Do you go to the Stage Door?

[capybara]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

....though won't be going back to the stage door any time soon .....only want to make a ballet fool of myself once a year I think!! 

 

Noone needs to worry about going to the Stage Door. 

[RuthE]

1 hour ago, RuthE said:

 

My absolute favourite people-watching pastime in Covent Garden is getting a window-seat in Busaba Eathai opposite the stage door, half an hour or so after a matinee of a "family" ballet has let out, and watching the dancers talk to all the kids 

 

Ah, I'm repeating myself! I said the exact same thing a few posts earlier - but it WAS nearly a year ago

[JennyTaylor]

I've only ever been to the stage door once and then I lost my nerve when the dancers came out - perhaps it was because I was the only one there late at night!  I did go in last week and leave a note of thanks for Marianela for something particular she had done, and I received the most lovely direct message on Twitter on the same day,  in return.

 

I have spoken to many of the RB dancers on several occasions at RB events and the Ballet Association and I have always found them to be gracious, charming and very polite - no exceptions. I find this delightful in these days of celebrity and the insights I have gained from my conversations with them have really enhanced my enjoyment of the ballets I see.

 

One dancer did once tell me that no-one had ever stopped him outside the stage door and he considered this to be a "good thing".  I'm ambivalent on this point of view - it can go many ways (and no, I'm not going to say who it was) 

[Springbourne3]

On 16/11/2017 at 13:35, MAB said:

Times have certainly changed as The Nags Head used to be full of dancers in the 1970's, early 80's. 

That takes me back MAB - I remember the ‘Nags Head’ from my  student days (late 70s early 80s) - we students frequently ‘hung out’ there just to catch a glimpse of the RB dancers. 

[Ivy Lin]

In my experience dancers are not as chatty as opera singers at the stage door. The reason is that many of them are leaving with their friends in the company and want dinner. A lot of them are tired or in a rush to leave.  Opera is different -- over the years I've seen some of the BIGGEST stars come out of the stage door alone, and walk (alone) to their hotel room. Unless they are sick/tired/have a party to be at many of them seem to relish talking to fans after the show. And it's always an odd sight to see them lugging big bouquets and gifts to their hotel room alone. I've always thought that singing must be one of the loneliest professions. 

[squadron]

Hmm. The short answer is yes 😅 Over here (Singapore), the country is small and the local company, i.e. Singapore Dance Theatre, is a modest size (30-odd) -- and I think there's a good chance the principals or some of the others will emerge to meet their friends/ students / fans they've connected with somehow; and under such circumstances, they seem quite willing and happy to take photos with folk who ask. I'll admit I had to work up the nerve to do it.

 

Generally speaking (i.e. re all the discussions on how dancers might feel), perhaps there are universal signs e.g. they're still in costume, they're taking photos with others, or their body language (some may quietly slip past with lowered eyes). To me it always feels as if they're doing me a favour because they must surely want to crash into bed! But perhaps some are still on a performance high or more outgoing by nature, or they like connecting with the audience to know they've had an actual impact. 

 

I wouldn't dare with the touring companies, but a friend of mine has! And everyone he has met has always been happy to stop and say hi. I'm terrible at faces that I'm not familiar with and have just seen flash past under layers of makeup and tulle - slightly concerned I'll embarrass someone or myself 😅

[Candleque]

Love hearing all the above stories.

I have never gone to the stage door, but the other day on my morning commuter train to London, I found myself standing next to Matty Ball. As usual, when packed in like sardines, I try to zen out others and play with my phone. I politely ignored two people chatting above my short head, until the words 'pas de deux' jerked me to attention. There was my fave male dancer inches from my face. He is even more beautiful close-up btw.

I fought the urge to gush, beg for a selfie or other obnoxious behaviour. I would have said a simply hello to tell him how much I enjoy his dancing, except we had many stops to go before London. Didn't seem right to accost him in a space where he'd be trapped in for 30-40 minutes. Perhaps I will go to the stage door at Sadler's Wells when I see Swan Lake and ask if he always takes that same train lol
 

[LinMM]

Similarly I found myself standing next to Ed Watson at a bus stop. It has to be over a year ago now but he was injured back then too and had one of his legs in one of those boot things.

I was wanting to ask him about his leg but thought it might seem a bit odd coming from a stranger! Of course he wasn't a stranger to me but I would have been to him! 

 

[Stumbellina]

Every time I have met a respected performer or celebrity, I have afterwards regretted it.

 

 

 

Don’t meet your idols, kids

[capybara]

13 minutes ago, Stumbellina said:

Every time I have met a respected performer or celebrity, I have afterwards regretted it.

Don’t meet your idols, kids

 

I don't go to the Stage Door "to meet my idols" but to try, usually inadequately, to show appreciation. And I have never had cause to regret it, why would I?

 

[However, I do sometimes regret the way some of us overdo the selfies and other photos and hold out programmes for autographs without saying a word. But I think that most of that is because people feel shy when confronted with 'the stars'.]

 

[bangorballetboy]

3 hours ago, Stumbellina said:

Every time I have met a respected performer or celebrity, I have afterwards regretted it.

 

 

 

Don’t meet your idols, kids

 

My experiences have been exactly the opposite.

[Jan McNulty]

1 minute ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

My experiences have been exactly the opposite.

 

Mine too.

[Shya100]

I would posit it depends on many factors including whether they are still 'working' as in stage door or at a function, whether they are alone and willing to talk, in company and desiring privacy, what side they got out of the bed, if they are in a rush and a hundred other factors. Basically like the rest of us.

[Quintus]

I suspect that the arrival of social media has had some impact on 'stage door'.  Most dancers maintain Instagram pages and many actively engage with comments on there - which gives the audience a way of paying respects that the dancer can deal with in their own time.  It can also be easier for certain demographics of spectator - I'll sometimes compliment a performance online,  but as a man I'd feel distinctly creepy turning up at the stage door.

[jmhopton]

I've been going to the stage door on and off since the 1990s and have never met with anything but friendliness and politeness from those I have met. They sign and pose for photographs and nothing seems to be too much trouble. I do try and gauge whether or not they are in a hurry and not delay them if they are obviously rushed but usually they seem happy to spend a bit of time with people who have taken the trouble to say how much they enjoyed their performance. I don't usually approach anyone who hasn't been dancing that night as I'm not sure what the etiquette is in that situation.

[Balletfanp]

I go to the stage door sometimes and have always found the dancers to be friendly and charming. There has to be some sensitivity applied; for instance, it’s usually obvious when a dancer is in a hurry and doesn’t want to be stopped - in which case, don’t - but as long as you bear in mind the fact that they are tired, others are waiting to speak to them as well, and don’t keep them too long, then it’s always positive in my experience.

 

You do occasionally get people who interrogate a dancer for what seems like ages, at the expense of others, and the dancer’s time, which is a big No for me. And a particular person who is there occasionally who doesn’t speak to the dancers but photographs them without asking their permission, and tells everyone else (including children, excited to see their idols) that there is no room and they should leave! 😡

[Sim]

There are always more exits than the stage door, and if a dancer is in a real rush, or not in the mood to engage, he/she will exit another way.  I know of one dancer who used to do that most of the time.  Another dancer I know calls the stage door to ask if anyone is waiting for her, and if so she comes straight out so as not to keep people waiting.  

 

I have always had great experiences with meeting dancers;  actors are the ones I have found most disappointing.  Why?  I will leave it to Marlon Brando to explain:   “An actor is someone who, if you ain’t talking about him, ain’t listening.”

[JohnS]

57 minutes ago, Quintus said:

as a man I'd feel distinctly creepy turning up at the stage door

 

I’d suggest Quintus might be very pleasantly surprised.  I have sometimes gone to the Stage Door, particularly on very special occasions, and it has enhanced the whole evening for me - a fabulous opportunity to say ‘thank you’ and perhaps take a photo of a favourite dancer with her bouquets.  

[Mandy Kent]

I went to the Stage Door at Sadler's Wells on Sunday and had a very nice chat with Matthew Ball, along with several other fans, and he was chatty and very gracious despite the fact he must have been exhausted.  

[Rob S]

I feel embarrassed enough tagging the dancers in some of my instagram photos of them, there’s no way I’d cope with trying to see them at the stage door.

[BristolBillyBob]

In no way am I equating myself with somehow being in the same echelon as, say, a Royal Ballet dancer*, but as someone who occasionally treads the boards in an amateur theatre capacity, I'm never anything but chuffed by people coming up to me in the bar afterwards to tell me they enjoyed my performance. Although sometimes on such occasions I suspect their acting abilities outstrip mine. 😄

 

* - Now known on these boards as "Cheryl Syndrome"

[RuthE]

BristolBillyBob, you remind me of the time I acquired a fan club of 8-year-old girls for the evening - I was singing in a Christmas carol service involving an 8-part professional choir (of whom I was one eighth) and a local school choir.  I ended up taking on a big solo and suddenly all the little girls wanted to be my friend afterwards.  It was very sweet

[JohnS]

4 hours ago, Rob S said:

I feel embarrassed enough tagging the dancers in some of my instagram photos of them, there’s no way I’d cope with trying to see them at the stage door.

 

You never know RobS - dancers might be very pleased to put a face to a name.

[squadron]

On that note, Washington Post has an interesting article on this exact topic (and a little more).

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_danc/hermes-bags-hugs-and-the-occasional-stalker-when-ballet-fans-go-overboard/2019/01/24/d38d3c38-1854-11e9-a804-c35766b9f234_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6f6199991024

 

'Occasionally the cons can have more troubling consequences than a floral bruising. A stalker once sent Boylston threatening messages on social media and began waiting for her outside the theater. The police eventually intervened. “It’s wonderful to see the fans at the stage door, but you can be in a vulnerable position,” she said. “People feel like they know you. And we don’t have the level of security that Beyoncé has.'

 

😳

[RuthE]

I know I once arranged to meet a singer at ROH stage door (I actually can't remember who - somebody I knew well enough to have had social arrangements with them) and whisk them speedily out of the way of one of the stage door's less savoury opera regulars...

[Farawaydancer]

Those of you who wait at ROH, how long generally do you wait? My 11yr old daughter is desperate to wait after we see DQ next week, but I have visions of her falling asleep standing up!!

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, Farawaydancer said:

Those of you who wait at ROH, how long generally do you wait? My 11yr old daughter is desperate to wait after we see DQ next week, but I have visions of her falling asleep standing up!!

 

I'm not a regular at the Stage Door but I suspect how long the waiting times are depends on who has been dancing and if you want to see someone specific.

 

The longest I have waited was around half an hour.

[JohnS]

From my pretty limited experience, there tends to be a fair bit of activity, people going in and out, perhaps chance to see the conductor/Kevin O’Hare/other coaches, some dancers are pretty quick and may not have been involved in curtain calls etc.  And there’s opportunity to chat to others waiting.  There is of course always the chance that the dancers your daughter most wishes to see may be last out/toolate.

[jmhopton]

Those of you who wait at ROH, how long generally do you wait? My 11yr old daughter is desperate to wait after we see DQ next week, but I have visions of her falling asleep standing up!!

 

I've been several times to the stage door recently and my experience has been it does depend very much on both the dancer and if dancers have backstage visits from family or friends. Also, for example a first night can generate family/friends visits resulting in delays. Just speaking generally Vadim is usually fairly quick (within half an hour of me arriving at stage door) whereas others such as Marianella can take much longer.

[bangorballetboy]

I went to the ROH stage door last night as I had some photos I hoped to be autographed.  Lovely chats with Bennet Gartside (who signed my Judas Tree curtain call pic) and Lara Turk and a few hellos and "lovely show" with some other dancers and stage management.  But, I also had a Sylvia curtain call pic with Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov and I was hoping they would come out sooner rather than later.  About 2305, Marianela came down, still in her tights but with a dance cardigan and wonderful woolly salopettes and boots over her shoes.  Even though she is still recovering from illness (which wasn't at all noticeable in her performance), she stayed for about 25 minutes.  Everyone who wanted to see her, queuing as if to meet Santa Claus,  got a hug, a picture and an autograph (or 2 or 4 or 5).  Some children asked for advice and Marianela answered with humility and encouragement.  She even took off her shoes and signed them for two young girls who were there (and went back to her room to get another for a third girl who was there).  The whole experience was unforgettable and so very heart-warming; one of the true stars of our age giving so selflessly of her time and enthusiasm.  

 

Left just after 2330 (work night...) with no sign of Vadim (so I'll have to do it again another time)!

[alison]

How terrible for you - I know you'll hate that so much  

[capybara]

3 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

Left just after 2330 (work night...) with no sign of Vadim (so I'll have to do it again another time)!

 

I understand that the dancers were asked to 1) go and meet Prince Charles and 2) attend a reception for Sponsors.

Marianela often 'arranges' with people who have made contact with her to come down dressed thus and it is really heart-warming to see the way she relates to everyone.

You might have noticed that some of Vadim's 'Stage Door Regulars' were not there last night because the word had got around that he would not be coming out until much later. However, on the first night of Don Q, he too spent a very long time inside the Stage Door (autographs and selfies) and, then, equally long outside with a large group of children from a Portuguese ballet school. That, too, is lovely to see as he is particularly generous with his time as well.

 

Edited February 21, 2019 by capybara

[bangorballetboy]

Just to be clear, I intended no slight whatsoever on Vadim Muntagirov in my earlier post.  I've seen a number of times how wonderful he is with those waiting for him at the stage door.  Perhaps I should have used an emoticon in my last sentence to confirm this, but that's hindsight for you.