MAB

Boycott the company?!!! On second thoughts, please do as it will leave more tickets available for us Bolshoi fans.

Don't like the speculation in that article. The disgusting business that prevented poor Gennady Yanin from becoming director was not down to what is described by Mackrell as the 'conservative wing'.

It's happened to me twice, once when the dancer I'd planned to see in Paris was seriously injured and I went because the ballet he was appearing in was an major work I'd never seen before. In general I'm more interested in ballets than dancers, but that particular dancer was a friend. The second time was when the Kirov cancelled a series of performances in Switzerland, but as it was over Easter when I would have gone away anyway, I used my air ticket to take a short break in Alsace. I'm not so well heeled that I could afford an expensive trip if things had fallen through and would definitely attempt to cut my losses and try to secure refunds where possible. btw, the flurry of returned tickets that show up here after major cast changes suggest a lot of people do the same even when air and hotel expenses aren't involved

The guy in question was a fan of Kondaurova's and backed out of an expensive trip because she was a no-show. If I had planned a round trip of over 500 miles to see someone special and I subsequently heard they would not appear I would have done the same thing, and I travel around the UK and Europe to watch ballet a LOT.

Actually a friend who saw that performance was telling me about it yesterday in terms of what I would call rather outright languge: he didn't mince his words.

I really hope this turns out all right for you, I can imagine the turmoil you must be feeling. best wishes Mary B.

Thanks so much for posting that link, I really enjoyed reading what he had to say and I think he covers everything regarding an artist's response to critics. I've always liked Peter Donohoe's playing and never realised he was equally engaging in print!

Not altogether true, when Ballet.co sent me an email for their fundraising drive I was happy to contribute because I enjoy reading the the news and comments that the site provides.

That's a good point, there is no one writing today that comes anywhere near to writers such as Percival, Buckle, or Coton.

Are you writing here out of vanity? Most that write for nothing do so to share their enthusiasm for an art form they love, personally I don't see how vanity comes into that.

I'm still mulling over that 500 Swan Lakes comment. Do people actually count them?

Some of the casting looks a bit strange to me. Very sad to see Thibault not cast as Basilio, he is very good in the role.

As O & V left the Bolshoi acrimoniously, I think the chance of their returning as guests are just about zero. They will almost certainly dance with the Mikhailovsky earlier in the year though.

The joys of life in the public sector.

I clicked on the link imagining it would be something to do with the novel by Jean Rhys, but see now that it isn't. Aren't there copyright rules about titles?

Lembit Opik and George Galloway have been on shows of this type but neither was a serving MP at the time. She is not serving her consituents at all, simply making herself shedloads of cash whilst the poor devils that voted for her aren't getting represented. I hope she's sacked for turning the office of MP into a laughing stock.

It certainly is new with that colonial story line!

I think for many people the word respect is now tied up with the word 'intimidation', or at least it is in my corner of south London.

No. Much of the conducting was simply a parody of Tchaikovsky's music as far as I'm concerned.

The first RB production I saw was Helpmann's with the prologue and it was very handsome indeed. Eventually the company reverted to the production with the Leslie Hurry designs, a nice nod to the Co's heritage and I'm sorry they dropped it, but there is nothing I like about the current production and it should be replaced as a matter of priority. Alison, I know exactly what you mean about that Mikhailovsky Prince, the kindest thing one can say about him was that he was aping a performance style that is know (thankfully) out of fashion.

Cars with sound systems so loud you think WWIII has broken out, especially at 3am. Call centres, the ones staffed by poor English speakers are the worst. The security queues at airports. Junk mail Generic clothing stores (don’t people want to be individuals anymore?) Tattoos Pavements covered in chewing gum Mayonnaise Celebrity cultrure The Daily Commute because of………………people with blaring ipods; people having really loud conversations on their mobiles; women too lazy to get up in time to put their make-up on who splash foundation on you or flick blusher over you - particularly when you are wearing something pale; rucksacks swung into your face and people taking up two seats with their bags.

The exact dates given on the Bolshoi's web site are 29th July – 17th August 2013

May I ask what has become of Maina Gielgud and Rosalyn Whitten?

M & A is in the repetoire of the Mikhailovsky. Polunin fans may be interested to know that he is appearing with Shapran on Sunday 16th at the Herod Atticus in Athens, with several other RB dancers on the bill plus the Kirov's rarely seen Daria Pavlenko

Richard Addinsell: Warsaw Concerto from Dangerous Moonlight Arthur Bliss: Shape of Things to Come The Chieftains: Women of Ireland from Barry Lyndon