This week on Conversations On Dance, we are joined by the chief dance critic of the New York Times, and one of our most frequent guests, Alastair Macaulay. Alastair, an expert on dance history, has previously guided us through histories of Balanchine’s classic ballet ‘Serenade’ and the work of Frederic Ashton. This week he delves into the true history of one of ballet’s most revered choreographers, Marius Petipa. We take a look at what works have been falsely attributed to Petipa, how he was perceived in his lifetime, and why his work still matters.

This is our last episode of 2018, and we want to personally thank every listener that tuned in this year. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and that you join us again in the New Year.

Check out the Nikolai Sergeev dance notations and music scores from the Harvard Library that Alastair references.  Notations on Snow from the Nutcracker can be found on pages 39-62.  More information on Alastair’s upcoming presentation on Petipa at the New York Public Library on December 26th HERE.

This episode is brought to you by Yumiko.