MAB

Eid: happening right now, I should know as the large number of Asian men who live in the flat below me saw fit to celebrate it until 3.30 am this morning and I'm writing this with bruised knuckles after banging on their door above the racket to get them to shut the **** up.

Anyone not liking Raymonda genuinely puzzles me, however putting that aside, Glurdjidze produces in me a feeling of awe, without wishing to insult the lady, she is to me a 'throwback ballerina', a dancer whose style retains a degree of purity unaffected by modern fashion. She typifies those dancers of the past for whom technique was a means to an end. Vaganova trained but rejected by the Kirov because she didn't match their cold, vacuous prototype, Britain has proved to be her spiritual home with her qualities of line and musicality that were the cornerstone of the 'English Style' making her a perfect fit for any UK company (part of me still wishes that the RB had done a straight swap with her and Cojocaru, particularly as she seems out of favour with the new director). Anyone here that hasn't seen her, and sadly there are no current opportunities to see her, should make the effort as she is very, very special.

When I see the word Georgians nowadays, my brain immediate connects with Ananiashvili, Glurdjidze, Tsiskaridze.... Been watching too much ballet I suppose.

Thought I would take a look on You Tube for an example of a perfect Russian Dryad Queen, but unfortunately only Skorik and Somova came up - a timely reminder that if you think the Royal has problems, spare a thought for the once great Kirov.

Excellent example ChrisChris, Choe did dance beautifully as Dryad Queen, but the at the same time the critics were right as she didn't have the breadth of movement traditionally seen in the role. Did I enjoy her performance? Yes Did I think her miscast? Again, yes. The point I'm trying to make is that it doesn't have to be perfection to please the audience.

I’m finding this argument becoming unnecessarily subjective, personal favourites – okay, but I get uneasy when large numbers of dancers' abilities are simply dismissed because the poster doesn’t personally care for them.

Like Janet McNulty I'm a short-sighted specs wearer but put the glasses over my usual ones. I've only once been to the Imax (not my thing) and the glasses looked different from the ones I was given there as the Sadlers Wells ones had dark lenses - more like sun glasses. I reiterate that the glasses only needed to be worn for the images on the screens that came down halfway through, you could do without them and still enjoy the show.

I went last night and have a question. I was handed the 3D specs as I entered so put them on when the ballet started though they weren't needed until the screen images came on. Did any of the ushers actually point this out? I was sitting close so got the full effect but my fiend at the back said the specs made no difference for him at all. Apart from my moans about the 3D thing, I actually enjoyed the piece.

What do you deduce from that? That word is getting round that the production is a flop?

I seem to remember dancers such as Noella Pontois, doing a season rather than becoming long term company members, others such as Peter Martins turned up for galas. Occasionally a dancer would guest for a certain role e.g. Fonteyn in Night Shadow but in general I do remember more guests in the old days.

I wonder if she is after a more afluent audience? Rather than come out with saying she wants to attract the A & B top earning groups, she alludes to gay men who tend to have high disposable incomes (ever heard of the 'pink pound'?), as do a lot of single women. ENB has always had a devoted following which actually grew during the Eagling years, these fans tend to like quality rather than gimmicks though, so perhaps the aim is to replace one audience with another.

It's not a bad film at all and Arionel Vargas proves himself a real acting talent.

BBC has video footage of rehearsals and some words from Acosta himself to whet your appetites. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24302544

Or perhaps Tsiskaridze gets reinstated after a clear case of unfair dismissal.

Not totally convinced that the RB has absolutely no one worthy of promotion. Alexander Campbell danced principal roles at BRB and would cope very well partnering Osipova in SB. He danced the role with BRB in London and was very good, why can't he dance that role ot ROH? Agree strongly with Capybara's point though.

No it isn't, go back and read the 'audience behaviour' thread.

It wasn't a complaint, it was an observation.

An example of mixed messages? You cannot comment on the state of the fat EXCEPT when one of them is spilling over onto your seat in the ROH amphi (see audience behaviour). I'm discovering double standards here.

Just looked at the picture on ENO web page. Interesting that only Matvienko maintains a really good line in the air.

I'm politically incorrect by nature and far too old to change, so a lard a**e is a lard a**e in my opinion and being fat can mean a short life. People should be shamed into losing weight. Outside of London (and it's pretty bad inside London) the size of many people is disgusting, I don't mean just overweight but morbidly obese. My oldest friend is dying as a result of diabetes and I have very strong views on the subject.

Keep watching the DVD's, it will alleviate the symptoms to some extent.

Who's had those doughnut-like things often dripping in honey that they serve you in Greece? They don't look conventional but take some beating. Anyone remember what they're called?

I am an old person, well beyond pensionable age, but I work full time with a three hour per day commute on top, I don't like swearing either but if someone came up to me in the supermarket at the weekend and suggested I shouldn't be shopping then, I would tell them to **** off.

Politically she was very naive, remember her fondness for Imelda Marcos? but she was no fantacist. Like many dancers she lived in a restricted bubble of existance that afforded limited contact with the world outside of ballet leaving little scope for political awareness. The same is true of most classical dancers today, but not strangely with contemporary dancers.

You assume wrongly, I've paid many times to see him dance, but I wouldn't be prepared to pay over the odds to see him and I suspect I may not be alone.