Ann Williams

Oh, that must be it then. Thanks Ambrosia. I'm a bit disappointed - it did sound from the wording in the Telegraph TV listings as if it was a new documentary film rather than an existing TV programme. However, Thursday's programme on Baryshnikov is definitely a new one and may contain interesting interviews with dance professionals and the like - would be worth watching had one weakened and succumbed to the Murdoch lure! The Ballet Boys documentary film definitely sounds worth chasing though.

I think the film about male dancers referred to in the programme description could possibly be be the Norwegian documentary 'Ballet Boys' which was released in the UK without trace in mid-September, having premiered at the Edinburgh Festival. I checked on IMDB and it looks as if it must have been shown somewhere because it had rather nice reviews in both the Telegraph and the Guardian, and two IMDB forum posters (both non-ballet fans) really liked it. I'd like to see it myself so I'll try chasing it up.

Apologies as usual if this info has already been posted, but I've just spotted in the TV listings for this week that on Thursday 16th at 9.30 pm on Sky Arts 1 (yes, it WOULD be Sky, wouldn't it?) in the South Bank Show Originals, Melvyn Bragg will be reflecting on two meetings with Baryshiknov., the first in 1983 and the second in 2012 'when making a film about male dancers.' The programme description mentions interviews with admirers and refers to the dancer's 'sensitivity and technical brilliance' etc. Sounds interesting. Does anyone know any more about the film on male dancers mentioned, or has it been and gone?.

My picture keeps 'pixilating' sometimes so much so that its impossible to see anything for a few seconds. Is anybody else having this problem?

‘…>I have to say Manon is not one of my favourite ballets<…’ Jacqueline, you're certainly not on your own in disliking 'Manon' - in fact 'disliking' is probably an understatement in the case of many of its naysayers, who actually hate it. I've always suspected that this is partly snobbery (as in ' if they like it, it can't be any good'). One of my friends dislikes it because she finds it too like a film, too 'expressionist', as she puts it. This at least is more forgiveable than snobbery, but I'm guessing that for many US ballet fans, 'Manon' would be completely out of court, as apparently a lot of MacMillan's work is (apart from R&J). Deep conservatism is possibly the reason for this antipathy ; If it hasn't got tutus and tiaras it's suspect, and if it's got sex in it on top of that, for heaven's sake....I know that's a sweeping statement, and probably a grossly unfair one from the country that nurtured the young Balanchine, but there’s least some truth in it (years ago, on the old US Ballet Alert forum, there was an extremely hostile MacMillan thread, one poster writing that Manon 'deserved(s) a good kicking'!). But I'm getting off point here. Carry on.

I spotted this piece in the Stella magazine of yesterday’s S. Telegraph about a gallery/museum on the Left Bank specialising in ‘jewellery treasures from around the world’ illustrated with a picture of a gorgeous necklace of chunky amber beads. No doubt everything is for sale and no doubt it is an eye-wateringly expensive establishment but it might be well worth a look anyway. http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG11091681/Little-Black-Book-Pippa-Small.html

Does anyone remember what the result was from the previous referendum on independence? If the previous 'yes' vote was bigger than the current one; we'd have reason to hope that a future referendum would lead to a smaller yes vote....

Aaaagh! it was actually broadcast three times in March this year! Wish they'd say upfront when these programmes are repeats (I actually thought they did). In fact, I hadn't seen it first time around, so I'll enjoy it anyway.

Apologies if this has already pointed out, but I've just noticed that there's a programme on BBC 4 tonight at 10.45 titled "Dancing in the Blitz: How World War 2 Made British Ballet" (narrated by David Bintley) which doesn't appear to be a repeat of the programme shown last year on roughly the same subject. Here's the link to the programme details: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01s4z2h. Happy viewing, everyone!

I hope it’s ok to comment here on last night’s live streaming of the event, given the probability that the majority of Balletcoers will have seen the performance on their computer screens only. I’m sorry to say that I personally was disappointed at this streaming . Most of it was poorly lit, possibly an unforeseen technical problem at this first (as far as I know) live streaming to home screens, maybe easily ironed out as the technique becomes more familiar.. Whatever, it led to disappointments, such as not being able to see close-ups of Chris Offili’s paintings on the dancers after we’d been told so much about it. Another disappointment -in my case anyway - was the shortness of the Apollo extract, which was too brief to hint at Balanchine's genius for those seeing his work for the first time. One of the poorly-lit pieces had some very promising choreography (visible during a rare moment of full lighting) but it was impossible to identify it from the final credits, which rolled by at dizzying speed, so dancers' names - not identified at all in the opening credits - were impossible to read, Finally, It wasn’t clear why only a couple of the items had curtain calls. – mostly there was just blackness when an item finished. Despite my criticisms, I wouldn’t have missed the streaming for the world, and am grateful to the ROH, Deloitte, all the dancers, all the musicians , all the technicians and everyone concerned with the broadcast, and I'm looking forward keenly to future streamings.

I'm astonished that this news has not apparently hit the British media yet - or if it has, I've missed the references. I'm sad at this inevitable news. Guillem lit up whatever stage she was on, with her unforced attack and her clear, intelligent acting She also, I found, seemed to raise the games of dancers performing with her. We were fortunate to have her, and probably won't see her like for a long time - I wish her the very best for whatever future plans she has.

Saw 'Anne Boleyn' this week and loved it. Our own dear Bill Boyd made a very striking and convincing Cardina Wolsey. duplicitous and authoritative in his crimson robes in Putney Arts Theatre's production of Howard Brenton' s play'. Held at the company’s own theatre - a beautifully converted church in Putney's Ravenna Road, it was the first time I'd seen a work by Brenton, and I was both surprised and thriled by it. I'd somehow got the idea that Brenton was a grimly leftie sort of playwright, but there was no sign of that here. His Anne (played movingly by Kate Kenyon) was presented as a strong, determined character but also as a beautiful sexual creature and a touchingl human one. There was much wit in the play (though I do wonder if James I was really that camp?) as well as a clear account of the history-changing politics that characterised Henry VIII's reign. All the leads were strongly played (not a weak link amongst them) and our. attention was riveted from beginning to end, not something once can say about most amateur productions - the evening seemed to fly by. There are now only two further performances – on 12th and 13th July and they’re in the open air -. the old burial ground behind the church (or very close by) Could be nice for a picnic if the evening is balmy enough. Putney Arts Theatre 0208 788 6943

PS: I'm not a direct BT customer, but I believe my ISP - TalkTalk - pays something to them on my behalf, though they won't admit it. In fact I suspect all the ISPs are still obliged to pay BT a percentage of their talkings. But what do I know? It's a suspicion only...

I don't know whether my problem is connected with the above, but since Friday every time I want to get into the Balletco forum I have to sign in anew, otherwise all I get on the righthand side of forum page is the total number of postings the subject has had to date rather than the name of the most recent poster and the time of their posting. This only happens on the balletco website, all the others are fine. So is it just me?

Two points: I felt, seeing that extract from 'Rhapsody', as if I was seeing it for the very first time. What a brilliant piece of choreography it is and how it illuminates the music - it made me wonder if we appreciate Ashton quite enough! Secondly, I'm glad that the critic, Ms. Kutznekov, at least singled out Bonelli for praise (assuming she meant her comment as praise). He doesn't get praised enough in my view.

Agree thoroughly with both Capybara and Sim, certainly about Alina's heartbreaking Juliet. I actually think she carried the whole thing last night, with the matchless combination of her perfect dancing and her total absorbtion into Juliet's tragedy - she just was Juliet, from the moment of her first apppearance to her desspairing death scene (it was nearly a relief to see her similing and normal self at the curtain call). Sim has said it all about the production overall, and I particularly agree with her comments about the impossibility of keeping the MacMillan version out of mind (inevitably unfair to any post-MacMillan choreographer attempting another version of R & J). All congratulations to the entire cast for throwing themselves so wholeheartedly into the production and seeming to enjoy it, and to the orchestra for making us listen properly to the familiar Prokofiev score.

Thank you Janet - at last some definite information - and thank you too to Bluebird for dislodging some earlier information. Still no complete list of cinemas showing the streaming (though More2screen's website is so hard to read that there could be something lurking on there). Anyway, at least we know now that it is actually a live streaming - I'm looking forward as much to this as to the one live Maryinksy's performance I've managed to get a ticket for (the 'Apollo' programme - yippee!).

Alison/Shade: Where are you finding the information (little as it is) on cinemas showing Bayadere? I'm trying to find a cinema to suit both myself in west London and a friend in Kingston and it's proving very difficult , so any pointers would be helpful.

I'm very sad to read this - I just can't imagine BalletCo without Jane's matchless input. I agree wholeheartedly with everything Ian Palmer has said - and said quite beautifully - about the quality of Jane's writing and her passion for and deep knowledge of ballet. Jane, your writing alone speaks for you - its economy, clarity and elegance are text-book stuff and a lesson to all would-be 'critics' like myself. I'm sure you have plans for the future and I'm sure too they involve writing, so there may be light at the end of the tunnel!

I've had a feeling for some time now that the Queen has decided to abdicate, based on her recent relaxed and happy manner. She's made up her mind - it's settled and now she doesn't have to worry about anything any more. Charles is my bet - he both deserves and doesn't deserve to be King; he deserves it because he's waited so long, and he doesn't deserve it because it's a horrible job that nobody wants!

Not surprisingly, this http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/11/antonio-pappano-interview-elitist-label-tiresome-opera-visceral fairly lengthy Observer Q & A yesterday with Sir Antonio Pappano, the ROH’s musical director, didn’t make it into today’s links - it doesn’t contain a single reference to ballet, or even, indeed, mention the word at all. To be fair, Sir A probably had no editorial control over the piece and, true, it’s purpose was to support an upcoming concert by the Orchestra & Chorus of Santa Cecilia in Symphony Hall Birmingham. Still, it gives the unfortunate impression that the Opera House is for opera only and that opera is SirAnthony’s only interest, and that, as we know, is far from the truth.

I do feel on the whole that Bussell has come in for a lot more stick than her performance actually deserves (unsatisfactory though it admittedly is). At least she's learned her lines, has a beautiful smile, and can only get better, something we should bear in mind given the heart-sinking possibility that - thanks to Strictly Come Whatsit - she may be a permanent replacement for the infinitely superior Deborah Bull.

Aileen, at what cinema does it cost £20 to see a live transmission? Vue and Odeon cinemas all seem to charge around the £12/£13 mark. And when I say an 'acceptable' seat, I simply mean a seat where I can see the stage without one or more impeding heads as I can do in the cinema, so for the purposes of my posting I chose a seat in the dead centre of the Grand Tier costing £95 - my normal 'seat' is a standing place at the back of the stalls circle, but these are increasingly hard to come by and my days of being able to stand for long periods are similarly becoming rarer!

'...>I haven't seen any ROH transmissions because of the extortionate price of the cinema tickets which are not much less than acceptable seats at the ROH<...' WHAT!! It would have cost me £95 to get an 'acceptable' seat at the ROH - had one been available - to see last night's performance, as opposed to the £12 I paid at the Vue in unglamorous Shepherd's Bush. This afforded me an extremely comfortable seat with a glorious, unimpeded view of the screen, with all the bodies - head to toe - fully in view at all times, sensitive close-ups of dancers' faces when appropriate and immaculate camerawork at all times. I don't know how they do it. Long may it last, and heaven bless all those who made this privilege happen. I'm not saying I'll never book to see a live performace again - there's nothing to touch the thrill of 'being there' after all - but....

I hadn't seen it live, and was quite stunned by this evening's cinema transmission. Wheeldon's choreography was extraordinarily inventive and beautiful, Joby Talbot's score matched it thrillingly and the RB dancers - principals and corps - were beyond praise. You will have guessed already that I can't find anything at all to criticise about either the production or this evening's performance. I thought that of the female leads, both Cuthbertson and Yanovsky were utterly moving and 'right' in their roles (a standout for me was Yanovsky's furious attack on Leontes at the end of Act I. What a powerful actress she is - I was in tears). Bob Crowley's designs added greatly to the drama (that vast billowing sheet in the storm scene was genius). My only slight reservation is with the belief of some other posters that this production is 'a stayer'. I'd like to think so too, but I wonder if it isn't a little too complicated and elaborate for regular revivals, as seems to be the fate of MacMillan's 'Prince of The Pagodas'