Preview of dance in Scotland - Autumn/Winter 2003

Stuart Sweeney · **Posted:** Sun Sep 07, 2003 6:26 am

Kylie, Boobies and hairy-chested ballerinas
Preview of dance in Scotland by Ellie Carr for The sunday Herald

With its quartet of works by Stephen Petronio, Richard Alston, Siobhan Davies and new artistic director Ashley Page, the Scottish Ballet Autumn Season (Edinburgh Festival Theatre, September 25-27, then touring) could just as easily be filed under contemporary as classical. But then that's the kind of hybrid existence the nation's classically based dance company lives these days. Page describes the bill -- Petronio's Middlesex Gorge, Alston's early Dangerous Liaisons, Davies's White Man Sleeps and his own Cheating, Lying, Stealing -- as a collection of '20th century classics'. With its sleek modern lines, explosive music and occasional use of pointe shoes, it's an exciting programme.

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<small>[ 07 September 2003, 08:26 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Emma Pegler · **Posted:** Mon Sep 08, 2003 4:39 am

I shall be catching up with Scottish National on 27 December for their last performance of Nutcracker which means that I will not be seeing the new style company but one of their existing works. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the exit of Robert North and the entry of Ashley Page, but to my knowledge, there is little focus on the changes and transition to a new style company. Does anyone have any insights? Or where Robert North is now?

Stuart Sweeney · **Posted:** Mon Sep 08, 2003 5:20 am

This "Nutcracker" is a new Ashley Page creation, Emma. Here is what Page said about it to the Scotsman:

Quote:

A new, dark version of Nutcracker, choreographed by Page and designed by his long-time collaborator Antony McDonald, will be the company’s Christmas show, a gift for tutu traditionalists. With McDonald, Page eventually wants to do Petrushka, a role he’s never danced, but which he agrees would once have been ideal casting for him. "Nutcracker’s not going to be your standard pretty, pretty version, though, because I’m going back to Hoffman’s original story." Nevertheless, he’ll be keeping Ivanov’s grand pas de deux for the Sugar Plum Fairy. "After all, that’s a bit of a standard setter for ballet companies the world over," he says.

There have been a few newspaper interviews which you can find in our "UK news and views" forum:

http://forum.criticaldance.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=17;t=000697

<small>[ 08 September 2003, 07:21 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Emma Pegler · **Posted:** Mon Sep 08, 2003 10:55 pm

well, well, well - with all the Kirov excitement, i missed that - how exciting. Thank God the Sugar Plum Fairy still features - I'm going with my Dad, you see, and we have to have a Sugar Plum Fairy.


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Preview of dance in Scotland - Autumn/Winter 2003

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