News clipping: Akram Khan interview, former dancer sues London Met police, Misty Copeland, NYCB dancers boycott, Graham finally in the UK
ArtReview published an interview with Akram Khan on 25th September 2025. It is an in-depth conversation about his latest all-female dancer creation, Thikra: Night of Remembering, which also will be the last one for the Akram Khan Company. Worth a read. For full text, click here.
A former dancer, who trained at The Royal Ballet Upper School, is suing the Scotland Yard, or the London's Metropolitan Police, for almost £600,000 over claims that a police officer stamped on his foot, The Times newspaper said on 22nd September. Alexander Loxton "told a judge his dream of a “Premier League” career in dance died after he suffered an ankle ligament injury during what he has claimed was an unjustified search nine years ago," the newspaper said. He danced with the Dutch National Ballet and for Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday, and performed the role of the older Billy of the Billy Elliot musical. Click here for the full article.
Dance Magazine ran two articles on 1st October 2025 about Misty Copeland ahead of her final performance with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) on 22nd of the same month. One was an interview with her. Apparently, she had been thinking about retiring from the stage since around 2019. The same author, Lydia Murray, also penned the other article to reflect on Misty's trailblazing career as the first African American to become a Principal Dancer with the ABT in August 2025.
Celebrities and rock stars like Sarah Jessica Parker and Mick Jagger flocked New York City Ballet's (NYCB) fundraising gala. But, The New York Times newspaper reported on 9th October 2025, "there was one notable group missing from the red carpet: the company’s dancers." NYCB dancers have been fighting for pay increases while their contracts expired at the end of August. Dancers have been committed to perform, however, they boycotted the red carpet and dinner events at the gala due to a lack of progress in negotiation. Click here for the full article. Click here for NYCB dancers' letter, signed by the entire company, to the management. The newspaper also published a review about the company's Foreseeable Future mixed bill.
The Guardian newspaper published an article on 6th October 2025 that Martha Graham's works were finally shown in the United Kingdom only when her eponymous company would celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. It said Yorke Dance Project probably set the trend when it performed Errand into the Maze last year. Natalia Osipova performed it for her own project earlier this year and English National Ballet performed it as a part of the R:Evolution mixed bill at the opening of the current season. Click here for the full article.
Meanwhile, Gramilano published two reviews on the above-mentioned ENB R:Evolution mixed bill. Lucía Piquero gave it four starts in her article dated 1st October 2025. Matthew Paluch watched the same programme with alternative casting and gave it three stars.
