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Tribute to Violetta Hanington at RB Giselle rehearsal on Jan 19, 2018


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Kevin O'Hare came out onto stage before the rehearsal today and gave a short speech to dedicate the rehearsal to the memory of Violetta Hanington. He mentioned that she started watching the company in 1947 and hasn't missed a production since.

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  • Jan McNulty changed the title to RB Giselle Jan/Feb 2018

I attended Violetta's funeral last week and her family was deeply touched by the large number of her fellow balletomanes that turned up.  One of my friends distributed a sheet of lovely written tributes from Gary Avis, Anton Lukovkin,  Ernst Meisner, Ivan Putrov and Ravenna Tucker, together with a beautiful picture of Violetta with her beloved Jonny Cope.  Anton and Ivan also attended the funeral.

 

I will ensure that Violetta's Family receive the news of Mr O'Hare's wonderful gesture.

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I always used to watch out for Violetta at the ROH stage door afterwards. She was a lovely lady, very quiet and unassuming and she loved seeing the dancers. I never knew her other name; same with Yvonne who died about 3 years ago and who I've been seeing at stage doors since the 1990s. Indeed Yvonne was keen up to the end of her life and some tickets I'd bought for her just before her death were given to Violetta who apparently often stood for performances despite her age!  I know Violetta hasn't been well for possibly a few years and I haven't seen her at the stage door for a while. I didn't realise she had died or that she has been a supporter of the ROH for so long. She will be sadly missed and it was a lovely tribute from Kevin O'Hare and the other dancers.

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Violetta died on 17th December and had become very frail and unable to go to the ballet for a couple of years.

 

I believe I knew Yvonne too, she battled valiantly against ill health, but I didn't hear of her passing until some time after the event.  Some of the regulars are quite lovely, so sad when they leave us.

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  • John Mallinson changed the title to Tribute to Violetta Hanington at RB Giselle rehearsal on Jan 19, 2018

Violetta was the first person I ever realised was a ballet regular, when I started my ballet-going journey in the late 80s.  ROH amphitheatre, Coliseum balcony, there was the "lady with the plait" again - you couldn't miss her.  Probably took me a decade before I found out her name, though, although I suspect that's about par for the course.  Difficult to believe she's gone.

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