LinMM

I ve had two especially made (for the larger curvier figure) which I got through the website initially but then by phone. They took my exact measurements and gave me lots of advice on which leotards I'd probably like the most by asking the pertinent questions!! I had double lining for example. They are a little on the expensive side when bought this way but are absolutely beautifully made. Obviously if you don't have to have it made to measure then it will be cheaper but the company were excellent to deal with. I forget where they are based .....in Surrey I think but it's all online or over the phone......there's no actual retail outlet in UK.

I went to see this production last week at Sadlers Wells and thoroughly enjoyed it. So much excellent dancing. I only saw this Company for the first time for many many years last summer at the Linbury and was very impressed with the more abstract works I saw then and so was looking forward to seeing them in a more narrative or dramatic ballet and I was not disappointed....this company seems to be going from strength to strength. All the main roles had been perfectly cast and at this evening performance Gatsby was Tobias Batley..... Daisy Martha Leebolt ....her husband Tom was Kenneth Tindall .....Myrtle was Jessica Morgan ....her husband George Isaac Lee-Baker ....and Nick ....the story teller in the book Giuliano Contadini. Anyone who can make the character Gatsby at least a little sympathetic and even intriguing as Batley did has my vote! In fact in tribute to these dancers they had managed to get the essence of each character across brilliantly as I did make the mistake of NOT buying a programme.....but I understood exactly what was going on(except in one respect) This was a mistake because I'm only vaguely familiar with this story......Ive never found any of the characters that sympathetic...the last time a few years back as a radio play.....so I did misunderstand the ending .....which brought the ballet to its beautifully dramatic conclusion. I couldn't understand why George had shot Gatsby and not Tom .......as it was he who his wife Myrtle was having the affair!! When I got home I looked up the story to discover that somehow I had missed that it was Gatsby's car that had run Myrtle over and that George was never that sure who his wife was having an affair with .....just that she was having one with somebody! He had jumped to conclusions and assumed it must have been Gatsby So,then the end made perfect sense of course! But in the description of the characters I realised their individual nuances had been captured absolutely perfectly by Northern Ballet Probably better though that if you don't know the ballet .....get a programme (I usually just get the cast lists these days) Anyway a very enjoyable evening and hope I can now get to their Wuthering Heights somewhere as I don't think they are bringing this to London. I'll also be getting another taste at the Linbury in a months time! I

Sorry I must have missed her first offer which school is this for Regattah?

Very well done to your DD audsjcanuck

Only just got back to this thread and so well done to all the DD's with yes taxi and Bailerin and particularly to Regattah's DD who had all that stress with her little sister being so ill that day.......I loved your telling Regattah of getting this yes news for your DD. definitely worth a pas de trois round the ward with the consultant I think!!

It's not only young dancers who do this though. Some top dancers who are already famous do so as well ......who hardly need the social media hype.... Diana Vishneva is one. I'm not sure I think it is just the way things have gone. Even I'm on Facebook these days which a few years ago would have been unthinkable for me!!!

Thanks for all this info!! Am going to the live final on the 9th but would like to see the previous rounds on tv first to see all the dancers so will be watching those as well.

Am going tonight!

That was a lovely thought Just Ballet!! I don't know whether your daughter takes quite a few drugs at the mo may be it was one of these but I'm sure the Doctors will be on to it and hoping her recovery continues apace

My grandfather was similar Lindsey....leaving school at 12! He read widely ......cycling to the Library to get some books out only a few days before he died at 88!! There were working men's associations and clubs which I believe encouraged people to educate themselves. Much to all our annoyance he insisted on mending the radio and later tv when they broke down! It may have taken him a bit longer and everyone having to tiptoe around the newspaper on the floor.....but he'd rather read up and learn how to do it himself than call someone in!! I think "cultural norms" of the time do influence large numbers of people ......and what it is thought acceptable to do ...but luckily there are always individuals who challenge the status quo or just ignore it and do their own thing because they are strong enough to believe in themselves ......from whichever class they come from. Sorry this is way off thread .....but one thing is that I'm determined to see this work of Shechter after all this discussion has come out of this programme!

As I said on the other thread if she has been at this Indiana Ballet Conservatory for a couple of years she will have had this experience I should think.

Miko has been at the Indiana Ballet Consevatory for the past couple of years now I think.....which looks like a vocational school anyway. They seem to get plenty of opportunities to perform and fairly comprehensive training(Vaganova style) there. I'm only posting this here because this question was asked here but probably best to discuss anything to do with Miko on the thread started in Doing Ballet ......

Yes am hoping to catch it when it comes to either Brighton or Croydon

Let's hope the weather is kind and you can spend some restful hours in your garden......but no looking at any weeds or shrubbery needing cutting(hopefully the grass will hold off for another month) Rest-sleep-rest-sleep-rest-sleep-rest-sleep-rest-sleep .......hope this is hypnotising you!

Yes I saw this today but can't make it again!! Ive moved my Cornwall visit to first week of June because of the extra LAB rehearsal and so may now still do Franziskas workshop on the Saturday 30th. Unfortunately this is the very next day so have to choose one or the other........all depending anyway on my knee recovering by then but it's already very much better so should be okay. I really need to know about these workshops well in advance......months before ......so I can balance out which ones to attend. It's a shame because the RAD ones are very good. Are you going?

Am looking forward to this on the 29th May!!

Well it's a bit of a long personal story why I am such a fan of Miko.....though of course I know there are other brilliant young dancers out there. I recently went to the preview show of this years RBS graduating year and there are some real stars in that group..... who if the RB should offer contracts to I hope they will take up. So no Miko is not the only good dancer out there but for one reason and another Ive been following her for the last three years and I know her aim was to dance with the Royal Ballet.......which she has now achieved.......through lots of hard work......never mind her followers......I think that's just the way young people are......I'm only just understanding just what Instagram actually is in fact!! It's nice to see young dancers actually achieving their aim.......though if she had been my own daughter I don't think I would have put her through quite so much exposure. To her credit Miko seems not to have been too affected by this and seems a delightful young lady.

I'm sure BRB chose her on merit not on her Instagram/Facebook following........at least I hope so!!

Just waiting for the blackbird to start up now. Not a whisper at the moment! Often you can hear them warming up,their song in a hedge first before they go to singing perches. Usually start singing first just in the evening ....but by end of April you almost want them to shut up!!! Especially at 5 in the morning! Anyway nothing so far this year!

Finally this morning three blooms which then became six by the evening out on my magnolia stellata!! It's usually anywhere between 26th March and the 8th April but I'm always pleased when it's the 31st March which is my mums birthday!! It's grown enormously since she would have last seen it and seems to get better every year. We are actually in a very chalky area bit it's growing in a very HUGE pot!! The pot is so big it's difficult to move it around now ....but as it is right outside our bedroom window I don't mind at all!

Yes I suspect it's what she has wanted all along......to be part of the Royal Ballet in some way. I think she will suit their style really well and I'm sure is mature enough to know she is joining a fairly large Company so will have to,make her own way once there. I wish her the very best of luck with it all.

Thanks billboyd that's really very helpful x

Having not been successful with the main stage performance of the RBS on July 12th I don't suppose anyone can tell me which of their Linbury performances are more upper school orientated. If it is fairly evenly mixed each evening then that's okay but last year I think the lower school and upper school were featured on different evenings. Having just been to a senior school performance last week at RBS would be particularly keen to see this upper school group again.

Have just posted on two other threads about this as didn't see this had been started. But am so pleased for her hope she enjoys it and we will get a chance to see her dance for real as well!

Just heard this morning that Miko Fogerty is to join BRB!! This probably wrong thread but couldn't find a more general one. Am so pleased for her and will now get a chance to see dance live!!