penelopesimpson

Yes, me too. Ten minutes would be a run!

You've obviously read the Woolf Works programme...!

I walk it every time and provided its not windy, its pretty spectacular. Don't know which is quickest - I do the bridge and then the underpass and that bit is horrid

No, Searcys went about four years ago. The 'new' ones are not as good

Agree about the coffee. I never buy it now.

Big thanks. Will have to sprint for Waterloo!

Can anyone be very kind and tell me exactly what time it ends? I am trying to work out trains and its the usual nightmare!

Ooh, I have tickets for Cojocaru on Tuesday. Can't wait.

I am sure you are right as I was only an occasional visitor at that time, but it did seem that Viviana Durante just disappeared whilst Darcey was everywhere.

I adore both Francesca and Yasmin and for my part will probably never have a favourite - just eternally grateful that RB has them. However, I do remember the Durante/Bussell era and as a major fan of Durante, I always rather felt that Bussell somewhat elbowed her out. This opinion is based on nothing at all so is more than likely wrong, but it did seem that Durante who was a wonderful dancer and, for me, much more versatile than Bussell, lost out to the 'well-connected' media friendly Bussell.

So with you on the Akram Khan production. I almost wept to see the wonderful Alina investing so much energy in passion in something so beneath her talents

My best: Edward Watson in Winter's Tale. Ditton Lauren Cuthbertson and Zenaida Yanowsky. I hope that this work is repeated regularly, rather than just given a second airing as a new work. I also loved Osipova's Giselle Worst: Strapless - a waste of my time and money and the same for RB. A big blank nothing that somebody should have pulled the plug on. Anastacia falls in the 'glad I went but never again' category. But on this hopeful first day of 2017, there is so much to look forward to and I applaud KOH for his promotion of home-grown talent and for the general direction of the company. I will even forgive his giving the go-ahead to Acosta's Carmen when DQ made it fairly obvious that this wonderful dancer does not have choreographic gifts.

What an excellent post, Floss. I am booked for the Naghdi and Ball casting but purely because I want to see these two together. I have always found Sleeping Beauty stultifyingly slow and have often wondered why it has become so ponderous that even the audience seems to get restless.

Thank-you to everybody who works at keeping the forum such a wonderful place.

A great pity. She was peerless in Winter's Tale and also as the Empress in Mayerling. Am going to book for all three Watson performances and she is in this casting so will see her then.

Well, absolutely. Nothing whatsoever against Matthew Golding who is a dancer of high calibre, but I too question why he is at RB. I just don't get it. And I'm thinking from his point of view as much as that of the audience.

This made me laugh out loud!

Me, too. I expect there will be lots of reviews and, I hope, a lot of information sharing.

Sorry, that came out wrong. As a relative novice to ballet, I am just always interested in the nuts and bolts and from where I sit in the junior seats, I am unsure of where this particular dancer, wonderful though he is, fits in to the scheme of things. I also wonder about Salenko when RB has so many wonderful female leads. I don't think these questions should be seen as in any way negative, I am just interested.

Too much hammering and banging. Especially over Christmas Week??????????

Well, I suppose you could.... The elephant in the room is surely what people aren't asking which is why exactly was he brought in to RB? This is not meant as a criticism. Although I have only seen him perform four times, he has on each occasion been exemplary in his partnering, very easy on the eye and every inch the Prince. But....(and it's a big but), is an interminable diet of Sleeping Beauty really what he wants to do and how does his particular skill set fit with RB's current repertoire and direction of travel? I would appreciate some informed comment if anybody has the inside track. I read upthread that he was bought in for Osipova but I find this hard to understand.

Oh dear. This did make me laugh! I am not a fan of Sleeping Beauty but have booked a seat for Naghdi and Ball and another for Hayward and Campbell so they better be good!

I did not see the post from Floss, so I am simply making the assumption that it was critical of Matthew Golding. As I have learnt so much from this poster and always value their insights, I am sorry that it has had to be removed. For what it's worth (and I don't have anything like Floss's knowlege) I can understand the criticism of this dancer. Yes, he has a lot going for him, not least strong partnering skills and a pleasing appearance as well as excellent technique, but his dancing has never moved me and when I book for performances I avoid his casting. That is not to cast aspersions, simply to say that he does nothing for me and his partnership with the wonderful Francesca Hayward was a disappointment. My view is that a lot of the flack he gets is because fans of RB expect and are used to a certain type of dancer and therefore feel short-changed when the person under scrutiny doesn't measure up to pre-determined aspirations. My own penchant is for lyrical emotional dancing combined with a great stage presence and an ability to take on the character which probably explains why I was in love with Kobborg and Cojocaru, live in dread of the day that Edward Watson hangs up his shoes and have huge hopes for Hayward and Naghdi and Ball. Despite my having favourites, I would say that most of the dancers have their special area where they shine so that they too are appreciated, even if one doesn't follow them slavishly. Steven Macrae comes to mind here. I did not enjoy his Romeo and worry about his Rudolf, but when it comes to cheeky chappy roles (Winter's Tale) or technical fireworks (Woolf Works), there is no-one I would rather watch. Matthews skill seems to be that he is supremely competent which is fantastic but is not, in itself, an attribute that especially attracts followers. For me it was a strange piece of recruitment given RB's current devotion to Wayne Macgregor and its reliance on Macmillan. Looking through the winter programme, I realised how little he is being used and although injury has played a part, I wonder where the future lies.

Sorry not to reply earlier. Yes, the survey came from ROH and was very different from their usual questions about the building, staff,etc. I can no longer remember the exact phrasing but it did ask the question 'would I return to see Anastacia?' to which my answer was an emphatic NO!

I was interested to receive the Anastacia survey which seemed to me to be asking the question 'should we perform it again?' For me, the answer would be no. I would book to see ACT111 as part of an evening, but I did not enjoy the complete work and think it is too flawed to be repeated with any frequency. Undoubtedly there are fans who would attend another performance but for ballet lovers like myself who have to make something of a trek to visit ROH, the cost and the time commitment are simply too great to see something I didn't really enjoy it. Maybe there are enough people to attend three performances but that wouldn't justify the rehearsal time and on-costs. For me, very occasionally only, please.