<I><B> it's definite. see later posts, a bit further down. ~ grace </B></I><P>This a rumour that is going round the Internet world. Can our Antipodean friends tell us whether there has there been an announcement and what the background of this guy is? <p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited August 30, 2000).]

From the article in 'The Australian':<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>McAllister yesterday stressed that the company needed to focus on finding a balance between contemporary and classical dance.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>How do you read this grace? More classical dance or less?

Wow, that is interesting news! David McAllister is now faced with the challenge of dancing, while running a company, while asserting himself with his peers. If he intends to stop dancing he'll have withdrawal symptoms thrown in with that. <P>Good luck to him! I can't wait to hear more!<p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited August 31, 2000).]

I've known Petter Jacobsson, the current director of the Royal Swedish Ballet, since his dancing days with the Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet in the 1980s. He seems to have been coping very well with being the artistic director since last year. I last spoke to him at Covent Garden in June on the first night of the Kirov season. <P>I also hope to visit Sweden like Xinxin in the near future, and hopefully see the Swedish company which I've never seen before. Actually Jacobsson invited me to watch a modern triple bill in April, which I couldn't go as it didn't coincide with my London trip.