LinMM

I'm sure Ive read elsewhere on the forum that being referred to a specialist Dance Clinic is the best thing......especially for someone hoping for a career in Dance.......I believe there were even some particular recommendations of clinics and the one in Bath also rings a bell. Hope your DD recovers soon ....ankles can be tricky things but she is young so I'm sure will make a good recovery.

Well aged 9 I didn't think I would be anything else but a dancer and it all came from me not my mum or anyone else! The "dream" was alive till I reached the age of 14 though I had a first reality check age 11 when failed to get into the RBS!! However I was also,aware of just how talented everybody else was and knew without a doubt by then I didn't really have the right body type....at least not for ballet which was what I loved doing the most. Perhaps I was too one track minded and should have got more into other dance styles but even though my teacher felt I had a reasonable chance at least of getting into the Rambert which was still a classical company then I decided that I didn't have what it takes and in the end it WAS the right decision for me as I'm not cut out for that steely determination to succeed in the face of strong competition which you also have to have quite a lot of to make it professionally. I'm only sharing this because ......at nine you just don't know what is going to happen!! But if the enthusiasm is coming from the child then you can only go with it and see where it takes you. Who knows could end up a professional dancer or be very happy doing something else. One thing is that Ive never lost my love of dancing even though did not have a career out of it.

I'm not sure Ive seen this particular company as I think it's the one from St.Petersburg that has come to Brighton before I'll see if I can catch them. Where Nutcracker is concerned I often used to engineer getting some of Tchaikovsky's ballet music played in school assemblies and the final pas de deux of Nutcracker is just so beautiful as is the one from the end of Act one before Snowflakes. I can't say how many times Ive seen Nutcracker especially from the days when used to dress for London Festival Ballet as they were then called but certain sections of this music I never get tired of hearing.

Hope she's better soon Katymac

Lovely news thequays. When I first started teaching I kept on picking up soar throats and eventually went on a voice projection course which did help.....apparently I was breathing back to front whatever that means!! Usually when you work with children you do pick up viruses initially but then get as tough as old boots. I was lucky I never actually got the Nits!! But quite a few of my teaching friends did!!

I must admit I have never (yet) done a battement serre which changes position .....Ive always done this with very quick(well for me) little beats coming back to the same place usually to the front or side. Quite often petit Battements are combined with battement frappe. The Russian style is slightly different in that it uses a pointed foot......for the frappe bit......but the petit Battements may be more similar.....now I'm writing this am not sure ......as I think RAD uses more of a foot wrapped round the ankle for the petit Battements whereas it's more of a pointed foot in Russian style. I like them anyway whichever way you do them. However I wish this would transfer over into beats like brisees more in centre work. ;(

Mine booked too.

I was going to suggest the RAD one too. But that is in London so may be a bit far and although it is non residential it may be costly to stay over. However if you investigate Youth Hostels these days they often offer just a double room for one or two people to share and is much cheaper than a hotel etc. Also have a look on the ENB website as they do have various workshops throughout the year offered to different age groups as well as adults. Sometimes the workshops are offered near to where the Company is performing at the time so could be useful. I'm trying to find out a bit more about a Summer School in Harpenden and can PM you when I have. Also I think the Rambert do a summer school......sorry a bit south of England biassed! I also seem to remember that last year there was a very good one in Wales somewhere.

A friend of mine received hate mail years ago now after an article in a newspaper at the time. You just would not believe what people wrote including death threats. She nearly had a nervous breakdown over it but it was truly terrifying.

So slight yet so strong amazing!

I'm not sure what the On the Edge programme entails.......but if it has the work she did called FLOW then I'd like to see it. I'll look on YouTube

I agree with your Bonelli interpretation of this role Aileen. The sort of annoying "love rat" that you can't help liking ......even though you feel you should dislike.....because they have an attractive personality too!! It's almost as if they can't help themselves! I did feel Bonelli had some beginnings of genuine feelings for Natalia though.

Thanks for the info My friend in Oz is hoping to come over with her DD who will be 15 by the summer(how can this be already!!) Last time she did the Yorkshire ballet school one which she loved and the ENB one. But am just collecting info on possible ones for this summer. Cost will be important. By then she will be studying for RAD Advanced 2 as her Advanced one exam is coming up very shortly!

As Miko started life in London I think she has said in the past at any rate she would like to dance with the Royal. However I think this is unlikely now as she took part in this Prix in 2013 at the age of 15 and if the Royal were that interested she would no doubt have been offered a place in the Senior school eg : as Leticia Stock was for instance ......at that time. Now she is 17 I suppose she could still do one year at the school but perhaps she could try for another British Company ENB? BRB? When she reaches the appropriate age to audition.......which is 18?? It was just a bit of wishful thinking on my part. To me she is a lovely classical dancer who perhaps doesn't project that well though. Inspite of her exposure she hasn't got a showy personality. I hope for all her hard work though some company takes her in somewhere soon!!

Yes I'd like similar info on this summer school. Also was there a summer school in Harpenden.....I think that was the name.....if so what was the age range/standard required to attend. Also where is the OPES summer school based? Thanks a lot for any info

Some people have particular health problems so may HAVE to go to the loo in the interval etc! I like having an end of the row seat partly because if need be you get that little bit of extra leg room but also because it's much easier to get up,out of the way when people want to leave their seats. Also these days I always go to the main cloakroom so my coat and any extra baggage is safely stored away. I think sometimes in the winter if you've got all your paraphernalia around you it does get awkward to have to keep standing up but I think you do have to just smile and bear it when you're feeling in a less empathetic mood than usual!!

I just got my ticket yesterday and I booked for the Thursday!! I'll look out for you again!!

Yes I saw this but am hoping to do Franziska's March one which is only four hours and suits me better. But I do think this looks interesting and shall keep a look out for others as things get better.

The reason I ended up buying an Oyster card for London travel was one night about three/four years ago at about 11pm (I had been visiting a friend near Baker Street) I arrived to catch a no. 30 bus at the Baker Street stop and realised that I didn't have the exact change.......at that point in London they had ticket machines at the bus stops to buy tickets....which is what was the preferred option at the time ....but you could still in theory get a ticket on the bus then. Anyway a no. 30 came and the driver said noway could he accept my £10 note!! To go off and get some change.......and off he went!! I looked around for somewhere open but as it was after 11pm I couldn't see anywhere that nearby. Another bus came along......not the one I wanted but it was going to Kings Cross and this driver was slightly more sympathetic as he said I could hop on till Euston and there would be plenty of places to get change!! Well to cut a long story short I did get the change in the end but by the time another 30 came along it was getting on for midnight and I still had the walk from the bus stop near Highbury to do!! I wasn't exactly a happy bunny. After that I thought I'm never going to be in that position again and so bought the Oyster. I agree it must be difficult for tourists etc but I suppose once you've found about the system you can cope. For example just in case people don't know you can buy travel tickets for travelling around Paris .....on the metro and buses etc ....on the Eurostar which makes it very easy.....usually more than enough for a stay of up to a week at any rate.

Definitely!!

I'm hoping to catch this at the Wells so looking forward to that.

Me too Bruce Wall Though in the final analysis I suppose one will be blissfully unaware! Good to hear Emma Maguire performing that role well. So many good young dancers coming through now.

And I hope it's the Royal!!

She is a lovely "easy" dancer she has wonderful technique without being "showy" somehow. I'll refrain from any more postings of videos of her but if you google her one of the most recent postings is of her silver medal pas de deux performance at Varna earlier this year. I think she has a summer birthday so will still be only 17 at the Prix then......surely some ballet company will snap her up sooner rather than later though!

Love your post Mary hope you enjoy the Ashton tomorrow......wish I could go to that again certainly!! I must admit am rarely totally disappointed by the RB ......but I am rather easy to please on the whole......I have been disappointed by odd programmes of ballet put together at the Coli and occasionally Sadlers but not by any of the main companies who dance there.