GTL

"They are doubly blessed by employees who haven't a clue where anything is. When I need to ask a question i try to find the oldest employee - the youngsters are too busy saying "no problem" without even a notion to what the problem is". That's interesting. We're not big on customer service here in England but the staff in quite a few of the large stores are trained to interrupt their work (unless they're on a till) and escort the customer to the product.

A sacrificial victim, savage rituals, a primitive society – definitely not.

I have long believed that the Royal Opera House plans its programmes around its catering arrangements. It's quite interesting to note as you return to your seat (well after the five-minute bell if you have an aisle seat near a door) how many of the diners are still eating. My suspicion is that the house lights don't go down until they return to their seats. It seems the majority are being kept waiting for the convenience of the affluent few who can afford to eat there. I think the Amphitheatre Restaurant would be better-used if its offer during performances was less rigid and it remained open post-performance, say to midnight, along with a late-licence bar. Personally, I would much prefer to socialise afterwards if the running-times could be reduced. Naomi M, the under-provision of ladies' loos is an ongoing problem in London theatres too: we need more female architects and better biology lessons for the males!

As a mere ballet-goer, I sympathise with your dilemma as parents of dancers and am very grateful for the efforts you make. Years ago, I knew someone who had auditioned for the Royal Ballet School in the late 1960s. She said that the RBS had offered a place but told her mother that she would grow to 5’6’’ and would have to leave them after about two years. Her mother declined it and told her she had been unsuccessful in the audition. She did indeed grow to 5’7’’ with the build of a contemporary dancer, but had no lingering interest in dance at all. Discussing it with me the day after her mother had finally come clean, she was absolutely certain her mother had acted in her best interests and did not think she would regret the decision, but she could not help wondering, “What if?”. I never heard her mention it again, so it looks as though her mother did know best.

Will the Paris Opera Ballet box office will be bombarded with requests to see Natalie Portman dancing “Black Swan”?

Just looking at the DanceTabs / Flickr photos has reduced me to tears, I don't think I could take a whole DVD.

“People going once a year to the ballet would then look out for her name, as it was one they knew, making a positive feedback loop in her fame.” (Post # 4). I agree, and it applied to a good few of the corporate guests I overheard at the Royal Opera House. “I had seen her dance and enjoyed her performances but she did not move my soul in the way that other dancers have.” (Post # 16). This is how I too felt about her. I never chose to attend her performances for her own presence, but because there was some other dancer or aspect of the show I wanted to see. I think she was unusual in the Royal Ballet in that dramatic skills were not her forte in a company of strong dramatic dancers and repertoire. The agent factor intrigues me: those who make their living as guest artists need an agent but how many young dancers or permanent company members are likely to have one?

The London Evening Standard of 17 January 2013 carried a report which gave prominence to the participation of Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of English National Ballet, in the “Making London Even Greater” debate hosted by the Standard and Google. She is reported as saying that non-EU dancers whose English-language skills are deemed inadequate at the Border Agency examination are unlikely to be granted visas for employment here, despite the relative irrelevance to their job, and that renewals, including that of Yonah Acosta whose visa expires soon, are at risk. The Standard gives some direct quotes from her: “Our ballet companies and orchestras are very diverse because we have been able to really offer the jobs on a meritorious basis.” “Now they have to do certain exams and have a certain level of English that most Russians and Cubans might not be able to speak. I am finding I am unable to offer jobs to these international artists.” “We might find that in 20 years’ time we will not have the next Carlos Acosta, we will not have these amazing artists that make our city such an amazing place.” http://www.standard....te-8455569.html

I use a £9.95 pair of 8x21 binoculars from Muji. They are light, small enough for a handbag or gent's pocket, and do the job for me in theatres the size of the Royal Opera House and London Coliseum. They have a shop in Long Acre, London WC2, and their website is www.muji.eu, hope the link works for you. http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=6&Sub=32&PID=2751

You can see the view from the Royal Box for yourself on the Royal Opera House's auditorium tour (not the backstage tour), also the mirror installed to reflect the stage view to those seated behind the front row, installed when Queen Victoria asked her ladies-in-waiting their opinion of the show and discovered they couldn't see it. I have seen Princess Margaret sitting in the front row of the Grand Tier on a private visit - definitely no curtains - and also centre Grand Tier at a gala with Diana, who was then HRH the Princess of Wales. At Dame Ninette de Valois's 90th birthday gala, the Queen sat with her mother and sister in the centre of the Grand Tier. They rose at the end to applaud Dame Ninette and continued to stand, so we in the stalls stood throughout her speech (very entertaining but very long). When I saw the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh use the Royal Box a few years ago (the Royal Ballet's 75th birthday show?), a lot of the audience seemed oblivious to her presence - not when they played the national anthem at the start, everyone stood, but when she returned after the interval and when she left at the end. A sign of the times?

http://www.roh.org.uk/venues/main-stage/sections/balcony-right/positions/a-60/stage-view will show you your excellent view and http://www.roh.org.u...0/position-view shows you your seat. Sorry I can't manage to paste it here.

Aileen, I only overheard American lady's remark and the start of her apology to her neighbour as I passed on my way out, so I don't know how the conversation continued. As it came at the end of Raymonda and I was aware it wasn't the corps' finest hour, I felt pretty sure it was a comment on its quality, the cast changes being old news by then. Meunier, thanks especially for your transatlantic input. Glad to hear Pittsburgh Ballet's reputation survived their encounter with “Flashdance”, but I think our American lady would have upgraded the RB dancers from the bus to limo if she was being complimentary. Re Albert Evans: somewhere on the web Peter Martins is quoted as saying he was a favourite with foreign choreographers at NYCB. It just shows what a difference local or expert knowledge makes! Paul, I didn't mean to criticise NYCB, I'm not qualified to do so, I'm just trying to rationalise my response to them in the context of the topic. As you say, given time and more exposure, I might appreciate them better.

It used to be a favourite of student drama societies, I don't know whether it's still in fashion but it might be worth trying the universities.

Nureyev did "The Tempest" for Anthony Dowell at the Royal Ballet in the early eighties but it was very short-lived.

I'm sure this was discussed on the old forum but I can't find anything on this one. It is prompted by some of the discussion on the threads “Commenting on reviews”, “Royal Ballet Firebird/In the Night/Raymonda Act III bill” and “Do professional critics write for their perceived audiences?” but mainly by a comment made at the end of the last night of the Raymonda triple bill at the Royal Opera House. As the house lights came up, a lady with an American accent said, “If they did that in New York, they'd be on the bus to Pittsburgh.” She has every right to express an opinion, especially a witty one, and no rudeness was intended: her remark was addressed only to her companion and she apologised profusely when she realised others had heard. Though my only involvement with the ballet world is as a spectator, the Royal Ballet is my home team and my unvoiced, instinctive reaction was outrage – but it has got me thinking. In the course of that evening I had:- initially regretted the many cast substitutions but realised that the replacements were dancers I am happy to watch; seen nothing to condemn and much to admire in the first and second pieces; enjoyed the solos in “Raymonda”, especially those by the replacement dancers, and decided the ensemble dancers were having an “off” day, perhaps due to the many last-minute revisions, despite the presence in the ranks of many I admire as individual dancers. I look to the London visits of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi as setting the gold standard and I have seen enough to know which of them is in the doldrums and which riding high – and how that changes over the years. However, I appreciate the fact that the Royal Ballet draw their dancers from a wider range of physiques, which is obviously going to affect the impact of the corps. Because I have come to recognise and appreciate the individual Royal Ballet dancers, especially through their roles in the more dramatic works, I excuse the lack of uniformity but should foreign visitors do so? Is it for the same reason that I thought English National Ballet's “Sleeping Beauty” London first night superior to the Mariinsky one I saw here about six years ago? I certainly enjoyed ENB's much more. The New York City Ballet's visit here a few years ago disappointed me. They dance fast and they're very thin and Balanchine is great and I'd love to see them do “Western Symphony” again but I missed the individuality I see at the RB or ENB and the grace and intensity of the Russians. It was really good to see legends like Wendy Whelan, Albert Evans, Damian Woetzel, not so good to see some of their other icons – but if those others had been long-serving ballerinas whose careers I had followed, I would have been more tolerant. One of the best things about this forum is the positive and mature level of debate so I'm definitely not advocating more venom, but there might be a good outcome from the American lady's comment after the RB “Raymonda III”: Tamara Rojo was seated immediately in front of her so if she heard it, we can expect a humdinger of a “Raymonda III” from ENB this summer. The forum has enough non-London members to refute any suggestion that it is a Royal Ballet fan club, how do you assess your local companies against the visiting? Anyone want to defend the honour – or honor – of Pittsburgh?

Let's hope the Coliseum revises the website description, it currently gives no indication of what's in store for the unsuspecting.

I think that most of the audience felt the same at the curtain calls: I reckon the loudest acclaim was for the orchestra, for Vadim Muntagirov and for the company. In general, though, it was a really impressive evening and ENB's Director and her predecessor can take great pride in that achievement.

Or even Laurencia. Can't edit it above. I shouldn't try to post at this hour of the night.

I haven't seen Laurentia, is it suitable for children? Could you get away with giving them a bowdlerised version of the plot?

I saw Antoinette Sibley dance this wonderfully with Nureyev and the RB. I think she might have done it this way, i remember fluttering fingers rather than claps. I also saw Sylvie Guillem dance it spectacularly but, rather incongruously, she appeared not to be wearing any tights with her sparkly white tutu.

I'll kick off, Siana. You've probably found the official website http://www.roh.org.uk/ . There is a help page http://www.roh.org.uk/help to steer you through the process but I would recommend http://www.roh.org.uk/visit/tickets as a good place to start. When it comes to choosing what to see, I ignore the “What's on” link at the top, it's faster to scroll down to the black section at the bottom and click on “Ballet 2012/13”, which takes you to the performance schedule on the page http://www.roh.org.uk/news/201213-season-announced-ballet-and-dance. From that page you can click through to more detailed information and then book online. The best place to sit is very subjective – and many on this forum prefer to stand but that comes with experience! My feeling is that the music sounds best from the front of the amphitheatre, which is the highest tier of this theatre. You see the patterns of the choreography to full effect but you need to take small binoculars or opera glasses (your own, none for hire nowadays) in order to see facial expressions and costume details. It is steeply raked, so best avoided by anyone susceptible to vertigo, or indeed with a train to catch as it takes ages to exit at the end of the show. The most luxurious view is from the Grand Tier, amongst the corporate guests, but if you choose a “mixed bill”, that is a programme comprising several short pieces rather than one long ballet like “Swan Lake”, the seat prices are considerably cheaper and you are likely to see more of the company's top dancers than in a single full-evening work. Overall, there are seats at hugely varying prices, ease of access, levels of comfort and visibility – even a few non-viewing seats for those interested in only the music. The view from each is shown when you book online but if you can get to the Royal Opera House easily I suggest you go along to the Box Office and talk to the staff, otherwise phone them. They could also advise you on getting hold of cheap tickets as first-time attendees. Whether you book online or in person, beware of the 15th January 2013, which is the first day of public booking for the next batch of performances: there will probably be long queues at the Box Office and heavy traffic on the website. Wherever you decide to sit, the intervals last long enough for you to explore the foyers: make sure you see the photographic displays outside the Orchestra Stalls and Amphitheatre and the lovely chandeliers and mirrors in the Crush Room. If you have the whole day to spare, consider booking the two official tours: the 10 30 am backstage tour sometimes gets you a glimpse of the whole ballet company in class and the auditorium tour promises you the Royal Box – which is usually on sale to the public for performances but has a poor view of the stage. Happy ballet-going.

"Even though most of us will never meet, we all come on here at any time of day or night and find the thoughts, opinions and advice of people we trust, admire, or just plain like. " So true. Many thanks and congratulations to Bruce Marriott and the committee, merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all.

Johan Persson, a Royal Ballet principal about 10 years ago, is used a lot as official photographer by the National Theatre.

On the left-hand side of the entrance to the Stalls (i.e. only accessible during performances) there is a display of a few photos taken backstage by some of the dancers. They are for sale but well worth a look for those of us who can’t afford to buy.

This evening’s first night Nutcracker at the London Coliseum was very well received by the audience, Daria and Vadim were absolutely radiant, and at the curtain call, Tamara Rojo appeared on stage to announce the Vadim’s promotion to the highest rank in the company for a dancer, “lead principal”.