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Why does the word "re-imagining" fill me with dread!!

It was a genuine suggestion. Musing is all very well but it doesn't provide an answer that only Carlos Acosta can give about his level of commitment.

Hmm it’s always difficult to detect ‘tone’ in a written message but I very much doubt you are seriously suggesting that it would be credible for a member of the general public (albeit with an historic link to Elmhurst) to ask the question ‘Are you as committed to the students of your associate school as your predecessor?’ As Elmhurst continue to sell themselves as ‘in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet’, I think it’s fair enough to muse on whether this relationship has changed. That was why I asked the genuine question of how much actual, day to day involvement he has with the school as we have personal experience of what that looked like under David Bintley. Maybe a current Elmhurst parent can answer that.

Technically this should be under "how NOT to promote ballet" or "how to promote opera" but I thought it was interesting that the Royal Opera House has sent me three marketing emails with a whopping 40% off Lucia di Lammermoor offer. I am a lapsed Friend+ who has never bought a ticket for an opera at the ROH. So they are clearly barking up the wrong tree. As you might guess, the ROH has never ever sent me an offer for ballet. Do you think the opera fans are getting similar offers for the Winter's Tale, which also has lots of unsold seats??

Great pre show cast list this afternoon, princesses Isabel Lubach, Mica Bradbury, Sae Maeda and Chisato Katsura ended up being Lara Turk, Maddison Pritchard, Bomin Kim and Chisato Katsura 😆 presumably too many changes to announce just before curtain up

I've no idea but you could write and ask him.

Hello @BalletCloud and welcome to the Forum!

I went to a performance last Wednesday (17 April). I'm no fan of Nureyev's choreography but enjoyed most of the performance more than I expected. The leads were not as well known as some of the other casts; Francesco Mura and Silvia Saint-Martin, who I've seen before (both were elevated to premie/re danseur/danseuse in 2020). They danced well enough but I wasn't convinced by their relationship; Saint-Martin was not just feisty, as one expects of Kitri, but so furiously annoyed with Basilio in Act 1 that it was hardly credible that she'd run away with him. The one dancer who really impressed me was Hohyun Kang as the Queen of the Dryads who had immaculate classical technique and wonderful placement and phrasing. She is still only a 'sujet', since last year, one of 20 female 'sujets', many of whom are also very talented. For years after Nureyev transformed the company the male dancers were more impressive than the women, but that has now changed. It is some years since I'd seen the production and I was interested that Nureyev hadn't interpolated as much extra tricksy choreography for the men as he tended to do in his productions, and that the plot largely mirrored that of other versions. I agree with Silver Capricorn that the gypsy scene is much better than Acosta's (for either company) as there is a good pas de deux for Kitri and Basilio which adds depth to their relationship and has interesting choreography. Although I don't much like Acosta's version for the Royal, that company makes far more of the character parts, Don Quixote, Sancho Pansa, Gamache, Lorenzo the father, I think more due to the excellence of some of the Royal's character artists. But their acting adds a little depth to what can be quite a frothy ballet and adds extra tension to the plot.

The print copy of today's Times has an advert for the cinema showing of Swan Lake on page 3 - very simple but quite eye catching - you notice it as soon as you turn the page: about half a column - SWAN LAKE and a photo of Naghdi, enough to intrigue someone into reading the smaller print. Don't think they've done this before?

My daughter has been invited to be an associate for the London Ballet Company - we’ve never done anything like this before. It’s obviously not cheap, I am just wondering what people make of it? My daughter loves dance and is naturally flexible - ballet is her favourite style but she’s not the most disciplined child. I’m hoping it helps her technique and exposure to ballet - but I’ve not been able to find much info about this associate programme.

Very foolish considering the changing demographics since 2016 and all those coming of age at the next election. I can’t believe that statistics won’t eventually prove to the parties that no freedom of movement is an election winner. I have hope and a suspicion that this sort of progress will be made in a very slow but low key way.

I don’t doubt that he is but is he as passionate about the Elmhurst students as his predecessor was (and the wonderful Marion Tate) or is that ‘special relationship’ a thing of the past?

Very sad news. RIP

Birmingham Royal Ballet does have its own separate funding from ACE and has done for many years. I don't know how often Carlos Acosta visits Elmhurst but I know that he does. He seems passionate about the education of children in dance.

Julia Rausing was a great patron and benefactor of the arts and of Royal Opera House. Sad news. Short thread here from the ROH. Further information:- https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/philanthropist-julia-rausing-dies-aged-63.html

And therein then lies the issue…. BRB needs to break free & deserves its own independent governance, it’s own independent funding stream & board of governors & should not be considered the ‘little sibling’ & thus perhaps living with a second thought, hand me down culture. Bet decisions are made & money committed to RB before they get round to BRB…. Carlos himself should push for this! If anyone can get the conversation into traction surely he can? Personally, I’d like to see RB & BRB as competitors! That would give RB the shake up it needs!! To question better the programming/pricing/touring etc etc! I feel RB just sees itself as untouchable & far too safe on its throne… We also see far too little of overseas companies over here to also open up an element of competing for our custom & making RB more visibly earn it’s reputation as one of the worlds finest ballet companies (which it undoubtedly is I’m sure) Wonder why ROH does not become available to them often enough 🤔 ?

How frequently does Carlos Acosta visit Elmhurst? David Bintley was a very frequent visitor to the school - working with students, adjudicating internal competitions etc. This, I’m sure was, at least in part, due to his strong relationship with Robert Parker. I’d be genuinely interested to know if this is continuing under Carlos’s tenure. He is vice president of the school after all. (He is both a governor and on the Advisory Council at the RBS.)

Are you looking for residential specifically or consider daily commute? If latter whereabouts are you based roughly & how far prepared to travel?

All too predictable of a world where governments look just to their own largest voter base…. Both the current lead parties in England pander far too much to the various groups who remain overtly against any form of immigration. All imho

Although separately run The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and The Royal Ballet School all come under the same Governors of the Royal Ballet Companies. Carlos Acosta, like David Bintley before him is a Governor of the Royal Ballet School.

LVBS courses are wonderful, great teachers, some well known guest teachers. I think its particularly good for the younger ones, but older ones get lots out of them too. Its always fun and a lovely caring environment.

My DD hasn’t had personal experience of it yet but I know many young dancers who went to Malvern Ballet Seminars as their first residential intensive. The feedback I’ve heard is that it’s a very nurturing environment, even for the youngest of dancers (I know some who went the summer before they went into year 5). It always comes highly recommended. If you’re willing to look further afield, I noticed that more and more younger dancers are now also going overseas to attend intensives. I think the International Summer School Italia is still accepting applications https://www.fondazionemonreart.com/en/eventi/international-summer-school-italia/ It does look very good and is (I believe) affiliated with YAGP. I saw that quite a good number of British dancers attended their recent winter intensive. The summer intensive is from age 9. They offer scholarships too. They offered one to my DD but sadly she wasn’t able to take it up as it clashed with something else she had on. Class sizes seem to be fairly big (based on photos and videos I’ve seen) but you do get the big name teachers there.

Thank you I wasn't sure which subject head I should place it in. Thanks for the information x

Personally I find being there in person with unamplified music you get a completely different type of sound: it's a full-body thing, compared to recorded or amplified music, which only really "hits" my ears, unless it's overamplified in which case it's just unpleasant. I will compromise on a lot and spend a lot more money to get the former.

Hello @Theatrefan I've moved your request to the more appropriate Doing Dance forum and added the tag "Intensives" at the top. If you click on that it may give you some ideas. I don't know what area you are looking for but one of our members @tutugirl runs intensives in the summer in Yorkshire. I'm not sure if she has any places left. Also the Malvern Ballet Seminars seem highly regarded. https://malvernballetseminars.co.uk Moorland may be another possibility: https://moorlandballetacademy.com/programmes/summer-intensive-2024/