Fonty
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Everything posted by Fonty
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I don't think cinemas should allow people to keep going backwards and forwards either. The trouble is, with cinemas now having multiple screens, often they don't seem to have a dedicated member of staff for that particular screen to prevent people leaving and re-entering noisily once the film has started. And I am always shocked that the people who often push their way in and out in cinemas are not youngsters, but mature individuals who certainly would not have been allowed to do it when they were teenagers/young adults. I still haven't got over the "gentleman" who stood up and had a long, loud conversation with his three companions as to what flavour ice cream they would like....20 minutes into the main film. They had been sitting there through endless adverts and Coming Soon trailers, so why the heck couldn't they have bought their refreshments then? What is the matter with people today? I just don't get it, I really don't.
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These weren't latecomers, Alison. They were already inside, but seemed to be allowed to come and go with complete freedom. Needless to say, they were in the middle of the rows as well, which meant there was a lot of standing up to make way for them. I have every sympathy with someone who has, say, a weak bladder, or feels sick, or is overcome with a coughing fit they can't control, or suffers from any issue that means they have to make their way out of the auditorium. But they shouldn't be allowed to keep doing it.
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But that's precisely my point. A princess, however young, would be used to court occasions, and however excited she was, she wouldn't be overwhelmed by it to the extent that she would forget her upbringing. It is a tough ask to get the right blend of radiance and decorum, of course. Hence my comment about Fonteyn! -
I think we need to make a mass complaint to the Opera House about this. Who do we contact? And what are the ushers thinking, to allow someone back in when they have left mid performance? There used to be a grim little room with a television screen showing the action on the stage, that was used for late comers. Do they still have it? Talking of ushers, I went to the Sadlers Wells to see the Flamenco last week. We were up in the cheap seats, and there seemed to be a constant stream of people going up and down the stairs to the exit, with an usher giving them a helping hand on the stairs with a very bright light. And at one point they were standing by the open Exit door, having a loud conversation.
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I haven't seen Osipova, so can't comment specifically on her performance. However, I would expect a girl of royal blood, however young, to behave with a certain dignity, even if she is excited. Otherwise, doesn't it make her seem a little too young? From the descriptions here, I have a vision of Clara in the Nutcracker, rather than Aurora! Very dangerous to watch the old Fonteyn recordings, by the way. Nobody, but nobody, has ever done it better than her. IMO of course.
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Well, somewhere in the dim and distant past, I was a young person. And in those days everyone could manage perfectly well without having to take in a bucket of popcorn and a barrel of coke. Although I remember my mother would occasionally buy me a hot dog at the cinema as a special treat before going in to see the latest Disney cartoon. But we were not allowed to take any food in, on the grounds that it would smell. I wish the staff had said that to the couple who were wolfing down what smelt like a take away curry the other day when I went to the theatre. The aroma was overpowering, to put in mildly.
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Which cinema was that, Alison? I think I have found one at Kingston cinema on Sunday, so I might be able to catch it on my way back from Dorking on Sunday.
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Regarding your comment about the whole row having to stand to let a child out, reminds me of a time, many years ago, when I had a similar thing happen to me. On this occasion, a group of us had gone to see Swan Lake, with Sylvie Guillem. It wasn't at the Opera House, must have been while it was being refurbished. I think it might have been at the Coliseum, and we were right up in the roof. Anyway, right in the middle of Act III, with Guillem in full flight, one member of our party stood up and started to push her way to the aisle. Apparently she was feeling overcome by the heat. Fine, ok, but she didn't leave quietly, she stopped to explain to everyone in our group why she was leaving....while standing right in front of me. I can still remember how sharply I told her to GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! And her response was to just giggle and carry on standing there. If we had been in front row, she might very well have been thrown over! The girl in question wasn't a particular friend of mine before, and she certainly wasn't afterwards. Not after I had missed a crucial piece of the action.
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Geoff, I think that is the same clip that I posted on another Sleeping Beauty thread, where I made a comparison between the speed of the Lilac Fairy's variation then, and how much it has been slowed down. Nearly half the speed, in some current productions, although when I went to the ROH last week, the conductor had certainly upped the speed. Still nowhere near the one shown in this clip, though. Shame, really, because the choreographer here seems swift and powerful, rather than turgid. Nobody really commented much on it when I posted, which surprised me a bit, but maybe I put the clip in the wrong thread!
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Really sad I couldn't go last night. I am away in Dorking this weekend, so thought I might look and see what time the Encore performance starts. Sadly, they don't do it at 2pm as in the cinemas in London near me. And they don't even do it on Sunday - the Encore is on Wednesday 14th March.
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I can see that individual coaching to each soloist might have time constraints. However, I can't see any problems with an in-depth group coaching session for all the people who are scheduled to dance particular solos. Why couldn't someone of Beryl Grey's stature have been asked to do a class for soloists, where she could teach the finer details of the Lilac Fairy to all those who need it? Ok, I know people might say, "Oh, the dancers have such packed days, there simply isn't time for this." But they have to make time. Otherwise, it seems they are taught the steps by someone, and then presumably learn from each other, or videos, rather than from an expert. And the result is that this forum is full of complaints about lack lustre performances and dancers being unable to cope with the technical difficulties. I feel sorry for the dancers in the lower ranks, if that is the case. It must be extremely frustrating.
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Surely coaching should be seen not as a luxury, but as a necessity? Any performer would grab the opportunity to learn from those who were considered masters in a particular role. To use the old cliche, trying to learn something without this vital input is the same as trying to reinvent the wheel. I find this idea deeply depressing. The very thought that any company management would have to be sweet talked into "allowing" their current employees to receive coaching is terrible. I am sure there are plenty of ex dancers around who would be delighted to pass on their knowledge, and are probably scratching their heads wondering why they have never been asked to do so. And I don't believe they would ask so much money, that the RB coffers couldn't afford it.
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That is shocking! I think I might have been tempted to ask her if she wanted to try the expensive seats in the stalls. Without going down the stairs.
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Well, although I like SPW's production, I can't agree with the idea that it is better to have a non dancing Lilac Fairy. The woman wandering around in an elaborate evening gown doesn't seem to have any connection to the other fairies. I just think it is a waste of some gorgeous music, personally.
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Will I be banned from this forum if I say that I haven't a clue what qualities each fairy is supposed to be bestowing on the infant Aurora? I always mean to look it up beforehand, and never do. Each time I go, I think, "Oh, forgot to check. Never mind, it will be obvious." And each time I kick myself for not checking. What has a crystal fountain got to do with purity? And why is a golden vine fairy associated with positive and negative electrical charges? Why can't they simply call them the Fairy of Beauty or whatever? Or am I showing my troglodyte upbringing by not being familiar with these things?
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Good rant! We've been discussing this at some length on the Audience Behaviour thread. The noise on Monday evening was quite dreadful in the row behind me, with people yelling comments at the tops of their voices (so that they could be heard over the orchestra).
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Good heavens, this is sacrilege! In any case, we have all been told many times that today's dancers are so much better technically than those of the past, therefore students at the Upper School should be able to breeze through it.
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This reminds me of a dreadful case some years ago. A man who was way over the alcohol limit ran over a motorcyclist. He was so out of it, he didn't even realise what he had done, and drove on quite a way with the motorbike and rider trapped under his car. It was only because other motorists had seen what had happened and were flashing and tooting at him that he eventually stopped. Needless to say the motorcyclist died. His lawyer argued that he was on anti depressants because his wife had left him, he would not normally have been drinking, the alcohol effect was magnified by the unaccustomed drugs in his system, and that he needed to keep his car because otherwise he would lose his job. Guess what the outcome was? I am always alert to accidents involving motorbikes, because we have one ourselves. And if I had been in court that day, I would have stood up and shouted that the poor motorcyclist needed his life in order to do his job.
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At the moment, the Royal Ballet has 8 permanent female principals. Perhaps Mr O'Hare feels he has a full house at the moment? Maybe he is waiting until Yanowsky officially retires, when a new spot will become available. .
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Well, I can quite understand that from Fonteyn's point of view. She worked with music all day, she probably appreciated a bit of peace and quiet when she went home. But to not like classical music at all is quite another thing, and I find it quite extraordinary that anyone would work in an area that involves so much of something they hate. It's a bit like a vet saying they don't like animals. Or a GP who can't stand talking to people.
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How on earth can you be a classical ballet dancer, and hate classical music?
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What have you got, Alison?
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Oops. Were you standing behind me, Dave?
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Who do we actually send an email to? When I checked the website, the choices seemed to be Customer Services, Box Office & Ticketing, Collections, Learning & Participation, Human Resources, Membership, Restaurant, Shop, & Website. None of which is relevant, as far as I can see. I would really like to send an email directly to someone at the Royal Ballet., And copy in whoever is in charge of the orchestra, because they must have some input on the way in which performances are handled.
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I think we are going to have to send more emails. I was in the amphitheatre last night, and the noise was deafening. The women sitting in the row behind me were talking at the tops of their voices, shouting at one another up and down the line, and laughing uproariously at some joke. Twice I told them to be quiet, the second time so loudly I think people must have heard me down in the stalls. The women didn't even look at me, let alone take any notice. I didn't actually notice the lights go up, so I can't comment on that. But surely, anyone with an ounce of sense would realise that when the orchestra is playing, the show is in progress? Or do the majority of theatre goers now think that if there is nothing to look at on stage, then this is just background music? Must be really annoying for the orchestra as well.
