Wulff

I've just had a look at the amphi plan, and although the screen is not responding very well today you can still see the whole width of the amphi by using the zoom button, bottom left. You can also drag the plan in any direction you want by using the cursor and holding down the left click button on your mouse.

The site is a good deal easier to use than it is given credit for. Try this: - enter the website - click on "what's on". The calendar will appear. - you can choose a month to view by clicking on the months and arrows on the top right of the calendar - the name of the month you are viewing will appear top left of calendar - click on the name of the month,eg. June, and all the performances/ dates for the month will appear - click on any particular production, eg. Pagodas, and you will get a complete list of dates and castings for that production as well as an option to buy - click on "buy" and the seating plan will appear Simples, as the meerkat would say. Edited to correct typo.

Symphonic Variations is only 18 minutes long, but I have never noticed anyone complaining.

I agree. What was particularly notable was that she did a completely different routine for each of her appearances, in the auditions, semi-finals and finals. Yes, the dog did more or less the same tricks on each occasion but they were choreographed in different ways.

Well, it was Nuñez/Kish and Cojocaru/McRae. Valentino Zuchetti danced Gurn, Emma Maguire was Effie, Kristen McNally Madge and Claire Calvert the leading sylph. Benjamin Ella made his return to the stage in a walk-on part playing the bagpipes! I was told that Lauren Cuthbertson will not now be second cast in Ballo, she has a foot problem. Her place will be taken by Laura Morera.

Today is Margot Fonteyn's Birthday. May 18th 1919.

Fortunately, my existing home hub is connected to the main entry point of my phone line. Unfortunately, although my local exchange is already set up for BT Infinity I am not yet able to get this service in my street. No clear reason was given why when I applied for an upgrade, but I suspect it may be something to do with the cabling in the area.

I think that casting Don Q would not be much of a problem for the RB provided that full use was made of the talent at all levels of the company. After all, Kitri's and Basilio's variations from the Grand Pas are standard items for many graduate students these days and there is a lot of talent locked away in the lower levels of the company. For example, new recruit Aaron Smyth has already danced Basilio in a production in S. Africa and you can see part of his performance in the last act on Youtube, and I can think of several dancers among the ladies who would be up to the role of Kitri.

On the Supporting Friends booking day the website was just as congested as usual, and it was over half an hour before I was into the site. Fortunately I was able to bypass the online "best available" booking and choose my seats by using the Friends box office telephone line - another near half hour wait, but quicker than the Waiting Room. Needless to say, all the ballet insight evenings, being in the Clore, were already sold out. Otherwise I was able to get all the seats that I wanted. One can only hope that the website will be up and running properly for the Friends and public booking.

From an e-mail which I received yesterday from the Friends, I understand that what has happened is that the introduction of the new seating plan has resulted in the "choose your own seat" tool becoming inoperative, a glitch that was not expected. Consequently we now have to use the old - flawed - website with yet another flaw introduced.Talk about "world class"! Can anyone yet report their experience of booking under the new conditions?

At the end of the evening it was mentioned that Dawid is scheduled to dance James on 15 June - replacing the absent Sergei.

Les Biches and Les Noces were the two ballets which Nijinska herself taught to the RB at Frederick Ashton's invitation during his time as director. Ashton was a great admirer of Nijinska having worked for her when she was ballet mistress and choreographer for Ida Rubinstein's company in Paris in the late 1920s, and he was much impressed and influenced both by her choreographic and teaching methods. By the time of her visit to the RB she seems to have become a rather eccentric old lady, speaking a mixture of Russian and French and no longer nimble on her feet. Despite the difficulties of working for her the dancers considered themseves privileged to have done so and felt that they were in the presence of a genius. David Drew recounts a number of amusing anecdotes from that time. The RB's versions of both the above ballets are no doubt the most authentic in existence having come direct from the choreographer herself.

Just a couple of observations on some of the reviews. Gerald Dowler thinks that in the finale of "Apollo" the god is leading the muses up to Mount Olympus. Not so, Mount Parnassus is the home of the muses and at its foot is Delphi where the oracle was sacred to Apollo. Regarding the solo for "Le Beau Gosse" I've seen it said that this is all that survives from "Le Train Bleu", but I distinctly recall seeing this ballet on French TV some years ago. Of course I can't say how authentic this performance was but some of the work for the corps was very reminiscent in style to "Les Biches" and the whole ballet certainly had the appropriate chic, trendy 1920s look. That being said, I didn't feel that it was anywhere near the calibre of "Les Biches". Edited to correct spelling.

In my early ballet-going days immediately post-war, the RB - SWB as it was then - gave many more triple bills than nowadays. In addition, there was more variety in those bills, ie. instead of having one fixed bill of three ballets there was a "pool" of several ballets and the mix would be varied across the week. It also helped to bring the public in if Margot Fonteyn was dancing in at least one of those ballets, eg. Symphonic Variations. There were also fewer three-act ballets in the repertoire, just Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and Giselle, and Cinderella following a little later. The previous wartime repertoire had featured many triple bills and short new ballets, and I think that the public had got used to the idea that an evening at the ballet did not necessarily involve just one full length work. Recently I think that the most successful triple bills sell largely on word of mouth, and reviews, with the result that although the first few performances may be ill-attended the last few often sell out.

Stix-Brunell and Kish did Friday's rehearsal, so maybe there will be some pics from that. Also Paul Kay danced the Mad Hatter and Laura Morera the Red Queen.

My understanding was that when he resigned from RB that SP automatically lost his work permit which was issued specifically for him to dance with RB. Alastair Spalding got him a short term one for him to dance in the first series of "Men in Motion". I was under the impression that he now has a 3 year permit to dance anywhere in the UK, and that this was requested both by Alastair Spalding and Kevin O'Hare.

Those wishing to know more about Aaron Smyth can check out his website. Born and trained in Austaralia he won the rarely awarded gold medal at the 2008 Genée competition held in Canada. A virtuoso replacement for Sergei perhaps?

Encountered a new glitch when booking today. Got into the site quite quickly. Booked everything I wanted except for a couple of insights already fully booked (Clore). Arrived at the address page and then unable to proceed to payment. Consequently lost everything, so went back and started again; same result. Eventually got on to the Box Office and managed to get most of the tickets I had tried to book online. Box office said that this was a problem with their site, not my computer. Hope that it will be fixed before the next rounds of booking.

I see that Ivan Putrov's show is back at the Wells from 13 to 15 March. This time it is "featuring Sergei Polunin" who will be choreographing a new piece. Other dancers taking part are Tim Matiakis from RDB (and at one time with RB) and two dancers from Spain's Compañia Nacional de Danza. Items on the bill include Nacho Duato's "Remanso" , Leon Jacobson's "Vestris", and Nijinsky's "Après-midi d'un faune", although whether this will be the original complete with Bakst decor and nymphs, or another version, remains to be seen.

I think that turnout has always been applied since the days of Louis XIV, and in earlier times not only by professional but amateur dancers as well. I happened the other day on some extracts from a late 18th/ early 19th century manual on the waltz intended for use by ballroom dancers. In it the 5 positions of the feet were shown exactly as we know them today except that in second and fourth one leg was extended in a tendu. I think that since the end of the 19th century turnout by professional ballet dancers has become more precise. Certainly in the early filmed extracts from Bournonville ballets danced by Hans Beck and his partner ( her name escapes me) turnout appears somewhat sketchy, the emphasis being on movement rather than precise placement.

I can think of several young dancers in the lower ranks of the company who would be capable of giving the role of Oberon a fair go. Just to mention one, Benjamin Ella was preparing the role for his graduate performance but never got to do it because of injury. Of course there are other factors in this case, firstly the lack of adequate preparation time and secondly the fact that Cojocaru, as an established ballerina, no doubt has plenty of say in choosing her partners. For all I know she may have danced with Gomes when guesting with ABT.

And who will dance the Mad Hatter in the Lamb/McRae Alice?

According to an article in todays " Telegraph" SP's UK work permit has automatically been revoked as a result of his resignation from the RB.

Error messages are coming up on the ROH website not only for casting info for the Dream/Song of the Earth programme, but for all other programmes including opera and insights.

Concerning "The Wise Virgins", there is a lengthy description of this ballet, including the set and costumes, in Cyril Beaumont's book "The Sadlers Wells Ballet", and the Bride's solo still survives: I saw Margot Fonteyn dance it at a gala in the Coli - the last time I ever saw her on stage - and I think it has been danced not too long ago by one of the younger members of the RB - Romany Pajdak, I believe. Edit to add. There is a clip on youtube of Fonteyn dancing part of this solo.