Here is an article about Monica Mason, the No.2 at the Royal Ballet. She has worked there for 42 years as a dancer and then as a rehearsal director etc. She is an impressive lady and a terrific talker about ballet, a considerate nurturer of dancers and as tough as they come. In the Company, she has special responsibilities for the Macmillan rep. and for injured dancers. I didn't realise that she is 58 - with all her vitality and fitness she doesn't look it. <P> <A HREF="http://www.newsunlimited.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,119978,00.html" TARGET=_blank>www.newsunlimited.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,119978,00.html</A>

Good idea grace as Mason is a key figure in UK ballet. Re-reading the article I wonder not for the first time why most of the UK newspapers use generalist writers rather than dance specialists to interview dancers. <P>One can't help thinking that Mackrell would have got more out of the opportunity. The one paper that is an exception to this rule is the Telegraph where Ismene Brown does get the chance to do the interviews.

Stuart's comment -"I wonder not for the first time why most of the UK newspapers use generalist writers rather than dance specialists to interview dancers."<P>From my experience with my Hong Kong newspaper, I think that the reason is financial. A freelance writer like myself is paid on a piece-by-piece basis, whereas a staff writer who is a generalist writer is not. Generalist writers can't write dance reviews, but can still do dance interviews after doing some research. And it's cheaper for editors to use them, instead of freelance specialist writeres, for interviews.

I hadn't thought of that Kevin, but it does make sense. It's not as if dance writers get paid much! One of the leading UK critics pointed out that there was no way that they could survive on payments from dance writing. Apparently opera critics get paid more.