Roll over to preview

In this month’s issue of Dancing Times, we have no fewer than four artistic directors offering their opinions! In Talking Point, Cathy Marston, director of Bern Ballett, explores some of the themes discussed at DanceEast’s recent Rural Retreat for dance directors. On page 15, Michael Crabb talks to Karen Kain, artistic director of National Ballet of Canada, in advance of the company’s first visit to the UK in over a quarter of a century; Liv Lorent, director of balletLORENT, discusses with Kevin Berry on page 25 the history of her company based at Dance City in Newcastle-upon-Tyne; and on page 22 Kevin O’Hare reveals to Zoë Anderson his plans for The Royal Ballet’s 2013–14 season and further ahead. Finally, one of the most heart-warming stories in this month’s issue is Igor Stupnikov’s Letter from St Petersburg, in which he informs us of British dancer Xander Parish’s triumph in his debut as Albrecht in Giselle at the Maryinsky Theatre. Dancing Times extends its congratulations to Parish, but reflects sadly on the fact that he is another example of a UK-born and trained dancer who has had to find success abroad. As in the song immortalised by Judy Garland, he is “The Man That Got Away”.