

Yesterday Ernst Meisner was the guest of the London Ballet Circle. Meetings of the Circle are conducted under something like the Chatham House Rule so I can't tell you who was present or what was said at the meeting but I don't think I would breach the Rule by discussing what happened immediately before and immediately after the meeting.

Before the meeting members of the audience were asked how many had attended the Junior Company's season at the Linbury in June and the Dutch National Ballet's Cinderella earlier this month. In each case a forest of hands arose indicating the enormous affection that British ballet goers have for the Company and indeed for Ernst personally.

As I was about to leave the venue a gentleman introduced himself to me as a friend of Ernst. He told me that Ernst had told him about this blog and my support for the company and that he would like to set up a British chapter of the Friends of the Dutch National Ballet on the lines of the American Friends of Covent Garden.  Of course, everyone on Team Terpsichore thought that this was a great idea and I volunteered to write about it.

The first thing to note is that there is already an organization called the Friends of the Dutch National Ballet (Vrienden van Het Nationale Ballet) and I have been a member of it for just over a year. Subs are 50 euros a year and members get a magazine in Dutch several times a year as well as opportunities to attend overseas tours and special events. Dutch is not a language that is taught in British schools but it is so closely related to English and German that an educated and intelligent English speaker can easily get the gist of most of the articles. I think anyone on the UK who wishes to support the Dutch National Ballet should be encouraged to join the Friends as a first step.

But there is no reason why British Friends should not form a sub-group within the organization. We could, for example, arrange group tours to the Stopera, hold meetings when one of the principals or choreographers visits the UK, translate particularly interesting articles from the magazine into English and perhaps provide some additional practical and financial support of our own. The London Ballet Circle has recently raised funds to send a student from the English National Ballet School to the Amsterdam summer school. We could do the same for another student or possible provide a scholarship for a student at the National Ballet Academy in Amsterdam to come here.

I hope that any British support group would link the National Ballet to the whole UK and not just London. Just before Sapphire I met Kenneth Tindall who told me that he admired the Dutch National Ballet and particularly the Junior Company and that he looked forward to working with some of its dancers one day. That is exactly the sort of collaboration that a British supporters group could facilitate. It would be great if we could bring some talented young dancers from the Netherlands to Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow and Newport as well as London and vice versa.

If anyone wants to run with this idea please contact me through this blog, Facebook or twitter and let's see what we can do.

Renewing Friendships

The Main Stage, The Royal Opera House

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When I was an undergraduate I practically lived at Covent Garden during the Christmas, Easter and start of the Summer vacations. The Royal Opera House sent bundles of ticket vouchers to Young Friends which could be exchanged for tickets for the upper slips or two thirds of the cost of the rows H to Q in the amphitheatre and I saw all the great stars - Fonteyn, Nureyev, Sibley, Dowell, Symour and all the other great names of the time. Those ticket vouchers enabled me to see great visiting companies such as American Ballet Theatre, the Bolshoi and even Dance Theatre of Harlem.

I maintained my membership of the Young Friends even when I was a graduate student in California. "You have such neat mail" my fellow students would say when About the House would arrive. And it was true, I did. It was a little reminder of home like "Ye Mucky Duck" and the "Brigadoon" at Santa Monica. I maintained my membership even after I ceased to qualify as a Young Friend at the age of 26. I kept it going even after I had moved to Yorkshire and made the acquaintance of Northern Ballet.

I let my membership lapse only when my late spouse was diagnosed with motor neuron disease. Somehow ballet no longer seemed to matter. In fact very few things did. There is nothing more distressing than watching someone you love shut down limb by limb and organ by organ.  Everything in my life went to seed.

But then a month after my spouse died I noticed a postcard on a notice board advertising "Ballercise" classes. I was told that a group of mums had asked the instructor who taught their little ones ballet to lay on a class for them. I was even more overweight than I am now and quite unfit but I joined the class and stuck with it. I struggled through pliés and tendus and goodness knows what. Eventually, my teacher invited me to a real ballet class in Huddersfield which led in turn to the over 55 class at Northern Ballet and ultimately Terpsichore.

Last Saturday I collected my tickets for the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company I impulsively asked whether I could rejoin the Friends. "Certainly" they replied and remarkably the House still retained my membership records.  Today my membership pack arrived and what a delight. My red membership card with the royal coat of arms, welcome letters from Susan Fisher, the new season guide, an invitation to attend the opening night of Carlos Acosta's Carmen on 26 Oct 2015 (the cheapest tickets being £1,000 per head) and the January and April copies of the Friends' magazine which appears to have superseded About the House. 

The January issue has a great picture of Ed Watson and Wendy Whelan on the cover as well as news of Wayne McGregor's Homage to Virginia Woolf and an essay on the genius of Jerome Robbins. The April issue has articles on Carlos Acosta, Cuba and transition and 50 years of MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet. When am I going to get round to reading all of that? But does it matter for I feel as though I have come home.

Although I have rejoined the Friends because I love the Royal Opera House and the Royal Ballet there are actually some tangible benefits of membership which are listed on the Friends page of the Royal Opera House website. This video explains what they are. I have derived so much pleasure from performances at the House over the years. I do hope this article encourages others to join the Friends too.

All Het Up - Why I am a Friend of The Dutch National Ballet

Amsterdam City Hall and Opera House

I am now a Friend of the Dutch National Ballet (Het Nationale Ballet in Dutch hence the terrible pun). The National Ballet is the largest ballet company of the Netherlands and is one of the great companies of Europe. I was led to them for three very good reasons.

First, I fell in love with their Junior Company when I saw them in Amsterdam on 24 Nov 2013 (see "The Junior Company of the Dutch National Ballet - Stadsshouwburg Amsterdam 24 Nov 2013" 25 Nov 2013). I had come to see the Sierra Leonean born dancer Michaela DePrince but when I saw the other 11 dancers I loved them too.

At the performance at the Staddshouwburg I saw Hans van Manen. I have been a van Manen fan for over 4 decades and I am thrilled that he has brought Concertante to Leeds (see "Tempestuous Choice - Amsterdam or Leeds?" 31 May 2014). I saw that ballet last year and loved it (see "Angelic - Northern Ballet's Mixed Bill" 9 June 2013). If you watch the video you will hear all the lovely things that van Manen has to say about Northern Ballet and its dancers. I like that.

Van Manen is one of the resident choreographers (Vaaste choreograaf) of the Dutch National Ballet. The other is Krzysztof Pastor whose Romeo and Juliet I saw last month (see "Scottish Ballet's Timeless Romeo and Juliet" 18 May 2014). Like everyone else whose mother tongue us English I was introduced to  Shakespeare almost as soon as I could talk. I remember my father chuntering

"I go, I go. Look how I go,
Swifter than arrow from the Tartar’s bow."

whenever my mother had a little job for him. And my mother's admonition "Lend me your ears" when she wanted to tick me off.  Now I know Romeo and Juliet like the back of my hand but I learned something new about the play from Pastor. The Dutch National Ballet are launching The Tempest  and I can't wait to see it. I'll miss the opening in Amsterdam because I have tickets for other shows but I am sure it will come to this country soon.

My Friends magazine arrived on Monday and though it is in Dutch an intelligent English reader can make out just about 50% without recourse to a dictionary. If you read German too then I would say 75%. There are also quite a few loan words from French and other Romance languages.   Google translate is there for the rest. It is not quite as long as "About the House" but it is more substantial than my Friends magazines from Northern and Scottish Ballets. On the front page there is a photo of a scene from Dutch Doubles. I would have seen the show just for the square tutus. The main article is a feature on that ballet with a summary of an interview with the choreographer.  Then there is a page entitled "Bits and Pieces". Though the title is in English the content is in Dutch. These are short articles the most interesting of which was that van Manen's ballets are to be performed in St Petersburg. The centre spread features Larissa Lezhnina (Lof voor Larissa) with quotations from Ted Bransen, Guillaume Graffin and others who have worked with the ballerina. On the back page there is a list of upcoming events of which the most interesting is a trip to China with the company.

So the company is worth supporting. If you want to become a Friend call Koos Schrijen on +31 20 551 8231 or send him an email.