Fonty

Getting back to the topic of Swan Lake, I must admit that I have never thought about why Odile always wears a black tutu. I simply had vague thoughts that it was meant to be a gorgeous evening outfit appropriate to a court ball. It never really crossed my mind that it was apparently supposed to show evil. How would people feel if Odile came out in a bright red number? Or a gorgeous midnight blue? It would certainly be different, and as far as I am concerned wouldn't detract from the story at all.

Really? Why? I thought the photos were rather joyous and fun, why would professional dancers be negative about it? Is there a law that says only they can wear a tutu, unless the individual is under the age of 10? I am sorry to have to say it, but some of the comments on here seem to back up the idea that the usual audience in the ROH are a bit stuffy and boring. With regard to influencers, I am slightly wary of people who are....well, influenced by them. A lot of what they write seems to be about acquiring stuff that nobody actually needs. But in this instance, I think the photos are great.

Absolutely. Go for it. I might wear a ballgown when I next go to the ROH.....

Personally I think the tutu pictures look like lots of fun. Love the furry leg warmers. If it encourages a different, younger audience to see ballet in a less stuffy light I am all for it. I don't object to someone wearing jeans, and my long term friend and fellow ballet companion goes everywhere in a sweatshirt, black tracksuit bottoms and trainers. I generally do dress more smartly for an evening out. Makes it more of an occasion. What I wear depends on the venue to a certain extent. If a man wants to wear a dinner jacket and bow tie, or a woman a long dress, then go for it.

Of course Odette has been changed into a swan, along with lots of other women, otherwise the ballet wouldn't be called Swan Lake. However, at certain times they revert back to being humans for a short while( presumably after dark) I can't remember what the exact reason is given for this in the programme. But this is quite a common concept in stories relating to wizardry, that at a particular point in 24 hours the enchantment is at its weakest and the real person bursts through. But the magic spell means that the memory of the bird lingers in their human bodies, hence swan like movements. Siegfried certainly doesn't fall in love with any kind of bird, but a woman who possesses some characteristics of a swan. The fact that she is wearing feathers is more to do with emphasising the magic than anything else. I suppose all the ladies could revert to the outfits they were wearing when kidnapped and transformed, but it would certainly look a bit messy on stage If Von Rothbart can transform hordes of women into swans, I would assume that making his daughter look like Odette would be a very simple matter. And of course she would mimic the swan like movements, it makes sense that Siegfried would expect this; in fact it would be a bit odd if she didn't. As far as him not realising this is a completely different woman, I don't find that odd at all. I am sure most of us females on here look rather different when dressed for an elegant party than in our usual everyday sensible outfits of jeans and jumpers or whatever. I rather like the idea of Odile being in a brightly coloured costume, as if she is wearing her favourite party dress.

@Roberta I meant the comment about Salut d'Amour to be a general one, as I don't think I am allowed to put the link on here. I am sure that moment at your mother's funeral must have been intensely moving.

Ah, but those qualities alone were still enough to show the audience what a truly magnificent performer she was, and why she was so revered. I envy people who saw her in her later years, even if she no longer had the classical technique she once had. In the recent Magic of the Dance series, I was delighted to see the Salut d'amour choreographed by Ashton. Her grace and radiance were still there, and the moment when Ashton steps out and takes her arm and escorts her off stage for the very last time makes me stifle a sniffle every time I see it. That clip is on Youtube if you didn't see the programme. I've always thought Osipova could be a little untidy(?) in her dancing some times, for want of a better word. But I enjoy the dramatic approach she brings the roles. It is as if she gets so caught up in the character she is portraying, that pin sharp technical precision goes out of the window. You certainly get something different every time she performs. I've always enjoyed galas for the fact that it gives me the opportunity to see dancers I would otherwise never get a chance to watch, doing pieces I don't see very often. They may had to come a fair distance, not have had too much time to rehearse, are dancing on a stage they are not familiar with, and could have had to cope with a last minute change of partner. I am happy to sit back and appreciate the fact that they are actually there, and under those circumstances I don't expect perfection from them.

Regarding the costumes for Danses Concertantes, they look like a lot of fun. I understand from the tik tok clip on the previous page that the hats look like wigs, but is there any information about the ornaments on top? I assume they are meant to represent something, but I am not sure what. The designer wouldn't just add details like that just on a whim, surely? The photos make me think of chess pieces as much as anything.

Oh, ok. I will have another look at the video. Although I am surprised that any professional ballet dancer would suffer from that as an adult.

@Amelia I am trying to visualise what you mean by "X shaped legs", but I am not sure what you mean.

Well, I didn't recognise any of the names of those famous people either. I gave up watching Strictly years ago, when they stopped making the contestants do the same dance. Now, someone doing a zippy jive is likely to be more popular with the voting audience than someone doing the Viennese waltz. It seems that every time Swan Lake is mentioned we have a conversation about fouettes. That clip above is amazing, and I would be absolutely delighted to see a current dancer perform those turns at that speed. It looks thrilling. I believe Jenny Agutter went to Elmshurst. The only thing I know about Susan Hampshire's education is that she suffered from severe dyslexia.

Well, I have learned a new word reading this - undercrackers. Never heard it before, I will have to work it into a conversation at some point. Susan Hampshire is embedded in my memory as Fleur in the Forsyte Saga, a fabulous series that I have seen about 4 times in total and loved every time. It will remain one of the great mysteries as to why people are plugged in to their mobile phones while watching a live performance.

@Roberta I don't think anyone has actually said that those are Campbell's feelings, have they? In my case the grumbles were entirely my own that I never saw him in roles I think he would have been superb in. I am expressing my personal dissatisfaction, not his!

I hesitated to post that I could see him being a terrific Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet, in case people thought it would be insulting to the RAD. I think it is a pity that he never got a chance at Rudolf, and I am also sad that I never got to see his Romeo, although thankfully he was cast as Mercutio. I always feel with Campbell that he was frequently cast in roles that he shared with first soloists, rather than true principal roles. I might be wrong, but that is how it felt to me.

When watching the video, did anyone else feel like shouting at Mr O'Hare, asking why, if he held Campbell in such high regard, he cast him much less frequently than other male principals??

Regarding roles, did anyone mention Franz in Coppelia? His performance with the wonderful Morera was one of the best I have seen. They both have had a real gift for comedy, and were genuinely funny.

Enjoy everyone. Sorry I cannot be there.

I agree with you with regard to the programme. It wouldn't have been my first choice of MacMillan one act ballet combinations, but I take the view that anything slightly different makes a refreshing change from yet another Swan Lake. However, I do get the feeling that some of these triple bills are put together purely because they are "heritage", rather than because it is felt they will be an excellent display of the both the dancers' and the choreographer's (or choreographers') talents.

You mean there are trains that go somewhere other than London??

A slightly contentious view perhaps, but I do wonder why, if the programme has been relatively poorly publicised and there are only 6 performances anyway, they are bothering to stage it in the first place? It doesn't matter whether it is 6 or 16, the same amount of rehearsal time will be needed for the dancers actually involved. Is it some box ticking exercise? "Oh, we are being criticised for not doing enough of the heritage works, so let's dig out some stuff we haven't done for a long time. And it doesn't matter if it doesn't sell well, because we have umpteen performances of Swan Lake coming up, and that always sells like hot cakes."

I developed my passion for ballet when I went to see Swan Lake at the age of 5. It very much depends on the child, of course, but if he has asked to go, then I would say it is perfect for him.. Incidentally, as an introduction for adults who know very little about ballet, SL is probably too "balletic". I always think that something much more dramatic is better for them. Romeo and Juliet is an excellent choice, I think.

@Missfrankiecat I did see the wonderful Mr Campbell last week, so I said my farewells then.

Well, every time I have been on the only thing available has been a box. Or half a box, I am not quite sure, but at £560 I am not really very interested.

I think I shall wait until I have seen the Ashton triple bill again. I couldn't go to the last one, but I have seen some less than excellent performances of some of his ballets over the past few years.

As someone who has never tweeted or X'd, is this the sole source of publicity now for the ROH? I haven't seen any posters in the tube, although I saw ones for Manon. Nor have I received an email about it. The majority of emails I do receive are about the various opera productions.