jm365

I don't really think this gives one any idea at all of what might be in a new documentary about Nureyev! It has, after all, been shown endlessly. I would like to know what new footage they might have discovered!

Thanks for the background to Dupond - but I am still really keen to know who taught/coached him in Tricorne.

Any idea when it was filmed? And who taught Dupond? I bet Massine never would have danced it as well! But his presence would probably have made you forget.

The sad thing is that many of Bejart's ballets - especially these large scale ones that require actors and/or singers as well as dancers - are unlikely ever to be performed again. I am so lucky to have followed Bejart from the 1970s on in Brussels, Paris and Lausanne as well as his all too rare visits to London. I particularly regret that so many of the ballets were never recorded. In particular I would love to see Notre Faust and Moliere again - though whether the current Bejart Ballet Lausanne could field artists to match those who were trained and rehearsed by Bejart himself is an unknown. Gil Roman, the AD, was one of the last etoiles who actually worked with Bejart. Sorry - again off the central line of this thread - but I am so happy to see Bejart coming up for discussion!

Thanks for the information - greatly to my surprise it is going to be shown at the Watford Vue Cinema on 25th September. It will be interesting to see what the turn out is like

Nureyev was also pretty good - though I'm among those who don't ever want to see it again -- because of the 'music' rather than because of the choreography.

Sharon - I always prefer to be higher than the stalls in order to see the floor patterns of the choreography. My recent visits to BRB were both booked in the centre of Row J of the First Circle. However, given my recent experience (see my previous post), I would suggest a seat nearer the sides rather than centre because of the lack of stagger. It is of course a matter of chance who you get in front of you. For example, I had exactly the same seat for R & J two nights earlier and there was no one in front of me in Row H - perfect! But you can't rely on that every time - and for the sake of the visiting companies, I'm glad. By they way, I'm about the same height as you. I usually sit in the Second Circle at SW (price reasons), but the view from there is fine too, if you have opera glasses. As I always sit in the Amphi at the Opera House, I'm quite used to being miles from the stage.

It's not only the Coliseum! I was at Sadlers Wells last night in the First Circle for the triple bill and was originally sitting behind a very tall man - not his fault, obviously! However, the fact that seats in the middle of the auditorium are directly behind one another, it meant that the centre of the stage was totally blocked. In the interval I moved - along with quite a few other people frrom various parts and ended up on the end seats in the back row for a much better view. I must remember this when booking in future.

Having seen what sometimes feels like hundreds of performances of this ballet - from the first night right up to the last revival at the ROH, I was really engaged by the BRB version as I haven't been for ages. It was splendidly danced and acted by everyone, but Hirata and Morales were outstanding. After what I had felt to be a particularly lacklustre, unengaging and second rate Sleeping Beauty performance - despite Cojocaru and one or two others - this was a truly wonderful evening. Such a pity that the first night coincided with the live tx of Swan Lake. The audience at Sadlers Wells seemed to contain quite a few people who didn't know the ballet - my neighbours were suprised that the balcony scene came straight after the ballroom and before the interval. However, I think they all enjoyed the evening. Bravo to BRB!

Not for me personally, but I love Lescaut's black costume - and how good most of the men wearing it look in it!

I haven't yet had a chance to view my recording of Dark Knight - but I wondered how it compared with Derek Bailey's documentary of some years ago, made when MacMillan was still alive. Did anyone on the forum see that documentary - called Out Of Line? As far as I remember, that one was much more balanced.

I must speak up in defence of the lift lady at the Coliseum. I too go reasonably regularly and she now recognises me and greets me in a friendly way - but she was always pleasant, though asking to see tickets to be sure which floor people needed.

I wish that the ushers at the door of the Amphi at the ROH would take a bit more care in inspecting tickets to see that audience members are using the correct door - always specified on the ticket - so that a person who hasn't bothered to check is prevented from disturbing an entire row to reach their seat.

Mostly it's a question of money. Sports rights are very expensive and the satellite channels buy them up to attract viewers. The BBC for one cannot compete.

Like Plisetskaya, Fonteyn didn't do the fouettes, just a very fast manege. The story about Nerina is true - Nureyev did entrechat six during his performance as Albrecht in Act 2 of Giselle as he is dancing at Myrthe's command.

I expect only A|ct 1 was re-used because some production needed just one reel of tape and for some reason was issued with the Act 1 tape. Perhaps once 'someone' realised what had happened, the other two acts (on two more tapes) were saved. Sometimes these very big productions were considered too expensive for a repeat showing - the inevitable question of rights that has been discussed so often on this forum - and therefore their value as archives was sometimes ignored.

In the old days, videotape was so expensive it was frequently reused. This is what happened to Act I of SB. Noone knows who authorised either the re-use of that reel or the keeping of the remaining two thirds of it. I don't know if the production was ever sold overseas - probably not as clearing the rights would have been so expensive. I also doubt if anyone set up a cinecamera in front of a screen at home, which is one of the other reasons some episodes of popular serials survived. We are talking of the days before any kind of home video recording was available.

Some of us made forceful protests on the day - and notice was taken. I think it was a case of inexperience at the beginning. The latest series of masterclasses was much better from a technical point of view.

With reference to the discussion on another thread about replacing or adding to original choreography, especially Swan Lake, would Ondine be one of Ashoton's ballets where it might be allowable to re-choreograph some sections? Or is the fact that this ballet was created so much more recently a reason for leaving it untouched?

Lynn Seymour as Juliet and Giselle Alexander Grant as Alain, looking at the ring when he realises Lise will never be his. Almost anybody in the last section of Song dof the Earth. Beriosova and her partners at the end of Enigma Variations (Derek Rencher and ANOther - to whom I apologise for forgetting his name) Fonteyn in Giselle Durante and Mukhamedov at the end of one very special performance of Manon

Thanks, Shade. I will look out for it.

could you please give the actual title of the book - I am always interested in new items about Diaghilev.

Maybe repeat rights have lapsed.

IMHO No pieces are missable and yes, do go for both programmes! Even if you are outside London, Paquita is well worth seeing twice and you might get a different cast anyway.

I know with certainty it has in one case.