The American-Israeli choreographer Barak Marshall is Artist in Residence at Gauthier Dance in Stuttgart. 

The best advice I ever received 

The best advice I ever received was from my mother, Margalit Oved, who was a famous dancer and choreographer. I began dancing and choreographing relatively late at the age of 27. Just a few years into my career, the dance world’s Darwinian/Hobbesian ‘publish or perish’ culture began to wear me down and I found it difficult to create. I asked her what I should do and she said, ‘the dance world is filled with ambitious and manipulative people who believe that the only way for them to succeed is for others to fail. You will only survive if you understand this: only create when you have something to say and never let their voices define you.’

The advice I would pass on 

Don’t dance. I’m kidding (mostly). I mentor a lot of young dancers and choreographers and try to prepare them for the realities of the dance world by being as brutally honest as possible – even when it causes them to appear on the verge of nervous breakdown.

I tell them three things:

1 While there has been progress, remnants of dance’s authoritarian DNA survive and thrive. Ninety percent of the time young dancers and choreographers are told what they are doing wrong. And this takes a psychological toll and is the greatest prophylactic to happiness and creativity. I believe that dancers can only realise their full potential as artists when they are free. So – even when circumstances don’t allow for it – urge them to trust themselves, to recognise and politely navigate this cognitive dissonance, and to take everything with a truckload of salt.

2 The dance world is not a meritocracy it’s a chaos-tocracy. Everyone is fallible and just trying to survive. So don’t feed the beast of self-doubt by reading into everything or taking it personally. It’s not you, it’s almost always them.

3 Don’t commit seppuku on the altar of dance. I love dance but it is important to have a life outside of it filled with relationships, friends and family, and to take proactive steps to prepare yourself for the life you want after dance.

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RAD graduates, faculty and friends were thrilled to come together on 1 October last year for our 2024 graduation ceremony at Cadogan Hall, London.

Graduates assembled from around the world to receive their awards from Dame Darcey Bussell DBE, President of the RAD, and to hear from guest speaker Sir Wayne McGregor, the award-winning British choreographer and director.

At the RAD, we are incredibly proud of our students, and it was wonderful to be able to come together and watch as they prepare to move on to the next stage of their careers, joining the global network of RAD members and alumni.

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1 Piano concerto no 2 (first movement) by Sergei Rachmaninov

When I was about 10 years old I spent my birthday money on a Philips LP of favourite piano concertos: single movements from about six or seven famous concertos by Chopin, Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. At that time I was not aware of any of Rachmaninov’s music and I will never forget the spine-tingling impact of hearing the crescendo of these opening chords leading into the huge sweep of the orchestra. I couldn’t believe that such music could exist, and still remember my amazement at that first moment every time I hear this work. The beginning of a life-long love of this composer’s work.

2 The Man That Got Away by Judy Garland

In the 1970s I designed several ballets for the great choreographer Jochen Ulrich who founded the company Tanzforum at Cologne Opera House. Finally I was doing what I had always wanted: design for dance. There was very little money and certainly no budget for travel from the UK. I built all the models in Jochen’s study: long days alone in a grand art nouveau flat in Cologne, with access to a huge collection of LPs. The big discovery was the double album of Judy Garland’s 1961 concert at Carnegie Hall. Apart from The Wizard of Oz, I didn’t know much about Judy and am sure that I almost ruined the discs by repeatedly playing them – even now I can’t imagine most of these songs sung by anyone else. This is my absolute favourite.

3 Journey through the snow from The Nutcracker by Pyotr IlyichTchaikovsky

This four-minute piece links the end of the battle between the rats and soldiers to the snowflakes finale to act 1. The battle plays out in firelight under the branches of an oversized Christmas tree and as this music begins Clara and the prince are left alone. The setting for snowflakes slowly descends and cross flies with the tree: by the last arpeggio the stage has transformed from darkness to thousands of snow-covered branches. Without fail it always makes me cry.

I designed The Nutcracker for Sir Peter Wright and Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1990. An early work and a monumental project containing some of the most terrifying open set changes I have ever attempted. Perhaps it is the memory of the huge feeling of relief that we have nearly reached the interval without any major catastrophe – but in the end it is simply the most beautiful piece of music.

4 Storm from Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten

The storm is the most memorable and spine tingling of the four Sea Interludes. In 1994 I designed Peter Grimes for La Monnaie in Brussels, directed by Willy Dekker and conducted by Antonio Pappano. It was a huge experience in every way and the set, though visually simple, was technically ridiculously complicated: lots of hydraulics, raked floors and moving walls. The four–minute storm interlude is also the biggest set change of the night. The front curtain is down, loud music drowning out backstage noise, and I remember being on tenterhooks, watching the red light on the conductor’s desk and waiting for it to turn green seconds before the last note and revealing the tavern scene.

5 The final duet from Rusalka by Antonín Dvořák

Rusalka has always been one of my favourite operas: it was wonderful to be offered the chance to design it for Lyric Opera Chicago. All the supernatural darkness of the forest with its water and wood nymphs, goblins and witches and then the terrible world of man as seen through Rusalka’s eyes. Rusalka is famous for the song to the moon but is packed with beautiful music, leading to the heart-rending and touching final moments. In Rusalka’s final duet with the prince, with her last kiss he dies in her arms and she walks into the night condemned to roam the earth as a phantom – a tiny white figure walking into the night sky.

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John Macfarlane’s ballet designs

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The RAD has received British choreographer Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s archive. MacMillan (1929–92) was the leading choreographer of his generation, creating world-renowned ballets including Romeo and Juliet, Gloria, Manon, Mayerling and Requiem. The archive comprises a diverse and rich range of material covering the personal, artistic and business archive of one of the most significant ballet figures of the 20th century.

The records span MacMillan’s life and career from his school days and early years as a dancer, through his career with the Sadler’s Wells Ballet/Royal Ballet as dancer, choreographer, Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer from 1977 until his death in 1992. He was also Director of Deutsche Oper Ballet Berlin (1966–69) and Artistic Associate of American Ballet Theatre and Houston Ballet (1984–89).

Speaking of the news, Dame Darcey Bussell, President of the RAD said: ‘There is no doubt that Kenneth’s creative genius contributed to the evolution of the art form of classical ballet. He put British ballet on the international map, drawing stars from around the world to work with him and perform his works. The RAD could not be more grateful to have the honour of holding Kenneth’s archive. With our state-of-the-art facilities, I know the RAD will preserve the archive superbly and offer access in an inclusive way in the years to come.’

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Dame Monica Mason, Vice President of the RAD and répétiteur to MacMillan, reflected: ‘Sir Kenneth MacMillan was a visionary choreographer whose work had a profound impact on the evolution of ballet. This archive is a wonderful legacy for the RAD to receive and will not only shed light on Sir Kenneth’s creative process but enrich our understanding of his life and the cultural context in which he worked.’

The archive – which includes photographs, diaries, and letters – paints a rich picture of MacMillan’s life. Its early material covers his school years and includes his Grade 1 ballet exam certificate from the Royal Academy of Dancing in 1944. Personal material includes diaries and handwritten notes that are incomplete but revelatory. His interest in fantasy jewellery is also covered: the Jewels of Fantasy exhibition at the V&A included key items from his own collection.

There is correspondence from major figures in ballet, music and theatre, as well as from friends and members of the public. Blending business with personal matters, they include letters from Dame Ninette de Valois, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Lucia Chase, Alexander Grant, Nora Kaye, Jiří Kylián and more.

The archive has been gifted to the RAD by Deborah, Lady MacMillan and the RAD is extremely grateful for her generosity. The RAD is planning a cataloguing project for 2025 after which the collection will be made available to the public for educational research. Containing over 75,000 items spanning 100 years, the RAD Archive, based at RAD’s Wolfson Library at its headquarters in London, is an important record of the evolution of British ballet and dance in the 20th century. Last year, the RAD received the archive of Dancing Times, Britain’s oldest dance magazine.

RAD members can visit the library for free. For more information visit here.

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Scottish dancer Antonia Maria Cramb has won the Gold medal at The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition 2024, held at His Majesty’s Theatre in London on 8 September.

The Fonteyn is the pinnacle for young dancers trained in the RAD syllabus, and the final followed a week of coaching and semi-finals at the RAD’s headquarters. Over 60 dancers from 14 countries (including Bermuda, Venezuala, South Africa and Singapore) took part in this year’s competition. RAD Artistic Director Alexander Campbell congratulated all the candidates, saying, ‘it’s been a true pleasure watching you grow throughout the week, and we hope that you have made memories to be treasured forever.’

Gold medallist Antonia Maria Cramb, 18, is from Perthshire, Scotland. Trained by Kerry Livingstone and Faculty of Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, she trains at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She performed her Dancer’s Own solo Tambourin, co-choreographed with Kerry Livingstone, and the second odalisque variation from Le Corsaire.

The Silver medal was won by Lydia Hough aged 18 from North Lincolnshire, UK, trained by Beverley Spencer, Sebnem Önal and Viviana Durante, currently training at English National Ballet School. Lydia also received the Margot Fonteyn Audience Choice Award.

Bronze medals were won by Alfie-Lee Hall, 18 from Cheshire, UK (trained by Denise Whiteman and Elmhurst Ballet School Artistic Staff, currently training at Elmhurst Ballet School) and Ernesto Young, 17, from Australia (trained by Hilary Kaplan and Archibald McKenzie, currently training at Alegria Dance Studios).

Ernesto Young also won the Dancer’s Own Choreographic Award for his solo Whirlwind Grace (set to Lutowslawski), while the first winner of a new Musicality Award was Christie Anderson, 20. Taught by Angelique Harris, Sayward Ten Hove and Bethany Kingsley-Garner, she trains at Art of Motion International Dance Laboratory.

All the candidates took part in coaching sessions with Isabel McMeekan, Samira Saidi and Darren Parrish, and semi-finals judged by Dame Darcey Bussell, President of the RAD, Alessandra Ferri, Artistic Director Designate of the Wiener Staatsballett and José Alves, former Senior Artist at Ballet Black. Judging the final were Bussell, Ferri and Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet. The choreographic and musicality awards were judged by Dame Monica Mason and choreographer Ashley Page.

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Finalists also premiered new variations created by The Fonteyn 2024 commissioned choreographer, Andrew McNicol. There was also a guest performance of the balcony pas de deux from Romeo & Juliet by Northern Ballet dancers Harris Beattie and Saeka Shirai.

The Fonteyn was produced by Lynn Wallis. Mayumi Hotta was the Benesh choreologist, and pianists for the final were Rebecca Leshures and Richard Norris.

After being held in London for the past two years, in 2025 The Fonteyn will be held in São Paolo, Brazil.

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I am from Sudbury, Ontario and I love to dance! I had the honour of having Cynthia Fisher as my examiner for my Advanced 2 examination in 2022. I passed with a High Merit, which I am absolutely delighted with! I have been battling Lyme Disease for 11 years, and wanted to share my journey in the hope that it will inspire someone else to reach for their dreams in ballet.

I love dancing more than anything in this world. I think of ballet all day and go to bed dreaming of it at night. I cannot imagine a day without it. Ever since I was little, it has always been my greatest dream to achieve the Advanced 2 exam.

Eleven years ago I was training for the exam when I suddenly fell very ill. I had just finished university and was a dance teacher at my own studio as well as a school teacher. I loved my students dearly and spent my days doing what I loved. But my health became progressively worse, to the point that I had to teach from a chair or even lie down in the classroom. I was fevered, extremely weak, losing weight and experiencing constant pain. I eventually had to give up my studio, my beloved students and teaching along with my exam training at the age of 23. I was bedridden for two years, finally testing positive for Lyme Disease. This was just the start of a long battle which I am still fighting today.

The new syllabus came out shortly after I fell ill, and I was filled with excitement and determination to learn it, beginning on my own from my bed. It took seven years, because I could only read for a few minutes a day and couldn’t move very much. I practiced everything in my head! On the days that I just wanted to cry, I would put on my dance clothes and pointe shoes so that I could ‘feel like a ballerina.’ Three years into my journey, I met my husband, Steven, who has been an angel in my life. He believed in me and encouraged me to reach for my dreams. When we were dating, he took me to see The Nutcracker in Toronto and would whisper, ‘You are going to get your Advanced 2 one day.’ 

In 2018, my beloved father passed away. He was one of my biggest fans: everyone says that I got my deep passion for life from him. I knew that ballet was the one thing that would bring me joy through my grief. I called around to find an RAD teacher, and when I walked into my first class with Sarah Baker we both shed a tear as we shared our stories. Her sister sadly passed away from Lyme Disease. We truly understood each other, which has led to the most beautiful, lifelong friendship. 

She knew how to train me carefully and not to push too hard. We started with 20-minute classes, after which I would have to be in bed for a week recovering, as I was undergoing numerous treatments. We slowly added a few minutes to my class each week, and have now made it to two-hour classes! 

Training required a lot of support from my loved ones. My amazing mother drove me 90 minutes to class, making so many sacrifices with love: she has been my greatest support. My husband got a new job and we were able to move to the same city as my mom and the dance studio. 

The day of my exam was one I will never forget! My entire family, friends and doctors were cheering me on. I was very ill on the day of my exam, but was not going to let infections get in the way of my dream. Cynthia Fisher was such a warm-hearted and encouraging examiner and when we received my mark we were all ecstatic! It far surpassed my hopes and dreams. 

Sometimes life doesn’t always go as you had planned, but I am beyond thankful for the joy and perseverance that ballet has brought to my life. It gave me something to strive for during my toughest days, and it will continue to brighten every day in the years to come.

Recently I achieved a Distinction level for both Discovering Repertoire Level 4 as well as Advanced 2. I feel extremely blessed to dance in less pain than the previous years. Dance continues to bring me joy in the midst of my daily battle with this disease. What would we do without ballet?

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Hannah, what does Pride mean to you?

To me, Pride is a celebration. A celebration of inclusion, identity and affirmation. Pride is about feeling part of a community and connection, but it is also a protest for equality and against discrimination. 

What was Pride 2024 like for you?

It was really special to take part in Pride in London this year – it was the RAD’s first time walking in the parade and it was really important to us to come together as a community to celebrate, represent and support LGBTQIA2S+ rights. I walked alongside colleagues as well as RAD students, members and our local community – and it was extra special as it was my first time walking too.

Photo: Keshia Dodd

Why was it important that the RAD walked in London Pride this year?

As the RAD’s LGBTQIA2S+ working group, we felt it was important to be part of the Pride in London parade to represent our diverse community of dancers and teachers and to be visible with our support of LGBTQIA2S+ rights. It’s important to us that colleagues, members, students and dancers see that the RAD is a space that welcomes all and that dance is for everybody. I would love to think it’s the start of the RAD community globally coming together to support Pride celebrations across the world!

More widely, how important is it for organisations to create inclusive workspaces? 

According to research, over a third of LGBTQIA2S+ people feel like they must hide at work. We’re at work for a huge part of our lives. Feeling like you must hide part of yourself greatly impacts both emotional and physical health.

Inclusion is about creating a safe space and enabling everyone to come to work as their whole self. Inclusive workplaces attract diverse employees, different voices and cultures, often becoming safer and happier for everyone. I’m really proud to be part of the LGBTQIA2S+ working group at the RAD and to be building community and visibility here.

What would your advice be to someone who is struggling to fit in?  

Try to find your tribe. There are many groups and organisations that can help you meet others in the community, or who have felt the same way as you. Know that you are not alone! There are also fantastic initiatives and dance classes that are focused on bringing the community together. I didn’t find my queer communities until my 30s, but have found a great LGBTQIA2S+ book club and dance group in London! 

How can the dance industry support the LGBTQIA2S+ community? 

Visibility all year is important. Historically there has been limited representation outside of traditional gender norms and relationships, especially in ballet, but we are starting to see a slow shift, with movements like Queer the Ballet at the forefront. The more we see inclusion of LGBTQIA2S+ voices at all levels of the industry, the more likely people are to feel that dance is for them too – that they are in a safe space to come as they are.

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José Alves, the Brazilian dancer who was formerly a leading artist with Ballet Black, was part of the panel of judges for The Fonteyn 2024. He judged the competition’s semi-finals, which took place at the RAD’s HQ in London. 

The best advice I ever received 

The best advice I have ever received came from my first dance teacher who told me, ‘dance with your heart, not just your feet.’ This simple yet profound guidance has always reminded me that the true essence of dance goes beyond technical precision. It is about conveying emotion and connecting with the audience on a deeper level.

The advice I would pass on 

The advice I would most like to pass on is to embrace the journey, including its challenges. Every setback is an opportunity to grow, and every triumph is a testament to your resilience. Stay curious, stay passionate, and never stop learning. Also never allow people to say that you’re not capable of anything.

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What is Project Elimu? 

Project Elimu is an after school programme for children in Kibera. Dance is one of our core activities, built around ballet, modern and African dance. We’ve been running this space since 2018, aiming to give children in Kibera a place to hang out, a safe space for young kids to come in and explore the beauty of dance.

We focus on creating dance as an access for education: we’ve seen children who are dancing with us getting more eager and interested in school. It is an oasis of a safe space for children, using dance as a tool of expression. 

I imagine the world outside the school is less safe?

Kibera is not an easy place to grow up as a child. Children face a lot of domestic violence and neglect – some even face hardship even when it comes to accessing food. It’s a quite intense but also a very beautiful place, with a lot of happiness, lots of colour, lots of people trying to make a difference. 

Like any other slum, Kibera is quite intense, but also sometimes dangerous to young girls growing up there. Our activities are designed to make children feel safe and teach them how to take care of themselves. We do a lot around sexual reproductive health and menstrual health management. Within the school, we have a sanitary towel bank, because when I started teaching one of the biggest challenges was that we would always have girls missing dance classes just because they didn’t have access to menstrual products.

How did your own dance journey begin?

I always say I started dancing as a default. My single mother was not able to support my high school education – my father had just passed away and everything broke down. I was pushed out to work at 15. I always wanted to be in the arts field. When I saw a poster for dance auditions for a Kenyan performing arts group, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity. 

Dancing gave me so much. I was not the best dancer in my dance school – when they were selecting 10 people, I would always be the 10th – but this taught me persistence. That’s why I love sharing my story with my students so that they all know that it’s not just about being the perfect dancer. It’s about the journey.

Why is RAD ballet also part of the mix at the school? 

To me it was important because it gives you an introduction to ballet in a very smooth, understandable way. It trains you on working on your core from a very early age. By the time they grow older and venture into other dance classes, like modern dance, jazz and African dance, you can see the presence of these children. They always have their backs straight. 

It has also been helpful academically. I love ballet because it teaches you that when you’re present, you’re also present in your normal classroom. I always tell them with pride: when you dance, you become elegant. And being elegant, you don’t need to know every answer within your class, but you can get help whenever you ask for it.

It must be emotional to see people come in as young kids and leave on the verge of their adult life?

It’s fulfilling when I see children get scholarships that initially they would have not been able to get. Some have travelled abroad, or been able to join high school: we have a very high rate of school dropout due to financial issues here. I see them become students at the university of Nairobi, studying medicine. They did this because we were able to find scholarship opportunities for them through dance. They start off just walking in to play and it ends up amazing.

Why does dance matter to you? 

Dance matters to me so much because it’s our core. In Kenya, we used to use dance to celebrate things or for mourning. We used to use dance to mark our calendars – it has been part of our lives. However, dance was often given a negative approach, and thought of as time-wasting tool, just a tool for entertainment. Yet it is something that makes us realise who we really are, our identity and our path. It is okay to dream and to want to be who you want to be. Dance has given that to me and so to me dance matters so much. 

Artwork: Bex Glendining

Why Dance Matters

Why Dance Matters is the RAD’s podcast – a series of conversations with extraordinary people from the world of dance and beyond. From November, episodes are released each month: first up is star choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne. Please do listen and subscribe.

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Hear the full interview with Mike Wamaya

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Project Elimu’s official music video

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Advice Bureau

Jasmin Vardimon

Dance Gazette

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1 The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky

I have danced two different versions of this. The first was the Nijinsky version at the Municipal Theater in Rio de Janeiro, which was an amazing experience because the music was originally created for that ballet. I fell in love with it because it’s so progressive. I was the kind of dancer that never needed to count anything – but this music, you have to count, there is no way around it. When I moved to Europe, every time I saw an orchestra was playing this work, I would go. I loved watching orchestras play: you can’t see them when you dance, so it’s a completely different experience. I’m not one of those dancers that remembers every step of a choreography – more than anything, I remember the feeling. In The Rite of Spring you feel so rooted to the earth, so grounded – you merge with the music somehow.
As a choreographer, I have not had the urge to approach Rite because it’s just too big, too important. It’s almost sacred.

2 Clarinet Concerto K622 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 

I danced to this in a ballet by the American choreographer Lar Lubovitch, so I got very familiar with it – the clarinet solo is gorgeous. Again, I started watching it: I saw it in Holland and in the UK. Watching the soloist play is just so beautiful. I love the sound of the clarinet – Mozart uses the instrument in a way that I find very poetic. It is so dreamy and peaceful.

3 Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns

I absolutely love it. It’s got this sort of scary feeling, but not bad scary. It’s like a fun scary. I think it’s my childlike side that likes this piece – like going to a funfair and taking the ghost train. This piece has something dark in it, but also humour – you could make a good cartoon to it.

4 Piano Concerto in G Major by Maurice Ravel

I became familiar with this through concerts in Amsterdam: I went to watch orchestras in the Concertgebouw a lot. I didn’t know the piece, but fell in love with it. This is one that, for me, is not danceable. It is not one that I want to choreograph, but it’s really nice to watch live.

5 Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev

Romeo and Juliet is a masterpiece. The music does a great job of telling the story, and it’s so beautiful. I danced it, so I have my memories. But even if you’re not a ballet lover, there’s still so much value in it. Will I make my own Romeo and Juliet? Maybe one day.


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