UK Review 2002

Joanne · **Posted:** Thu Dec 19, 2002 2:40 am

First one from The Guardian.

Leaps and falls
Offstage shenanigans dominated 2002 - and almost left dancers and choreographers in the shade, says Judith Mackrell for The Guardian

During Stretton's only season, he had little time to make a mark on the repertoire (which he had been brought in to modernise), but he did manage to acquire two important ballets. Christopher Wheeldon's Tryst, set to music by James MacMillan, was charged with a glancing, Celtic mystery. The writing for the corps de ballet was taut and bright with invention, while the central pas de deux for Darcey Bussell and Jonathan Cope plumbed emotional and physical depths in these remarkable but underexploited dancers.

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And also...

The regal and the rotten of 2002
Uncredited from The Guardian

Best new work
Christopher Wheeldon's Tryst, for the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, London: a taut, mysterious setting of James MacMillan's music that felt like the first great ballet of the 21st century.

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[ 21 December 2003, 07:42 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]

Stuart Sweeney · **Posted:** Sat Dec 21, 2002 2:32 am

POB and the Kirov are great. As for the rest.....

The good, the bad and the barmy
By Clement Crisp for The FT

Our dance year was dominated by the worst crisis that the Royal Ballet has ever known: the artistic directorate of Ross Stretton. His brief was to "modernise" the repertory, a brief sanctioned by the Covent Garden Board which appointed him, and one that went disastrously wrong. Stretton made two good moves. He brought in Cranko's Onegin and commissioned Christopher Wheeldon's Tryst,a major event of the year. For the rest he introduced fearful tosh, combining Euro-stinkers with dubious antiques. The culminating indignity was a gala celebrating the Royal Ballet's work during the Queen's reign, which amounted to a misbegotten scamper through the nonsenses presented during the season. Had Her Majesty decided there and then to rescind the company's royal charter, we could not have protested.

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******************************

A shock departure highlighted the fear that stalks Covent Garden
says Ismene Brown for The Daily Telegraph

The performance of the year came from the Royal Opera House chairman Sir Colin Southgate, wriggling on Radio 4 over the exit after one season of the Royal Ballet director, Ross Stretton, whom he had appointed. It was a shattering event, painted in broad colours as a twin revolt by mishandled dancers and irate guardians of the company's native choreography. True enough, but at the crux of it lies the frozen fear of the Royal Ballet's current leaders about either moving forward or looking back.

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Joanne · **Posted:** Sun Dec 22, 2002 5:16 am

And celebrating a year in Dance in Scotland. From Scotland on Sunday.

Quote:

FOR a movement that is all too used to being the poor relative of the arts family, dance in Scotland has had 12 months to savour.

Three names, in particular, stand out as rivals for person of the year in the dance scene’s revival. First, is Janet Smith at the Dundee-based Scottish Dance Theatre, head of the country’s only full-time contemporary dance group, where dancers were put on full-time contracts thanks to extra money from the arts council. They toured throughout the UK, were a hit in Europe and made their Fringe debut at Dance Base.

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Joanne · **Posted:** Sun Dec 29, 2002 3:42 am

One from The Sunday Times.

Quote:

There was good and bad — and some downright ugliness. From Simon Rattle’s Mahler to Robbie’s £80m deal, Adrian Noble’s departure to the Chapman brothers’ wit, our critics choose three moments that sum up the year for them

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And The Observer.

Quote:

Departures dominated dance news in 2002. Ross Stretton was evicted from the Royal Ballet's directorship after just a year. He had to go because nobody liked his programming and the dancers didn't like him, apart from those who were given chances, sometimes at others' expense. He was replaced in September by acting director Monica Mason, who was confirmed in the post in December. She calmed everyone down and masterminded magnificent performances.

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And Scotland's Sunday Herald.

Quote:

The thing about experimental festivals is the experiments don't always work. But this year's New Territories in Glasgow had a higher hit rate than most. Various shows merit a mention, but it was the return of Belgian wŸnderkind Wim Vandekeybus with his new work Scratching The Inner Fields that proved most memorable. A visceral modern fairy-tale with post-apocalyptic overtones, this dark walk in the forest indicated a return to form (and a violent divergence of critical opinion) for the choreographer who invented 'Eurocrash'.

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[ 29 December 2002, 04:58 AM: Message edited by: Joanne ]

Joanne · **Posted:** Mon Dec 30, 2002 3:27 am

Two reviews from The Times.

Quote:

WAS IT the birth of a new century, or just one of those points in history when everyone starts gazing into a crystal ball? Whatever it was, the ballet world got into a spin about its future in 2002. While contemporary dance steamed full ahead courtesy of Akram Khan, Wayne McGregor and Matthew Bourne, British ballet had to decide what it wanted to be in the 21st century.

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Quote:

Best Performance

Jonathan Cope gets my vote for dancer of the year. His performance in the Covent Garden revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling was a five-star knockout.

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[ 30 December 2002, 04:30 AM: Message edited by: Joanne ]


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