LinMM

Was it last year or the year before when Eros was turned into a giant "glass snowball" sort of effect. It looked very good. Last time I passed it a few weeks back it had scaffolding around it so not sure what doing this year.

Hopefully will be in sunny climes on the 10th of Jan!! However have booked Franziskas next workshop on Saturday February 14th at the Place (it's been moved from March) I must admit did not see the Swan Lake workshop on the website I thought the next one is in the summer. Have you heard of any RAD ones coming up?

Thanks Michelle. The only thing in the way now is the weather!! It's threatening to be really stormy Frid/sat so hope can get up to London!!

Can you let us know how it all turns out?

So sorry for your DD. Perhaps it's the pressure of it being a last chance to do this particular exam but anyway really bad luck. If the injury is minor but she can't dance much until the exam I'm sure she will be fine as she's not going to forget everything in a week but may lose a bit of flexibility which would not stop her passing the exam. However it's annoying not to be at ones absolute best when one has been working so hard towards something. If the injury turns out to be more serious then it's unlikely she will be able to take the exam ......disappointing though that is right now perhaps she can sort of fast track herself through the new syllabus so there's only a years delay?? And if you can't get your money back on hotel and trains just enjoy having some together time in London.....perhaps a trip to one of the many Ballet things going on there right now. Sorry if this isn't much help but do feel for you and DD ....Life can be very trying at times Linda xx

Just thought I'd mention "the one that got away" I was really disappointed to miss the Thursday performance of Akram Khan and Sylvie Guillem in Sacred Monsters a couple of weeks ago .....as that performance was cancelled. I'm sure I'd have loved that.

An interesting year for me with new Companies ....and reacquainting with old ones very much to the fore this year. Also lots of new ballets.......and new ones which I really want to see again. So some favourite moments then: Early on a huge enjoyment to brighten up the winter ....Le Corsaire at the Coli and discovering lots of new talent especially among the men in the ENB. Discovering a new ballet The Little Mermaid......by Ballet Theatre UK .....also a newish company for me and which got me out to Croydon!! The Northern Ballet 's mixed programme at the Linbury......can't pick one out all great and another new Company for me. Ramberts fabulous programme last year with Rooster which I really loved and at least was able to see on home territory for a change! The wonderful and outstanding performance by Osipova in Giselle......a definite highlight for me and seeing an old favourite Month in the Country again with Osipova and that whole mixed bill in fact I found really satisfying. A reacquainting after a long time with the BRB back in October was very inspiring with another new ballet for me Beauty and the Beast.....definitely want to see again and a beautifully danced Shadows of War programme with the fabulous Miracle in the Gorbals again must see again if get the chance. Finally but absolutely not least was Dracula by the Mark Bruce Company......again a new one for me and will be watching out for them now ......as just must see Dracula again but also see other works of theirs. Again nice to see them on home territory. So a very interesting year for me and .....not quite over yet .....as have The Nutcracker ENB this Saturday (just getting my two yearly fix of this ballet however the dancers will be interesting as all new to me by the look of it) Then Christmas Eve will be seeing Alice at ROH and to end the year back to home soil and Ballet Theatre UK on the 27th at the Dome in Brighton ......with another new ballet for me "a Christmas Carol" So a great end to 2014.

Hi Michelle glad your performances on Saturday went so well makes all the effort put in worthwhile. My foot has finally gone back to normal(from the wasp stings) so everything looking okay for Saturdays ENB workshop......third time lucky for me as I had to withdraw from two previous ones because my other ankle was still not healed properly. Am looking forward to this. I have nt had any further communication from them so far so do you know where you go in Michelle as at 9.15 or so in the morning the main entrance might not be open. I can't see anywhere where it tells you this!

If this is Kings Road in Chelsea that's not bad to hang around either!!

Actually when you go to the first link above it is a bit confusing as it gives the matinee as on the 12th which is a Friday whereas the matinee is on the 13th the Saturday. The casting for the Saturday matinee appears to be the same as on the ENB main website page. I'm going to this matinee but I don't care too much who dances as I don't know many of the current younger ENB dancers that well!! Except for probably Jonah Acosta!! The two as cast for the matinee I don't know at all.....Fernanda Oliveira Vitor Luiz and Fernando Bufala

Great thread Janet am having a think but Mark Bruce's Dracula will definitely be one of them. My partner and I ....even though he didn't see it ....are still discussing the meaning of the Dracula figure!!

Just tried to copy from my photo album and it didn't work

Ive got a couple of the Lego Father Christmas and reindeer but I don't know how to post them to the balletcoforum site .....usually personal piccies don't seem to work. I did put one on Facebook but again not sure how to get from there to here!!

Good luck Miracle and anyone else doing this tomorrow

Ha ha just say that to my partner! Unfortunately older but not always wiser! But still I suppose it shows the spirit is still keen and alive alive o!

Am seeing this on Christmas Eve. I saw it first time round and found it light weight but still quite entertaining so probably right for Christmas period. And it's nice to look at anyway. Just for a moment there in the first piccie I thought it was Lauren(I believe on who the role was based) so thought "good she's dancing again" but alas no. She had bad luck last time round with this ballet as she injured her foot then and couldn't do her planned performances.....I saw Beatrice Stix-Brunell instead of Lauren then and she was very good in the role. This time round it's Francesca Hayward so am looking forward to that.

The school leaving age keeps rising all the time. I do believe it is now 18 after being 17 for ages. But I'm sure that had something to do with why younger dancers could be employed. When I started school in the 50's the school leaving age was 14 then by the time I got to that age it had gone up to 15. Somewhere I the 70's I think it went to 16 and seemed to be that for ages. You can work before the age of 18 but the hours would be restricted. Presumably the Theatre world has to keep up with the current laws on employment .......even if a 16 or 17 year old would be perfectly capable of working for longer!!

Thanks for that very clear info Strawberyy She must have been pretty good to be selected in the first place from all the people who apply from all over the world!!

Hi Aileen yes have been using a nice new tube of it. It has now just started to itch which is not good as it flares up more and then feels painful. Ive been sat with my foot in a bowl of cold water for some of the time and this definitely reduces the itchiness. I'm really surprised as I don't usually react like this. The stings are just below the ankle bone so must have got in at a sensitive spot and this was through socks as well!!

Hope it's better soon Petunia. Honestly once you are past 50 there's always something playing up it seems!!

Yes so do I now!! Ive been stung before without too much of a reaction but this time maybe because there were two stings quite close together my ankle has swollen up and is very red. It doesn't like any kind of heat so am having to try and sleep with my foot out of the bed!! As I don't normally react that much we weren't too good in our "medicine chest" with the anti histamine ointments. There were three tubes one dated 2000 another 2010 and the other 2011!! So had to go out to stock up......generally in fact....as noticed quite a few other things out of date now!!

How did you prepare for it Strawberyy? Did her school help or did you have to seek some private tuition for it? Cdw ....thanks for info on Miko. There are so many good young dancers to compete with out there now but I'm sure she will get in somewhere eventually. Balletqs .....yes I think it must be difficult for any of these students who go in for lots of competitions and so learn to dance main role dances quite early on to suddenly just be a member of a corps in a large company. I think there is always the possible problem of "burn out" in these situations. But in the end I suppose if your ambition is to be dancing leading roles in a Company you love there's still all to play for! Where Brits are concerned .....I can t remember whether was 2012 or 2013 but a boy from Central won a prize possibly for his contemporary piece can't quite remember now but I can see it must be difficult if too many pupils from same vocational schools want to enter for it as it would take up a lot of time to prepare more than a couple of students I think.

Also just wanted to clarify that there were 13 different composers used but 22 different pieces of music for each of the 22 scenes as the same composers were used twice on occasions. I still don't know how he made that all come together so well obviously had some genius moments!! The wasps!! We thought there might be a nest at the base of our holly tree at the end of last summer and I got stung on the leg a couple of months ago but while putting back the bird feeder I managed to acquire two stings on my ankle.....I didn't see the wasps at first so must have disturbed them. It has been very mild until now. Anyway my ankle is now really swollen up and red and the Doc thinks have just had some allergic reaction(unusual for me) so am piling on the antihistamine which I don't normally have to use. Looks a bit like I have been bitten by a vampire in fact!

Just to add that it was very full yesterday almost every seat sold and I heard some later arrivals discussing having to split up to find places to sit so a deservedly large audience!!

I went to see this yesterday in Brighton and I really thought it was fantastic. I wasn't sure what to expect as I don't know this Company but the previous reviews on this are spot on ....this is a real treat. The Old Market in Hove(just) is only a small venue suitably for this show down in the basement and I reckoned seated about two hundred people. It's very well raked so all tickets are the same price and you get a brilliant view wherever you sit. I was about half way down on the end of a row so everything was very close up. It's difficult to know where to start with this because I loved everything about it!! I haven't read the book so my knowledge of Dracula is limited to the usual films ....some closer to the original text than others apparently but this was enough to understand the general goings on and Bruce has a highly original take on it all anyway. It is presented in a series of fast moving and changing scenes almost like a film in a way but I think the staging of this is fabulous. I loved the scene with the horses and wolves galloping through the night very dramatic and atmospheric....the wooing of Lucy quite deliciously funny .....the visitations by Dracula(chucking her around as if gossamer light) ever more intense and the terribleness of her death.....plenty of blood and real horror here.......so many fantastic scenes. I imagine each time one goes one would find another standing out. When I was reading the programme initially and saw the enormous range of music .....13 different composers .....for 22 different scenes ....I thought it might be a bit bitty but no .....each scene was perfectly accompanied by the music and seamlessly evolved into the next just as in the movies......with some beautiful images throughout......the ending with the three vampire brides strung up as almost symbolic of the crucifixion scene while Mina and Dracula danced into a new kind of relationship was particularly stunning. Unlike the original film era where vampires were fair game to be destroyed .....in this version (as it is in more recent films) it's the destroyers you have less sympathy for and more feeling for the vampires and their fate. The dance was pretty eclectic too starting with a wonderfully performed solo introducing Dracula......with that lightness of a creature of the night .....with powers of flight! As others have said Jonathon Goddard was brilliant in this role creating both menace and sympathy. But all the dancers were excellent in their roles. I usually think dancers aren't so good expressing with their voices(difference of breathing habits I think) but not this lot they could scream with the best. Although the main style was contemporary there was quite a few bits of more balletic style with some very quick beaten steps at one point done in perfect unison and light and airy and some folk (Romanian.....not sure?) and even a bit of tap! But it's the dramatic story telling which is at the heart of this work I think and this was totally absorbing......particularly as I had a double wasp sting that afternoon and it completely took my mind of my somewhat throbbing ankle! I looked to see where this is going next but it seems to end in Brighton in my programme but if it's on anywhere after Christmas it's definitely worth seeking out. I couldn't persuade my partner to go to this but after I told him about it (he is a film man) he would like to see it now so obviously will have to catch it somewhere else if we can!! Thanks Sim for telling me about this as I would have missed it otherwise!