Pas de Quatre

Another "excuse" often trotted out is that they can't cope with being a little fish in a big pond, they are too used to being the big fish in a little pond!

Many articles in the press and online are blaming the shortfall in finances on the fact that the Council have paid recently huge amounts of money to female employees as a result of Equal Opportunites legislation. It is in the Guardian article Ondine has posted the link above.

Chris, I fear you may indeed be cruelly disappointed. No matter how well Thangam Debbonaire advocates for the Arts, she would be a lone voice in the wilderness (if Labour is elected but it is far from sure). I have just read Richard Morrison in Times 2, and he gives a good over view of the causes of Birmingham Council's financial woes. To blame it on equal opportunity legislation, i.e. they have to pay those pesky women is a classic of Labour Party misogyny!

It used to be standard at Covent Garden for there to be a one act ballet before Giselle! I remember how short-changed I felt when they dropped it.

But that was why such triple bills were popular. Very different contrasting ballets, not an artificial "theme". Also quite a substantial programme, Firebird alone is 47 mins.

Facade is a wonderful ballet when done with subtlety. However it is very easy to ham it up. To get the flavour it is worth going back to Edith Sitwell's original poems which are recited to music. It use to be a staple of Touring RB's Triple Bills during the middle of 20th century.

Unless you know the family personally, it is unwise to judge. They may have their own Russian connections, not just through the teachers. A Russian teacher friend, who trained at the Vaganova Academy, has lived here for many years in UK and has lovely children (not dancers). She goes regularly on visits to St. Petersburg to visit family who live there.

Actually I disagree, no need for a comma. There are two categories of items, one is larger bags, the other is backpacks, so linking them with and is correct.

To be more correct, it is a selection from the Athelhampton performances, not just from last year.

It must be lovely having a Gala in Italy. This programme looks almost identical to last year's at Athelhampton with a few additions. So probably easy to revive after the Japan tour. I loved Les Lutins and it made me think that Ashton's pas de trois Tweedledum and Tweedledee with Alice would be a perfect piece for them!

It is not only at summer schools, during term-time some dancers do too much with classes all week and then even more on Saturdays and Sundays. At least one day should a rest to let the body recover.

It is funny how the fashion for names of companies changes. Western Theatre ballet became Scottish Theatre Ballet and then eventually Scottish Ballet. Northern Dance Theatre also changed and became Northern Ballet.

Mark Morris Snowflakes I love Mark Morris ballets. It's difficult to choose a favourite, but his Hard Nut is fabulous. In particular the Snowflakes scene where male and female dancers wear the same costumes and dance the same steps, just makes you want to join in. Mind you I have also quite fancied dancing the role of the tipsy mother at the party too! Likewise with Matthew Bourne's swans, I just want to dance along.

As I remember it SWRB were simply the touring company of RB and had a very similar repertoire, so definitely Classical. If you star defining ballets in that way, Giselle Act 1 is Demi-caractère and Act 2 is Classical. With regard to contemporary, there are some lovely joyful, musical dances such as those by Richard Alton, Glen Tetley and Paul Taylor, but angst is very fashionable at the moment.

Most Contemporary companies alternate classes, one day it is a contemporary class, the next a classical class. Some years ago when Ailey 2 were on tour in UK, I did a masterclass with them which was Horton based. However, I remember vividly that they said they do a lot of classical classes and the girls do pointework too. Dangers of Fille - in the Karsavina mime Lise spanks her child for not knowing the book lesson!

Are many of the venues the same as last year, I thought most were new?

There has long been the theory of "a baker's dozen" applied to the Arts. For every one genuine masterpiece there will be a dozen or so that aren't very good, or even if popular at first, are soon forgotten.

Cheapest seats at Athelhampton were £50 and as a fairly small audience you were not too far away. Yes you lost the feet sometimes, the first year the stage was too low, but it was the first public performance of ballet in UK after the pandemic. No costumes and audience socially distanced, but the evident delight of the dancers to be performing was truly moving. Marianela Nunez in particular looked like a kid let loose in a sweetshop! The following two years it was all much better organised. Stage was raised, but still I think it needs to be a bit higher. Both stage and audience were covered last year with large awnings, so rain not a problem. I truly hope it returns for 2024.

We had similar at Athelhampton the last three years. Unfortunately not happening this year, but should be on next year.

I am not an expert, but have a working knowledge of opera. The singers are even more compartmentalised than ballet. If you are known for Italian operas you will be unlikely to be singing German opera.

I don't think having a Diploma will be affect the AD'S choice of dancer. It might help the dancer to be offered an audition if there are too many applicants. e.g. in UK to audition for Matthew Bourne you have to have studied for a Diplma or Degree at a recognised dance institution to apply, but you are still not guaranteed an audition.

Suffolkgal, I was brought up in a village near Newmarket. One of the renowned trainers, a friend of my parents, used to say that the ideal racehorse (on the flat) has a neck like a swan, a bottom like a barmaid and a walk like a ballet dancer!

I have often used the comparison with sports to my pupils and their parents over the years. A pentathlete will be highly skilled in all 5 disciplines, but will not be anywhere near the athlete who trains in just one event. Likewise, a classical ballet dancer is like a thoroughbred racehorse that races on the flat. A slightly different conformation of less speed but more strength would mean the horse would be better over jumps in steeplechases. Another mistake often made is to lump all modern and contemporary ballet together. European style is often just contorted classical with pointe shoes still worn. The more earthy, grounded contemporary styles are quite different and need little or no ballet technique.

Yes, Kings International.

It may simply be that they can't find teachers. RBS was advertising a couple of months ago for a JA teacher for Totnes and I looked at the details wondering if it would be worth applying even though it would be a very long drive. When I saw the hourly rate of pay, my reaction was "You've got to be joking" it was so low!