MAB

I find the hardest part is the grammar, Russian verbs do things that English verbs would never think of doing. Consequently I only speak Russian when it is absolutely necessary.

Chloe! The first role I saw her dance.

Glurd JID zer, but a Russian friend has just emailed and said zer is wrong, but the ze isn't easy for English speakers which is why I said roughly zer.

Pronounce it with or without the first D (she actually spells it without), the Georgian suffix ze is roughly zer.

I suspect it's not so much that as knowing that the critics won't be there to see them. Remember the moaning critic who complained about travelling to Milton Keynes?

The earlier French production still bore some resemblance to Byron's poem, however the Russian version just includes the title and the characters' names.

To be fair, it is difficult to know if a dancer is injured or out of favour, but in Glurdjidze's case it certainly seems to be the latter as she was sublime in Nutcracker and is dancing in Men in Motion at the end of this month. Although it is against the rules to write about rumours here, I have to say that what I am hearing from many reliable sources about Elena's status within the company is deeply disquieting, and I am literally praying the worse case scenario doesn't come about. I draw some comfort from the fact that Derek Deane at least recognizes her abundant talent.

They are also performing Rimsky-Korsakov's Le Coq D'or and I think dancers are involved in that too.

I think I know the one you mean, it was taken inside the Alhambra in Granada. Dug out my Art of the Royal Ballet last night (dust cover in terrible state now) and had a long look at the picture Anjuli likes so much, it is indeed very beautiful. My favourite of Fonteyn is in another Keith Money book, Fonteyn & Nureyev, the pages are not numbered but it is one of the last in the book with the pair in costume for Sleeping Beauty. The perfect line formed between them illustrates why the partnership has become immortal.

Really? I would say it is the name Carlos Acosta that pulls the punters in.

Thanks for the kind suggestions but as they sleep while I'm at work and don't return until my usual bedtime, making a racket at that time of night would be counter-productive. I need to check out the legal situation as the noise is just one of many issues. The source of the problem is absentee landlords who cram in tenants with no regard to the problems they cause (vandalism etc), and that to be perfectly honest have turned a once decent enough house into a slum dwelling.

Ballet is not a sport. There are certain dancers that seem to think it is though, judging by their unedifying displays of gymnastics. Should they ever became a majority my ballet-going will cease.

And the old have seen a lot, done a lot, experienced a lot and that counts in ballet as in life. Jewels: No one has ever surpassed Peter Martins in Diamonds; some have come close but I still go along in the hope that one day I'll see someone to equal him, so far I wait in vain. The feeling doesn't hold with other roles in the ballet - just that one and no doubt Mr Crisp saw him too. Marquez in my view didn't deserve that remark, better than some worse than others, it was a middling performance in my opinion, well danced but not inspiring, the word pedestrian is harsh as her performance was capable enough. As a critic Crisp is really only happy when reviewing classical ballet, with modern works he clearly has difficulty understanding the ideas behind much new work, so I'm not a fan, but I think he is almost a national treasure when it cames to critics, however treasure or not I've always felt criticizing the critics is more useful at times than criticizing the dancers.

Sounds like a nutter to me Fonty, but I completely sympathise as I have severe neighbour problems too. The four, five, six? plus guys in the flat below me, who slept in shifts and frequently kept me awake till past 2 a.m. left in October to be replaced by a couple who are completely nocturnal, shout at one another, slam doors, do D.I.Y. and put their washing machine in the middle of the night. They go on usually until 4.30, sometimes later and I need to be up for work at seven. The only relief I get is when there is a child living with them. I've got mega strong sleeping pills from the doctor, but a limited number as she doesn't like issuing them, I've slept at a friends house and even booked into a hotel: I'm seriously thinking of buying a gun and shooting the b*****s.

My companion compared Junor Souza to Faroukh Ruzimatov (he never saw Nureyev), but what this dancer possesses is an innate understanding of the dynamics of the role that were second nature to RN & FR. Ali is artistically a first cousin to Fokine's Golden Slave and should share the sensuality and pantherine movement that both roles require. Souza's performance last night proved just how versatile this dancer is, a complete contrast to his elegant and romantic Nutcracker of the past weeks, he is yet another ENB dancer who grows in stature with every new role.

Within a few months both the Bolshoi and RB have danced Jewels in London and although my trips to the ballet tend to be more for the ballets than the casts, I went this week to see Osipova, a great ballerina that London is privileged to be playing host to, but I still maintain Jewels is a ballet that is performed far too often - especially when available casts cannot do it justice.

I think you miss my point, I prefer quality to quantity.

It is more a case of national style: Emeralds = French, Rubies = American and Diamonds = Russian. I think the subleties of Emeralds is difficult to bring off, Rubies can look crass in the hands of certain performers and Diamonds really needs the kind of stellar cast you rarely see. It is a ballet I would like to see danced much more rarely.

I'll happily sit in the 'upper reaches' for the opera where intricacies of movement aren't important, but for ballet I prefer to be a lot closer. Capybara's analysis of ENB fans spending habits seems to sum me up perfectly: splashing out on first night and then getting standbys to support the other casts.

In other words, students, the old (who may have supported the co for decades), locals and equity members aren't welcome - unless they are flush with cash of course.

I totally agree Amelia, Gulnare is almost as big a role as Medora and as far as I can ascertain, she won't be dancing that role either. I am becoming increasingly uneasy about this sidelining of a great artist.

Just goes to show the current thinking towards crime in Britan: fraud is being committed but the police aren't interested.

It is my understanding that the girls love his secure partnering and are all keen to dance with him, also he has danced with Osipova's old company the Bolshoi, so they may know each other from back then. There is no one else in the RB I would be happy to see her with, only MacRae matches her technical abilities.

I'm confused, is this a new production? I thought it was the Nureyev one that was created on Patricia Ruanne.

I take the point about Carlos but surely he could have partnered either Elena, Fernanda or Erina as well.