Category: dance

The Paul Taylor Dance Company has two innovative new pieces and numerous prestigious awards, but their prized choreographer can literally not afford to pay the rent. “Because of budget constraints, his company has capitulated to the use of canned music, which does a serious disservice to both performers and audience. His valiant dancers make a living wage but hardly one commensurate with their prodigious talents and effort.” – New York Magazine

– resigns after less than a year in the job. – BBC

Managers at London’s Royal Ballet are impressed with Ross Stretton’s redo of the Australian Ballet and his ability to bring in younger audiences. They’re hoping he’ll bring those skills with him as he takes over the largest ballet company in the world. – Sydney Morning Herald

“Ross Stretton, the sixth director in the Royal Ballet’s 70-year history, may at first seem a rank outsider. His career as both a dancer and a director has been confined to America and Australia. Yet Stretton trained in Melbourne under Peggy van Praagh and Robert Helpmann, whose links with the Royal Ballet could hardly be more gold-plated. So even if he is a Covent Garden outsider, he is the insiders’ outsider.” – London Times

Ross Stretton is the surprise choice as new director of London’s Royal Ballet. He admits he doesn’t know the Royal Ballet well, but suggests new directions are in order.  – London Telegraph

– Stretton is credited with reinvigorating the Australia Ballet. – New York Times

Royal Ballet needs someone to steer it in new directions. – The Guardian

Ross Stretton is leaving the Australian Ballet to be the first non-British director of London’s Royal Ballet. Stretton was the Canberra boy made good in New York, welcomed like the prodigal son when he took up the directorship of the Australia at the beginning of 1997. – Sydney Morning Herald

When the Australian Ballet named Ross Stretton as their last artistic director, they went to great measures to make sure no one knew they had him slated for the job. They assigned a code name to him – “Sir Robert Helpmann.” Now that Stretton is leaving to take over as artistic director at London’s Royal Ballet, the secrecy behind “Operation Helpmann” is revealed. – The Age (Melbourne)

When it fled New York and landed in Chicago five years ago, the Joffrey Ballet was broke and nearly busted. But the Midwest has been kind, and the company has staged a rebirth. “People ask me when we’re going back to New York to dance, says artistic director Gerald Arpino. “I tell them, `When the New York dance companies tour to Chicago, then we’ll return for a visit to New York.’ But this is a Chicago company now.” – Chicago Tribune