<P>Irek Mukhamedov and Altynai Asylmuratova<P><BR>Mukhamedov: an Interview and a very nice one, too.....<BR> <A HREF="http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT3OXXKJ0CC&live=true&u" TARGET=_blank>http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT3OXXKJ0CC&live=true&u</A> <P><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited September 04, 2000).]

A preview for the Irek/Altynai and friends show at Sadler's Wells with some nice photos of the dynamic duo. I'm going later this week.<P> <A HREF="http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/00/09/03/sticuldnc02002.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/00/09/03/sticuldnc02002.html</A>

<P>'Planted Seeds' by Darshan Singh Bhuller. Image by Chris Nash<P><BR>Ismene Brown interviews Bhuller about various things including the solo he has written for Irek and Altynai in their show that opens this week. <P>They also discuss 'Planted Seeds' his work about human rights abuses in the Bosnian War, which toured the UK in 1999. I helped with publicity for the tour using the resources of Amnesty International UK.<P>He also talks about the separation of modern (what we call contemporary) dance after flooring Ms Brown by revealing that he had not heard of Asylmuratova before he started working with her. It sounds as though it was not an entirely happy coalition.<P> <A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=003319252016647&rtmo=a2x3pe2L&atmo=tttttttd&pg=/et/00/9/5/btkiro05.html" TARGET=_blank>Darshan Singh Bhuller interview</A> <BR><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited September 04, 2000).]

Debra Craine finds the Irek/Atynai show a mixed blessing with fine dancers and generally lack-lustre choreography. The good news is that she enjoys the William Tuckett’s new work. We need successful ballet choreographers. <BR> <A HREF="http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/tim/00/09/07/timartdan02001.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/tim/<BR>00/09/07/timartdan02001.html</A> <P>Thumbs up from Judith Mackrell for the Tuckett and a partial one for the Bhuller, at least initially.<BR> <A HREF="Http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4060367,00.html" TARGET=_blank>Http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/<BR>0,4273,4060367,00.html</A> <P><BR>John Percival also enjoys the new Tuckett, but hates the other new works.<BR> <A HREF="http://www.independent.co.uk/enjoyment/Theatre/Dance/Reviews/2000-09/reviews070900.shtml" TARGET=_blank>http://www.independent.co.uk/enjoyment/Theatre/Dance/Reviews/<BR>2000-09/reviews070900.shtml</A> <P>Poor Gillian Lynne. Sadler’s Wells seems to have a jinx for her. First ‘Dick Whittington’ and now this!<BR><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited September 10, 2000).]

Clement Crisp doesn't have many positive things to say about the evening in the FT.<BR> <A HREF="http://search.ft.com/search/multi/globalarchive.jsp?docId=000908001058&query=ballet&resultsShown=20&resultsToRequest=100" TARGET=_blank>http://search.ft.com/search/multi/globalarchive.jsp?do cId=000908001058&query=<BR>ballet&resultsShown=20&resultsToRequest=100</A> <P>I haven't missed much then. At least I saw Asylmuratova's Aurora during the Kirov season in London last month.<BR><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited September 10, 2000).]

It's always a problem to know where to put the Sunday round-up articles as they cover all aspects of dance. But as the lead in both is the Irek/Altynai show I've put them here this week.<P><BR><A HREF="http://www.observer.co.uk/Print/0,3858,4061588,00.html" TARGET=_blank>The Observer review</A><P><BR><A HREF="http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/00/09/10/sticuldnc02002.html" TARGET=_blank>The Sunday Times review</A><P>Lucky old you Kevin, I queued up for over 2 hours for a ticket to see Altynai in 'The Firebird' only to find she had been substituted. Thus my main sight of this wonderful dancer in classical ballet has been the class sessions at the start of the two Irek shows. She certainly did look terrific in this at Friday's performances, but it's not quite the same. I agree with the critics that she did not look comfortable in the Bhuller piece and had very little to do in the Gillian Lynne work. <P>The pattern for these shows has been for Irek to commission two new works for the duo for each programme. The most successful to date by a clear margin has been William Tuckett's romantic Louis Armstrong piece in last year's show. However, this year he gave the Tuckett work to two other talented dancers from the Royal, Nichola (was Chloe) Davies and Martin Harvey. It would have been a delight to see Irek and Altynai dance this fine pdd. <P>I'm all in favour of bold commissioning, but the two that Irek chose for himself and his Kirov star this year were both high risk choices and in the event neither worked. He is keen to hang up his dance shoes and direct a company, but one has to say that his choice of works for one of the finest ballerinas in the world does little to advance his case in this respect.<P>However the good news is Irek looks fitter than he has done for several years and was dancing with great gusto and getting great elevation on his signature spins. The full house at Sadler's Wells gave him a fine ovation. <BR>