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Anna C

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Posts posted by Anna C

  1. On 28/01/2024 at 08:14, DVDfan said:

    Can I suggest that, given that discussion of certain schools has to be suspended for the time being, that the Mods pin a thread titled something like " Who to contact if you have concerns about a school"? I know this information is on one of the existing pinned threads, but I think it might be helpful to have it up separately.

     

    I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank the Mods for their work in running this very informative forum.


    Thank you, DVDfan.  To limit the number of pinned threads at the top of Doing Dance, I’ve added the information into this pinned thread:

     

     

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  2. On 19/01/2024 at 17:16, Jan McNulty said:

     

    Do we have any access members on the Forum who wouldn't mind explaining the system?

     

    I had an older friend many years ago who was disabled.  She used to ring the box office to book.


    I’m an access member.  We have to sign into our ROH account before booking, in order to get any discount and/or free companion seat we may be eligible for.  Because I’m not a Friend, my booking day is the same as the General Public.

     

    I *think* that the only seats not visible to everyone except Access Members are wheelchair spaces, as the seats available to me on booking day are the same regardless of whether I’m signed in.  So I certainly don’t think the ROH holds back regular seats for access members (but I don’t use my wheelchair at the ROH so never need to book a w/chair space there).

     

    What usually happens with wheelchair spaces is that if they’re not sold by a certain time, they are released to the general public and a chair/loose seat is placed in the wheelchair space.

     

    This is different to the Barbican, where a certain number of seats at sold out productions are kept greyed out so that Access Members can book them.

     

     

    • Thanks 5
  3. I think we need that moment of light relief in Manon, to be honest.  As much as I admire Mayerling, it can be a depressing watch, and being based on historical events - as opposed to adapting a novel - comedy in Mayerling really would be jarring.  
     

    Manon is extraordinarily moving and heartbreaking, but at least we have that moment of comedy to prevent that descent into darkness that Mayerling takes us to.  I’d rather leave the theatre in a weepy and emotional state than in a gloomy and depressed one! 

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  4. Mixed feelings reading everyone’s excellently descriptive reviews of Naghdi and Bracewell’s debuts - delight for them and for all of you who got to watch, sadness that I won’t get to see them, and disappointment that they haven’t been given the live stream this time.

     

    Let’s hope that Kevin O’Hare casts them together again in 3 years time.

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  5. 3 hours ago, Silver Capricorn said:

    According to Abbé Prévost, the Knight Des Grieux was 17 years old when he first met Manon, she was a little younger, but according to him much more experienced.  She was on her way to the convent, where her parents had sent her to put an end to her love of pleasure.


    So still probably no older than 16 then - and isn’t Des Grieux the narrator?  Possibly not the most unbiased or reliable narrator, being a man.  
     

    I’m glad MacMillan gives us a more romantic portrayal of DG, and I wouldn’t change anything about the ballet, but it’s a little disappointing to see Manon still being described reductively as a slut/conniving and so on, given her age and that the whole story was originally told from a man’s point of view.

    • Like 5
  6. 19 hours ago, Roberta said:

    I also think the role at the RBS may well be a poisoned chalice in the short term, with all the publicity which is bound to ensue pending probable up coming court action, so an excellent PR person is also needed,  though in the interest of not prejudicing any possible hearings we need to not discuss here any details. 


    This is a pertinent point, and it *may* be that we need to put any discussion of RBS/The AD/allegations of malpractice on hold here; something that may mean locking and/or hiding threads.  
     

    Should this be necessary (and please bear with us while we discuss), please understand that we would be taking the decision in line with our legal obligations, just as we have with other institutions.  
     

    Many thanks,

     

    Anna C on behalf of Balletcoforum Moderators.

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  7. Ugh.  Life has been depressing enough since 2020 without this news.  
     

    I just want Fille (and Ashton in general) back on the ROH stage.  It’s not as if nobody’s dancing Fille any more; my daughter is currently living in Seoul and recently saw the most delightful performance of Fille - same costumes, everything except naughty Peregrine the pony.  We said she shouldn’t have to go halfway round the world to see Ashton!

     

    • Like 19
  8. To those in Doing Dance who celebrate Christmas, I just wanted to wish you all a Happy one.  
    It’s been an unusually eventful and stressful time in ballet training over the last year, what with investigations, TV programmes etc, and I just wanted to thank you all for your input, and most of all, for being so supportive towards each other.  
     

    Our wonderful Chair Sim Dixon will write her customary New Year’s message to all on the forum, but for now, a Merry (and restful) Christmas from me.  
     

    Best wishes,

     

    Anna C

    • Like 11
  9. From a personal and parental point of view, I think the important thing to remember is that without people coming forward, journalists investigating, and lawyers “touting for business”, the cases of abuse and mistreatment in, for example, gymnastics, would not have been brought to light, and therefore no inquiry and no change would have happened.

     

    Of course nobody’s saying that there are no happy students at any of these schools, or even that the allegations are being made by the majority of students, but at the end of the day, even one student leaving (or being assessed out of) a UK vocational school with an eating disorder/severe mental health problems etc due to (alleged) mistreatment is one too many. 
     

    If this eventually leads to an inquiry, and positive change in the ballet world, surely that’s a good thing, in the long term?  Not just for students, but for the schools themselves?

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  10. I appreciate your thoughts, BalletP, and I’m glad to hear that your child is happy and thriving at her vocational school.  
     

    A gentle reminder though, that whether the comments are negative or positive, we can and should only speak for our own child/ren, not “the absolute majority” of their peers/classmates.  That goes against the “hearsay” rules of the forum.

    • Like 1
  11. 4 hours ago, Kerfuffle said:

    What’s worrying is the fact that in spite of these reports  schools are still getting outstanding ofsteds, luring the parents into a false sense of security. 


    And that’s the schools who ARE inspected by OFSTED or the ISI.  We’ve been saying for a long time that 16+ “schools” are not subject to compulsory inspections in the same way that 11+ schools are, and are therefore slipping through a gap.

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  12. 4 minutes ago, offmenu said:

    I might be in the minority but I was surprised by how much I loved Thomas Whitehead's Drosselmeyer. I felt the love for his nephew was so apparent and so touching, and his desperation in Act One paid off so beautifully once Clara and Hans-Peter were united in the snow scene...I felt how much he adored them both. Maybe that interpretation that was supported by his interview clip at the beginning of the relay


    I liked his portrayal too.  Nobody will ever beat Gary Avis’s Drosselmeyer for me, but I was pleasantly surprised by Thomas Whitehead.

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  13. Our screen was full last night, which is a first since pre-Covid.  I loved seeing the full cohort of snowflakes, but I do wish we’d been able to watch them from a slightly higher viewpoint.  
     

    Some really beautiful dancing; I was particularly impressed with Leo Dixon, and thought his partnership with Sophie Allnatt was promising.  
     

    I’m always delighted to see Isabella Gasparini and thought she was joyous as Rose Fairy.  
     

    I do wish people would give Darcey a break; yes, she struggles with the autocue sometimes (isn’t she dyslexic?) but Petroc (which autocorrects as “Petrochemical on my iPad 😂) Trelawney’s smooth delivery is a good backup for her.  It’s always nice to see her chatting with Kevin O’Hare, Gary Avis et al, and particularly lovely to see clips of her coaching, where - in her natural environment - she is free to be eloquent and energetic.

     

    Did I miss it, or was there no glitter fall from above during the transformation scene?

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  14. Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think the contrast in their looks is very attractive. And we audience members have our favourite dancers and partnerships, so why shouldn’t the dancers themselves be allowed to have their favourite partners?  
     

    Sarah Lamb obviously trusts Ryoichi Hirano, and for a ballet like Manon, that is absolutely vital (wasn’t it during pdd rehearsals for Manon years ago that poor Lauren Cuthbertson sustained that horrendous foot injury?).  
    Like Bonelli before him, Ryoichi is a trustworthy, safe and experienced partner AND a superb actor.  I’m never disappointed to see him.

    • Like 18
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