Wulff

Luca Acri was initially trained at the Acri-Horimoto Ballet Academy, Saitama. Japan, and was a finalist in the 2010 Prix de Lausanne after which he entered the RB Upper School. I remember being impressed by his performance at a solos evening last year. He has a younger brother Simon who was a finalist in this year's Prix de Lausanne.

I see that the performance of Bayadere on 27 April is a matinée at 12.30 pm - very early start. The cast is Lauren Cuthbertson as Nikiya and Nehemiah Kish as Solor with Yuhui Choe as Gamzatti. As far as I am aware this will only be the second time that this cast will have performed the roles at the ROH although this is not to say that the performance will not be a good one and one always expects great things from Lauren. Unfortunately she has been off for some time recovering from an operation on her foot, but one hopes that she will be back in form before April. Regarding the position of your seat, I have sat in most parts of the house in my time and I'd say that A60 is a little too far round the side for my taste. The view is unobstructed in that you have no one in front of you, but as you say that you are quite short you may find your view a little obstructed by the edge of the balcony and may need to lean forward a bit for a clear view of the stage. In my opinion the best seats in the house are in the front row of the centre blocks of the Grand Tier and of the Balcony. The front row of the Amphi is good too, although there is a problem there of legroom for some and it is better to be in a row or two further back. As for the Royal Box, I have sat there too, and although it was a nice experience with a private dining room at the rear, the view is poor and because one is sitting directly above the brass the orchestral sound can be somewhat unbalanced. That is why more often than not when royalty visit the theatre they choose to sit in the centre of the front row of the Grand Tier.

Alina Cojocaru's handclaps were certainly audible in last night's performance.

Yes it does, and those designs were supervised by Goncharova herself when the RB first revived it in 1954. As far as I am aware the tutu was used in the 1926 production, and it does seem that the Firebird's costume underwent a number of changes after its first performance in 1910. Golovine's original costume was replaced by one designed by Bakst not long after the first performance, and if Dame Laura Knight's painting of Karsavina in 1919 is to be trusted this seems to have evolved into a long tutu in the ensuing years.

Returning to the subject of the handclaps in Raymonda's variation, I am very much of the opinion that they should be audible. After all, although this is a Grand Pas "Classique" it is also "Hongrois" and there are references to the Czardas built into the choreography, notably the positioning of the arms and head and the series of accelerating retirés on alternate legs which Raymonda performs with folded arms in the coda. In addition, in the music for Raymonda's variation the piano imitates the sound of that characteristic Hungarian and Eastern European instrument the cimbalom which gives the whole number a certain "folk" character . The first time I ever saw Raymonda was many years ago when the Australian Ballet brought it to the Apollo Victoria - more a cinema then than a theatre - and I suppose that it must have been Nureyev's version. Margot Fonteyn danced Raymonda and her handclaps were certainly audible. I feel that simply to brush the hands together looks far too genteel,and certainly has nothing to do with finger cymbals. To see those, look no further than Sylvia act2, although I fear that today's Sylvias make no real attempt to play them properly which Margot Fonteyn did succeed in doing.

The dancer in this video, Alys Shee, joined ABT II in 2010 and will be joining BRB for the coming season.

I have just come across a couple of photos on the web of Polunin and Kristina Shapran in "Marguerite and Armand". Not in the Beaton costumes and decor. Have they actually performed in this ballet with the Stanisklavsky, or are these posed photos in anticipation of the real thing? And how have they managed to get permission to perform what has been up to now a closely guarded work, although I believe that Sylvie Guillem has danced it in Japan?

My guess is that when the flame of the cauldron is extinguished Darcey will rise like a phoenix from the ashes. Time will tell if I am right, but the producer of the show spoke today of producing a special effect with a special artist.

A propos of the new carpet in the Amphi bar, I'd say it was more Caca d'Oie than puke green. I think that the bits coming off are simply because it's new and will probably settle down after some use and hoovering. However, if this really is going to be a permanent fixture, it will be interesting to see how the carpet looks after a few spillages of red wine, coffee, and bits of assorted snacks.

I am sure that Bugaku received more than one performance by the RB as I distinctly remember seeing Bryony Brind in the leading female role on more than one occasion. The ballet formed part of a triple bill, but how many performances it received in total and whether it lasted for more than one season I don't recall. Bugaku has remained in the repertoire of several US companies, most recent performances being given by the Miami City Ballet. A clip of part of their performance can be found on Youtube.

Bugaku - Balanchine's sensual Japanese ballet - certainly received more than one performance by the RB, as I well recall. Liebeslieder Walzer, although very well performed by both dancers and singers, did not go down at all well with ROH audiences who gave it a decidedly lukewarm reception. Maybe all that singing put them off. Whatever the reason, it did not appeal to the taste of audiences at that time.

I'm a bit puzzled by the above article. It seems to imply that Sergei Filin is in charge of the Stanislavsky Ballet, whereas I thought he was now director of the Bolshoi. The current director of the Stanislavsky I understood to be Igor Zelensky. Have I got this wrong?

Yes, some well deserved promotions indeed, especially Dawid and Beatriz who have both shown that they can cope admirably with principal roles. Sorry to see that Aaron Smyth is leaving, but I have it on good authority that he was only employed on a short term contract to fill a gap in the boys' ranks caused by injury. Regarding the new intake I note that Nicol Edmonds is a 2010 graduate from Elmhurst. The BRB intake is notable for having only one RBS graduate, which brings the total RB/BRB intake from the RBS to only 4.

Some further light on Sergei's departure from the RB appears in a Russian language review of Petit's "Coppelia". Please forgive the eccentricities of the Bing translation --- " Came to Moscow to heal the wounds of the heart in London broke up with the girl. And in search of freedom. And there [in London] must be the choreographer's repeat exactly. As delivered. Nowhere could not move. Because of this I was boring."

Reference Kermesse in Bruges. Well, it's not a rarity in Denmark but I don't know of any company outside Denmark that has danced it. Perhaps annamicro can enlighten?

The tickets were indeed expensive, but the proceeds will go towards the upkeep of Ivy Lodge and also to the RBS bursary fund.

The performance yesterday in the Margot Fonteyn theatre at White Lodge comprised the following items: Richmond Ballet: Valse Fantaisie. RBS: Pas de Trois from "Paquita" Richmond Ballet: Swipe. RBS: Un Ballo (Kylian) Richmond Ballet: Ershter Vals. RBS: Fractals. I think that the RBS items will probably turn up in one or more of their end-of-year performances in July.

This turned out to be a very interesting evening. The various items listed in the programme were all slotted into the narration spoken by Anthony Dowell, combined with brief dramatic incidents in which Ursula Hageli played the part of Pavlova and interspersed with film clips and photographs of the great lady herself. We got to see the "Fred Step" which had previously appeared in the "Gavotte Pavlova" demonstrated by Anthony Dowell and Ursula Hageli, and there were various references in the course of the evening to the effect which Pavlova had had on Ashton. There was also an extract from the silent film "The Dumb Girl of Portici", in which she took the title role, involving some really larger than life silent film style acting. I was disappointed to find that, unlike the opera from which the plot of the film is derived, she did not meet her death by jumping into the crater of Vesuvius! The whole programme amounted to a fascinating overview of Pavlova's life and career and was far more than just a series of danced items. In conclusion we were shown the well known film clip from "Christmas" which is said to be part of Ashton's inspiration for the opening scene of "Marguerite and Armand", and which perhaps more than any other demonstrates the unique magnetism of her personality as she sits on a sofa and emotes with only the smallest of gestures.

I'll be going to a joint performance between Richmond Ballet and the RBS at White Lodge on 19 June.

I once mentioned to Johan the possibility of his staging a full-length Napoli and he said he'd like to do Kermesse in Bruges. Even less well-known in UK than Napoli.

I thought that yesterday evening's performance was outstanding in all respects. Marianela was in top form and well partnered by Nehemiah whose solo dancing had an appealing breadth and fluency. The Cojocaru/ Kobborg Sylphide/James was an ideal pairing, she innocently alluring, and he totally under her spell and ready to give up everything for the impossible dream of possessing her. Johan's Bournonville technique is still impeccable with excellent ballon and wonderfully precise batterie and ronds de jambe, and he has complete mastery of the character and the mime.. Kristen McNally's Madge has improved since I last saw her at the dress rehearsal and one subsequent performance, and I think that she now manages to convey fully the thwarted resentment and revengeful malice of the character. The audience also played its part in being more responsive than at some previous performances which added to the general sense of occasion in the house.

I've always thought that English National Ballet was the biggest misnomer in the business, almost worthy of a prosecution under the trade descriptions act, with some 60% of its dancers not only not English but not British; and before someone says "well, what about the Royal Ballet" at least 60% of that company's dancers are British. The original name of London Festival Ballet may well have become less appropriate with the passage of time but I would have thought that a title like London International Ballet would have been a truer description of what this company really is.

Yes. I should have written Stanislavsky. My mistake. Apologies.

I understand that Sergei has now joined the Mikhailovsky Ballet in Moscow. At least that's what the tweets - not his - say.

My view of MacMillan's "Pagodas" continues to be coloured by memories of the original Cranko version where the music and scenario were very closely linked, and so, for example, it always jars to see in the last act the Prince's fight with the suitors performed to music which was written for the adage in the grand pas de deux - and there are several other examples I could mention. That being said, the MacMillan version contains much interesting, and challenging, choreography and I thought it was very well danced by all concerned on the opening night. Nevertheless, despite the cuts - some of them welcome as in act 2, and others less so in act 3 - I find that the ballet does not "hang together" dramatically and it could be said that its parts are greater than the sum of the whole.