Pas de Quatre

Annoying question for the last column, "and what do you do during the day?"

The system seems to have gone bananas and repeated my post. Mods can you delete the two extras!

1 hour ago, Fonty said:

I saw Clockwork Orange when it first came out, and thought it was brilliant.  What made it controversial was the slow motion scenes of violence, accompanied by classical music.  I saw it again recently, and it looks positively tame in comparison to the violence portrayed  in many modern films.

 

Incidentally, I believe it was only banned in the UK because Kubrick lived here.  He was being absolutely pilloried by the media, and his whole family were receiving death threats from various loonies, so he pulled it.  

I too saw it when it first came out and it was indeed impressive. It has always been considered an Art House film in Europe, not a how to manual for thuggery. The sequel "O Lucky Man" was as good if not better, but never got general distribution, so only seen in a few cinemas.

By the way I don't like Mayerling, once was enough. 

21 hours ago, Beryl H said:

I would like to see more mixed triple bills, not 3 ballets by the same choreographer, Apollo and Daphnis and Chloe spring to mind.

Some years ago Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra tried some concerts featuring one of the great composers in each one. It didn't work. Even Beethoven becomes indigestible if it is his works for the whole evening. They reverted to normal programming for the following season. Constructing a balanced programme of works for a concert is an art. I wish more could be done programming ballet triple bills that are interesting and not just thrown together.

Yes do go. It is a lovely place. In summer in Copenhagen on a stage in the Tivoli gardens they perform the traditional Commedia del Arte pantomime/ballet and also local ballet schools have their own shows.

The trouble is that as soon as you start "sanitising" works of art, where will it stop! Did you read about the teacher in USA who was suspended for showing a class pictures of Michelangelo's statue of David?

I can't think of any grumpy pianists either, whether for children's classes or all the way up to company class. But there is also a strong tradition in UK and Europe of the teacher who is taking the class being respectful to the pianist and showing appreciation. 

Woolwich Works is a beautiful place with many community based outreach dance classes and initiatives. Some contemporary companies such as Protein have their home there.

Junior school goes up to Year 6. Senior schools go Yr 7 to Yr 11 equivalent to old 1st to 5th forms. Then you have Yrs 12 & 13, but in many places they are still referred to as 6th form.

There was a discussion of this recently, how Alain should be viewed/portrayed. If you do a search you may be able to find it.

14 hours ago, Sim said:

I am also looking forward to tonight.  Does anyone recognise this name please (FG in Disguise):

 

OLGA SABADOCH

 

Thanks!

She is a Russian ballerina married to Mikhail Messerer.

But you don't really get the feel of a school until you audition. Your first choice may get pushed down the list of preferences by another school which is a better fit even if its audition is a later date. So I think it better to attend all the auditions even if you already have an offer!

Teacher friend's pupil has had a yes.

A few hours in Greenwich is rewarding. You can travel there by  around means, but on the river is the best. The Thames clipper is like a bus service with various stops to get on or off. In Greenwich itself there is the Cutty Sark, an old tea clipper and the market.  At the top of Greenwich Park is the Royal Observatory which is fascinating.

Another interesting gallery in the West End is the Wallace Collection. It also has a lovely restaurant, great for lunch but you need to book. Sorry Fonty just saw you had mentioned it too.

I have had two bad experiences with "posh" ladies sitting next to me. One was wearing too much, no doubt very expensive, perfume which was asphyxiating.  Another time it was the multiple bracelets that clanked every time the owner moved her arm, and of course she was a fidget, forever patting her hair or tucking strands behind her ear!

So sad, Lynn Seymour was unique. A real loss to the ballet world.

Unfortunately that's what I have just found. 

Thank you JNC, I have just created my free account so I can watch later. 

Link to Times Article

There is an interesting article in today's Times 2 about the collage of famous women by the creator of the iconic Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band record sleeve. Fonteyn has a prominent position on panel 6 - it is what caught my eye. But it is an amazing  creation! There are 7 panels with 133 notable women historical and contemporary. 

This may not be the best forum, but I thought it would reach most people.

My pupils successfully used Sharpie pens for both scarlet and purple shoes. I would think black would work well too. 

It would affect much in the performing arts, not just ballet! The comic unwanted suitor is a stock figure, Malevolio, Kate's suitors in Taming of the Shrew, Gamache in Don Q. Pierrot in Comedia del Arte is a more tragic traditional figure, memorably used by Glen Tetley in Pierrot Lunaire. In my mind Alain fits into this tradition blending the comic with pathos. Another example is Charlie Chaplin's character, The Tramp.

No it is a much stronger attachment than that!

If Alain is just an awkward gangly teenager, can someone explain the significance of the red umbrella? His fixation with it is not what one would expect from a boy who is merely shy and lacking social graces.

This truly surprises me, any mime or actions in classical ballet are set to the music in the same way that the steps are, and should be just as thoroughly rehearsed!

I believe there are still very few paid jobs for ballet dancers in Japan. Only the stars/principals get fees and everyone else dances for free. If this has changed please correct me.