Features
Video Boxview clips
Win a Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui DVD!
We have six copies of Dreams of babel - a film portrait of the versatile choreographer/performer at work in China, India, Corsica & Belgium to give away. Find out more
enter here
Sep 2010
A Choreographer's Handbook
Jonathan Burrows' fascinating new book is not only for choreographers!
read on
Costumes for Eonnagata
Style Bubble gets up close to the Eonnagata costumes as designed by Alexander McQueen, 30 July 2010
Carlos Acosta
Watch a couple of interviews with Carlos Acosta broadcast:
On Sky News, 27 July.10 Watch Sky News interview again
On CNN, 5 August.10 Watch CNN interview again
Dancing on Parliament
Gail Brown was out in the crowds around the Big Dance Bus when it parked up on Horse Guards Parade recently.
Read her report
July 2010
Bolshoi Ballet
Sanjoy Roy provides a guide to the Bolshoi
Step-by-step guide
Dance in slow motion, on a large scale
David Michalek talks about his widely acclaimed installation Slow Dancing - coming to Trafalgar Square next Tuesday to Friday (6 - 9 July), projected on to 45 metre high screens, after 9pm
read on
July 2010
Nederlands Dans Theater
Sanjoy Roy provides a guide to NDT
Step-by-step guide
July 2010
Jackie Guy Q&A
Meet the choreographer who came up with moves for the hit musical The Harder They Come, back in London for a short run next week (15 - 17 Jun, New Wimbledon Theatre). 'Dancing and dance history to Jamaicans is like track and field...'
Read on
Bringing Balanchine Back
A new documentary about New York City Ballet's historic visit to St Petersburg in 2004.
Find out who won our competition to win copies & read a review here
May 2010
Fred Wiseman
US documentary maker Fred Wiseman talks about his latest film La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet.
Guardian, 10 May.10
Paul Morley's Showing Off
This month the Observer columnist turns his attention to dance and takes lessions with pop duo Mini Viva, morris dancers the Belles of London City and Pineapple Dance Studio's Andrew Stone.
Watch & read more
April 2010
Ballet Nacional de España
Sanjoy Roy provides a guide to Ballet Nacional de España
Step-by-step guide
April 2010
Gauri Sharma Tripathi Q&A
"The joy and satisfaction of dancing is intoxicating.' One of the UK's most influential practitioners of Kathak talks about the Alchemy Festival she is presenting with Southbank Centre, opening this week (7 April - 11 May 2010)
read on
April 2010
Kate Flatt Q&A
As a theatre choreographer Kate's work includes large scale movement direction for opera and West End theatre, but her latest project, Soul Play, is an intimate dance theatre piece for one actor and one dancer. 'I find it is valuable to return to making smaller scale work with higher emotional content.' Read on
March 2010
Ballet Nacional de Cuba
Sanjoy Roy provides a guide to Ballet Nacional de Cuba and Alicia Alonso
Step-by-step guide
March 2010
Dancers' style
A new blog celebrates the fashion sense of dancers when they're off stage, behind the scenes, taking class. Meet the team behind dancerstyle.co.uk at MOVE IT this weekend
Read on
March 2010
Good things come in threes
Dance3 - a nationwide tour of dancetriple bills featuring work by up & coming choreographers gets underway next week. Eddie Nixon, Director of Theatre & Artist Development at The Place tells us more
read on
Feb 2010
Sara Baras Q&A
The flamenco superstar is about to take over the Albert Hall for two nights pm 12 & 13 March. "To dance in a place like that is a gift for any dancer, it's a temple where there is a magic that makes you grow, to dream and make dreams."
read on
Feb 2010
Eva Yerbabuena
Sanjoy Roy provides a guide to Yerbabuena's work
Step-by-step guide
Feb 2010
National Dance Company Wales
Sanjoy Roy provides a guide to the company formally known as Diversions
Step-by-step guide
Feb 2010
Kenneth MacMillan
Sanjoy Roy provides a guide to MacMillan's work
Step-by-step guide
Jan 2010
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui
Sanjoy Roy provides a guide to Sidi Larbi's work Step-by-step guide
Dec 2009
Kenneth Macmillan's Choreographic Imagination & Psychological InsightGraham Watts reports on a fascinating day long symposium held in November
read on
Nov 2009
Diaghilev's Ballets Russes
Sanjoy Roy's step-by-step guide
read on
Dec 2009
Akram Khan
discusses his performance work and choreography
read on
Dec 09
Cloud Dance Festival - behind the scenes Nine platforms, presenting eighty companies at various London venues over three years & a 'best of' programme including Ballet Black this weekend (5 & 6 Dec ) at the People Show Studios, Bethnal Green this weekend. Meet Chantal Guevara, the woman behind it all
read on
Dec 2009
Jiri Kylian & Alistair Spalding
in discussion
read on
Nov 2009
Alston in context...
Sanjoy Roy provides a guide to Richard Alston's work Step-by-step guide
Nov 2009
Introducing Svapnagata
Choreographer Akram Khan & composer Nitin Sawhney talk about the unique festival of music and dance from India which they'll present at Sadler's Wells in November.
Watch interview
Oct 2009
Where are the women?
This year's Dance UK/Dance Umbrella discussion focused on a hot topic - why are there so few female choreographers making high profile, large scale work. Listen to the discussion in full & read reports
Nov 2009
En pointe
Over the years ballerina Susanne Kirnbauer has worked with Balanchine, Kylián, Forsythe & Nureyev. Now in her sixties, she's back in her pointe shoes for Spitze/Toe at Chelsea Theatre.
read on
Oct 2009
Joe Jobe Q&A
Their Michael Jackson Flashmob on the streets of Stockholm has been watched by millions on youtube this summer & now Bounce, the Swedish street dance collective, are back at the Peacock Theatre with their hit show Insane in the Brain. Read on
Sep 2009
Michael ClarkListen to an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, and read a step-by-step guide to his work. Read on
August 2009
Bollywood Dance
Honey Kalria from Honey's Dance Academy, and Dr Ann David from Roehampton University, discussed the origins of the Bollywood style on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour recently. Listen again
August 2009
Shall We Dance
Listen to an interview with Adam Cooper as he talks about his latest production, Shall We Dance. more details
August 2009
Akram Khan
talks to the Guardian about his working life
read more
July 2009
David Nixon, Artistic Director NBT Q&A
The greatest love story ever told, jazz, shakers & LS Lowry's stick men all feature in Northern Ballet Theatre's programmes in London next week in the company's 40th anniversary year.
Read on
May 2009
Shobana Jeyasingh
Discusses her latest piece Just Add Water? on Radio 4's Woman's Hour, originally broadcast 30 April.09. Just Add Water is showing at the Linbury Studio Theatre 1,2,5,6 May.
Listen to the interview
April 2009
Olivia Pickford
talks to Dance UK about choreographing for London Children's Ballet's up-coming production of Snow White. "I think it is a proven fact that when kids are pushed really hard but there is warmth and humour in the studio you get the best out of them." Read the full interview, Dance UK
2009
Listen to Rudolf NureyevListen to Rudolf Nureyev talking to Derek Palmer in a BBC Radio 4 interview conducted in the late 60's!
www.bbc.co.uk
2009
High Protein mix
He's brought us his take on pub culture, the psychiatrist's couch and shopping and now Luca Silvestrini tells us why it's time to look at our obsession with the body beautiful
read on
2009
Rocio Molina Q&A
A rising star in the world of flamenco appears in two shows at the Flamenco Festival London this month. So what makes her dance? Read on
March 2009
Tamara Rojo on Fame
'We'd leave class saying we were just going to the corner shop for some water, but really we just wanted to be out in the street with our legwarmers.' Read more in the Guardian, 8 Sep 09
Deborah Baddoo Q&A
A pioneer in the development and promotion of Black dance in the UK, Deborah talks about the latest State of Emergency UK tour - Dads and Lads Move and what inspired her to form her company back in 1986. Read on
Feb 2009
Impressing the Czar
Choreographer William Forsythe talks about his landmark work, presented by the Royal Ballet of Flanders in London in November 2008
Play video interview
Oct 2008
Ben Duke Q&A
-Lost Dog, 'a very bright new voice in dance theatre' bring their new work Hungry Ghosts to Laban next week. Inspired by the Moscow theatre seige of 2002, its described as darkly funny and moving. Co-Director Ben tells us more
Sep 2008
Recommended by... Will Tuckett
Two musical theatre productions for summer - and the pick of Dance Umbrella in the Autumn are the Royal Ballet choreographer's top tips. Plus an exhibition to catch before the end of July. Find out more
July 2008
María Pagés Q&A
She's danced for Baryshnikov in New York - and with Michael Flatley in Riverdance. Now the rising star of contemporary flamenco opens the Flamenco Festival London with her show Sevilla.
Read on Feb 2008
Dancing in mid air
Lindsey Butcher was a contemporary dancer - and then she ran away to join a circus. Today she has her own company, Gravity and Levity and is dueting with a plank in her new show Shift.
Read more
April 2008
Darcey Bussell - A Celebration
A new biography of the recently retired, but still dancing ballerina reviewed by Graham Watts...
Read on
Jan 2008
Liv Lorent Q&A
Angelmoth is 'a new venture for the Artistic Director of balletLORENT - her first work made to be accessible to children - and to appeal to the child in the adult audience. Read on
Feb 2008
Jonathan Burrows & Matteo Fargion Q&A
Performing his Three Duets for the last time, working as Associate Director on a new production at the National Theatre and returning to his home from home, Brussels, choreographer Jonathan talks about work in progress - with interjections from Matteo..
Read on
Jan 2008
The Bloomsbury Ballerina
Lydia Lopokova came to London with the Ballets Russes and married the economist and later government minister Maynard Keynes. 'Her dancing career has rarely been accorded more than a footnote, her presence in Bloomsbury represented by the occasional quirky anecdote.' Judith Mackrell rediscovers Lopokova in a new biography.
Guardian, March.08
Sidi Larbi & the Shaolin monks
Having worked with monks from the Shaolin Temple in China for several months, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui prepares to bring his latest work, Sutra, to Sadler's Wells at the end of May. Read excerpts from his diary reflecting on his rehearsals with the monks... Read on
2008
Making Hamlet - the ballet
Northern Ballet Theatre Associate Artist Patricia Doyle talks about the process of translating one of Shakespeare's best known plays into a ballet. Read on
April 2008
Recommended by...
Jonathan Goddard likes to see art exhibitions and go to the theatre when he's not dancing (and winning awards) with the Richard Alston Dance Company. Kneehigh Theatre's Brief Encounter, Peter Doig at Tate Britain and Wayne McGregor|Random Dance are all on his list of must sees. Read on
April 2008
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui Q&A
The Shaolin monks have arrived in London in advance of next weeks world premiere of Sutra and between rehearsals its creator finds time to talk martial arts, medieval music, calligraphy and Janet Jackson. Read on
May 2008
Archive
For archived features from 2001 onwards please visit the Archive
For archived interviews read on
Archived Recommended By...
From Saturday night TV to Shoes at Sadler's Wells
Dancing in Birkenstocks, flip flops, vintage Ferragamos, skis, stilettos & knee high purple suede platform boots - for five different choreographers. It's all part of a day in the life of Drew McOnie
read on
Introducing Faustin Linyekula
Dance Umbrella 2010 shows the full range of this dynamic Congalese choreographer/dancer performing his own high energy work with his company & full rock band (at the QEH) - and also dancing with German choregrapher Raimund Hoghe in a poignant and quiet duet (at Laban)
Find out more
Richard Alston DVD
We review this DVD of two of Alston's works Gypsy Mixture and Nigredo - also featuring interviews with the choregrapher
read on
Arts Funding
BBC Radio 4's You & Yours, broadcast on 10 Aug.10, questions private and public sponsorship of the arts. Alistair Spalding, Chief Executive & Artistic Director of Sadler's Wells, was one of the guests on the programme, listen again
Birmingham Royal Ballet
Members of BRB talk about the challenges of frequently being on tour
balletbag.com, 2 August.10
The 10 Best Dancers
Luke Jennings' list of the 10 best dancers, including Fred Astaire & Michael Clark, provoked a lively debate in The Observer
1 Aug.10
Big Dance 2010
It was quite a week!
We coudn't get to every single one of those 800+ performances & events - but here's a round up of our
Big Dance coverage
Doing the Hustler
One of our regular contributors Lise Smith took part in Hustler #2, David Waring's creation for Big Dance in Greenwich. Sadly we weren't there to review, so it's down to Lise to tell us about it...
read on
Recently published books
Dance Composition by Jacqueline M. Smith-Autard - a practical guide to choreography.
A new edition of Anatomy, Dance Technique and Injury Prevention by Justin Howse - a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Senior Physician, and Moira McCormack - a Chartered Physiotherapist working with the Royal Ballet Company.
Methuen Drama publishers
July 2010
It's the taking
part that counts..
Dancing her
way from the South bank to Trafalgar
Square, Sam Gauntlett reports on the Big World
Dance, which took place on Saturday - London's
hottest day of the year so far
read on
July 2010
Recommended by Zenaida Yanowsky
The Royal Ballet principal will be out and about exploring her flamenco roots with Paco Pena, seeing NDT diamonds, Slow Dancing in Trafalgar Square & Will Tuckett's new work in Covent Garden's piazza - when she's not rehearsing with Carlos Acosta, or at home with a very new baby...
read on
June 2010
Kazuo Ohno remembered
Choreographer Marie-Gabrielle Rotie met the great Butoh artist who died recently at the age of 103. 'I sat by his feet like an overgrown child with a wise grandparent, and he showed me many pictures from books and we drank endless amounts of green tea.'
Read on
June 2010
Colliding Bodies, Diverging Opinions
Mary Kate Connolly reports on the annual Dublin Dance festival, and the steady growth of contemporary dance on Irish stages
read more
June 2010
Recommended by...
Laban's Director Anthony Bowne is looking forward to seeing some of the high profile collaborative projects around at the moment - including Electric Hotel, Craneway Event - and his own students' graduate shows
read on
May 2010
Robert Cohan
Sanjoy Roy provides a guide to Robert Cohan
Step-by-step guide
May 2010
Recommended by... Sally Marie
Dancer and director Sally Marie is looking forward to Rosie Kay's 5 Soldiers, the Scratch Festival at the BAC in May, and Tim Etchells performing at the Lilian Baylis Studio in June.
read on
May 2010
Hofesh Shechter
-interviewed on BBC2's Newsnight, on the eve of opening performances of his new work Political Mother in Brighton on 20 May 2010.
Watch again
Les Ballets C de la B
Sanjoy Roy provides a guide to Ballets C de la B
Step-by-step guide
May 2010
Susan and Darren
Luke Jennings interviews the stars of Quarantine theatre company's Susan and Darren
Observer, 9 May.10
Recommended by... Sarah Lamb
Breakin' Convention - the international festival of hip hop dance theatre at Sadler's Wells next weekend (1 - 3 May) is high on the Royal Ballet principal dancer's list of must sees.
read on
April 2010
Recommended by...
New work by rising ballet star Liam Scarlett at the Royal Opera House and happenings in and around King's Cross feature high on the 'must see' list of Kenneth Tharp, Chief Executive of The Place
read on
April 2010
Eddie Ladd Q&A
Ras Goffa Bobby Sands/The Bobby Sands Memorial Race takes place on a 12 x 6 running machine. It is inspired by the final years of hunger striker Bobby Sands - and his passion for running. Read on
March 2010
Recommended by...
'What I love about dance is that the possibilities are endless with just an empty stage and a couple of people. It's so liberating.' Actor Richard Wilson is seeing Pina Bausch's Kontakthof, Mark Morris, Les Ballets C de la B & Pictures from an Exhibition
read on
March 2010
Recommended by Assis Carreiro
The Director of Dance East will be seeing the amazing Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, magical work for children at Laban & Sadler's Wells and world class glorious dance from the Royal Ballet
read on
March 2010
Recommended by.. Sisco Gomez
So You Think You Can Dance judge Sisco suggests a closer look at Lady Gaga's choreography, Tommy Franzen & Lizzie Gough (coming soon to the Peacock Theatre in Blaze) and Madame Jo Jo's on Sunday nights
read on
Feb 2010
Recommended by...
Cassa Pancho, the director of Ballet Black, recently named Outstanding Company of the Year at the Critics' Circle National Dance Awards is looking forward to new work at the Royal Ballet and Richard Alston Dance Company at Sadler's Wells
read on
Feb 2010
Amy Hollingsworth Q&A
It's your last chance to catch her on a London stage at Arts Depot on 11 February, with Bonachela Dance Company, before she hangs up her dance shoes and heads back down under. Amy looks back on her London years with us...
read on
Feb 2010
Matthias Sperling Q&A
Chances are you've seen him dancing with Random or more recently with Siobhan Davies Dance. Now working as an independent dance artist, Matthias has been commissioned by London Sinfonietta to make a work celebrating the work of composer George Benjamin...
read on
Feb 2010
Kate Prince Q&A
The woman behind Into the Hoods - the first street dance show to have a long West End run - talks about her work in TV, theatre, music videos, commercials & live events including Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday party & the Olympics handover ceremony in Beijing..
read on
Dec 2009
Tony HallReflections on MacMillan, Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey, the new Royal Opera House building, and The Nutcracker. Read on
Dec 2009
Margot
Articles, interviews and reviews of the BBC drama Margot, broadcast on BBC Four Nov-Dec 2009
more details
Nov 2009
Shantala Shivalingappa Q&A
She's worked with Pina Bausch, Peter Brook & Sidi Larbi - but her first love is the classical Indian dance form Kuchipudi. 'The thrill and intense emotion of dancing it never ceases to strike me with wonder.."
Read on
Nov 2009
Dancing MacMillan
Ballerina Viviana Durante recalls the most important working relationship of her life: 'once I started working on the creative process with Kenneth I grew, not only as a dancer, but also as a person. My approach to roles became much more intense; much more like an actress and not just as a dancer.'
Read more
Nov 2009
'Diaghilev: A Life'
Read a book review of the recently published biography by Sjeng Scheijen
Book review
Nov 2009
Rambert & Darwin
Leading Edge's broadcast on Radio 4 on 5 Nov, featured an item about Rambert's new work The Comedy of Change that celebrate's Darwin year, choreographed by Mark Baldwin.
BBC listen again
Nov 2009
Rosemary Lee Q&A
Choreographer Rosemary Lee talks as she prepares to take over Greenwich Borough Hall with a multi-generational cast of 50 dancers & a choir of 70. 'I am not a spectacle maker but I am interested in how to make large-scale work meaningful & intimate' she says.
Read on
Oct 2009
Jacoby&Pronk Q&A
Drew Jacoby & Rubi Pronk appear with Morphoses in London next week. Find out more about this dynamic dance duo..
Read on
Oct 2009
Charlotte Vincent Q&A
'It's dark and humorous and very 'present tense.'' The Artistic Director of Vincent Dance talks about the company's new show: If We Go On, coming to The Place this Friday & Saturday
read more
Oct 2009
Shobana Jeyasingh Q&A
Shobana talks about her new work Bruise Blood - which includes a beatbox remix of composer Steve Reich's Come Out - a response to the Harlem race riots of the 1960s, opening at Southbank Centre on 21 Oct.
read on
Oct 2009
Different Drummer The Life of Kenneth MacMillan
Jann Parry's landmark biography of one of the UK's most important 20th century choreographers
reviewed here
Sep 2009
Scottish Ballet - Forty Years
Book review by Graham Watts
read on
Sep 2009
Rafael Bonachela Q&A
The Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company is back in London to present a new work with his own company at Southbank Centre at the start of a UK tour. We caught up with him mid air...
read on
Sep 2009
Synchronised Southbank
Hundreds of dancers took to the terraces & walkways alongside the river for DanceMob on Bank Holiday Sunday
read on
August 2009
A week in the life of..
Choreographer Wayne McGregor is working on his new work Dyad 1909, which will be part of In the Spirit of Diaghilev at Sadler's Wells (13 - 17 Oct 09). He's blogging each day as he spends a week in the studio. Read here
Sep 2009
Resounding summer
Members of Magpie, the inclusive contemporary dance company, have been working with Siobhan Davies Dance this summer.
Eileen Strong reports
August 2009
Stravinsky and the Ballets Russes
Read a review of the DVD. Watch out for a competition to win a copy coming soon. more details
July 2009
Christopher Marney Q&APerformer, choreographer & director. Christopher answers our questions as he prepares for his latest production Hotel Follies read on
Aug 2009
Balanchine in context...
Sanjoy Roy provides a guide to George Balanchine's life and work, read on
July 2009
Antonia Franceschi Q&A
Fame, Grease, New York City Ballet and now a pub theatre in Camden all part of the life story of an American dancer in London.
read on
July 2009
Future Britain: Arts Leading the Way
Libby Costello reports on the recent National Campaign for the Arts conference
read on
July 2009
Michael Jackson
In interviews with choreographers & dancers, he is often mentioned as an influence. We've gathered afew together here
June 2009
Artistic Collaborations
Choreographer Frauke Requardt & Director Daniel Kramer, dancer Sarah Warsop & artist Idris Khan are some of the interviewees talking about cross art collaborations in the Guardian, 8 Jun 09
Latin Fever
'We will be developing the show right up until it opens to make sure that we can put the best show on the floor that we can.' Darren Bennett & Lilia Kopylova - stars of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing tell us about preparing for their own West End Show. Read on
May 2009
Underdrome
Choreographer, performer and sound/video artist Darren Johnston tells us about creating a large scale event combining music, dance & video for the Roundhouse next week
read on
May 2009
Junaid Jemal Sendi Q&A
He began his dance career on the streets of Addis Ababa and now appears on stages around the world. Appearing in Destino at Sadler's Wells this week, Junaid talks about working with high profile choreographers and why, where ever dance leads him, he always returns to Ethiopia.
Read on
March 2009
Recommended by... Jasmin Vardimon
There's on show in particular Jasmin won't be missing in the next few weeks..
Find out which
Feb 2009
Come to the cabaret...
Contemporary dance alongside a bill of jazz, comedy, poetry and circus, in a club setting with table service. Our reporter went to sample Greenwich Dance Agency style cabaret.
read more
Feb 2009
Breakin' Convention
Not just for May Bank Holiday, the pioneering hip hop organisation is now in action all year round.
Meet the team
Jan 2009
Tango - a world tour
Argentina, Uruguay, the US and Finland. Sanjoy Roy presents a video selection of tango styles from around the world on the Guardian, Jan.09
JUICE Online
The Place has launched a new online resource for dance professionals. Find out more
November 2008
Children will listen
- and watch, so why is there so little contemporary dance made for them? We report on a recent Dance UK/Dance Umbrella discussion. Read on
October 2008
Happy Birthday Richard Alston
We ask one of the UK's foremost choreographers to share a few celebratory memories... Read more
September 2008
Sadler's Wells Story
Seeing the original West Side Story inspired him to work in theatre. As it plays to packed houses in London 50 years later, now seems a fitting time to end a 45 year career. Sadler's Wells Technical Director Paul Richardson looks back
August 2008
All Routes South
Alex Reuben's 48 minute road movie through the dance & music of the American Deep South is a perfect interlude for a London summer's day. Find out more
July 2008
Montpellier Danse Festival
Mary Kate Connolly's report from the south of France includes a preview of a new work by Emmanuel Gat Dance - coming to Sadler's Wells this September... Read on
2008
Big Dance 2008
In clubs, parks, squares and venues around London people were dancing! Check
out our photo gallery
Opening the Door
Gill Clark and Miranda Tufnell lead an intensive weekend course focusing on alternative health and artistic practice through dance this August. Read on
July 2008
