Fonty

As a matter of interest, does anyone know how tall Sarah Lamb actually is?

I wonder if part of the problem is the Coliseum's website. For some reason, I have never, ever managed to book on line. Something always goes wrong when it comes to the payment stage. Once again, I have just spent 15 minutes on the phone waiting for the box office, after getting an error message saying I am using the wrong http code!

Yes, of course. I thought it was BRB, but I wasn't absolutely sure. I still remember the girl who played Lady Capulet, with her braided hair swinging about as she lamented over the dead body of Tybalt. And the young lads who struggled to choreograph and finally put together atheir break dance routine to the Mandolin Dance music. Edited to add I found a clip of Youtube. The Mandolin Dance is about two and half minutes in. But the whole clip is brilliant:

It was David Bintley who presented Dancing in the Blitz, wasn't it? He was excellent, I thought, and the whole programme was really enjoyable. Talking of getting new people interested in ballet, I have been trying to remember a programme that featured young people from troubled backgrounds rehearsing and performing Romeo and Juliet, with the lead roles being taken by professional dancers. It was terrific to see youngsters who had never really been subject to that sort of discipline suddenly having to work extremely hard, and rising to the challenge. I can't remember which company they were working with, and I can't find any reference after a brief search on the web. I know they put on a live performance, and I for one would have been interested to see it, but I think it was only available to friends and family. Pity, they could probably have given several performances, and brought in a whole new audience!

A few rambly thoughts on various points made in this fascinating thread. As a Londoner, I have taken many adult friends to see their first ballet. I usually start them on something gentle and undemanding, such as The Nutcracker. Most people can hum a bit of that (or recognise the sugar plum fairy tune when it comes on) the costumes and sets are normally lovely, and there is plenty of non dancing action to keep their attention. I have never had one person say they did not like it. Having taken that first step, I have then suggested other ballets to them. And after going for a couple of years, they have all said the same thing after viewing several different types of ballet. They vastly prefer those that tell a story, and they do not like "modern" i.e. non classical music, and they want classical, not contemporary dance. They are pretty much prepared to see anything if there is a bit of drama to go with the classical dancing and the orchestra is playing a good tune. Presumably other ballet fans who are not London based do the same thing, to coax first timers to the ballet. And unless I have very unusual friends, I assume that the same thing applies. Based on my experience, people who attend maybe once or twice a year prefer a full length, dramatic ballet. I am not really surprised the Le Corsaire was not successful the first time it was on tour. It has lashings of drama, splendid costumes, and rousing music. But it is not a well known story, and not one usually associated with ballet. The only reason I went was because Tamara was dancing (yes, even I am guilty of being a bit cautions about new productions!). Having said that, I loved it, and will be going to see it again this year. It is always going to be a bit of a gamble, taking a new ballet anywhere. Hopefully, the next time it tours the ticket sales will be a bit more robust in the rest of the country. If it isn't, then it really has to be down to the marketing departments. As far as educating the public via the BBC is concerned, I can't be the only person who thinks that ballet, and opera for that matter, does not come across well on television. In my childhood, we had programmes where excerpts from both ballet and opera were performed. An aria would be sung, introduced with a bit of explanation as to the context and content. This would be followed by a pas de deux, introduced in the same way. They covered quite a broad spectrum in easily digestible, 4 or 5 minute segments. If someone has never seen a ballet before, it can be quite difficult to work out what the heck is going on, and a lot to ask new comers to sit through 45 minutes of arm waving and leg lifting until there is a break. Is it really beyond the BBC to do a 30 minute slot, with a professional presenter talking about it? And I don't mean Darcey Bussell telling us yet again how, as a little girl she dreamed of dancing Swan Lake, or whatever the ballet happens to be, and wasn't she lucky to be able to do so. No disrespect to Darcey, but I don't think presenting is her forte. Surely that would get a few more people interested in it?

Yes, Alison, I did realise I was going off topic a bit in my response to a previous post, but I couldn't think of any way of bringing it back on track! I think I have already moaned before about female teachers at matinees taking all their pupils, male and female, into the Ladies "because boys are not allowed to go to the Gents on their own", thereby making the queues enormous at interval time.

Well, in the hope and expectation that Jacqueline's other post is moved on to here, I will agree with her comment about wigs. While there may be a good reason for using a wig that changes someone's hair length (the last act of Manon, for example), I have never understood why some parts require dancers to wear wigs that are clearly unsuitable. The ghastly toppers give to the Sugar Plum Fairy spring to mind. Yes, there should be a suggestion of sprinkles of sugar, but a bit of fairy dust on the ballerina's own hair would be quite sufficient. I remember watching Yoshida in this role, and could not help gawping at the horrible white wig she was having to wear. As far as Juliet is concerned, I don't mind what colour hair she has, providing she convinces me that she "hath not seen the change of fourteen years"

Yes, it is quite a common hair colour in certain parts of Italy. In fact, Shakespeare never actually describes Juliet at all, does he? Apart from the fact that Romeo thinks she is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen, I don't recall any physical description.

If the local councils persist in closing all the public toilets, then this will only become more of a problem. Pubs and restaurants take a very dim view of people coming in to use the facilities without buying anything (quite rightly), yet sometimes this is the only place to go. If you cannot find one open, then what do you do? All very well to expect people to control their bladders and wait for the interval of a performance, but if you are out and about in the city, it could be hours before you find anything appropriate. I was out with a friend recently, and she had to beg a shop keeper to allow her to use the loo in his own private quarters. The fact that she was hugely pregnant made him more sympathetic to her plight.

Yes, that's Villiers Street. It is very busy, especially at weekends, so probably gets a bit "tired" by Sunday.

Yes, I agree with this. Although having said that, being a guest artist doesn't cut down on the amount of performances you are giving for the company, does it? I am not sure how it works, to be honest. Why have the Osipova performances been given to Lamb? Is it because she has already danced with Muntagirov before, and therefore they know each other quite well as partners? Or is it something to do with height? I believe Muntagirov is quite tall, so perhaps pairing him with someone like Marquez would be a difficult adjustment for him at short notice?

Goodness, a friend of mine works in Villiers Street, and I often meet her outside the office. Can't say I have ever seen it like that, although it is a very busy street. Was it at the weekend? I think it is irrelevant to say it is a modern idea for audiences to be expected to sit quietly, and that they used to be extremely noisy in Shakespeare's time or whatever. Yes, the audiences were rowdy and pelted the stage with food if they didn't like what was going on. People also used to throw the contents of chamber pots out into the street in those days, and I hope nobody is suggesting we go back to doing that. Theatres were very different places in those days, and now I expect an audience to listen to what is going on. I have probably said this before, as it is one of my favourite soap box topics, but I think it is a pity that the Disney full length films are no longer shown at the public cinema. Children could learn how to behave at public performances while going to see films that were specifically for the young audience. Watching it at home on a video is not the same at all.

I am sure people will think I am being harsh here, but if Osipova had/has such a serious foot problem, should she been allowed to join as a Principal of the RB in the first place? Especially as the company demands a great deal from its dancers in terms of the variety of styles they are expected to cope with? Should they at least have made sure that whatever the problem is was sorted out first? Or do they just expect dancers to be injured frequently, and assume that the public won't really mind the fact that one of the star names seems to spend more time off the stage than on it?

Oh dear, how unfortunate for her. She seems to have suffered a lot of injuries since she joined the RB. (Edited to add that I didn't realise there was a new thread on this subject - please delete this if you want.)

Thanks, Capybara.

I drive past those houses occasionally, and a couple of years ago I was horrified to see that there appeared to be some sort of horrid replacement window going in to one of the houses. I haven't been along there since, so perhaps someone else can tell me if this was just a temporary piece of work. I can't believe they would be allowed to replace them, the windows are what make the buildings so special.

I am amazed that there are no wealthy patrons who could step forward to support this.

I agree, Sim. Unless they consider Covent Garden to be a local theatre!

I was wondering why Ed Watson got an MBE rather than an OBE. According to the official honours website the difference is as follows: OBE: "This is awarded for having a major local role in any activity, including people whose work has made them known nationally in their chosen area." MBE: "This is awarded for a significant achievement or outstanding service to the community. An MBE is also awarded for local ‘hands-on’ service which stands out as an example to other people." So what exactly is Ed being rewarded for? Does it say? (Sorry, I am abroad and my connection won't allow me to open the link, it keeps timing out.)

I am just wondering which theatre said, "Infra or nothing; we don't want you unless you bring Infra."

Thinking about it, what would the US have really liked to see that is in the RB's rep? I am assuming that Fille is not very practical in terms of touring.

Oh, ok. Just didn't think they were natural companions, but obviously I am wrong!

I've not really taken much notice of the US tour, the announcement just sort of passed me by. But I think one of the posters has a point in that Don Quixote appears to have been seen there several times over the past few years by various companies. And does it really show the RB to its best advantage? Also, I find the pairing of Song and the Dream to be a bit odd.

No offence to Galeazzi, whose performances I used to enjoy very much, but she isn't quite the superstar that Ferri was/is. I think it really does need someone with both the maturity and the exceptional artistic skills to pull it off, and I am sure her name pulled in a lot of people as well. I don't know that much about Ananiashvili, but love the idea of Durante.

Quote from the National Student: "Woolf Works makes every other ballet seem second rate." When I read things like that, I start to wonder just how many other ballets the writer has seen!