<B>Ooh la la! She's back by demand</B><P>The French prima ballerina, Sylvie Guillem, will return to Australia to dance in the Australian Ballet's production of Manon. <P>By Valerie Lawson in The Sydney Morning Herald.<P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Guillem has danced only once in Australia, at the Olympic Arts Festival in Sydney, in which she starred in Bolero, Maurice Béjart's piece for a solo dancer surround-ed by a male corps de ballet. <P>Dance critics complained that the work did not allow audiences to see the full extent of Guillem's artistry or technical prowess, but the ballet was her choice. Dancing solo meant she did not have to worry about who might partner her in a more challenging work.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.smh.com.au/news/0107/03/features/features10.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><P>

<P>Australian Ballet's 'Giselle'<BR>photo - Anthony Crickmay<P><B>Ballet fans to be enchanted by 'Giselle'</B><P>XIAO CHEN for China Daily on the visit of Australian Ballet to China<P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Caring for tradition, daring to be different - that's what the Australian Ballet conveys to fans of the art throughout the world. Now this world-leading ballet troupe is to present "Giselle," one of its permanent repertoires at Beijing Exhibition Hall Theatre on Thursday and Friday evening. <P>Debuting in Melbourne in 1962, the Australian Ballet has been the defining face of ballet on the continent for four decades. <P>Peggy van Praagh, the company's founding artistic director, brought with her initiative, astute direction, exacting standards and dedication to make the ballet theatre flourish and achieve international status in the early days.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><BR><A HREF="http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/2001-07-10/19257.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more....</B></A><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited July 11, 2001).]

Well, it looks like the Australian Ballet was a hit in China. Here is a quote from a press release (thanks, JL):<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>Performances in China completely sold-out!</B><P>The Australian Ballet’s performances of Giselle in Shanghai this week were completely sold out, to the point where additional temporary seating was brought into the theatre to cope with demand. Fleet of foot scalpers did business at the front of the theatre. It was reported that people had driven three or four hours to be there. The Shanghai Grand Theatre Arts Centre is keen for the company to return as soon as possible.<P>The company’s tour to China began with performances at the Nanjing Peoples’ Great Hall on Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July. Two performances have been given in Shanghai, the second one sponsored by BHP who invited 200 guests, including the Regional President of BHP, Jock Macgregor, who had flown in from Tokyo especially to attend the performance. The tour concludes in Beijing with performances at the Beijing Exhibition Theatre on Thursday 12 July, Friday 13 July and Saturday 14 July.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

<B>Straight to work for new principal dancer</B> <P>By ROBIN USHER, ARTS CORRESPONDENT for The Age<P> <BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>A rehearsal studio is no place for a dancer with jet lag. But that's where the Australian Ballet's new principal, Campbell McKenzie, found himself yesterday, three days after stepping off a plane from London.<P>McKenzie said he was "easing his way", but the truth is that the ballet is desperately short of principals.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/2001/07/26/FFXB0WPZJPC.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><P>

Thanks to Brendan McCarthy on ballet.co for digging out this one:<P><B>STRETTON'S ODD FAREWELL</B><P><BR>By Michelle Potter in The Canbarra Times <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>THE OUTGOING artistic director of the Australian Ballet, Ross Stretton, was farewelled in a slightly curious fashion last Sunday. Stretton officially leaves the flagship company in July and takes up his appointment as artistic director of London's Royal Ballet in September. The farewell gala performance at the State Theatre, Victorian Arts Centre, gave a clear indication of what Stretton has put into the Australian Ballet during the 4 years he has been at the helm. <P>But the celebratory reception and supper that followed was marked, if not by a frostiness, certainly by a kind of reserve in the official proceedings, which suggested perhaps that Stretton's reign had not been hugely popular within the company.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR><A HREF="http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cache:meM-Yk5up0A:203.63.165.171/tuq/010623/p075/0106230033.html+ross+stretton+board&hl=en" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A>

The most revealing item comes at the bottom: "Stretton is the only artistic director of the Australian Ballet not to have been dismissed or otherwise given the nudge." Previous directors would include Robert Helpmann, Peggy van Praagh, and Maina Gielgud. I also find the charge that other directors (from among those listed above) were "more nurturing" than Stretton to be highly ironic. Dame Peggy and Ms. Gielgud, in particular, are not renowned for their membership in the "warm and fuzzy" school of directorial style. Indeed, Ms. Gielgud's ouster was accompanied by many of the same charges of "non-nurturing" that now attach themselves to Mr. Stretton. It should be clear from the track record that AB has earned itself a reputation as a difficult place for an artistic director to keep a job.

<B>Barker departs the AB but London post 'all up in the air'</B><P>On the move ... the AB's Charles Barker and his wife Miranda Coney. <P>By Valerie Lawson in The Sydney Morning Herald<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The Charles and Ross show is on the road again. Charles Barker resigned yesterday as music director of the Australian Ballet, a month after the departure of Ross Stretton as artistic director of the company. <P>Next month, Stretton becomes artistic director of the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, where Barker says he will spend 40 per cent of his time.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.smh.com.au/news/0108/09/entertainment/entertain12.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A>