hfbrew

14th April cast is Rudolf as Aladdin

 

Thurs 11th June Buxton, David as Aladdin.

 

See my post 13 above for fuller casting!

Congratulations to all with good news.

 

But I am glad it was all done by post when my ds did his auditions. It was bad enough then but it must be torture for all those still waiting knowing via social media that some results are already out and yours are not. I really feel for you. At least in the "olden" days you only had to stalk the postman once a day whereas now I imagine its checking e-mails every 5 minutes.

 

Good luck to you all. X

I remember that buying ds entire academic uniform for WL cost less than one blazer at the state school we were trying to get him into!

 

Enjoy kitting out your dd! Not many get a WL uniform..exciting times.

 

And there may well be a magic moment in 10 years time when you can buy your dc a well earned drink after a show without checking that you can afford it first!

 

At long last I dont have to work 7 days a week but Id do it all again.

Peterborough may be possible for me. Have to take non DS but I'm sure he will enjoy it, as he loves a bit of theatre!

Peterborough is 2.30 David cast, evening show Pedro.!

Ive yet to see Pedros cast!

That is a very tough schedule of touring. Only a couple of nights in the same place for the whole run. No real chance to get used to the stage and lots of travelling. Takes a certain kind of person to cope with that. I really hope they go from strength to strength. I will keep a look out for them and go and see them when times and venues work together.

Please do. This is one of the easier tours!

Thank you. It does seem like a no-brainer, I suppose my concern was whether she should be doing ballet twice a week as opposed to once a week? I don't know whether there's something to gain from re-visiting the training more often, or whether one private trumps that.

 

It's a choice of two hours a week normal classes or 45 mins a week private.

 

We wouldn't be able to afford to send her to a normal ballet class as well. Though she could keep doing her modern/tap once a week and musical theatre.

If it means that she can still do her modern/tap class plus musical theatre then I think give the private lessons a try. I only insist on two Ballet lessons a week in the run up to exams by the way, most of my students wouldn't want to commit to more even if they could.( Obviously its a different matter for those who are really keen and I have a handful who do as many classes as they are allowed!)

 

If Ballet is not her favourite then one 45min private session as opposed to two hours with large classes seems a much better use of time!

 

As for good teaching, well for starters is the teacher well qualified and registered with a main board (ISTD, RAD etc). I know this is no absolute guarantee but teachers with these boards have undergone years of training and have to maintain continuous professional development too. Also check public liability insurance! If this teacher enters students for exams, are the results consistent? And I don't mean do they all get high marks as this is sometime a sign that only the very best students get entered. A better idea is whether the students with less facility are being taught well enough to pass, in which case the teaching is very probably sound!

Last night was Aladdin; Pedro Santos

                       Princess; Claire Corruble

                       Genie;   Vincent Cabot

                       Slave of the ring; Charlotte Eades

                       Sorcerer; David Brewer 

                       Sultan;     Philip Tunstall

 

So glad you enjoyed it and thanks to your dance school for their support!

 

Lilian Baylis  Wednesday 6th May

                       Aladdin; Pedro Santos

                       Princess; Claire Corruble

                       Genie;   Vincent Cabot

                       Slave of the ring; Charlotte Eades

                       Sorcerer; David Brewer 

                       Sultan;     Philip Tunstall

 

Thursday 7th May

                       Aladdin; Rudolf Giacolone

                       Princess; Sarah Mortimer

                       Genie;   Pedro Santos

                       Slave of the ring; Natalie Cawte

                       Sorcerer; David Brewer 

                       Sultan;     Vincent Cabot

 

Saturday 16th May Fairfield Halls, Croydon

                       Aladdin;David Brewer

                       Princess; Ines Ferreira

                       Genie;   Philip Tunstall

                       Slave of the ring; Jessica Hill

                       Sorcerer;  Vincent Cabot

                       Sultan;     Robert Noble

 

If anyone is going to The Atkinson in Southport this coming Saturday its the above named cast! (David as Aladdin!)

One to one attention from a good teacher versus one in twelve...

Hmm, worth a try dont you think?!

 

Short answer is yes, getting to grade 4 standard may well be quicker this way.

Tour dates

 

 

Website Home Page

Thank you for doing this Janet as I cant from my normal device!

When I am at a laptop later I will post cast info for Lilian Baylis.

Edited to add that the running time is approx 2 hours to include interval.

And yes TheQuays David Brewer is my ds, I dont mind you asking as its common knowledge on here. I ve mentioned this fact before as one of the reasons I avoid posting reviews as such because I cant possibly be impartial. So its really nice when people post favourable reviews without any input from me whatsoever ( like above.)

 

But like all small companies, touring is tough, especially if you are not showing a "classic" and the Theatres are not actively promoting the visiting dance companies apart from a token poster the night of the show! Which is why I am sending out a little plea on their behalf now!

Thank you for making me laugh Bruce!

Thank you hfbrew, I will be booking my tickets for the London performances ASAP.

The photos on the company's Facebook page look wonderful, do you have any idea of casting for sadlers wells dates?

Yes I do. But I will double check first then post them tomorrow.

Mds at White Lodge does not cover uniform, (or didnt when ds was there) unless you fell under a certain income threshold which we didnt.

 

Tring MDS was far more generous and we got uniform allowance too. It varies from school to school what MDS covers.

Have just seen on Ballet Theatre UK website that it is now possible to book the performances at Lilian Baylis on 6th and 7th May. (Wednesday and Thursday.) Because its a private hire this wont show on Sadlers Wells website and will not be promoted by the theatre. But there is a link via Btuks website that enables you to buy tickets.

 

I sadly have to teach those days so cant go.

 

Please, please everyone, if you can, get folks to go and support this very hard working, self funded British company and its wonderful dancers!

Fantastic costumes and fantastic choreography will be my lasting impression of this production which I was fortunate enough to see last weekend. Strangely, there were no programmes let alone cast lists available on the night so it is difficult to comment on the actual dancers, especially since the website also does not appear to have been updated to reflect the current company. David Brewer I recognised as Aladdin and he was superb - as a dancer and a performer/actor.  I also really liked the princess and the female genie who also really showed the emotion as they danced. 

 

As a whole though this was a lovely show to watch.  It was a riot of colour and movement with some wonderful costumes and as I mentioned before some fantastic choreography and in particular some great lifts and partner work.  Aladdin is not my favourite story but I loved this ballet version of it and this appreciation seemed to be shared by an audience of all age ranges.  In the seats next to us there was a young family and they had brought their daughters aged 3 and 5 to see the ballet - their first ever visit to a theatre, let alone a ballet.  They sat enthralled.  There were quite a few children in the audience but it was the best audience I have been in for a while - no rustling of sweet packets, mobile phones, talking.

 

A final shout out has to go to one of the female dancers with a huge costume mishap when her corset had clearly not been fastened up properly and came undone completely part way through a group dance.  Her partner made a few attempts to grab her but as a true professional she danced on and somehow managed to preserve her dignity.

 

Overall, a superb performance and one I am glad I went to see.

Sounds as if you were at the same performance as me!

The princess was Ines Ferreira, The genie of the Ring Jessica Hill and genie of the Lamp Philip Tunstall. The sorceror was Vincent Cabot and it was his wife, Claire Corruble who had the corset mishap!

 

It was good show and I am so glad you posted because I too thought Aladdin (David Brewer) was superb. His grandma was in the audience, possibly the last time shes well enough to go to the Ballet.

 

Have just come from the matinee at Swindon which was equally as good, the new French dancer Rudolphe was a very handsome Aladdin to Sarah Mortimers elegant princess. Natalie Cawte was genie of ring to Pedro's genie of the Lamp ( he is also new and from Cuba.) David Brewer was a lusty sorceror.

 

The company really, really need audiences! The tour dates are found at www.BalletTheatreUk.com. It may not have the high profile of long established companies but is well worth seeing. Sadly not all the Theatres are good on promotion, one local to me claimed they had no flyers only posters when I know for a fact they are sent in the same package!

 

If anyone ever wants a know a cast, please pm me!

 

And please, get people to see this lovely company. Aladdin is very family friendly and I am looking forward to my pupils reactions in a couple of weeks time.

Hope all is going well. Thoughts with you all.

If funding is an issue then it seems to me to make sense to go to where it is already guaranteed.(ie Ballet West)

 

Btuk is certainly an good place to be and their facebook page is impressive. The students are getting lots of opportunities.

 

Ballet West has a well established good reputation. Some of their graduates are actually in the BTUK company and I know that they loved their time with Ballet West.

Most of us non vocational teachers have a range of abilities in class and it does take careful management to ensure everyone gets the benefit. At the end of the day we are still struggling businesses and most of us can not afford to turn away new students.

 

I had a mum very upset when her daughters tiny class turned nearly twice the size overnight although it was still well within the class size limit that I impose. It was one of several tiny classes Id inherited when I took over the business.

 

"I ve been paying for small class sizes" was her main gripe. Luckily I was able to reassure her that her dd wouldnt be held back and would still do the next exam on schedule ( very exam orientated in my area!.)

 

The harsh fact was that the class would have either closed or I would have had to raise fees. At the time it wasnt even breaking even, and thats without paying myself as the teacher!

 

Six months later the pupils are all progressing well and those eligible and willing are taking exams next term. The slightly younger ones are no trouble and are progressing very nicely as the older students have made excellent role models!My pianist and assistant are still in a job and I can now take a modest payment too.

 

I like students to progress thoroughly but its the work covered that matters not the actual exam itself although for many students the incentive of an exam does indeed do wonders for their technique and I do encourage as many students as possible to do them for this reason. But there is so much more to dance training than just syllabus..

 

I digress! Sorry!

I have enjoyed this thread! Priceless humour, Petalviolet! 

 

I personally always do two watching weeks - one before the winter break and one before the exams.  There is always such a difference between the two and the parents usually seem to be very pleased at their ballerina's progress!  They come with Grandparents and Aunties etc and film the class and give their total attention (well apart from one or two dads who you can tell just come because they were dragged to it by Mum!).

 

I find though that once they get to a certain age, the kids don't want their parents watching.  I actually tell them that they are being mean to their mums, who just want a chance to gaze in awe at their daughters' accomplishments, but it doesn't help.  I have started informing the parents myself on our WhatsApp group, as when we give them notes, they simply don't pass them on.  Unfortunately, that doesn't help either as the girls know I'm doing it and tell their Mums not to dare come.  I even have students who stay away from class on Watching week!

 

I know, its sad isnt it? Loads of parents come to the baby classes usually with noisy siblings in tow just to watch children basically skipping ( if they do indeed watch.) I had to intervene last week when 2 mums started to argue, real handbags at dawn stuff it was threatening to be!

 

Then when the students get older and really are deserving of an appreciative audience they tell their parents to stay away!

 

I point out that they are very lucky if their mums want to come because my own mum made no secret of the fact that she would rather not and only came because I insisted bless her.

 

Favourite viewing classes are the boys only ones though. The parents are always genuinely interested and the boys better behaved....

That might be a good idea Sunrise. I`ve an old Walkman somewhere. I used to be very fit,even though I was overweight.Me and my ex boyfriend [he cheated on me with his ex partner,the scumbag !] used to walk for ages. Even mini hills. I have a great pair of hiking boots bought specifically for that purpose. I still wear them,but only when it`s raining,as my current pair of trainers have a hole in them and my feet get soaked. We actually walked up to the top of Camlough Mountain on Easter Sunday in 2011,which I can see from my living room window. It`s 425 metres high. I was very fit back then. The very next day I was taken ill. Turns out I had Gallstone Pancreatitis,and was admitted to hospital on 7 seperate occasions. I now have a huge scar [i had 28 staples] across my abdomen,where the Pancreatic surgeon not only removed my gallbladder but thoroughly "opened me up" to get a good look at the Pancreas too while I was under the knife. It`s a good job my Paris Showgirl days are long over,as it`s one hell of a scar !!  But i`m digressing. Yes, listening to music while I walked WOULD be a good idea. Might give it a go.

Go girl!

I agree with Julie. ( nothing new there.)

 

As I teacher I am very happy to endorse these schemes.

 

They are particularly good for pupils taking their ballet seriously as they get to train with students of like mindedness and ability. And there is the scope and time on these schemes to focus on perfecting the basics.

Awful wasnt it!

Thank goodness it was rescued, and thanks to all you brilliant moderators for keeping it alive!

Love his resourcefulnesss, hfbrew - although I imagine his teacher wasn't too thrilled to have an examiner think they has entered an exam pupil without having taught him one of the exercises! ;-)

I was the teacher and I was livid!

And I had a young man who claimed to the examiner he had never been taught a certain, difficult exercise! ( so not true!! )

So she set a different one. This was RAD old pre elementary and he still got Honours!

Well done to your daughter for carrying on.Being seen to wait for the correct beat wont have done any harm as the examiner will have seen that your daughter was aware that she was temporarily slightly off kilter, much better than a candidate who ploughs on regardless of the beat!

 

The important thing is that your daughter still performed work that could be marked, even if it wasnt quite right. Had she stopped completely and failed to complete the dance then the examiner would not have been able to award any marks for the work not shown.

 

So your daughter should be proud of herself for making the correct adjustment and carrying on!

Hebrew does your mother write herself little reminder notes? A lot of dementia suffers I have worked with do. Even when their dementia seems advanced you often find scraps of paper with notes such as 'hairdresser 2 o'clock after lunch on Wednesday today is Saturday'. Why not send her a postcard with the appointment day and time on and tell her to put it on her fridge or cupboard where she stores her teacups for example. Do the same with the performance day. A lot do find it helps them keep some independence and control in their lives.

Yes, thanks Jane, my mum has been writing things down for ages and her diary is a lifeline for her. When we talked about the theatre for example she opened the book to write it down to find she written it twice already! I am so pleased that the prospect of a trip out has prompted the hsir appointment which my stepdad has assured me that he will make sure he keeps!