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Pas de Quatre

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  1. Pas de Quatre
    Gorgeous photo in main section of today's Telegraph, Odette and Siegfried from Varna International Ballet rehearsing, visiting Britain for 1st time in the company's 75 year history.
  2. Pas de Quatre
    I quite enjoyed watching it. A nice little morality tale on the dangers of internet manipulation/advertising/vanity. Both DD and I thought it felt like Dr. Who in places, in particular conversion of Cybermen. Yes there could have been more dancing, but the dancers were excellent. The end amused me - reverse Sleeping Beauty awakening with Swan (not Swanhilda) kissing Franz to wake him from his coma.
  3. Pas de Quatre
    In early December I saw a post on fb from King's International Ballet School wishing toi, toi, toi to their ex pupil Luca Burns who is touring with Varna International ballet. I asked if Luca would be dancing in Bournemouth as they are scheduled to dance at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre in March. He replied that it is the UK group who will dance there and that he is on the Korea tour. So maybe they have split the company for touring - like BRB used to do - or maybe they have employed extra dancers. It appears to be the ballet from the Opera House in Varna, Bulgaria. The Varna International ballet competition has been running for decades is one of the most reputable.
  4. Pas de Quatre
    My favourite ingredient is "the suspension of disbelief", when I am caught up in the movement and music, whether a tragedy, comedy or plotless ballet. For me that is the true experience. If I am detached and admiring different technical aspects, then it is not on the same elevated plane.
  5. Pas de Quatre
    I would be very sad to see Dance and in particular ballet made a sport. You just have to read this board to see how people differ in their opinions of dancers and choreography. You don't see a Premieur league with RB playing a match against POB, NYCB against Mariinsky etc. Most of these competitions are artificial money spinners for the organisers. Really it is only PdL and YAGP that have any merit. Balanchine famously said he loathed competitions!
  6. Pas de Quatre
    It all depends on the structure of a big organisation - it may be that the AD is concentrating on a certain group of candidates, i.e. at the Prix, and he has delegated decisions to other members of the teach. While at the Prix he would also be networking with other ADs of Companies and Schools. When there is an in house audition at RBS, with a panel sitting in the front, the members of the panel are not marking every candidate, just those they have been allocated, who are standing in front of them when in lines. This is not my speculation, this was explained by RBS staff at Audition practices/Associate events.
  7. Pas de Quatre
    Actually, if selected I think it is a very cost effective way for dancers to be seen. For those who do not make the final, there is a special class at the end of the week where they are observed by many ADs and there are offers made afterwards, summer schools, further training and even jobs. One week in Lausanne is better than travelling around Europe to various auditions.
  8. Pas de Quatre
    Thanks Lizbie. So the College of Arms says they will not rush into changing to the King's cypher, just replace when things things need renewing.
  9. Pas de Quatre
    I have always thought it was a separate panel on which the Royal initials are embroidered and it would be fairly simple to change them.
  10. Pas de Quatre
    Have you thought about contacting some of the places that put on occasional performances such as Athelhampton House?
  11. Pas de Quatre
    The original Grishko shoes were very hard, but these days they have some models with much more flexible soles. They are often the only brand suitable for very narrow or very wide feet.
  12. Pas de Quatre
    Thank you Irmgard for such a detailed review. I attended that performance of Raymonda too and agree with everything you say. Natascha Mair was pretty but insipid and there seemed little engagement with either of her suitors. Brookland Mack started well with beautiful high jumps, landing well, but quickly ran out of steam. His balance was off both in pirouettes and tours en l'air. Fernando Carratalia Columna as Abdurakham by contrast was excellent. Also a mention for the male dancers in general, the moment when they are in formation appearing to ride forward towards the audience was very effective. I also loved the dream scene at the end of Act 1. Act 2 was spectacular with lots of good dancing. Unfortunately Act 3 didn't work for me at all, and I didn't care for the ending either.
  13. Pas de Quatre
    Also, many Associate schemes group several school years together, so the age difference might be a couple of years or more.
  14. Pas de Quatre
    I would be rather sceptical about the merits of this Associate scheme. If they are so 'one size fits all' in this instance, it is worrying, and the quality of teaching may not be very good in other aspects. Doesn't matter if it is a well known name.
  15. Pas de Quatre
    If your dd is one of the youngest there may be nearly a year, or several months, between her and the oldest dancers in her year. Lots of physical development can happen in a year so they may be at different stages of growth. Go with her regular teacher's advice. Remember how new mothers discussed each milestone in baby's development? When did they sit up, when did they walk? Sometimes quite a big gap at the time, but unless there is a real medical problem, once they are toddlers and rushing around nobody can see any difference between early and late walkers!
  16. Pas de Quatre
    It is actually quicker to walk to Leicester Square than get down to the platform at Covent Garden.
  17. Pas de Quatre
    This is all very new, in the past a few dancers might have been assessed out over the years at White Lodge, but the majority made it through to the end of Yr 11. Over the years fewer have gone on to RB Upper School and most continued training at other British establishments for 6th form or degree courses. With many of these establishments now holding auditions abroad, it is even harder to get a place. Now it is a new ball game with the majority of WL leaving at the end of Yr 9. There are not likely to be many places a ailable for Yr 10 at other Vocational schools, and in many areas good academic schools will have no places either.
  18. Pas de Quatre
    If RBS are only offering a 3 year course at Yr 7, I would imagine able candidates with multiple offers will go elsewhere!
  19. Pas de Quatre
    For the lurposes of this discussion I don't think it matters which, MDS or Dada, both are UK government funding.
  20. Pas de Quatre
    At RBS I understand that quite often the overseas dancers who don't qualify for DaDa are supported by scholarships and bursaries provided by Patrons or Friends.
  21. Pas de Quatre
    If by next year's Prix de Lausanne you mean February 2023, the selection has already been published and I am afraid none of the UK candidates were taken.
  22. Pas de Quatre
    Which schools do you mean by the main 4? For year 12 and older there are many different establishments who don't have courses for Yrs 7 - 11. This means that the majority of candidates at auditions, and those selected, haven't been to vocational school. There are several threads on here from previous years, so it might be doing a search, but things do change so here is a selection and other people can add to the list. RBS, ENBS, Elmhurst, Tring, Central, Rambert, Kings International, Ballet Theatre UK, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, Edinburgh Festival Ballet School.
  23. Pas de Quatre
    Yes that is what I have always understood - white shirts for presenters & newsreaders as well as actors on tv were all yellow.
  24. Pas de Quatre
    Sorry - I must have misread on my phone. Looked again just now and it is for purchase.
  25. Pas de Quatre
    PNB - Crystal Pite's The Seasons Cannon. Free until Monday 21st November. Saw this on fb but not sure how to post the link.
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