Ann Williams

Alison - I too am rather taken aback at  the (thankfully untypical) personal comments being made here about both EG and TR.  The point is: none of the posters involved actually KNOWS anything at all - they are speculating, especially in the case of TR.  In the case of EG, it's entirely possible that she herself has requested not to be cast in any of the pricipal roles until she has shed some weight.  It happens -  people should use their heads before making such hurtful and damaging public comments. 

He probably wasn't sure how to pronounce it, Nina G - I'm told the correct way to pronounce Yuhui is 'Shooey'.

Not many people know that.

Isn't the above what's called "advertising"?  Didn't think it ws permitted on this forum.

'...>Is he simply not cast by the AD and, if so, why not?<...'

Re. 'why not?' -  surely the AD (any AD of any company, that is) is not obliged to give reasons for not casting certain dancers?

Thank you, John - just the response I had hoped for her.  I do feel that Aurora is a testing ground for ballerinas - i.e, if she can do it, there's little she can't do - so hopefully we can expect to see her in many of the big roles in the future (I particularly look forward to her Lise in 'Fille').

Can anyone comment in more detail about Akane Takada's debut as Aurora?  I really would like to have seen it but just couldn't manage - hope she'ss get another chance at it next time around.

Yes, bring back Deborah Bull, and the sooner the better.  My fear is that Bussell will now get every ballet-related TV job going now that she's got the 'Strictly' audience under her belt.  A real shame. 

Thanks for this clarification, BBB.  Well, Ms Harrod has got a new fan here - she was quite superb last night. To be fair, though, I've always thought that this particular solo has got by far the most interesting (and fun) choreography of all the prologue fairies and - provided the dancer is up to it - it must be a joy to dance.

Now I'm  confused (ok, not unusual) - could someone confirm who actually danced the finger-pointing fairy last night, and is the finger-pointing fairy actually called 'the fairy of the Woodland Glade'?  (I suppose you could rationalise her title by assuming  she was pointing at the trees...)

Thank you,  Bluebird.   Then  the 'finger' variation was danced by either Elizabeth Harrod or Beatrix S-B, and I'm guessing the latter, though she did seem a little tall from my recollection of her in other performances.  Can anyone confirm?  (I suppose its about time I learned to identify these roles - the 'songbird' is the only one clearly identifiable from the movements). 

I too would be grateful for a full cast list, and I particularly want to know who danced the prologue fairies.  It's my favourite part of the whole ballet and last night I thought the 'finger' solo was outstandingly danced.  No cast lists were available last night at the Vue in Shepherds Bush and a member of staff came into the cinema during the showing to explain  to me that they were unable to 'print out' any copies, which suggest that the cast list is simply emailed to the cinemas involved and are then photocopied and handed out - a good idea when it works; it just didn't last night!  Incidentally, there were no more than about ten in the audience last night - I guess Shepherd's Bush is no hotspot for ballet!

Congratulations to all concerned - the show was simply magical last night.  -  We're so lucky to have this new development in our favourits art form!

Unnecessarily sharp reaction to the quays' opening comment, BBB.  See me in my study.

Thank you again, John - that's really useful.  Looks as if its being shown in San Rafael, which I think is quite near her.

Thanks, John - now I can alerrt my San Francisco-based sister to look out for it on Thursday.

Does anyone know if tomorrow's cinema screening will be streamed to the US, or will the recorded version only be shown there?

V. glad to see Elizabeth McGorian is playing the Queen tomorrow - Alistair Macaulay in the New York Times gave her (with Thomas Whitehead) a glowing review in this role recently.  Good to see the mime roles highlighted like this  - go Elizabeth!

Nijinsk'a 'Les Biches' and her 'Noces' would be really welcome revivals, and would make a very satisfying  triple bill if, sandwiched between them, we could have Ashton's 'Les Patineurs'.  I agree with Alison's wish for Balanchine's 'Prodigal' and '4 Temperaments', and  I do long for the RB to try to acquire his mysterious 'La Sonnambula' too.

(.....and please don't tell anyone it was me who posted it:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bQXt0jg_HGI#t=45

Sonik, do you know if it is completely safe to instal this 'free plug-in'  (Microsoft Silverlight)?  I'm suspicious of anything free!

'..> No French dancers? <...'

I've got one, Fonty: Elisabeth Platel.  I saw her only once, when she appeared at the Lowery with the POB as Nikiya in 'Bayadere' in what was - if memory serves - the very first performance of any kind at the Lowery.  She was simply mesmerising, and I remember thinking at the time that she was probably the first real 'ballerina' - in the strict sense of the word - that I'd ever seen.  Not just her beautiful line and her exquisite dancing, but her authority and command over the entire stage. When she pointed her accusing finger at Solor and Gamzatti just before her  snakebite death, the entire theatre, not just the guilty pair, seemed to freeze.  I felt quite cheated that she retired before I had a chance to see her in anything else.
 

Bruce - many thanks for this thoughtful (and very even-handed) review,  which  has decided me to book for  P of the P when it gets to the Coli.  It will make an interesting contrast to my memories of the curiously unsatisfying MacMillan version.

I can confirm that  the view from the Royal Box - or the one either immediately next to it or immediately above it - is possibly the worst in the house, having been put in there twice now with other latecomers.  This is going back at least  five years and I don't know whether they still treat latecomers so 'royally'.  About one-third of the right-hand side of the stage is invisible even if you risk your life by hanging over the edge.  Alison, I don't quite understand what you say about curtaining off a section of the Grand Tier - I thought if the Queen was attending officially, she would be expected to sit in the Royal Box so that she would be fully in view of the audience?

'...>have managed to get the peony from my garden which was on the iPad called White Swan.<...'

LinMM - it does look a bit like a pic of a fried egg, though (and, as an egg-lover, I assure you that it is none the worse for that!).

Jazzpaws, what is that adorable little bird perched on the birdbath

 

I came in just as the coaching session on the big 'pas d'action' scene was finishing - a great pity as I was fascinated by the detailed direction for each of the lifts (and so sorry it finished just before Manon took her famous 'dive'  into the crowd of men).  This section was  in English and none of the dancers had any trouble at all understanding what the English coach was saying and neither did the presumably largely Danish audience, to judge by the occasional laugh. 

Makes one rather shamefaced about being monolingual.

Thank you for this, Jane.  I see from alternative casts that Nikolai Hubbe is playing Monsieur GM - I'd have thought he'd make a rather interesting Lescaux, but perhaps he's now reached the age for character rather than dancing roles.