Timmie

I realised pretty early on that my seat in front row Orchestra Stalls was not the best for Scenes (excellent for the other three ballets though). That, plus Floss’s comment: “Antoinette Sibley said that … it was not a good ballet to open a mixed bill because it was difficult for an audience to come to cold” probably explains why I was a bit disappointed with Scenes. Fantastic posts Floss you are really helping my ballet education!

I'm looking forward to seeing this in Milton Keynes in a few weeks - pleased to hear ENB do the prologue!

Yes last night was really very good. It started slightly low for me as I had had really high hopes for Scenes de Ballet but was a tiny bit disappointed. The dancing was technically wonderful but I didn’t feel that much emotion in it – maybe that is the nature of that ballet or maybe it was just me not yet being in the mood after the journey in… Helen Crawford was superb in Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan (a very long name for a very short ballet!). She really did have the emotional content. Loved it. Highlight of the night was definitely Symphonic Variations. This was the first time I had seen Vadim Muntagirov and I can see what all the fuss is about – fantastic long lines and superb poise. Everyone was tremendous in this and I was really impressed by Yasmine Naghdi more than holding her own alongside Nunez and Choe. I think Yasmine has been one of the dancers I’ve enjoyed watching most this year, from Sleeping Beauty to Giselle to Symphonic Variations. Before last night I’d not really ‘got’ Zenaida Yanowsky (to be fair I’d not seen in her in that much where she had a chance to shine) but in A Month in the Country she really showed what she’d got. Real emotional content and feeling was what won me over – plus excellent dancing of course! Judging from the fact that her applause at the end was the loudest of the night she has a lot of fans.

I am also a Friend who did not receive the discount email. I fully understand why they sometimes need to reduce prices to shift seats but not telling me about it is very annoying. I have one (full price) Manon ticket but would quite happily go again. If I am on schedule I'll ask at the box office tomorrow why they didn't email me.

And you were right. Thanks for posting. I've not watched yet - looking forward to watching it tonight. I've bought my 'must see' Swan Lake tickets for the next six months and I'm now deciding on my 'would like to see' ones, this'll help.

I was at the Somova/Kim Swan Lake last night and I’m still on an emotional high. After seeing Alina Somova on TV at Christmas in the Nutcracker and hearing about how good the Mariinsky corps are I went with very high expectations. My hopes were exceeded. Keep in mind I am still a ballet noob (maybe some day I’ll be able to stop saying that…) and I cannot recognise the finer points of ballet to critique, but the whole thing was stunning. Act 1 scene 1 maybe was a bit uninteresting but the appearance of Xander Parish in the pas de trois was a nice bonus after seeing/hearing/reading so much about him lately. When the swans appeared though, it was jaw dropping. So beautiful and so perfect. (I liked the way the model swans were synchronised with the entrance and exits of the corps and Odette, maybe other productions do this but it was nicely done by the Mariinsky). There’s not much to say about the corps swans except they seemed like perfection to me. The Bolshoi corps de ballet last year scared me a bit because they seemed so clone like and I was afraid the Mariinsky would be like that, but whilst the Mariinsky corps appeared and moved as one it seemed so natural it was just entrancing. The lady sitting next to me claimed that the Mariinsky corps are the best in the World and I don’t think I will argue with that. The four cygnets were the best I’ve ever seen (DVD/YouTube/live). The black swan pas de deux was excellent, though the fouettes were not quite what I would have hoped for. The rest was top notch. I liked it and it will keep a smile on my face for quite a while yet.

Brilliant. Thanks for that. I was a bit puzzled why I hadn't recognised the Song Bird Fairy as I am sure I have seen Miss Hayward before. I shall amend my cast list!

I was at yesterday’s matinee and it was a generally excellent cast all round. Thiago Soares was out due to injury (get well soon), but I certainly had no complaints with his replacement, Federico Bonelli. Yuhui Choe was extremely graceful as the Crystal Fountain fairy and a dancer I don’t feel I have seen much of before before was Francesca Hayward as the Song Bird fairy, she was really fluid and just seemed to flow across the stage. Elizabeth McGorian was fearsome as Carabosse and from my front row seat ( I treated myself!) I could hear her hiss as she did various mean things to the rest of the cast. She also enjoyed the boos at the curtain calls! And of course the dancing of Miss Nuñez was stupendous and the crowd went wild for her various bows throughout the show. Another dancer I had not really noticed before was Elizabeth Harrod who was very watchable as one of Florestan’s sisters (Beatriz S-B as the other sister was of course lovely throughout). Yuhui Choe and Valentino Zucchetti as Princess Florine and the Bluebird were fantastic. I had not seen Miss Choe for quite some time and had forgotten quite how good she was. Valentino Zucchetti was yet another new dancer to me and his BB was phenomenal, probably the best dancing moment of the show. Surprisingly the best bit for me was the Act 2 cello solo. Where I was sitting probably had something to with it… The cello soloist was literally right in front of me so I mostly watched him with Miss Nuñez a beautiful part of my peripheral vision – stunning. When I got home I watched the Cuthbertson SB recording and the opening shots showed what I am sure was the same cello player in the orchestra pit so I’ll be able to re-live that bit!

Hurrah! I was wondering where the pictures were. Lovely .

Bruce, that is definitely a chuckle-worthy post , but I am afraid my vote is a: "Dislike for being a meanie ". I am too nice to ever dislike someone and if I was ever disliked I'd be mortified with hours of follow-up soul searching as to where I went wrong . Oh, and it would have to be un-anonymous so I could get my revenge...

Well I really love the prologue fairies, I especially enjoy the finger variation and I thought Claudia Dean did this really well, both strong and pretty. The Rose Adagio was beautifully done (to my still-learning eyes) and really shows Cuthbertson’s superb lines. Miss Cuthbertson’s scene where Aurora pricks her finger was quite moving and despite knowing what was about to happen I couldn’t help but wish someone could move a bit faster and stop her! Her swooning/collapsing scene along with that fantastic piece of musical accompaniment was quite emotional. Beatriz Stix-Brunell and Yasmine Naghdi were perfectly matched and cast as Florestan’s sisters – though one of them, Miss Naghdi I think, had a skid at front right of stage, it didn’t put her off her stride though. The Cuthbertson/Golding grand pdd was excellent, their lines really complement one another, I guess they must have had little practice together but it really didn’t show. All in all very pleased with my first live Sleeping Beauty and very much looking forward to seeing Nuñez/Soares and Osipova/Golding. It should be a fantastic contrast between Cuthbertson/Nuñez/Osipova, three very wonderful but very different ballerinas. Edit: Sim, I was typing my post as you were posting yours (and I am a slow typer). It looks like we are in agreement (except that SB may be my favourite ballet!). You choose your words so much more eloquently though .

Hi Alison, I was just about to start one! I’ll post some more later but I just wanted to kick off this thread by saying Lauren Cuthbertson was total perfection in today’s matinee. I loved the whole thing so much and cannot wait to go again.

Mayerling is the bonkers one for me . Trying to keep track of all the female characters and enjoy the dancing drove me bonkers!

Nice one. Thanks John.

I am glad you enjoyed it Willie. I saw the Sofia National Ballet Swan Lake at Milton Keynes (not quite as exotic as Sofia) and that was also Marta Petkova and Nikola Hadjitanev. I thought their Swan Lake was really good. I went to two performances of the Bolshoi Swan Lake at the ROH a week or two after the Sofia and whilst the Bolshoi were technically superior I still found I enjoyed the Sofia more.

Be careful Aileen, I can’t really afford the Stalls on a regular basis but the Chroma mixed bill seats were only £40 for Row A at the ROH so I tried it and now I’m addicted! It’s a very different experience. I think I prefer front row Amphi for the better view but front row Stalls makes for exciting viewing! Above posts are spot on. I heard people in Row B at the ROH complaining (to each other) at the interval that they couldn’t see but at the Coli the children in the Stalls row behind me for The Nutcracker had no problems. And another point, at the ROH in Row A I couldn’t see the dancers’ feet and I’m an average height male. Not a huge problem but a minor irritation.

Ah, Don Q Fan, that made me laugh out loud ! I only started watching Ballet properly a year ago and I know just what you mean. I saw three Swan lakes last year and can't wait until the Autumn for the ENB SL.

You're probably right - I need to get out of the 'performances seen' forum more often and look at the rest of the forums .

Thanks for posting this Alison. It is very tempting! Is there some way the mods/admin could set up a standard way of reporting ticket offers as I found this just by browsing randomly? Maybe a 'sticky' on the 'performances seen' forum that posters could just add to?

I think that warm up was for Symphony in C (?), either way the book gives a good insight as to the fact that some pieces are not necessarily hard in themselves but hard because of where they come in a performance. The book is definitely a fascinating read with the ballet descriptions by Luke Jennings then the 'view from the wings' by Deborah.

I’m reading the Faber Pocket Guide to Ballet at the moment and in it Deborah Bull says “It is, quite simply, the most terrifying dance in the ballet repertoire”. With a live broadcast it must be totally terrifying!

I totally agree, I though Act 4 was superb. I was quite misty eyed come the end! The beautiful mime in this act really makes it for me, SL without mime is OK, but not the same. I'm also noticing Itziar Mendizabal more and more these days, in this, in Don Quixote and in the recent run of Jewels (Emeralds). And, is there any particular reason why eight of the swan maidens are in black tutus?

Thanks all, my curiosity is suitably satisfied.

For the RB Nutcracker what do they do about the choral part during the Waltz of the Snowflakes? In the ENB Nutcracker at the London Coli they had a choir of children in a box (no, not a cardboard box, you know what I mean!). Just curious as to what the RB do.

Unlike most I preferred Emeralds, a very different 'feel' to anything else I've seen. Are there any other ballets of the style of Emeralds I can look out for?