Jan McNulty

Thanks Jacqueline, the spoof is very funny! http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music/goldie-lookin-chains-safe-parody-10406726

Yes, I've had similar experiences at a number of theatres - it is discrimination against individuals (and possibly odd numbers if say there are 4 seats and you want to buy 3). Sometimes if you telephone the box office they will sell you the single ticket you want... I stress sometimes...

Hello Imogen and welcome out of the lurking shadows. I haven't seen any of this current run of R&J so can't comment but I do hope you you will continue to join in now that you have broken the posting ice! A quick look at the ROH website indicates that they are not due to dance until 2nd December.

I saw the mixed programme in Leeds last week. There are 4 pieces and it is very contemporary in style. The opener was Javier de Frutos' The Anatomy of a Passing Cloud, for six men and six women. It opens with four groups of 3, holding hands and threading around each other. The music seems to be a male voice choir. There are lots of sections in this bright and lovely production. The way the soundtrack is worked it sounds as though someone is searching through radio stations so you get a piece of music then the static when you turn the dial before more music. There are various groupings and group dances and the mood goes from spiritual to happy to melancholy and beyond. It was a delight. The middle 2 pieces were commissioned last year for a WW1 commemoration programme. Andrew Simmons' Dear Horizon, again is for six men and six women. There is a striking set of what seems to be barriers and poppies and netting at the back of the stage and hanging down. The women seem to be fatalistic about their men going to war, the men die, the women grieve. It is a striking and moving piece. I found Neil Ieremia's Passchendaele, for a larger cast, incredibly moving. You see the men preparing for war and making ritualistic motions that reminded me a bit of Hakas I have seen on TV. This piece powerfully shows the futility of war. The final work of the evening was Andonis Foniadakis' Selon Desir, which I found somewhat frenetic. I thought I was going to loathe it when it first started but I got drawn into it and ended up enjoying it despite its freneticism. Together with Giselle this programme shows off the talents of this 36-strong company very well. They certainly are a company worth watching! The programme lasts around 2 hrs and 15 mins.

http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/leelu/product/little-bag-of-happiness I copied it and pasted into my browser an it was fine. Hopefully this will auto link Just realised the software may not recognise it as a link if the http:// is missing at the front.

Hello Squeaky, There are lots of hotels on the Hagley Road in Birmingham, which I believe is handy for Elmhurst.

Sad news indeed. Sincere condolences to Gunnar Hansen's family and friends at this sad time. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34760060

I've started a thread about Carlos Acosta's Farewell tour in news: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/11024-carlos-acosta-farewell-tour/#entry148216 It depends where you like to sit Jacqueline. The front row of the stalls at the Lowry is somewhat cramped because of the way the orchestra pit is put in. The front row in Birmingham is very good but the rake on the stalls isn't that great till about half way back.

A bit of googling has found the following dates for Carlos Acosta's Farewell tour: 03-04 May - Nottingham 06-07 May - Birmingham 10-11 May - Southampton 13-14 May - Salford Details from the Lowry website: After an unparalleled career as one of the world’s most iconic male ballet stars, Carlos Acosta presents his final classical ballet programme. From humble beginnings in Cuba to performing on some of the world’s biggest stages, Carlos Acosta has had an incredible career. He has played many of ballet’s most iconic roles including Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Basilio in Don Quixote and The Prince in Nutcracker. He has worked with some of the world’s leading ballet companies including Ballet National de Cuba, The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet and Houston Ballet, written two novels and appeared in two feature films. For his final UK tour dancing classical works, he performs experts from his favourite ballet repertoire alongside an incredible cast of dancers from Cuba, with a full live orchestra. Read more at http://www.thelowry.com/event/carlos-acosta1#dfHpmg2dHvE4e27c.99

He's appearing at The Lowry on 13th and 14th May: http://www.thelowry.com/event/carlos-acosta1

Hello SBF, Please call me Janet - everyone else does!

Thanks for the link SBF. I don't think I read this article at the time it was published. Having read it this morning, I can only say that it does nothing to alter my personal opinion that Mr Polunin was a young man who was put under the pressure of expectation from too many sides - his family, his peers, his boss and his public - and who left to find himself without those pressures. Let's hope that Mr Polunin is now able, with the passage of time, to grow and enjoy his career in dance and beyond, wherever that may take him. BTW SBF it may be worth searching the News forum and there are many threads about Polunin covering the last couple of years.

Don't know about your DD crying PB1 - I welled up when I watched it yesterday!

The press release for the summer season (includes link to the online brochure): The Spring / Summer 2016 Season at Sadler’s Wells The Spring / Summer 2016 Season is on sale from Monday 9 November 2015 at 10am Sadler’s Wells and Lilian Baylis Studio Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or sadlerswells.com The Peacock Ticket Office: 020 7863 8222 or peacocktheatre.com The Spring / Summer 2016 Season Brochure and Guide can be downloaded from: http://issuu.com/sadlerswells/docs/brochure_online_edited?e=5210497/31038539 and: http://s3.sadlerswells.com/downloads/brochure/Sadlers_Wells_Season_Guide_Spring_2016.pdf

The Crescent Theatre in Birmingham is very nice and I also like to Octagon in Yeovil. Buxton Opera House is a gorgeous theatre in a gorgeous town but the rake is most bizarre. I hadn't realised how bizarre till I saw BRB performing Take 5 there; that ballet has squares of light on the floor and we could see the stage has a rake, flat bit and another rake because of the way the light squares were distorted!

I was at The Trocks tonight (utterly fabulous) and attended a post-performance Q&A with the AD. Someone asked how easy it was for a dancer to switch between a (female) en-pointe role and a male role. He said (paraphrased) that it was very difficult because of the differing ways in which the muscles are used. Tonight's Basilio did not dance any of the en-pointe roles in this performance for that reason. I would guess it is a similar difference between classical and contemporary.

At NB, the gorgeous Lucia Solari, Antoinette Brookes Daw and Abi Prudames. Although it has to be said that NB do not specialise in the nineteenth century classics. And how could anyone not mention the amazing Momoko Hirata at BRB, as well as Delia.

So sorry to hear this Lisa, I know how much you have been looking forward to Swan Lake. Many years ago a friend of mine had a panic attack during an NB performance in Nottingham. We had booked separately and weren't sat near each other. At the time she thought she was having a heart attack and the theatre rang an ambulance for her. Talking about it later we think she had become anxious because she was in the middle of the row and was concerned in case, for some obscure reason, she suddenly needed to get out. Thinking ahead to Saturday, may it be an idea to see if you can change your seat to a rear aisle seat, just in case you need to get out. It could well be that having an "escape route" will give you the confidence to watch the whole performance. Also, if you feel as though your blood sugar had dropped, why not have some dextrose tablets with you or a bag of chocolate buttons? I do hope you enjoy Saturday.

I shall lurk near the piano in the Floral Hall during the interval.

Link for the Season Guide

I'm seeing the performance on Monday evening if anyone is around to say hello!

Hello Annemarie and welcome to the Forum. Thanks for the information about Roberta Marquez. I've put in a link to her Instagram account above. I hope you will keep joining in!

Which could be discussed in a separate thread...

Dresden Semperoper Ballett have issued a Youtube film of Melissa Hamilton rehearsing and talking about Manon, which she is dancing with Jiri Bubenicek (I think in his final performance):

Here is the link to Roberta's Instagram account: https://instagram.com/robertamarquezballerina/