No, they aren’t audience engagement personnel, at least not in the usual sense. The Opera House has a couple of very popular places to eat outdoors, and the place is right on the harbor — so there are plenty of brazen seagulls ready to steal your food. Management has finally hit on the right way to keep the greedy fowl at bay. — Time Out Sydney
Author: Matthew Westphal
Alicia Alonso, At Age 98, Finally Turns Over The Reins Of The National Ballet Of Cuba
“[The company has named] the beloved hometown prima ballerina Viengsay Valdés … deputy artistic director, which means she will immediately assume the daily responsibilities of running the company. Alonso will retain the title of general director, but in practice, Valdés will be the one making all the artistic decisions.” — Dance Magazine
Observer Dance Critic Luke Jennings’s Farewell Column
“Part of the excitement of being a critic was that I never knew when a work was going to undo me in this fashion: to leave me so intoxicated that, when writing about it hours or days later, it was still racing through my bloodstream.” — The Observer (UK)
UK Cinemas See Highest Attendance In 48 Years
“Britons went to the cinema 177m times in 2018, the highest number since 1970, when hits including M*A*S*H, Love Story and Airport helped attract 193m admissions … The lack of a Star Wars blockbuster failed to dampen enthusiasm, with attendance rising thanks to a diverse slate of US and domestic films.” — The Guardian
Rock ‘n’ Roll Laundry: Meet The Guy Who Washes The Clothes For The Superstars’ Touring Shows
“The world’s top specialist for tour laundry, [Hans-Jürgen] Topf has traveled with many of the world’s biggest music acts, including Madonna, Pink and Beyoncé. As tours have become bigger and more professionalized, their logistics have become increasingly daunting. … That’s where ‘der Topf,’ as he likes to call himself, comes in.” — The New York Times
Propwatch: the suicide note in Matthew Bourne’s ‘Swan Lake’
There aren’t many props in dance. Some may intrude on classical ballet; otherwise, anything that gets in the way of bodies is considered clutter. That’s not the case with Bourne’s Swan Lake, in which the prince’s suicide note turns out to be the key to the story’s emotional power. — David Jays
Cold Turkey Press: A Bibliography
I don’t know exactly how many chapbooks, folios, broadsides, and poetry cards Cold Turkey Press has published, but it must be in the hundreds. All of them — produced in handmade, illustrated, and limited editions — are unique manifestations of their publisher’s mind. — Jan Herman
What The Dance World Needs From Artistic Directors (And Doesn’t Always Get Enough Of)
“‘Oftentimes people get put into this position just because they were a star performer,’ says Sacramento Ballet artistic director Amy Seiwert. But leading a healthy, thriving dance company requires a lot more than charisma. Directors also need everything from business savvy to a commitment to nurturing their artists. So how can the dance world be more deliberate about shaping future leaders — and how can aspiring directors prepare themselves to succeed?” — Dance Magazine
Changing The Face Of Ballet, Both Onstage And Behind The Scenes
“Called ‘The Equity Project: Increasing the Presence of Blacks in Ballet,’ the three-year initiative, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is a partnership between Dance Theatre of Harlem, the International Association of Blacks in Dance and Dance/USA.” — Dance Magazine
‘Turning The Usual Pattern Of Arts Engagement On Its Head’
An Arts Council England-funded program called Creative People and Places “aims to increase arts participation in places where people are less likely to take part in arts activity” — and it seems to be succeeding with the groups least likely to engage with the arts generally. What’s the secret? Nothing very secret at all, actually. — Arts Professional