Pas de Quatre

Thanks, that is an excellent idea. I have paid for some live streams - Liam Scarlett's MSND for Royal New Zealand Ballet and Cranko's R & J for Australian Ballet, as well as some from our RB but it is good to know about free streams too!

When you say rejected, do you mean no offer of a place at all, or just no invitation to the funding audition? In either case I believe you need to consider whether this is the right path for your DD, it is extremely hard to get into Upper schools/6th form training.

I was told by French ballet people that a similar thing happened with Roland Petit. After receiving very bad reviews from critics he decided never to bring his work (company? ) to Britain again.

There is a letter in today's Times from Paul Gregg, whose company is building a live entertainment venue in Ashford, Kent which could be a base for ENO. Ashford Borough Council and Kent County Council have invited ENO to move to Ashford.

I hope they will bring it to Southampton. Opening booking early is a good idea. A friend and I saw DQ earlier this year at the Mayflower and booking was already open for Swan Lake early in 2023 so we booked our seats immediately.

What really annoys me is that if I look for something on the Internet, e.g. a kitchen implement, I get inundated with ads even long after making an online purchase!

Agreed, I often think of Yes Minister too. There is also an episode where there are plans to move some government departments to the North, and Sir Humphrey soon put a stop to that!

If you look at the prices of property, gentrification is spreading East. I am not making a political point, just an observation. There may be many people who work in Canary Wharf and other new developments who live further East and would prefer something local rather than go into the West End.

I am sure when skipping through the day to decide what to watch later, I saw a performance of Graduation Ball. Does anyone know who this was - I haven't found it since?

DD lives near Stratford and has freelanced in theatres all over London. She loves being there as there are so many alternative public transport routes.

BRB's own website says the invitation to relocate was issued by Birmingham City Council and The Hippodrome in 1987. There may have been all sorts of negotiations between the interested parties.

It is so long ago it is difficult to remember exact details Janet, but I am pretty sure SWRB were told they would no longer get funding in London.

It seems that when a small dance company has been successful over the years and built up a following, then ACE decides they have had enough time to sort out their own finances and so withdraws funding to allocate it to newer companies. Protein is another that has lost funding. Does anyone remember the doom and gloom when Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet was forced to go to Birminham? It was probably the best thing that could have happened to them. They have become a distinctive major company in their own right, rather than being in the shadow of Covent Garden!

We already have Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in South West, so I doubt they would send ENO!

I know for Musical Theatre it is quite normal to purchase a License for a West End show for schools or amateur productions, sometimes a cut down version. But I have never heard of this for anything other than a professional company production in the ballet world.

Nothing simple about funding! However, it seems that if you have MDS in lower school it can be kept for 6th form, even if the pupil has come from another Vocational school. But Dada is only for 6th form.

That is right, after the first audition there are three options, plain no, offer of a self-funded place or invitation to the funding audition. Only a very few Dada places are available, so the majority of dancer families then have to decide if they can afford to self-fund if they haven't received an award.

In the original with Helpman and Ashton (it is on film) there were moments of real pathos when you felt for Ashton's sister. Although in many ways they were just like pantomime dames I do feel it was much more subtle and nuanced. Over the years it has coarsened.

Prix de Lausanne 2023 selected candidates The list of successful candidates has been published. Sadly although there were 6 applications, no candidates have been selected from from UK.

I think dancers (having been one) like new creations, particularly where the choreographer uses their input. Of course it is easier to learn jumps and beats in soft shoes, but a professional classical dancer (female) should be able to do them all in pointe shoes as well.

It may be that the commissioning of new works is stipulated as a condition for funding!

The point I am trying to make is that new works which may seem outlandish to some are the life blood of a company. Works that are now part of the established cannon were once considered shocking, outlandish and lacking in merit. There are indeed many masterpieces in RB's back catalogue that should be revived. Many were choreographed for small stages, e.g. Ashton's early works produced at the Mercury theatre and it would be fabulous if there could be a tour by RB of smaller regional theatres - but that is wishful thinking.

Pointe shoes are a tool/instrument. The choreographer chooses to use them or not in the same way a composer decides which instruments are appropriate for a particular composition. Here is the original design for the Firebird costume,by Leon Bakst, which has now been replaced by a tutu in most productions. Is this allowed mods? Please delete if not.

No, I was referring to the original Rite of Spring, choreographed by Nijinsky, which featured turned in foot positions and no classical technique at all. Stravinsky's music was considered controversial and there was famously a riot at the Premiere, with Stravinsky escaping through his dressing room window! The original costume for Firebird was inspired by oriental trousers and tunic, not a tutu in sight. There is a wealth of ballet history easily available and I would recommend everyone to do some research. I could go on longer and bring in L'Apres-Midi d'un Faune. Fabulous original, and brilliant newer version by Jerome Robbins which is classical.

No I disagree, to stay alive rather than becoming a museum RB needs to keep commissioning new work. Not everything will last, but the best will. Think back to the initial reactions to Ballet Russe's new works, Petruschka, Rite, Firebird and more.