Marieve

Sorry taxi4ballet, didn't mean to be chippy! Was already on my high horse

I wasn't referring to state subsidies, I was just making the point that the company itself remains british regardless of the fact that it now employs many foreign born members of staff

With regards to "money being tight", I just thought I'd point out that ENB receives around £6 million from the Arts Council every year. That's not an astronomical amount of money when you consider that the UK defence budget is £33 billion this year. And that £10 million was found from the public purse for an ex prime minister's funeral a couple of weeks ago. For just a few hours out of one day. And that the Olympic opening ceremony cost the taxpayer £27 million. Again, this was for just one day. Same goes for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations that cost around £1.3 billion and was funded by the taxpayer. And for the Royal Wedding of 2011 that cost £20 million. Without getting into politics, and without criticising the expenditure on any of the above events, you cannot really argue that the £6 million that ENB receives as their yearly budget is unaffordable when you consider the amount of public money that is made available for these high profile and often controversial one off events.

That seems rather disingenuous. It is is not remotely absurd to say that without funding, ENB will struggle to survive.

Surely if ENB is based in Britain and performs mainly in Britain to mostly British audiences, it is a British company? :-/ Wetherspoons may have many international staff working in its chain of pubs nowadays but that doesn't mean it is no longer a British company.

Sim, I am going to see Thiago Soares in the June 1 matinee! Even more excited about it now

Thanks for the advice and apologies for the late reply, got a very demanding toddler monopolising my attention! Alison, I hadn't thought of the library but will see if they have it. My local one does have some ballet DVDs but they tend to be fairly old productions ie from 30 years ago or more but then again maybe you can request DVDs to be ordered in, the way you can with books :-/ Think you are right that it's worth renting rather than buying first - I regret buying the ABT Swan Lake because I found the set too garish and the whole production lacking in atmosphere. Have never felt any desire to watch it again after the first viewing! Grand Tier Left and jm365, I will probably go for the 1994 version because it's easier to get hold of to rent as well as cheaper to buy but perhaps it's the better choice anyway if Kenneth Macmillan was personally involved Really looking forward to seeing it both on DVD and for real!

Hi, I'm going to see Mayerling for the first time in June and as I'm not familiar with the plot, I thought it might be a good idea to watch it on DVD first so when I go to see it live I'll have a reasonable idea of what's going on and who is who. Have just had a look on amazon and noticed that there is quite a big price difference between the 1994 version with Irek Mukhamedov and the more recent one with Edward Watson. I'm dithering about whether to go for the cheaper option (this would be my natural impulse) or to pay much more for what would presumably be a clearer picture and, therefore, an easier viewing experience? When I've seen ballets on film from earlier eras (early 80s and before), I've found the 'fuzziness' of the picture quite offputting and it all seems too distant and flat, somehow. I've got the Rojo/Acosa Romeo & Juliet and Manon DVDs and love how beautifully clear they are. Would a 1994 DVD be very different in terms of clarity or would there not be too much difference? Or is one version so superior to the other that higher price or poorer quality picture doesn't matter?? Would be grateful for any opinions

When I saw the recent Macmillan triple bill, it felt as though coughing and spluttering was taking the place of applause during Requiem. Honestly, it almost sounded like a deliberate chorus of loud coughing whenever a section of dance finished and really detracted (I felt) from the atmosphere I ended up feeling that applause would have been less intrusive and distracting. This triple bill sounds fab and the photos are gorgeous

Oops, just realised that the last sentence of my other post could read as a little sarcastic - honestly wasn't meant that way! Writing on my phone and not able to preview posts very easily.

Interesting. Is there a general consensus on which dancers in a company are a better choice for, say, Swan Lake as opposed to more modern or dramatic roles? When I booked for Romeo and Juliet a few months ago, it seemed like a no brainer to opt for Alina Cojocaru as she's such a big star. There were just so many casts to choose from and not knowing anything about the majority of them did put me off, as a clueless newcomer to ballet watching.

Right, it's definitely binoculars rather than opera glasses then! Thanks for the very helpful advice on which particular types work best for ballet viewing. I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't even realised that they came in such a varied format. It will be fantastic to have these posts to refer to when I'm trying to pick something. Thank again Ooh only eight weeks to go!!! I will report back, probably just to say it was an amazing night. Wouldn't have a clue about the quality of the dancing, someone would probably have to fall over for me to register any flaws

Thank you very much, everybody, for the very helpful advice and also for the welcomes and encouragement Am definitely going to get some cheapo binoculars now, to see how I get along with them in July. Actually, I'll probably get two pairs as it might feel a little rude to be using them myself while my companion (sister) only has the normal view of the stage... Alison, a guide for newbies would be wonderful. I'm amazed to hear that people lurk for years without ever posting - then again, I lurked for aaages and only registered in order to post the binoculars query.

Definitely not frightened off! As an ignorant newbie, it's good to know What Not To Do at the ballet I really had no idea that leaning forward even slightly could affect the person behind you's view so much. Beryl, your post about being lost without your binoculars in row J is swaying me towards getting some now. I'm just thinking that as a non Londoner who'll only be able to see the RB occasionally, it would be a real shame not to make the absolute most of this occasion. I'm pathetically excited about it, especially Les Noces. When I was deciding whether to see it and had a quick look at the RB recording on YouTube, the music honestly sent a chill down my spine and moved me to tears, even though I have no idea what they were singing about! I really can't wait to see it live.

Thanks very much for the replies It's reassuring to hear that the acting should still come across, even from a distance. It does sound, from all your posts, that the opera glasses can be more trouble than they're worth. Hmm... Aileen, I hadn't even thought about the issue of binocular etiquette! It sounds like the woman who complained about you leaning forward to look into the orchestra pit was being a little unreasonable though. It's one thing if someone's doing that for several minutes on end and spoiling your view for quite a while but a minute, surely, is forgivable! I wonder why the ROH don't have those little opera glasses that are attached to the seats? I was taken to see Les Sylphides and a couple of other short ballets at either Sadlers Wells or the ROH back in 1985 when I was nine and remember using the theatre's own opera glasses to better see the 'action' on stage. It seemed like such a good idea.

Hello, I'm very new to theatre going in general, never mind ballet, and was wondering if anyone had any advice on the need (or not) for opera glasses at the Royal Opera House?? I'm going to see Birthday Offering/A Month In The Country/Les Noces in July and will be in row J of the amphitheatre. The only other time I've seen a ballet at the ROH was from the stalls, so I could see everything that was going on really clearly. I've suddenly started panicking a bit about how much I'll actually be able to see from where I'm sitting when I go in July! I know absolutely nothing technically about ballet so don't feel a need to see the dancers' feet close up but I am wondering whether not being able to see their faces clearly will spoil things, especially in A Month In The Country where the acting is important? Do you think opera glasses are a necessity from the amphitheatre? Would be really grateful for any advice/opinions!