LinMM

I do not understand how Darcey Bussell is getting in the way of the younger dancers ….she doesn’t perform any more …or have I missed something 🤔 I don’t think Darcey finds it easy presenting to live audiences….. she was very nervous making her speech as Head Judge at the recent Prix de Lausanne …but I find it quite endearing and I think shows a more humble side to her considering her fame she has not got “too too big for her boots” at all she can get nervous like anyone else. I think it’s to her credit that she probably gets asked to do things because of who she is and her comparative status in the Ballet World which she may find a bit nerve wracking but gets on with it and does to the best of her ability. Not the natural aplomb of Fonteyn maybe but then who has!

Janet :😮☹️

Have just booked to see Ballet Theatre U.K. in Midsummer Nights Dream at the Brighton Dome in March

I’m sure that Naghdi and Kaneko are not not being included “ because they are not good enough” though! Im sure there are other valid reasons …nobody in management could possibly deem them not worthy of these ballets surely!

😂yes definitely having a bit of a Morecambe and Wise week!! I don’t suppose anyone took a liking to a dancer who didn’t win a prize or make the final 20? Having said I haven’t been as inspired as usual this year I watched some of the finals pieces again today!!! I really do like Martinho L Santos contemporary piece (Who Cares) there were a few moments in the dance moves and music that he drew attention to that others did not ….though most found their own special moments in it. It’s obviously a Piece that is very satisfying to dance as so many chose it. Look forward to seeing where the prizewinners end up going anyway.

I imagine Osipova will be great in Different Drummer but am happy with Hayward for the 9th April cast. I was thinking I might go again once casting was announced but to see Osipova and have slightly different Requiem cast ( had really been hoping for Naghdi or Kaneko in this) would have to go on 27th when I’m already booked to see Carmen at the Wells or Saturday 13th when we will be away so will probably just go the once now.

I was expecting them both in Requiem but there are just not enough performances for this… need quite a few more than six !!!!

How annoying Alison I hope you do manage to get to see him. Im sure they didn’t make the change without good reason let’s hope so anyway.

Well finally finished the Prix!! I’ve watched it in a very disorganised way this year and all mostly in the wrong order!! Like Day 4 before Day 1 etc. So today was watching the Friday selections day after watching the finalists day already! Still this did give me a better over view of the candidates in the end and also saw more contemporary variations than the Piece Who Cares which seemed to dominate the finals day! It’s not that I don’t like this Piece but watching so many I was nearly tempted to fast forward on one occasion but just wanted to see if any dancer had caught a different aspect but in the end didn’t form a favourite for this Piece even after watching so many. However I think the two favourite female contemporary dancers for me were Paloma L Vidart ( Argentina) who danced that song …Joani Mitchell I think…to perfection and Airie Kobayashi……the latter I thought actually showed the best contrast between her classical and contemporary Pieces…Kobayashi so soulful and delicate in her classical but amazingly explosive and powerful in her contemporary Piece ….the other one with black shorts not the Who Cares Piece!! I thought the two best male contemporary dancers were the Italian Giuseppe Schillaci and Martinho Lima Santos ….again the latter dancer being a great all rounder as loved his classical as well. My Audience prize would have gone to Taichi Toshida ….very engaging and promising I wonder what he will do next? Juliann F Malard ( France) is a very stylish dancer and had an interesting contemporary choice which he did well ….perhaps a little more classical in style than the other Pieces and classical is his forte but think lacks a little strength just at the moment. I think he got the Aud Jebsen prize. Aud Jebsen is very much associated with the RB so don’t know whether this is auspicious or not…he would certainly fit in there. Personally I’d like to see more of Martinho L Santos and the Italian dancer Schillaci who didn’t win a major prize. Other dancers I liked were Crystal Huang ( USA) and E-Eun Park from Korea …who I don’t think got any special prize. All these dancers are so talented for their ages but I didn’t really have any real special favourites this year and as I said earlier I wonder if there could be a way of such young dancers not over practising the same Pieces especially in the classical section literally for years sometimes!! I had thought earlier that there seemed to be more girls this time than boys which was not correct but I wonder if there are just too many competitors!! Less competing altogether ….but seeing more of those who are …and perhaps a category where have to learn Pieces they’ve not done before ( either contemporary or classical) that they can only choose when they get there so will not have hours of coaching for it and can show how quickly they can learn something new and bring to performance. Or Some form of collaboration so are given group dances to learn and perform so have to be shown working with each other to achieve this. I wonder who the RB Prix person will be this year?

Well the Prix is not quite over for me … nearly there with some final thoughts coming! Really sorry can’t make the above event LBC ….I would enjoy that!

Yes I saw those Bejart performances at the Colisseum including the wonderful Maina Gielgud who seemed extraordinary to me at the time. There was a ballet performed to I’m sure one of Bach’s more “religious” Pieces …like St Matthew’s Passion .. or similar which totally blew me away at the time but as this is nearly 50 years ago now so memory a bit hazy on music but would love to know what it was …must have been 1972-75 roundabouts. I always wondered why we didn’t see more of the Company but only understood later on that he was not that well received in London either for whatever reason.

Do you think she meant that her recognition as a dancer started at the Pdl?

DD Driver….yes I absolutely sensed that this young lady was doing just that….showing what she could do in that moment …However was pointing out the teacher didn’t mind a little bit of “flashy” dancing occasionally even if a little off the beat! There’s always got to be that time when you’ve managed an extra pirouette turn or tours en l’air in class for the very first time! However when introducing into performance that has to honed to fit the music eventually.

However I did notice that in one of the classes …I think for those who’d reached the finals ….when the girls were dancing in two groups in one of the groups one of the girls put more turns into the enchainement but each time finished well after the music. When there was some clapping from the audience the teacher said “at last some applause for the girls!! I’m sure all the girls in that group could have put in more turns but were phrasing the music correctly. It’s okay to put in an extra turn or two of course ….but they still have to be timed to fit the music phrase!

It’s probably because have been watching in a lop sided way this year so there seemed more girls than boys! I still haven’t looked at the entry listings so was watching the classes blind as it were. So certainly was not influenced by any particular school taking part. There was something different this year will work out what it was eventually!!

I did like Paloma in her contemporary piece very much. Unfortunately I don’t like the Harlequinade Piece that much anyway so thought the main winner didn’t stand out enough for me compared to other years. Now of course all these young dancers are of a high standard so not saying they didn’t perform well but I didn’t really feel that excited by anybody this year and usually somebody often more than one has really grabbed my attention! One of the French boys from Princess Grace school was promising ( 417) but thought he lacked strength and artistry at this point compared to the boy who spent a year at the Royal last year …name escapes me currently!! I think there are actually too many female candidates something not quite right with the balance. Just edited the young dancer I was thinking of above won in 2022 …not last year …and that was Darrion Sellman.

Well I still haven’t watched the 20 finalists pieces but have found this difficult to get into this year. From watching the classes nobody has so far been a standout for me. I think maybe I’m not so keen any more on watching so many over prepared Pieces. I think it needs shaking up a bit. I want to see the students dancing more unprepared choreography …no previous notice given or allowed!! Anyway will see how I feel once seen the final pieces. I do like Natalie Steele but am disappointed she has been showing the same classical Piece for so long!

Oh no Lukas BB 😱 But obviously well done to him! Hopefully will be performing as MrNice Guy very soon!!

We get this trespassing on the line on the Brighton line too ….often at the same place!! Sometimes it’s just a hold up of about 15 mins but if goes on too long then we will end up being turfed off the train at Three Bridges (Driver change stop) as they re sort the timetable. Once in one of these line trespasses I had the tickets for three other people too ( in the days before itickets) and just made it by skin of teeth!! Enjoy the Manons today all who are going.

Wishing him good luck in the role today …..but rather glad I’m not there to form a dislike of him so young lol!!

In past years I’m sure it has been 20 in the finals haven’t caught up with this year’s Prix yet

Yes that version had a sort of horror film aura about it!

I think the ban is backdated to December 2021 so finishes December 2025. As she is so young she could still take part in another major competition as there is nothing to stop her training. Obviously not the easiest of circumstances. This is all such a shame as she was a very good skater and the one with the most promise for the future in my view It also seems to have taken them ages to make a decision about this. I haven’t read up properly yet about everything around this decision but if the coach is unpunished how can you trust what’s going on with anybody she trains? To be honest I’m not keen on the way skating is going at the moment as everything is sacrificed to get the jumps in! I know the jumps can be exciting especially if you are physically present but I wish they would say only two quads max per programme! Any more don’t get extra points as so much skating now is just going from jump to jump and losing any sense of artistry….which Valieva naturally had. I wonder what she will do.

Unfortunately Peter S I can’t sit in the loose seats in Row B and Row C in the Balcony as they give me vertigo! It’s because there’s no barrier in front so feel a bit exposed into the auditorium space in front of them. Im perfectly okay with B and C in the more central section of the Balcony as they are set further back but of course these are much more expensive.

Some tickets for March 7th Swan Lake have become available. Unfortunately no joy for me (too expensive) but there are also some in the Amphitheatre available.