SwissBalletFan

The UK is not the best place for ballet in the world... with or without foreign dancers...just sayin’. Edited to add that the football analogy itself is rather hotly debated. That’s probably for another forum... very few of the worlds best players play in the premier league. (This season may be considered an anomaly if you read today’s news based upon the success of the 2 UK teams in the champions league last season.

I’ve said my piece, I am not a Polunin fan, and I think my comment about ‘Yawn’ on RB,ROH, or ENB stands even if the person was also British. However I am too polite to test it. I don’t really have a chip on my shoulder about foreigners, I think the comment about Yawn stands even if the person was from the UK. I am not bored enough to give a long response, but of course reading a thread an inner yawn or three is expected, even at a dinner party, when that crosses into actually yawning or posting it, then it to me it becomes uncivil. In terms of anyone posting about Polunin’s performance, of Kobborg (it’s of course not all about Polunin) etc..how comfortable do you think a member will feel to detail their thoughts here? Without feeling each word will be picked over like bones on a carcass? It isn’t a fan site, but who decides how positive it can be before it becomes too much? About the chip on my shoulder...There once was a time where the British vernacular, humour, wit and manners were a shining beacon, sadly ever more the beacon dims like a welcome lighthouse on your shores. Not only on this forum, but in politics, news and with Brexit. I much prefer the wit Oscar Wilde over boorish Nigel Farage humour. For reference I’m not a fan of Polunin, I can’t comment much on his dance, and disagree very much with his social media posts.

To be fair, this is a thread called Polunin/Kobborg etc etc... so if you don’t want to read about him either, you might not want to read the thread if it’s a boring topic to you, also given that it was started by a fan of Polunin. oh but wait... you want to hear about the performances and a review of the show? Oh and it makes you want to quit this forum? Or as in other threads stop being a moderator? How many ballet fans fans are driven away from this site due to such comments? To be fair, it is called balletforum.COM, and I can say if any of the international fans went on any of the Royal Ballet, ENB or UK based dancers and said ‘yawn’ it would be deleted in a second, and treated as unproductive (which would be fair). The Polunin thread was already closed down, and really due to non-Polunin fans criticizing the OTT admiration of a few members. Why not just let the fans of Polunin, chat among themselves and if you like you can choose not to read it? However to commment how bored you are about the topic...???? How much more bored must you be to open a thread about Polunin, read the comments about something that bores you, and then choose to comment? If you say you must do this as a part of your moderator job, then, I would say, it’s important to act as a moderator, which is very much appreciated, unproductive comments are not. Just a comment on civility... It’s always a nice check upon oneself to wonder if the thing you are about to post is something you would say in public, to a group of people, or fans of a certain dancer. I for one, would never walk around ROH and when overhearing a fan I know loves a certain dancer and always raving about them, lean in and say ‘YAWN’. Wouldnt it also be worse if you were an usher (person of authority) at the ROH, and did the same? I would walk on, and ignore it, which I think would be the civil thing to do. Also, as my own check. If I saw a person do this at the ROH I would say to them exactly what I have written in this post, and if it was an usher, I would ask for their manager and complain. Also and then if that manager didn’t take my comments seriously, then I would reconsider visiting again. EDITED to add: You might have felt compelled to read this thread as there are not so many new contributions on the many aspects of ballet - especially non UK. You and the owners of the forum might like to consider why that might be. I for one, have been turned off from starting threads or contributing for this exact behaviour.

A few observations and learnings for me. 1) This thread was started as an optional discussion topic, that people can read if interested, not really integral to ballet information itself, so an off topic about names and surnames is fine by me. 2) as to the original point of the thread, I am glad that the discussion of names has been taken away from the RB Japan thread, so it kind of shows a separate thread can help. 3) I think that the discussion has been fruitful and people have been polite and the thread was gaining some convergence in how to use names. 4) I don’t know If there is some hierarchy or authority between the mods or in the forum administration, but @Sim it was my impression that all mods speak on their own behalf, and to close off discussion that we don’t need x or y, and this discussion should be closed is rather unnecessary. if It is your opinion, then its better to say that, and of course opinions are what makes the forum go around (and around.. and around). Of course please accept my apologies if you are the nominated authoritative voice of the administration of the site.

Further to my post in the RB Japan your thread: In my time as a member of this forum I have seen that many threads tend to split from the amazing input of the posters sharing their knowledge or views on the subject, and other ‘OT or comments on comments’. I propose a solution to this could be offshoot discussion or posts that go into OT or offensive content be separated into an Separate thread by a mod with Spin Off of O/T followed by the name of the thread. for example: RB Japan Tour (Off Topic) or RB Japan tour (Spin Off) In this way, the focus of the thread remains as described, and also especially when it becomes closed due to heated discussions that do not apply to the original topic. such as: Moving a heated Polunin discussion from Polunin News to Polunin News (Spin Off ). i can imagine the moderators would be cringing at the extra threads, but it would be only for major threads with a substantial OT portion. This could also allow maybe the more heated discussions to be ‘taken outside’ with a public health warning at the beginning of the thread to protect innocent eyes and dispositions (like mine ) and to keep the main topic and feeling of the forum as a friendly, informative and happy place to be. just a proposal, I am thankful for the work of the Moderators, and enjoy the forum. If anyone is interested to discuss the merits or shortcomings please do.

Wonderful to read such detailed reviews from all the posters. Thank you. Also I really think Naomi always has great input on these forums, and it was clear from her post, using nicknames for the two huge names in ballet, and full names for all other mentions that it wasn’t an ‘in the know’ post, just enthusiasm for wonderful dancers. I am sure noone meant any issues with the names, though maybe just a usual polite Janet reply of thank you for the review FYI Vadream is Vadim Muntagirov and Nela is Ms Nunez. I don’t think many if any other dancers have popular nicknames, so its only a matter of a small clarification. Many threads tend to split from the amazing input of the posters sharing their knowledge or views on the subject, and other ‘OT or comments on comments’. I will start a new thread to discuss the merits or otherwise of a proposal that any thread with an offshoot discussion or posts that go into OT or offensive content be separated into an Separate thread by a mod with Spin Off of O/T followed by the name of the thread. In this way, the focus of the thread remains as described, and also especially when it becomes closed due to heated discussions that do not apply to the original topic.

Well, from their initial posts about leaving, there is no comment about a sabbatical.

I can tell you that that this was not the agreement at all.

The inaugaural season of ‘Zurich Dance Theater’ has finally arrived. Interesting about the new joiners, Ksenia joins as one of many female principals and Jonah Cook only as a Solo.

@alison and Stevie, If you have all your files on your computer I think the best option and simplest option is to buy a cheap device to stream your files to your TV. Like chromecast for £35 or Apple TV. (There are lots of options just google stream to TV) all you you need is a tv with a hdmi cable (no need to retune your channels) and a WiFi network. its a very small device that you can put in and take out easily without any need for retuning or messing your tv up. You can also stream YouTube, and lots of other video streams from the internet to your TV. if you have any technical questions you can PM me.

Works with Apple TV so can stream direct on TV or Beamer, with 14 day free trial too. I have freed myself a weekend next month to having a ballet-binge

It seems the etymology is more usually from the German ‘Meister’ predating the UK or US terms. the roles of this person can be found in the wiki page too. From Wikipedia :https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concertmaster The concertmaster (from the GermanKonzertmeister) in the U.S. and Canada is the leader of the first violin section in an orchestra (or clarinet in a concert band) and the instrument-playing leader of the orchestra. After the conductor, the concertmaster is the second-most significant leader in an orchestra, symphonic band or other musical ensemble. Another common term in the U.S. is "First Chair." In the U.K., Australia and elsewhere in the English-speaking world, the term commonly used is "leader."

Boston Ballet have announced they will tour their new William Forsythe world premiere that builds on the ENB premiere (playlist tracks 1,2) called Playlist (EP) along with Forsythe’s Pas/Parts and Kylian’s Wings of Wax in Paris April 9-11th. They will be performing at the Theater Champs Elysees. Photos and videos from social media show that the new playlist extension has female variations and pdds building on the all-male ensemble ENB playlist hip hop fun. I am excited to be attending. https://www.theatrechampselysees.fr/en/season/dance/boston-ballet-mikko-nissinen-en

Wouldn’t this forum be a perfect place to find people willing to each buy a print for 30 pounds? You could use an internet cash raising program to ensure all pay, then every fan could put theirs in a nice frame. Drawing straws for order of preference of which print to select. With Christmas around the corner it would make a great gift.

Its a long road and of course there will be many opportunities in the future to see them when they are ‘quite there’ 😊