Jam Dancer

Yes Naghdi and Ball in Romeo & Juliet - I missed that at first. Yet another treat...! I'll have to fight for tickets for the Saturday matinee as I'm away for most of October after that. What a pity I'll have to miss Raven Girl - now I don't even have to decide if I should attend a perfomance. Alas, 'twas not to be

Casting for Period 1 2015/16 has been published Francesca as Juliet! - Great ! I'm looking forward to that. A tinge of sadness that I didn't see another name I'd hoped for but hey I've never run a ballet company and as much of an insight I think my dance training and years of watching dance has given me, I'll keep my mouth shut. By the way not sure what I think of Golding as her Romeo but will wait and see Osipova and McRae - Tchaikovsky pas de deux - that should be a real treat. Cuthbertson, Muntagirov, Morera, Hirano - The Two Pigeons - another treat... After being away from regular attendance at Covent Garden for a while, I think I'll be back with a bang in Autumn.

I am not sure what CC thought about Untouchables but as someone who spent many years in ballet and some contemporary dance training, I liked it. I enjoyed the opening night performances especially 4T. I wish I were able to see the second cast because I thought Morera would bring something different to Song. I am not sure what similarities Eric has to Albert Evans that necessitates comparison of the two in the role in 4T. I saw Albert dance several times and they are completely different dancers so I would have liked to see the 2nd cast. Lindsay, I really did enjoy reading your posts so please don't stay away. I often disagree with many comments on here but as I know mine is a particular perspective I don't expect everyone to see what I see or agree with me. I feel privileged to have seen the one performance I did and hopefully that keeps me for the next 3 months !

I've not posted in the forums in quite some time although I've been following the various discussions and living vicariously through the various reviews... still 4 months to go before I complete my assignment and move back to the UK but on my visit home this weekend I was able to see yesterday's (7th) matinee performance of Onegin which I enjoyed very much. Matthew Ball and Yasmine Naghdi were a delight to watch...lovely interpretation of the roles. I haven't seen a lot Matthew Golding and it seems that he divides opinion but I thought his performance yesterday very strong and emotional. Tatiana was impeccably danced by Osipova though I found her interpretation a bit too morose in the first act and i am not sure that's how I read the character.. In any case it was great to be able to attend a performance. Btw I was in the balcony (A59) and I don't recall hearing a scream in the final scene.

I like Yuhui Choe very much as a dancer but as I don't know exactly the reasons and or politics why she wasn't promoted and I won't speculate. I will only say that she is not the first or only dancer who has 'deserved' promotion and it hasn't come as quickly as many people think it should have. There are dancers who retired without the promotion to principal that I think they so rightfully deserved. There are principals now who are never cast in roles in which a lot of people think they'd be wonderful in ... it baffles me that a certain principal has yet to be cast as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. It doesn't always seem fair but I think these latest promotions were well deserved....yeah Francesca!

I agree with everyone. Lots of wonderful casting - yeah for Francesa's opportunities, big smiles at a chance to see Morera and hoorah for a chance to see Yanowsky. I whipped myself into a state of excitement reading everyone's comments and salivating over which performances I would attend and then reality set in. I'll be home at Christmas time so Alice and Don Quixote are sure bets but I sure picked the wrong season to be working abroad Drats... I'll be depending on you all to write entertaining reviews filled with vivid recanting of the performances, mention of the nuances and bits of detail and please don't forget to throw in a bit of humour.

Fine performance this afternoon from James and Francesca. Hope they get more opportunities to develop further. Was nervous for both but they handled themselves well... ...am chuffed with talent spotting abilities having 'discovered' Francesca when she was in the corps... so all that painful classical training wasn't actually a waste of time he says ...rather unconvincingly

Enjoyed last night's performance (7/2)! Rhapsody was sublime - Stephen was excellent and Laura was ahoy to watch - happy to see someone who doesn't necessarily fit the mould dancing well... Tetractys was ummm, ummm - not sure about this at all - going to matinee today and will give it another go. I've always liked Gloria. I missed Leanne Benjamin who I adored in this piece but Sarah was lovely. I wish this followed Rhapsody though ...

Lovely perfromances from the finalists....lots of respect and admiration for Precious Adams. I certainly wouldn't have had the courage to do any of what she's doing. Hope she continues to do well and gets better

Usually not surprised by castings but I've got a big grin on my face ...OK, one measly performance on Monday February 10th for Laura in Giselle but that's all it takes to show yourself capable sometimes.....I've been waiting years for this so I've got to get a ticket at all costs!

Well after many years of following this forum, I loat my usual reticence and finally jumped in and said something on a couple of other threads so I may as well continue trying to be an active participant . I've always had a thing for dancing. As a child growing up in a musical household, I was the dancer of the family. Although I was involved in dance before that I didn't start formal training until I went to New York University where I was studying Computer Science. It was too late at 17 to be a dancer and there was no way my parents would have supported that so I did the sensible thing... After university I continued my training in jazz and modern and then started ballet training as a suggestion from a teacher to help my jazz. I'd always liked ballet before that but when I started the training I fell in love completely. My teachers were quite patient because at 6'2" with long limbs I had to be taught differently - 'how to unfold my wingspan'. I made great strides but gave it all up because although I had great encouragement I couldn't see why I'd give up a good job as a computer programmer to pursue dancing at such a late stage. I've been watching ballet ever since... Have taken the occasional class when I was younger and living in different countries but wouldn't dare do that today.

Maybe I'm missing the point here but what's all the griping about the absence of a British Lead Principal at ENB? Should they just stick anyone in a lead principal role just because they're British? Do you think no one will notice that the dancer is not at the right level of skill and artistry to be a principal? I can't imagine people saying 'the lead dancer wasn't really good but it's alright because she's British'. Who are the British candidates to be the lead dancers at ENB? Should those British dancers who are lead dancers in other international companies be given fewer opportunities there because they're not nationals of X country? Where is the wealth of British dancers who are principal ready and not getting the opportunity? Is it a case of supply and demand? Are our dance schools turning out a plethora of talented dancers who are rebuffed by ENB when they apply or are these dancers choosing to go elsewhere? Why did dancers like Gemma Bond choose to go to America and not to ENB? Perhaps we should have forced her to stay here and be the lead British Principal at ENB? - OK I'm being provocative here but I don't understand these lamentations....they imply that there is some conspiracy to keep talented, capable British dancers out of lead roles at British companies... Not sure I buy that. Would you happier if ENB had tendencies more like those of the Paris Opera Ballet?

Yes ...Laura is often overlooked and very much underrated . She was great with Eric Underwood in Chroma as well...Will they be dancing that together this season? I bet you not... I won't dare to speculate as I've had ballet training and been amongst many dancers but have never run a company so don't know what all there is to consider...I think Laura is a dancer's dancer...dancers love her....

"True, the RB has to cater too for those people who don't/can't go that often and those who only come to see the established Principals. " Not sure about this as there are some established principals who have never been given a crack at Juliet and who IMHO would give quite a performance. For me the cating of R&J is disappointing and I fully expect to be disappointed by the casting of Giselle when that comes around too...it'll be a bit of the same old thing....

Nunez? really? Maybe my dance training has coloured my view...love Nunez but she wouldn't be high up on my list as a dramatic dancer...