Fonty

I think the discussions about this are going back to a point I was discussing earlier in this thread. I am sure when I was a child there was a backdrop with a suggestion that she was on the edge of a graveyard. My perception was that Giselle's grave was positioned purely for logistical reasons, to allow the dancing to take place. After all, it would certainly lessen the impact if the Wilis were having to dance around a load of gravestones. (I've just had this vision of them leaping over them like a lot of ethereal high jumpers) The fact that there was no proper, fixed cross on her grave just meant that she was newly buried, nothing more.And having a woodland graveyard just adds to the atmosphere. In fact, it always makes me think of Highgate Cemetery. It was only when I started to read about Giselle on here, that the idea that she was buried in unconsecrated ground was expressed. But Ghosts and ghoulies never seem to have any problems cavorting through graveyards in gothic tales, as far as I know. Even Dracula's victims got buried in consecrated ground and still went about their business. So I can't see it being a problem for Wilis in general, and Myrtha in particular. Sorry, apologies for attempting to bring logic to the tale of Giselle. But I don't like the idea of this poor girl being abandoned for ever in a wilderness. I prefer my own version of the story. Much more satisfactory to me!

Shocking, isn't it, and I don;t remember it from previous years either? I mean, why the hell should anyone pay a £1.50 booking fee when you are standing right there in the building at the ticket office? And I STILL have not had a response about the seven odd pounds charge for "facilities". Let's hope this doesn;t spill over into other theatres.

I am shocked at the markup, but not surprised. Not sure if I was talking about it on this forum, but when I went to the tennis at the O2 in London, they charged me a booking fee, even though I went and bought my ticket from the box office. And then they had the cheek to add on a "facilities" charge (it was not specified what facilities they were talking about). All in all, the cost of the ticket was £10 more than the actual seat price advertised.

Oh dear Porthesia. Sounds like the day from hell. Poor you. I must say the doctors seem remarkly laid back, given her symptoms. Here, have a huge bouquet of virtual flowers. And maybe today is the day to say, "B****r the diet"

Link for Madrid. I have been there, but I am not familiar enough with the city to know where this is. http://www.teatroscanal.com/espectaculo/le-corsaire-english-ballet/ I did notice that there seemed to be several groups of Spanish speaking people in the Coli over the weekend. They stood out, not just because they were speaking Spanish, but because they were so smartly dressed.

I'd rather see ENB at Sadlers Wells, to be honest with you. I just prefer it for dance. And I like the way that SW has tv screens in the bar areas showing little snippets of forthcoming attractions. Although I realise that might be a bit difficult to set up in the older theatres I used to like seeing advanced posters for ballets and live theatre on the underground. This is an excellent way to advertise - if you happen to take the tube on a daily basis. As I work from home now, I feel a bit out of touch.

I agree with others that the higher seats in the stalls are probably the best. If you get an aisle seat in certain areas, you get the added excitement of the dancers running past you.

Oh yes, Anne, I'd forgotten about him!

We don't have a humour thread, so I didn't know where to put this. They are very funny: http://prosign.tumblr.com/post/33766157596/someone-has-made-fake-london-underground-signs-and

I am still laughing at the description of the horse's performance. I was just looking up references to Wilis, and came across this. According to legend, Wilis are the spirits of betrothed girls who die before their wedding night. They are unable to rest in their graves because they could not satisfy their passion for dancing naked, especially in town squares. If the RB decide to commission a new production, this sounds like the sort of thing Wayne McGregor might like to have a go at.

I think it is because the Coliseum is associated in most people's minds with opera. I am sure they would have fewer problems if it was on at Sadlers Wells, which is associated with dance. And I have to say, that the Coliseum and/or the ballet companies really could do more to promote future productions. I heard several people exclaim when collecting their tickets from the box office to see Le Corsaire, that they were glad to see ENB coming back soon with Coppelia. Yet the amount of information on display was scant to non-existent. I am sure quite a few tickets could have been sold to the outgoing audience, brimming with enthusiasm, if they had actually known it was coming.

Thanks for that, Anjuli. So I suppose you could add one more variation - stabbed by accident, which various people try to intervene when she is playing with the sword, a bit like Mercutio in R & J. Sure I've seen that one as well. Regarding the use of the word "mad", I think any girl humiliated and shamed in public, by finding out that the man she loves doesn't actually exist, and has been dallying with her for his own amusement, would temporarily go off her rocker, to use the common parlance. Although in my case I would be more likely to try and stab Albrecht, the dirty, rotten scoundrel! I thought that there was, in the past, room for the each individual Giselle to interpret the role as she chose. That is why I was confused when the RB production currently doesn't allow for a choice. Pity really, because it would be nice to see a dancer able to put a slightly different emphasis on the role, as she feels appropriate. Still, as long as the acting and action are convincing, that is really all that matters, I suppose.

Yes, I realised after I posted that presumably the Willis only have access to women buried on unconsecrated grounds, although I don't remember any mention of that in my day. But doesn't her grave get marked with a cross, which is about as holy a symbol as you can get? And isn't it the power of the cross that helps her to stand up to Mrytha and save Albrecht? Doesn't the story, in fact, like most ballet stories, make absolutely no sense at all?

I've never heard any talks about it. Can I discuss it here, or is it not the right place? When I was a ballet student, my teacher said that the more modern approach by some dancers was to have Giselle commit suicide, but originally she was supposed to die as a result of her own weak heart literally being broken by the shock and pain of betrayal. That is why the original mime and choreography emphasises this so much, and which now doesn't really make much sense if you think about it. If she stabs herself, she could be in the most robust of health prior to that. Why make her physically frail in the first place? Sorry if I am annoying people with my questions, but I am genuinely interested as to how the story has evolved.

Does Osipova's Giselle commit suicide, or does she make her a victim of a heart attack brought on by stress? Always interested to know, because years ago there was a choice, and it depended entirely on how the dancer chose to portray the character. Nowadays, it seems to be compulsory for Giselle to kill herself - at least at the RB, anyway.

Prices look very reasonable. And Madrid is a fab city. Hmmm, can I take a little holiday soon?

Ok, thank you. I did indeed go to the last matinee yesterday, as a previous engagement was cancelled. I was a bit startled, as the only time I've seen one before is when a dancer is retiring. For a moment I though Klimentova was leaving, but then I remembered she is cast as Juliet in June. I loved Le Corsaire. It is the perfect ballet for people who only go perhaps once or twice a year, as well as a refreshing rest from some of the more challenging offerings that more regular ballet goers are sometimes subjected to. Absolutely masses of dancing, and none of that "poncing about not doing much" as one of my companions put it. I thought all the company seemed in sparkling form, as everyone else as said. But what struck me most were the happy smiles on their faces as they danced. They genuinely looked as though they were having a wonderful time. Ok, the plot is a bit silly, and I agree that it does seem rather selfish that Conrad and Medora manage to gain paradise at the end, while Ali and Gulnare vanish into a watery grave. "Couldn't someone have jumped in and saved him", asked one anxious little girl in the row behind me yesterday. Quite right too, after all his loyal service. But lots of ballets have plots that don't make a huge amount of sense, so that didn't bother me at all. Also, I didn't mind the humorous element from the Pasha and his assistant. It is a bit pantomime, but it made people laugh, and there is nothing wrong with that. Yes, the characters are rather two dimensional, but with dancing like that, I don't really care. It must be fantastic for the dancers, especially the males, to know that they will get a chance to actually dance something, rather than just stand around in elegant costumes, reacting to a pas de deux or solo. And best of all, there are no lulls. From the moment the curtain rises at the start, the action just keeps on coming and coming. As far as the main parts were concerned, I felt that Takahashi had the edge technically over Klimentova, but I thought both ladies were charming. Great to see different interpretations from the men in all the parts, and some excellent performances from the younger members of the company trying their hand at solo and leading roles. It is one of the few ballets that I can see myself going to see frequently, knowing I will thoroughly enjoy it from beginning to end. And judging by the glowing comments from the people around me, I wasn't the only one who felt like that.

Why was there a flower throw yesterday?

I haven't booked to see any of the Giselle performances this time around, for various reasons, so this is just a general thought. One thing that Jann Perry mentions in the review is something that I noticed from looking at the photos of Osipova, and that is her very powerful looking shoulders and arms. I am sure it is different when she is in motion, but from the pictures she does have a rather muscular appearance. I used to enjoy Guillem's slightly different interpretation of the classics, and thought her Giselle was marvellous. But she also had that very sinewy physique, that didn't seem to look quite right in romantic ballets, particularly when she was wearing a tutu.

I absolutely hate bricked front gardens, and I think I put them in Room 101. If I didn't, I will! Now is the time to get the digger out, Fiz. I haven't seen any snowdrops in London yet, but our geraniums have continued to flower through the winter, and have a lovely batch of new buds. And what can I see from my kitchen window? Could it be roses? Surely not. :putsonglasses: Yes, definitely roses.

I sat in the stalls at the Coli yesterday, and they are offset half a seat sideways. . At least, they were for me, I was in the middle in row J. I had forgotten how steep the rake was as well. Absolutely fantastic view, best I've ever had.

I thought Takahashi was glorious. I do like her style of dancing, there is nothing showy or flashy about her. And she didn't try to stick her leg behind her ear all the time. When I was checking the dancers' names in the programme afterwards, I was quite startled to see that Ken Saruhashi is only in the Corps. I thought he danced with aplomb, and thought he must have been at least junior soloist. Incidentally, what exactly is a Junior Soloist? Not sure I understand where they are placed - lower than a soloist, obviously, but is it because they are younger, newer to the company, or some other reason? Or is it a bit like the rank of Coryphee?

Just back from the Coli, what a wonderful production. Loved every minute of it. I was sitting in the stalls, and I couldn't see any empty seats from my position. Now, are there any deals for tomorrow? I might go again, I enjoyed it so much!

It is strange, isn't it, but the Coliseum never seems to have full houses for ballet. Does it have many more seats to fill than the ROH? Or is it really just a snobbish thing - the "if it isn't the Opera House then it must be a second rate company" idea? Or is it something else? Prices? They are normal for London theatres, I think. Although it is annoying that I booked my seats, and then a week later a deal comes up. On that basis, I should never book an ENB ticket until the day before I want to go, on the grounds that I can pretty much guarantee I will get a good deal.

Thequays, the reason a man talks about "sharing a bottle of wine" is because he is trying to build the sort of romantic image of the sort of man he thinks a woman wants. He is trying to show he is in touch with his "femine side". The truth is, if he does drink, he would probably be happier down the pub with a pint. But he knows that isn't going to appeal to the ladies, however true it may be. Personally, I think any references to alcohol should just be ignored, and judge the person by their other interests. It's strange, isn't it, how some people find a non drinker a bit of a challenge. It is very rude of someone to try and get a person to taste something they don't want or don't like. Funny thing, it is only with alcohol, nobody would ever insist that somebody eat raw oysters, or brussel sprouts, or Marmite or any other food item if they say they don't like it. However, I have had a problem the other way round. I have attended evening functions where everybody else is on the fruit juice or mineral water, and they make me feel quite uncomfortable if I accept a glass of wine. There are some people who take it upon themselves to lecture me on how bad alcohol is. I find it irritating, and I nearly always end up having a second glass, just to show them that I am an adult woman who is quite capable of making up her own mind! I don't know what you have said in your profile, but hopefully you have made it clear you are neither a recovering alcoholic nor a member of some strict temperance society.