Fonty

Nureyev exuded sexual charisma when he was on stage, didn't he? He just had that aura of attractiveness that captivated audiences.

I enjoyed watching the ice skating too, although I did think the standard wasn't as good as other competitions I have seen. I can't remember another occasion where all the leading men seemed to fall at some point during their routine. I too think the team competition is a silly idea, personally, as skating has always been about individual performances. I think it was a case of Patrick Chen losing the Gold, rather than Yuzuru Hanyu winning. Although the latter was dazzling, he did make some errors. As the commentator said, having executed most complicated bits of his routine perfectly, all Patrick had to do was skate competently for the rest of the routine. Yet the easier the turns, the worse he seemed to get. Strange thing, pressure. Happens in all sports, that they stutter and lose when victory is within their grasp.

Oh so do I! Watching clips of her, the way she moved, she was magnificent. And yet, today, she probably would not get into a school in the first place. When you look at her, she really doesn't fulfill the exacting physicial requirements that today's dancers seem to need to be selected.

I feel quite sad reading these threads, that so many of the regional theatres have closed, and can no longer support a major ballet production. I remember that the place where I saw my first full length ballet was the Odeon cinema, which had itself been converted from an old music hall theatre. Long gone, to be replaced by a new multiplex cinema complex that couldn't put on any live show at all. And I wish and hope that the people who organise specific productions for schools will read this thread and take on board that children love traditional ballet. A few years ago I was in the ROH shop, and get chatting to a couple of adults with about half a dozen children. They were home educators who had just taken their various charges to a school performance. When I asked what they had seen, it had been a triple bill ending with Mukhamedov in The Judas Tree. Can't remember what else was on it, but I did think all three were very odd choices for school performances. When I asked the children whether they had enjoyed it, the response was along the lines of, "We would much rather have seen a proper ballet." Poor kids had been going for years, yet they had never been shown any of the classics, and they were desperate to see something that involved tutus! Not just the ballet, of course. Apparently the opera choices were just as "challenging". As they said, "What's wrong with Swan Lake or The Magic Flute?" Indeed, what is wrong with those?

I think that is the great thing about this production, that all the casts I saw brought their own individuality to the roles, and were all fantastic. I am also impressed by the strength and depth that ENB seems to have the moment with its dancers. I know it is slightly different to the RB, in that they are only performing the one production, but I was amazed that ENB seemed to have so many talented performers, particularly on the male side, who could swap roles on different nights.

Ok, thanks Aileen. Glad you enjoyed it. I just wish I could have seen any of the current run, but I was busy seeing other things. Maybe next time, which will hopefully be quite soon. I do realise my brother could have taken alternative routes, but he isn't a Londoner. Plus I don't know how many of you were travelling last week during the tube strike, but I was out at a matinee on the Wednesday afternoon at the National. Afterwards I waited 40 minutes for my bus, did not see any coming in the other direction at all, so ended up having to ring my other half to pick me up on the motorbike. I have never seen the roads so crowded. No wonder the buses could not get through - it was just standstill traffic. And my friend tried to get a train from Waterloo, could not squeeze on to one, and ended up on a 3 hour bus journey to West Hampstead. Nightmare!

Is there a review of Cuthbertson's Giselle on here anywhere? I've had a quick look back, but I must have missed it. My brother went to see her, and had the journey from hell because it was the day of the tube strike. It says a great deal that he came out of the theatre feeling as though he was floating on air. Even the fact that he had to walk back to Victoria Station afterwards and squeeze himself into a packed train did not dim his enthusiasm. .

I guess the RB is damned if it does, and damned if it doesn't. When the RB has commissioned works from other choreographers, it hasn't been wildly successful either, I don't think?. Hence the mention of Mr Wordly Wise in another thread, which comes very high on the list of the most bonkers ballets ever seen. What ballets are there that have been commissioned specifically for the RB since MacMillan died, and are still being performed (leaving out McGregor, as the current resident choreographer, Wheeldon and Scarlett)? I am not knowledgable enough to know the answer, I am sure there are people here who can answer the question.

Once again, I think the message coming across loud and clear is for parents to listen to their children, and make decisions for the future together. Just because your child has got in to a top school does not necessarily mean it is the right school for them while they are under the age of 16. Providing you are not blind to any serious problems, such as a physique that is not suitable for adult ballet dancers, then surely it is best to encourage your children to strive to achieve to be as good as they possibly can. And if that turns out to be not quite good enough, then at least they will have given it their all, and can walk away with their heads held high and with no regrets (hopefully). No child decides to train as a ballet dancer without being dedicated. Ask any one of them, and they will probably say being in class is where they feel most at home. And they will probably feel this from a very early age. This can be difficult for adults to understand sometimes, and perhaps there is a natural tendency for parents to want to protect their offspring from pushing themselves too hard. But the fact that young children are prepared to line up at the barre every day and contort themselves into positions that are alien to most people says it all. Also, does this concern not to push your child too far too fast apply only to ballet? Would any parent question the desire for a boy of 10 wanting to practise his football skills for hours every day? Parents often consider this normal behaviour in boys who like to play, and probably have to drag them away from it to get on with other mundane things like schoolwork!

Well, I am glad if they can do that, fingers crossed that it works. One of my oldest friends runs a cleaning company dealing mainly with commercial properties. Hers is a relatively small operation, and she comes up against the larger concerns frequently. Her cleaners tell tales of downright bullying on the part of other employers to accept pitiful wages. And the sad thing is, there is always someone out there who is prepared to do it for such a small amount. On the other side of the coin, my friend also tells some tales about the dreadful behaviour of the firms she cleans for, when it comes to paying their bills. But that is another story.....

Surely it is the contractors who should take the blame, not the ROH? I am presuming the latter has no say in the wages being paid to the staff supplied by Mitie?

I think the purpose of this thread is to discuss vocational ballet training in the UK, isn't it? Just done a search to find the article that I remember reading in The Guardian. I draw your attention to the second to last paragraph. http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/mar/25/will-they-make-royal-ballet

Another interesting thread. In the above article, Claudia was getting 4 hours of private coaching a day (I think?). That would have given her a huge advantage over others who are just taking part in general classes. Sorry if this question has already been asked, but how do vocational schools react to a pupil taking a private lesson elsewhere? Or having lessons in the summer holidays? Would they frown upon it? Certainly, if I had a child who was struggling to master something such as pirouettes, and an opportunity to pay for individual tuition with a teacher who was producing children who were effortlessly turning triples, then I would try to get at least one session for them with that teacher!

It was? I must have missed that one. Wouldn't mind if they did it again, though. I shall now go off and have a pleasant daydream about who would look good in those costumes...

How wonderful to see that clip of Yoshida in Rhapsody. I always thought she was terrific in the Ashton repertoire. Who was the original girl? Was it Collier? And if anyone thinks Ashton is a bit old fashioned now, they should watch this in its entirety! The way the steps enhance that glorious music. Brings a tear to the eye.

For those that do have appraisals, best of luck. And hopefully, all appraisals will give detailed analysis and reasons for decisions being made, so that each individual has a clear idea of any problems, and knowledge of the goals they are trying to achieve.

Was it really such a short while ago? I remember seeing it, but I thought it was much earlier than that. Where does the time go?

Wow! All these famous names that people went to see. Of all the names mentioned, Seymour is the one I regret never catching a glimpse of. The first famous names that I can remember seeing would have been Sibley and Dowell. But for the life of me I cannot remember where or when, or even what. I don't suppose they toured, so it must have been at the ROH.

Regarding Marguerite and Armand, wasn't it only ever supposed to be danced by Fonteyn and Nureyev? Does anyone know who the understudies were? (Bit of a long shot, I know, it was quite a long time ago!) It is interesting that everyone seems to have rave reviews for Rhapsody. When was the last time the RB performed this?

No, but it might have made a difference to those who were not on the receiving end of smiles and short chats from Ms Stock. Another person auditioning might view this as a sign of favouritism, and if they are understandably nervous to start with, this won't help!.

Just been reading through this thread. I find it astonishing that the same cast is expected to dance at both the matinee and the evening performance, particular a piece by a choreographer who is known to push movement to the extreme. Quite unusual to do that, isn't it? And having just one cast and no backup plan also shows a lack of respect for the dancers in the other two pieces, to my mind. They have worked just as hard, and deserve to perform to an audience who are not distracted by an unfortunate turn of events.

I would imagine that there would always be a proportion of pupils who decide that this career is not for them. And I think the number of students who are taken on after the initial selection process at year 7 is quite small? It used to be no more than one or two extra, and certainly none when they get to the age of 14. The next big intake would be the Upper School, at 16. I appreciate that no system is perfect, but nobody can tell what someone is actually going to look like until they have finally finished growing in all directions.

Well, at least the children are aware that it is taking place, and the decision is based on the opinion of more than one person, which is as fair way of doing it as any other. Things have obviously improved in that respect! I agree, it does seem odd that so many children are asked to leave after a relatively short space of time. It would seem to be more efficient to take children in year 7, and guarantee their training up year 11, barring injury or illness. That way, the teachers would have a much clearer idea of both the pupils' physique after puberty and their ulitmate capabilities. Even taking them in Year 7 and not asking any child to leave until the end of year 9 seems less wasteful than the current system. And maybe the fact that they know the children will be there for that length of time would ensure a more efficient selection procedure to start with. I wonder if any dance school actually does that?

I miss Benjamin for all sorts of reasons, and I agree she was terrific in Gloria.

That sounds absolutely disgraceful. It is almost as if once they have decided a child is not going to continue, as far as the school is concerned they are no longer given the courtesy and consideration that future fee payers are given. I am so glad it worked out for your son in the end, and no doubt a large part of that is down to your excellent parenting skills in helping him deal with the situation. Incidentally, how does this assessment take place? Is it based on their performance throughout the previous terms, or is there an official exam class where outsiders come in and give an independent view? Some years ago, I remember a friend received a letter saying her child had been assessed and was not being given further training. She had no idea when this had taken place, and worse still, neither did the girl. This seemed very unfair, especially as the previous year she had been told her daughter had real potential and was very promising. She was shocked to be told her daughter was not considered suitable, with no real explanation, and her daughter was left completely baffled and devastated. She was struggling with problems with her feet, which the teachers were aware of. After she left, a change of pointe shoe worked wonders.