JennyTaylor

I think you have the right idea. I've only sent flowers on a very few occasions (it's very expensive!) and with mixed results. I've had lovely thank you notes (Will Bracewell before I had even got home, Marianela posting to her entire network, Gary Avis lovely thank you), no response at all from others (names will not be mentioned) and one occurrence when they didn't know who they were from due to florist incompetence. Fortunately on this occasion (James Hay), posted a photo on Instagram so I was able to tell him directly. That's how I found out about florist incompetence. He sent me a lovely thank you. Pre men receiving flowers on stage, I sent Brian Maloney some on his retirement. He took the trouble to find me on Facebook to say thank you. So heart warming.

I'm here tonight. I will come and have a look for you

I was there last night to see Laura Morera and she certainly didn't disappoint. What a beautiful dancer. She will be sadly missed in the classical repertoire. However, to my astonishment, I found I was glued to Calvin Richardson's tall step sister, which I hadn't expected at all. I was so fascinated that I forgot to watch Cinderella at times in Act 1. Unforgiveable but true. I would not have known it was Calvin but for the cast sheet, such was his complete immersion into the part. I loved the Richardson/ Hay duo - such fun! They both put 200% into it last night. So happy I'm going again tomorrow to see it all over again. I went to a Friends talk just before the performance to see Gary Avis and Luca Acri speak about creating the step sisters and also in general terms about the production. Gary has worked closely with Wendy Ellis to curate it. Two particularly interesting snippets were: Luca Acri's father was a dancer and had actually played the elder sister many years ago! The theme of flowers is extended to the 2 sisters and in Act 3, they are depicted as wilted flowers. I hadn't noticed this at all, but looked for it, and low and behold, the flowers on their dresses have gone brown in Act 3.

I've also heard the dancers say they really like being able to guest elsewhere. It gives them different opportunities and also the chance to shine and show what they can do.

It was the Cope/ Guillem partnership which first started me on booking more tickets for the RB. Absolutely stunning in whatever they did. I didn't find either dancer connected with any other partner on anything like the same scale and I saw them both with a variety of different partners. Certainly, Cope with Bussell was never on the same emotional plane and I think he himself said so; they knew each other so well, the connection was a different one. I once commented on this to another RB dancer and she looked at me as if I was thick - " of course - if you dance with Sylvie Guillem, then you will always raise your game to try to match her". Obviously!!

No, you are not alone. I tried Darcey Bussell on several occasions and couldn't find any connection at all. Yes, a nice, graceful dancer but nothing particularly special. Left me cold. I don't think she benefitted from having a partner with whom she had a real connection throughout her career. However, she did retrieve herself in a performance of Manon with Roberto Bolle. I had previously seen a rehearsal where he nearly dropped her in a lift and it was all a bit difficult. Not a good omen. However, I do remember leaning over the Balcony in the Act 3 pdd and almost shouting "yes, yes" because finally I forgot she was Darcey Bussell and she became Manon. It was a long time to wait, but I was glad I had persevered.

Definitely Olivia Cowley at the front on the right as you look at the stage. I loved Itziar Mendizabal. She's always so enthusiastic and that's the second time I've seen her leading from the middle / front. Principals spotted: Mayara Magri very much to the fore, Matthew Ball, Will Bracewell and possibly Reece Clark but not sure as whoever it was lurked at the back? I also thought that Luca Acri (unsurprisingly) was very impressive

It’s going to be Bracewell/Nunez for R&J in Japan this summer

Hi, yes it was Joonhyuk Jun

I can only echo the comments around tonight’s performance. Utterly magical. I just want to stay in the moment the whole cast created.

So true and I too, often question myself over these 2 dancers. Vadim is top, world class and every time I watch him, he takes my breath away, but I don’t connect necessarily emotionally. I would still book to see him whenever I can. Curiously, I couldn’t even connect with his Rudolf, though my head was telling me it was brilliant and special. I had never knowingly seen Will Bracewell dance when I saw him first in a Principal role (Siegfried) and his impact on me was immediate, just because he was so different, not in dancing, but in characterisation. I was astonished as I had no expectation at all that this would happen. Now he is first on my list for any booking preference as what I saw at first has now been repeated on multiple occasions. I so wondered what he would make of the “limited” part of the Prince, and am still astonished about how different he managed to make it. Yes, you don’t get super fireworks, but you get grace and beauty and wonderful partnering. Wonderful too, to meet fellow BalletCoers last night. Loved our conversations.

I loved last night. I say there thinking "please don't let it end". It was beautiful, moving, romantic, glorious, sheer joy. Will and Fumi, as everyone else has mentioned, bring a different dimension to the lead roles. How do they do it - there appears to be such a connection between them and the way they look at each other is so beautiful. For me, this was the best overall performance I've seen by far and that's not just Will and Fumi but the whole cast. It was three dimensional and suddenly the characters came alive and became believable. The story flowed much better rather than with caricatures, or step sister "episodes". Bennett Gartside and James Hay were my favourite step sisters by far. They didn't go over the top in their characterisations whilst still retaining all the jokes and episodes. This made them far more believable. They also worked as a team beautifully. In previous performances, I've thoroughly disliked the tall sister. I didn't last night as Bennett gave a more measured performance and as for James, his acting and dancing were superb. So, I felt much more drawn to them, which helps the flow of the ballet in my head. Will managed to make the prince into a real person too. So much more detail than any other Prince. The steps were the same but there was chatting to the Jester and the courtiers, multiple facial expressions and a deep connection with his Cinderella. All that draws in the audience and makes the overall experience deeper and more emotional. Fumi was exquisite as Cinderella. I've now run out of superlatives. I enjoyed all the fairies, and yes, the scenery is now moving more smoothly. What an evening.

Tonight utterly glorious. More to come later, but the best balanced cast so far

It wasn't just you, it was me too. I was so sure that I would prefer the female version of the step sisters and I didn't! I spent half the performance wondering why because, as you say, it was the same choreography and jokes. I liked Kristen McNally's performance but I'm afraid I got nothing from the taller step sister character, and overall, I was even a little bored. Of course, Gary Avis and Luca Acri are so strong in those roles, but even so.........

Yes, I think you are correct. I spotted Gary Avis come to fetch Kevin O’Hare in the middle of the First interval and they both disappeared back stage. Was therefore waiting for announcement before Act 2 which didn’t come. But sure it was Annette in Act 2

I Ioved tonight’s performance. It made me extremely happy. That’s all I ask for really.

I bought a programme yesterday and was actually going to post separately on this, as I was so disappointed with the content. I agree, the full pages of blurry flowers are close to an insult. I want photos of the dancers actually performing in the production. Even the rehearsal photos are disappointing.

It was my first proper performance today, having seen a pre-General rehearsal, which I enjoyed very much. Once again, the performance left me feeling happy. The luxury casting, the music, the special effects and the dream dancing of Marianela and Vadim. ...........and it's proper ballet and so interesting to see Ashton return to the stage and observe how well modern dancers execute his choreography (mixed results). All that being said, I can relate to the comments made on Marianela and Vadim's overall performances. For me, Marianela was too smiley in Act 1 and and Act 3 with her step sisters and I didn't feel immersed in her character. It's pretty difficult to immerse in the Prince's character as he doesn't have sufficient time to create one, he's just a Prince. The quality of their dancing was of course, sublime. Personally I can't wait to see Will and Fumi to see what they make of it. So, onto the Ugly Sisters. Like them or not, and I'm on the vaguely negative side, Gary Avis and Luca Acri were magnificent this afternoon. I'm particularly impressed with Luca Acri's performance who gives his sister a real character that you can actually like. Gary, of course, held the stage superbly and this is the first time I've really enjoyed watching the Sisters, though I still think they have far too much air time. Another highlight today was the Napoleon / Wellington (now called Suitors) which I have always loathed. Today we had Philip Mosley and Lukas Braendsrod who were both superb comic actors. By far the best in these 2 roles I have ever seen. Poor Lukas had to lift Gary Avis into a very significant holding position and he succeeded magnificently. Philip Mosley almost made me laugh out loud, as did Lukas. Well done them in these 2 usually thankless roles. I will have to remember to explain next week when l take my 2 step grandaughters, that oranges were a very rare commodity in the 1940s. This is a ballet of its time and that shows. Personally, I think that this is a good thing, because I'm an historian and I hate the way history is being rewritten or just removed by some people at the moment. This ballet is of its time and needs to be understood as such. Onto the costumes. I don't have a problem with them and think the fairies costumes are very pretty. What I definitely don't like are the hair styles and wigs. Why the buffon hair? That's not 1940s. Very unflattering all round, particularly for the fairies and corps.......and even Vadim today. Also why is Cinderella's father wearing the White Rabbit's spectacles? I have several tickets for this run and am definitely looking forward to seeing different casts and interpretations.

I think Act 3 is disappointing in that there is no final pdd for the Prince and Cinderella, though 3 hours in total is more than sufficient. However, I feel that some of Act 2, particularly the Napoleon/ Wellington scenes could well be dispensed with. Referencing a previous comment on these 2, they are not so obviously the 2 characters so one is left wondering who they are, if you didn't know already. There was a funny moment in the rehearsal I saw when Wellington momentarily "corpsed" at the antics of Luca Acri and the errant wig of the dancer playing Napoleon. However, he quickly straightened his face.

yes he is

She still does - don't worry. I saw an Insight day into this scene years ago with Wendy Ellis directing it. It looked pretty much the same as this yesterday. Beautiful.

Yes, it's beautiful. I saw Naghdi/Ball plus Mayara Magri as the Fairy Godmother. Very happy with all 3!

The fairy godmother has a beautiful dress!

Ref running time, the event today started at 11am and ran until 2:30pm. However, I'm not sure how the intervals were timed and we also finished before 2:30pm but the dancers and staff then stayed on the stage to discuss and re-practice for a while.

I went to a rehearsal today and really enjoyed it! Not sure how much else I am allowed to say!