capybara

It is usual practice for the filming to be rehearsed ahead of a cinema relay.

Isabella Gasparini is Amour in the afternoon and debuts as Mercedes in the evening.

Casting for today 28th October 😊😊 https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/43/don-quixote-by-carlos-acosta/cast-list/56220 https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/43/don-quixote-by-carlos-acosta/cast-list/56221 Apologies - this should have been posted on the casting thread. I got a bit too excited about these casts.

Bennet Gartside has posted photos on IG of him in hospital following a shoulder operation.

Ooh - too risky 😉

No, nothing seeping out on social media - most unusual these days.

From an ACL injury to Myrthe is a HUGE step. I was sitting in the Stalls Circle near the stage for that performance, right in her eyeline - she was terrifying.

The beautiful Julia was in the same Aud Jebsen group as Leo Dixon and Lukas BB, both of who are in their second year as soloists. But, injury or not, progress up the ranks often seems slower for female dancers than for the men. I have to wait until ‘her’ cast’s second performance to see how they all do. Really looking forward to it now…..

Yes, thank you @Dawnstar but not a satisfactory one so I shall need to keep looking for returns. Thank you also for confirming the need to refresh ….. and …. refresh ….. and …. refresh 😨

Today was only my second attempt to buy a Friday Rush ticket at the moment of release. Firstly, I got a message to say that all seats were sold then, after refreshing, I 'got through' immediately - to find that only one or two seats remained on sale for the performance I wanted. There must be a secret method to using Friday Rush which I haven't yet fathomed.

Especially interesting to read about the rise of Davi Ramos who seemed destined for stardom when he arrived at the RBS. I didn't understand why the RB didn't snap him up but, if they had, it is very unlikely that he would have been dancing Siegfried and Albrecht so early in his career.

Mistress 😊

The casting has to come out during next week otherwise Patrons will be booking without knowing.

However, given that Lauren’s award was sponsored by the Forum’s very own @bangorballetboy and Cathy’s by The Ballet Association, they should have been invited to present them.

Which is why a return to announcing secondary roles as far in advance as possible would (surely) have helped to shift tickets - at least among those of us who have been following dancers’ careers for some time.

Thank you @Ondine I couldn’t access the FT review. Very interesting that a comment on the ticket sales has been included.

In my defence, I mentioned the fact that it might have been 'newbies' who stood for The Cellist as a point of interest. No criticism of them was intended. Indeed, I said, "Good for them" because I, too, had admired the performance. Were you standing @JennyTaylor 😉 ? I wasn't last night but I do on occasion. I thought that Calvin Richardson's portrayal of The Instrument was truly remarkable both emotionally and physically, with his long limbs providing added intensity to the mood of the story. I believe that I saw him perform the role with Beatriz Stix Brunell early in 2020 and, in a away, that worked even better because she was a taller dancer. I think I should see Mayara Magri again because, on the one viewing, whereas I caught the agony in her movement, I didn't quite see that in her face. Lukas BB is progressing nicely as an actor but I think he would convey more if he 'unknit' his brows. (I know - that's damning with faint praise!) In contrast, each one of the supporting roles was excellently portrayed, with the port de bras of the children showing great promise. However, in contrast to @Bruce Wall and as I said last night, whilst I admire and enjoy The Cellist, in my view it is equally suited to other UK companies and I would prefer the RB to 'play' to its unique talents and honour its heritage works more prominently. A quick word about Anemoi, which I enjoyed. This provides not only a great opportunity for some whizzy young dancers to shine but should also help the main couples to develop their partnering skills. On last night's showing, there is work remaining to be done in that respect.

Not wishing to detract in any way from a fine performance of The Cellist tonight, I agree that the piece plays to the RB’s strengths BUT so does (or should) works of classical purity. Ballet watchers who can ‘shop around’ may be content with the RB’s current fare but the rest of the UK population should surely expect its premier company to offer productions which represent the highest quality ballet in (most of) its forms. I can envisage The Cellist sitting well on other companies; the RB should be aiming more often than it does currently to offer what others cannot. Until half way through yesterday there were hundreds of unsold seats in the Stalls too. The bleakest sales picture of all the shows this autumn. Then, suddenly, most of them had gone. Interestingly tonight, there appeared to be a lot of patrons in the newly sold off areas who were unfamiliar with the building and they seemed to make up the bulk of those who stood to applaud at the end (good for them on that score).

Yes - 48 hours behind the pace. Not good.

Yes - immediately they arrived.

😂 On the opening night on Don Q, at both intervals (different) couples tried to occupy the empty seats next to me. They were asked to show their tickets and were chased back to their original seats. However, last Thursday night two £40 ticket holders from Stalls Circle Row C sides successfully moved into the same £150 seats without being challenged. I think the fact that they were chatting to me might have helped them avoid detection. There is often quite a lot of movement into the side blocks of Stalls seats near the stage. Make of all that what you will! But, a word of warning. There is a patron who buys three adjacent seats for himself. People moving into what look like spares from a distant part of the House can find themselves in difficulty as he returns to claim his seats very near to curtain up after each interval.

SHOWS maybe?

Vadim put up an IG story (with curtain call photo) congratulating Alex, so he must’ve been there too (Monday). As I said up thread, it’s really nice that so many dancers are supporting their colleagues.

A good reminder, thank you 😊 ! Dame Monica had, of course, been in The Royal Ballet all her professional life whereas Alessandra Ferri will be starting afresh. Did anyone see this position advertised? Or the Directorship in Queensland? I have seen Jo’burg Ballet and Cape Town City Ballet both advertising for Directors recently but no white smoke on either front.

It's quite something to be taking on such a role at the age of 62 (in 2025) and to have to wait for nearly two years before being fully in charge. Good for her (and Wiener Staatsoper).