Yes I heard part of this interview on the Today programme yesterday. They also mentioned about how events like the Tead Dances in The Floral Hall were attracting different peopl in to the Opera House.

Article from The Times that talks about how ballet is evolving in this country and discusses the implications of the Royal ballets next season.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>British ballet must evolve to survive. Our critic reports on the changes in our two top companies<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>Here’s a question for ballet-lovers in the 21st century. How much do you want your art form to change? That’s the issue facing Britain’s two biggest ballet companies, the Royal Ballet and English National Ballet, both of whom recently acquired new directors committed to expanding the artistic horizons of their respective companies. In a few years, assuming they get what they want, the landscape of British ballet will have changed considerably, thanks to Ross Stretton at the Royal and Matz Skoog at ENB. But what kind of landscape is that shaping up to be? <BR> <BR><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,266-250665,00.html" TARGET=_blank> <B> MORE </B> </A>

Many thanks to Kevin Ng for directing us to the new NYCB news service:<P><B>Can a Gentle Touch Wake This Sleeping Beauty?</B><BR>Royal Ballet Director Ross Stretton Tells Jenny Gilbert Why He Is Playing Safe with His Autumn Programme. From the Independent on Sunday.<P> <BR>When Australian Ross Stretton was named as successor to Sir Anthony Dowell as director of the Royal Ballet, the question "Who is he?" was followed by a panicky crescendo of "And what's he going to do to the repertoire?" Own-label work is perceived as central to the Royal Ballet's identity. There may be bigger, flashier ballet companies in the world, the thinking goes, but none of them has a repertory wall-to-wall with Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan, chief exponents of the so-called English Style. A new director dilutes this at his peril. <BR>So when Stretton announced his intention to bring in more contemporary work from Europe (by the likes of Jiri Kylian, Nacho Duato and Mats Ek), hackles were raised. Six months into the job, Stretton last week announced his second season. And lo, it contains no more than a smattering of frightening foreign names. What it does promise is three full-length MacMillans and a new production of a 19th-century classic. Could this be a sop to the conservative faction? A U-turn even? <P><A HREF="http://www.nycballet.com/news/2002/03/31/INDT/0000-3165-KEYWORD.Missing.html" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A><BR>

<B>British critics grill Royal Ballet's Australian chief</B><BR>Juliet Herd (London) <BR>April 02, 2002<BR>The Australian<P>ROYAL Ballet director Ross Stretton faced a hostile British press in his first public appearance at the Royal Opera House since his appointment.<P>At a press conference to announce the new season, the former Australian Ballet artistic director was grilled by critics from UK newspapers about the drop in the number of ballet productions, the lack of new ballets, funding priorities and the high level of dancer injuries.<P><A HREF="http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,4059171%255E16953,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>More</B></A><BR>

Antonio Pappano spoke about his new role as Music Director of the Royal Opera House on the BBC’s “Front Row” programme. The interview was entirely about opera (well, there’s a surprise). However, Pappano has said in the past that he will conduct ballet from his second year.

He is known as a fan of innovative approaches and has recruited Robert Wilson to produce one of the first season’s works. While this is an entirely valid approach and it can be argued that it is exactly what the ROH and UK major arts need, I suspect the conservative audiences at the ROH are in for an “interesting” time. I hope it doesn’t all end in tears.

There is an interesting article in Dance Theatre Journal discussing Ross Stretton's programming and what we can expect over the next year. There have been some fairly damning articles about Stretton - this article by Ann Nugent is more balanced and very informative. It's not available on the web.

<img src="http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38232000/jpg/_38232327_papp_new300.jpg" alt="" />
<small>Tony Pappano</small>

Opera House may stage musicals
from the BBC website


The Royal Opera House could stage musicals, its new artistic director has said.
Tony Pappano, who at 42 is the youngest person ever to have taken up the post, said he was also considering using "enhanced sound", or amplification.

"I'm a big fan of musicals. I think it's our job to expand the vistas of what is and is not musical theatre," he told BBC News Online.

The Royal Opera House has come in for criticism in the past for being too élitist and charging too much for tickets, a perception the current regime is trying to correct.


Pappano says he wants to build a "house style" at the Royal Opera

The conductor, who spent 10 years at the helm of the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels, said he was anxious to break down psychological barriers to opera appreciation.

click for more

Stuart adds: I hope it's not too long before an interview with Pappano at least mentions ballet.

Just a reminder that for the 2002-3 season advanced booking (online and postal) for Booking Period 3 opens today on 19 October. Deadline for receipt of applications is 30 October.

Criticaldance links to
Triple Bill
The Sleeping Beauty
Manon

To book tickets online go to this link at the The ROH website

I'm a little confused over the postal booking as I haven't seen any BP3 booklets distributed at the ROH yet but perhaps they're just late?

Public booking for Booking Period 3 starts today.

Phone: 020 73044000
ROH website link

<small>[ 12-03-2002, 08:05: Message edited by: sylvia ]</small>

Advanced and postal booking had opened for Booking Period 4. You can book online here.

Criticaldance links:

Nureyev Mixed Programme
The Sleeping Beauty
MacMillan Triple Bill
Manon
New Bintley Triple Bill
Romeo and Juliet

Deadline is 15 January