‘ But what I found so arresting about the book was Gallea’s strong visual sensibility and her capacity to translate the sensibility into words. There’s her description of Paris in the 1960’s; the cafes, the metro, the pissoirs, the clochards, the smells of ‘garlic, red wine and body odour’…There are some evocative accounts of outdoor performances around the world and descriptions of theatres in various...

“In her acknowledgement, Christina says it was the opportunity and experience of writing for this magazine that gave her the impetus and courage to tell her story, which she vividly does in this well produced, richly illustrated book. Tribute is paid to their teachers and to colleagues who helped further their work and and with whom they worked, Walter Gore, Paula Hinton and Leonide Massine among them. The book is essentially a portrait...

“The book is fascinating on several levels; for those interested in dance there are vignettes of the big names they worked with in their early days – Leonide Massine, Boris Kochno, Kurt Joos, Walter Gore. It takes us into the rehearsal rooms in London and Paris, and follows their success as a company of very high quality. In addition to giving a glimpse behind the scenes in the dance world from the 1960’s to the 1990’s,...

“her writing is so good that the book becomes a travelogue as well as a record of their trials and travails. Many charming and amusing anecdotes are included, along with illuminating insights into the methods of some of the great teachers of the day. The book will be of great interest to any dancer who has worked with small companies, but Gallea Roy writes so picturesquely that it will be a rewarding read for any balletomane. A treat....

Ballet Nice Mediterranee presented a new programme of ballets by George Balanchine and Serge Lifar at the Opera de Nice in April. Christina’s review will appear in the June issue of Dancing Times.

Following a world-wide tour,  including a two-week season at the Queen Elizabeth hall in London,  Aurelia Thierree presented her performance Murmurs at the Theatre de Grasse. Christina reviews this in the May issue of Dancing Times. READ MORE