Kate Simmons. A gifted choreographer and talented teacher. Kate is also the owner of one of the top dance schools in the North of England.

Allergro Dance ( photograph above and below left) An educational group formed by Kate Simmons Dance Ltd with pupils from her vocational school. They tour the North West of England.

Photographs above of Cinderella danced by the pupils of Kate Simmons Dance Ltd. performed at the Brindley Theatre in Runcorn

Kate Simmons is a gifted choreographer and talented teacher. She has built up her dance school in Warrington to be one of Britains largest and most highly acclaimed in the country.

EM/What is the storyline of your new ballet Cinderella?
KS/Cinderella is set in Northern France at the start of World War 1. I have always been interested in this period. Also I discovered that the Ballet Russes were in Paris during this time. I am going to use Kasarvina, a ballerina with the Ballet Russe as Cinderella's Godmother and Mikhail Fokine as the ballet master. There will be no fairies or magical coach in the production and at the stroke of twelve a bomb goes off. However it does have a happy ending and the couple survive the blast.

Read more of the interview in Dance Dynamic next month

Ballet Nacional De Espana at the London Coliseum 2010

Spectacular show full of drama and variety. Inspired dancing from Elena Algado & Christina Gomez.
See my full review in the magazine Dance Dynamic June edtion.
Out now in the May edition the review of Blaze with the interview with Chris Baldock and the review of the Flamenco Festival at the Sadlers Wells in February.
The front cover is my photograph from Ballet Nacionale de Cuba at the London Coliseum April 2010

Mark Morris Dance Company

Beautiful fluidity of movement. Great rhythmn, colour and spacial awareness.

Ballet Nacionale de Cuba/ Magia De La Danza

A Tempestuous Display of Ballet at its Best!

The Gala evening of dance by the Ballet Nacionale de Cuba was a brilliant showcase of classical ballet at its finest. Alicia Alonso the General Director of the Cuban ballet is now in her 90th year and a legend in her own life time. She was born in Cuba but danced for many years in America and was a founding member of the New York Ballet Theatre now called ABT. She returned to Cuba with her husband in 1948 and set up a dance company. Then in 1959 she asked Castro if he would fund the Cuban Ballet School. This school today is the foundation of the Cuban Ballet Company.

The programme starts with a ballet very close to the heart of Alicia and one she herself made famous. Giselle Act 11 is choreographed by Alicia Alonso and danced on Wednesday 7th April by Anette Delgado and Javier Torres. Anette captures the ethereal quality of the Wilis and is as light as thistledown. The corps work in unison with straight lines and beautiful heads and arms.

Both Yanela Pinera and Elier Bourzac dance with style and precision in the Grand pas de deux in Act 111 of Sleeping Beauty.

The last ballet before the interval was Nutcracker. Firstly the corps with solists dance the Waltz of the Flowers and then Sadaise Arencibia and Alejandro Virelles dance the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. Alejandro dancing is spectacular! The audience gasp and erupt into spontaneous appaulse as he balances in multiple turns and leaps into the air with ease and artistry. He is a tall man with great posture and wonderful technique
He is certainly on form this evening. The women also excelled in this evening of dance with their beautiful balances and control though there was not always the same technical ablility or
attack in their legs and feet.

Don quixote in the second half stole the show. Carlos Accosta is on fire. He is lean, dramatic and has a wide grin on his face of shear pleasure. His technique is brilliant and his turns are exciting and breathtaking. His partner Viensgay Valdes is magical. A beautiful face and the most mind blowing balances with style and vivacity. The audience is captivated by this tempestuous display of ballet at its best!

Ballet Nacionale de Cuba /Swan Lake/London Coliseum

Ballet Nacionale de Cuba

performed Swan Lake last night with Elier Bourzac as Siegfried and Odette/ Odile danced by Anette Delgado.
Elier was heavenly to watch wonderful balon, supple with balanced multiple pirouettes. He also acted with emotion. The perfect Prince and a joy to watch!
Anette Delgado suffered in Act 11 from a badly made tutu which distracted from her technically wonderful dancing. However there was no eye contact with her handsome Prince and her acting and emotion in the role of Odette was lacking. She displayed much more emotion coupled with superb dancing in Odile. Thirty two perfect fouettes with a triple pirouette to finish produced spontaneous applause and bravos. The production let the dancers down at every turn. Cuba is a very poor country and this was in evidence in the sets and costumes but there is no need to have creased back cloths and odd shoes. The choreography was poor apart from the pas de six in Act 1 which I thought was creative with again wonderful dancing. Spectacular arabasques and balanced controlled pirouettes. Special mention to Masiel Alonso in the role of peasant in the first act and in the soloist role in the Neopolitan. She danced with charm and sparkled in the dances with stunning arabasques. The swans feet could have been stronger in the corps de ballet in the second act. The evening was enjoyable and saved by the Cuban dancers who excelled against all odds and triumped over a poor production.
Review with photographs of the second programme next week.

ISTD Dinner & Dance 2010

Mr Philip Li won the International Award from the Ballroom Faculty Board. He had brought his own media company from China with him and owns a school with massive studios and thousands of pupils. He had a glint in his eye and oozed enthusiasm. Watch this space for the Chinese ballroom stars of tomorrow. The other International award was given to Miss Gwenda Britten from New Zealand. She joked that if all the sheep went to dance classes in New Zealand she would be a wealthy lady! She was presented her award from a driving force in the Theatre Faculty of the ISTD Paddy Hurlings.

The Imperial Theatre Award was won by Sue Passmore and the Imperial Dance Sport Award was won by Margaret Connon. A speech was given by Dame Beryl Grey. She looked resplendent in a purple velvet gown.

The Latin ballroom cabaret was given by Andrej Skufca and Melinda Torokgyory. She wore a draped yellow satin material with two pieces of elastic holding it together. Intriguing. She had the men on the edge of their seats. Passionate dancing!

BLAZE the new concept show at the Peacock Theatre 11th-28th March

I went along to the Peacock theatre in London to photograph the Blaze company. Wow it is going to be a great show. I also interviewed Chris Baldock, who is the Director of this new company. The choreography of the show has been a collaboration of different choreographers but Chris has worked closely with Anthony Van Last and between them they have devised the concept and also a blue print for the other choreographers to follow.

The interview will be published in the May edition of the magazine Dance Dynamic. There will also be a review of the show and photographs.

EM/ What styles of dance are in the show

CB/ New style,House,Popping, Locking, New Jack Swing, Vogue, tap, contemporary and of course Break dance.

Watch this space for more news and a taster of the review. The World premier is on the 16th March and I will be there!