Lindsay

Thanks barton22 - yes, a different version might well account for it.

I'd be very happy if the RB signed both of them. On last night's evidence I was very impressed by him too.

Agreed Barton. Walters and Muntagirov were the only men not "faking" their double tours and the partnering was very careful rather than spectacular all night (with the honourable exception of Osipova who threw herself at Watson with true abandon). I can see why Muntagirov and Klimentova opted for a version of the Nutcracker pdd with the difficult lifts and fish dives taken out, given that she has now effectively retired, but I was a bit disappointed to see the Sleeping Beauty pdd without most of the lifts - although looking at her partner I can see why Osmolkina may well have wanted to omit them......

Spot on Capybara. The Cinderella extract was from Wheeldon's version and the solo by Ekaterina Krysanova (in an amazing leather or rubber tutu) was "Solo from Cinque" to Vivaldi, choreographed by Mauro Bigonzetti. I agree that not all pieces showed well and the "Russian Icons" connection became very tenuous at times. At least Winter Dreams is set in Russia and Connectome had Osipova dancing, but Mayerling seemed a very random choice with no Russian connection at all and I'm not sure that final scene on its own fits well into a Gala in any case. I wondered whether they had visa difficulties, which would be understandable given the current political situation, which might explain the relative dearth of Bolshoi and Mariinsky dancers compared with previous years.

Osmolkina was there and did a slightly underpowered Sleeping Beauty with Picone. Kondaurova and Zelensky were very entertaining in Scheherazade. Novikova and Kimin closed the night with a nice Don Q and Cojocaru and Kobborg did the suicide scene from Mayerling. But for me the (maybe surprising) standout was Iana Salenko and Marian Walters doing Grand Pas Classique. They have technique coming out of their ears, especially her, and a lovely stage persona together. A good night. The audience watching was as good as the show in fact - so many Romanov-style evening gowns it's as if the Revolution never happened....

Well you could say the same about the Sugar Plum Fairy who only has the pas de deux in Act 2, but some principals dance that. I personally think that a company of RB's standing should not put out dancers who are going to visibly struggle in a solo, however insignificant the role. Better to redesignate it a principal role and then principal dancers should not feel that it is beneath them to dance it. Of course management has to have an eye to morale in the company but if they are not putting out high quality performances then what is the point of any of it?

That's interesting Janet. Do you know whether ABT were using principals or soloists for the role? By the way I am under no illusion that it is an easy solo! Just interested that top ballet companies are regularly fielding dancers who can't complete it cleanly.

I also know the one that Zacharovitti means and in fact he is now with ABT Studio Company, which most people would consider a pretty good outcome!

Thanks Alison - I wondered whether it might be a technical demands thing with Yanowsky, although I think she still does Odette/Odile and the Queen of the Dryads doesn't have nearly as much jumping as Myrtha. And yes Sunrise, the RB does seem to be treating it as a soloist role but I suppose I am questioning whether that is the right thing to do if your soloists are defeated by the technical demands. Or is it the quality of the soloists? When I saw Yanowsky's Queen, Cojocaru was Amour and Nunez the Streetdancer and I'm not sure whether they were soloist or principals at the time (Rojo who was Kitri was definitely a principal). Anyway it seems that casting went deeper in terms of talent back then, yet we are always hearing about these amazing competition dancers who can do incredible tricks and come from all over the world to join the RB. So why can't they find someone who can reliably perform a series of Italian fouettes? Do other companies cast this at principal level or do they simply have better soloists?

I saw this tonight for the first time this run and the third time for the production. I'm not an admirer of McRae but can see this is a good role for him, flashy and cheeky without any real gravitas or acting required and I thought his first act was excellent. In the grand pas though he went for technical whizz over musicality and characterisation - too gimmicky and preening and the first series of tours and turns in his variation were so far off the music that it was painful to watch. But Salenko was lovely and he was a decent partner so no real complaints about the leads. Some lovely supporting performances too, Hirano played the camp for laughs very successfully as Espada and I thought Mayara Magri as Mercedes has the makings of a future Kitri. By the way, I did see Laura Morera do Kitri, back in the Ross Stretton era (standing in for an injured Cojocaru) and can confirm that she was very good so it would be nice to see that again. That other performance I loved back in 2001 was Yanowsky as a beautiful Queen of the Dryads and I wonder why she is no longer dancing that role? I have seen three different Queens in this production and they have all had serious issues. Tonight it was Fumi Kaneko, who had a very promising start with lovely phrasing, building the height of the side developpes nicely instead of going all out on the first one, but then she came to grief on the fouettes as did the other two Queens I saw in the last run. I wonder have I just been unlucky or is the RB under casting this role? I have seen three Don Qs by Russian companies in London over the years and this solo was always cleanly done and I wondered how other companies manage? Is this solo so technically difficult that it needs a principal?

Thank you Sim. I understand which is why I only asked that it should be done as soon as is convenient.

Then I would be grateful if the moderators could either "un-hide" it or explain to me the reason why they cannot as soon as may be convenient. Thank you

I give up. You would have to stretch the Acceptable Use Policy to ridiculous lengths to find that comment contravened it. I have outed nobody. Are only the moderators allowed to be critical of other people?

Thanks for that Ian Macmillan - fascinating. And a reminder of how sluggish British governments were in condemning apartheid - remember that Thatcher called the ANC terrorists and the Federation of Conservative Students wore "Hang Nelson Mandela" stickers until the mid-80s. Just because something is accepted at one stage does not mean it is ultimately right.....

I think the case is slightly different Meunier. Section 28, whilst clearly discriminatory, did not create a criminal offence and in fact no one was ever prosecuted for breaching it. Sadly this cannot said to be the case with the Russian law.

It is a complicated issue but boycotts can be a very effective tool chrischris. The international isolation of South Africa was a key factor in changing the politics of that nation. Look at the current strenuous efforts of the Israeli government to promote "Brand Israel" through its cultural institutions and you will see how concerned they are about the growing academic boycott of Israel. The Russian law passed last June prohibits the "promotion of nontraditional marital relations to minors"; effectively forbidding any discussion of LGBT issues and criminalising homosexuals as paedophiles in language which is so vague that the police can interpret it however they wish to fine or arrest Russian citizens and arrest and deport foreigners. Personally I think that anyone who believes in human rights or civil liberties would think that is worth a statement of protest at the very least. And the RB trip is not for charity. But we are perhaps being unfair. It may be that the RB management will make some kind of statement on the issue before their trip.

I'm not sure I quite understand is the point you are making Alison. Are you saying that it would be hypocrite to criticise Russia because they didn't criticise China?

I do not think it is a question of the dancers themselves having problems MAB, but a point of principle. Putin's anti-gay agenda is currently a big issue in the classical music world, with protests at Gergiev's appearances in the West (Gergiev for anyone who doesn't know is a big Putin supporter) and many performers refusing to work in Russia. I think it would be very healthy for the ballet world (which, under the cloak of being apolitical, is generally very conservative indeed) if the Royal Ballet management was to make a point of expressing support for LGBT rights in Russia, or even making gestures, like President Obama's meetings with representatives of LGBT groups when he visited St Petersburg or his deliberately choosing openly gay representatives (Billy Jean King and Caitlin Cahow) to lead the US delegation in Sochi. If the RB goes there with nothing being said and gay members of the company "flying under the radar" I think dancers should absolutely refuse to participate. It would be an absolute disgrace if any such refusal were subsequently to hinder their careers with the company. In my view art does not and cannot exist in a "neutral" vacuum. It is a product of its creators,participants and funders who are sentient beings shaped by the world they live in.

I generally avoid McRae. He always looks so very pleased with himself and it spills over into cheesy far too easily and often - technically brilliant of course but seems more suitable for a competition than a "proper" ballet. However, to be fair, I thought he toned it down quite nicely in the recent Giselle. Edited to add that I liked his Squirrel Nutkin very much - at his best inside a furry suit!

I think the difference is driven by the great distances and relatively low population density in Australia, which means that not all promising pupils can realistically access a big school within reasonable traveling distance. There are a cluster of small, private institutions serving communities on the East Coast, which have been extraordinarily successful in getting pupils to the finals of the Prix de Lausanne, Genee etc. and into the top European upper schools. Prudence Bowen Atelier, which I believe is the school Claudia Dean was talking about, is just one of those. As I understand it, pupils at those private "full-time" schools complete their academic education via distance learning. Of course, choosing to complete your schooling outside the state system is also dependent upon family income, which is another question all together...

They choose to outsource and have a say in the terms of the outsourcing agreement, which will set out the parameters within which the outsourcer will carry out the agreed services. It is always open to the client to make it a condition that the outsourcer pays the living wage.

It is not a question of stature but of the tone you adopted; it is little wonder that this board sees so few substantive discussions when people are more concerned with leaping in to police audience behaviour than thinking about the ballet (beyond the inevitable soap-opera obsession with casting and hiring and unquestioning fan worship). Edited for politeness - I typed in irritation and should not have been so frank.

Without seeing the position they were in that's a pretty rude thing to say bangorballetboy. There are places at the front of the amphi right round at the side where there is only one row and everyone always leans over, it being the one way for the whole row to see. I think it might create a more tolerant and welcoming atmosphere if the ROH regulars were not so perpetually judgmental about everything from M&S sandwiches in the foyer to the sitting positions of people they did not see.

Excellent news! And Coated, I totally agree that outsourcing is good for nobody except the shareholders of outsourcing companies....

Olivia Cowley will replace Osipova on Tuesday but she should be back by Thursday