toursenlair

I don't think the city of Sarasota has a "broad demographic". They are mostly wealthy retirees taking refuge from the cold winters of the northern US and Canada in the warmth of Florida. I think David Bintley does an excellent job of balancing BRB's repertoire, and I like his own ballets as well.

oh yes, you can easily book a tour of either the Palais Garnier or the Bastille Opera House.

Just pointing out in case anyone was initially confused like me, this is not Cranko's Taming of the Shrew but Jean-Christophe Maillot's.

a "birthday test"???

Paris Opera Ballet does have performances the week before and after Easter (not sure when your break is); they're just sold out. But you can register for alerts re returned tickets on this website: http://boursechange.operadeparis.fr/ballets-onp

Dresden Semperoper Ballet is performing New Suite in July of 2016 (on a program with Theme and Variations and a piece by Mats Ek), if you're looking for a performance that's closer than Seattle.

in any case, this should be in a different thread because it's part of the 2014-15 seasons.

no tix available! you'll have to watch the streaming video on culturebox from the comfort of your own home.

also as I recall, pointe class consisted of doing a zillion rises through demi pointe to pointe and back down again, followed by a zillion releves to pointe. I'd rather spend my ballet class time working on something dancier, like perfecting my adage or my pirouettes or my jumps. I know this sounds like the blase reaction of the "been there, done that, got the bunions" ballet student, and that pointe has an almost mystical attraction for someone who's never done it. But there is a bit of a "be careful what you wish for" phenomenon with pointe, I would say.

Hi ldthomas and good for you for taking up ballet. I am 55 and have been doing ballet since I was 13, and I can tell you there's plenty enough to think about when you're dancing in soft shoes without adding in the complications of pointe, which I did briefly as a teenager and, um, it hurts (don't know if anyone has mentioned that to you!). I know some adult late starters who do pointe (I don't know how long after they started taking class, but as stated above, it would have to be a few years, but I think it's possible to get in touch with your inner ballerina without doing it. Every so often I wear a tutu and a tiara to class to fulfil my ballerina fantasies. They don't hurt. All the best with your ballet studies!

Just bear in mind that Winter's Tale will be in Canada in November and then in Washington DC in January, and for all I know touring somewhere else in North America (Los Angeles? New York? Chicago?) that hasn't been announced yet.

I don't know anything about the restaurants, Jane, but I hope you have a fabulous time seeing Emma! I can recommend the SALT restaurant in the Admiral hotel across the harbour from the Opera House, though.

DVD Gala Nureyev and Friends 2013 EUROPE AND UK FORMAT ONLY!24,90 € Nureyev & Friends, filmed in HD at Le Palais de Congres in May 2013, features dancers from the world’s finest ballet companies paying tribute to him in an exceptionally prestigious dance gala celebrating the 75th anniversary of his birth. With performances from award-winning principal dancers Maia Makhateli, Mathias Heymann, Aurélie Dupont, Tamara Rojo and Vadim Muntagirov and with the participation of The Ballet of the National Paris Opera, The English National Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, The Bolshoi, The Royal Ballet, The Kirov Ballet and The Berlin State Ballet, this is an evening to cherish. http://www.unsoiralopera.com/en/books-rudolf-nureyev/52-dvd-gala-nureyev-and-friends-2013.html This is what the organizers posted about the gala before it happened (no way of knowing what is actually on the DVD): Confirmed Dancers: Aurélie Dupont, Opéra National de Paris (31 May only) Mathias Heymann, Opéra National de Paris Federico Bonelli, The Royal Ballet, London Dmitry Gudanov, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow Evgeny Ivanchenko, Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg Yekaterina Kondaurova, Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg Maia Makhateli, Het Nationale Ballet, Amsterdam Anastasia Matvienko, Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg Denis Matvienko, Ukraine National Ballet, Kiev Vadim Muntagirov, English National Ballet, London Evgenia Obraztsova, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow Rupert Pennefather, The Royal Ballet, London Tamara Rojo, English National Ballet, London Alina Somova, Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg Aleksandra Timofeeva, Kremlin Ballet, Moscow Remi Wörtmeyer, Het Nationale Ballet, Amsterdam Provisional Program: La Sylphide, Manon, Raymonda, Two pièces for Het, La Bayadère (Act 2), Manfred, Sleeping Beauty, Marguerite & Armand, Swan Lake (White Adagio), Le Corsaire

they have a great brunch at this place: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-Kys/157294767625889

I'm thinking you meant "innate" talent?

If you have some time to spare, you will probably find this piece about the creation of a piece for performance in the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix Arizona entertaining -- especially the part where the dancers have to contend with the FedEx truck... Apparently it's a great experience; tables are set up in the desert landscape (which has more vegetation than you might expect) and the audience drinks wine before (maybe during) the performance. The company had one planned for this year as well but had to cancel, but it's back on the schedule for May of 2016.

I enjoyed it immensely. I have a blog post about it if anyone wants to visit: http://toursenlair.blogspot.ca/2015/02/far-from-denmark-ballet-arizonas-napoli.html including some juicy behind-the-scenes nailbiting! The audience on opening night was very appreciative. The theatre wasn't full, but it's huge (2500 seats) and apparently ticket sales were in line with what the marketing department hoped for. I was very impressed with how the company managed so well to perform Bournonville in all its aspects. Ib Andersen certainly didn't give them any breaks on the speed of the Tarantella... it was FAST!!! There wasn't quite as much ease in the heads and hands as with the Royal Danish Ballet, but that's a niggle and, of course, the Arizona dancers don't have the benefit of years of Bournonville training in school. We all know that no one can perform Bournonville like the RDB, just as no one performs Balanchine quite like NYCB. I am thinking of going back to Arizona next February... especially today I am thinking of it, since the temperature here in Toronto is -20 Celsius with the windchill about -1gazillion.

For those curious about Wheeldon's Swan Lake, Pennsylvania Ballet has program notes on their website: http://www.paballet.org/swan-lake But Pennsylvania, and Joffrey, which also do this Swan Lake, are much smaller companies than the RB

a new video: http://vimeo.com/118946875

Walpurgisnacht Ballet is fab. A beautiful Balanchine ballet in his more classical vein (in Juliet style dresses rather than tutus) and becomes more thrilling as the music (from Gounod's Faust) becomes more dramatic. If you get to see Sara Mearns in the lead role, she is to die for. I remember the first time I saw it, I had seen it listed on the program, thought "never heard of that, wonder if it's any good" and was almost squealing with delight by the time it ended. "I want to see it AGAIN!!!!" I said to the person I was with. And have seen it twice since and am hoping to see it in May.

it's supposed to be NBOC, Royal Ballet, ABT, and Royal Danish, but sometimes the timing clashes with the companies' schedules (ABT, e.g. is working on the premiere of Ratmansky's new Sleeping Beauty) and then NBOC invites other companies. Hamburg's a fairly frequent participant, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've seen anyone from Boston. Royal Ballet doesn't show up very often, it must be said, although I remember James Hay and Francesca Hayward from the last one, or perhaps it was the one before that.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced that Corps de Ballet members Hannah Fischer (20) and Ethan Watts (20) will represent the company at The Eleventh International Competition for The Erik Bruhn Prize on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 7:30 pm at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Choreographic Associate Robert Binet will create a new contemporary work commissioned by the National Ballet as part of the competition. The companies participating in this year’s competition are Boston Ballet, The Hamburg Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada. Participants are: Junxiong Zhao (23) and Ji Young Chae (23) from Boston Ballet, Christopher Evans (20) and Futaba Ishizaki (21) from The Hamburg Ballet, Sebastian Haynes (20) and Stephanie Chen Gundorph Møller (21) from The Royal Danish Ballet and Carlo Di Lanno (22) and Wan Ting Zhao (23) from San Francisco Ballet.

Hello Don Q fan, you might want to check out the program I'm offering for your first option, which has some great behind-the-scenes extras. (since you asked!) http://toursenlair.blogspot.ca/2015/01/new-york-may-2015-ballet-trip-now.html

was just at a great Toronto Symphony Orchestra concert, but the two young ladies sitting next to me kept pulling out their phones and texting. At the break between two pieces on the program, I said, quite calmly "Could you please turn off your phones, put them away, and not take them out again. It's very distracting." I wanted to say it was disrespectful to the musicians but was afraid that would make me sound like a fuddy-duddy, and if they couldn't figure out it was disrespectful, my telling them so wasn't going to make a difference. The one sitting next to me just stared straight ahead as if I didn't exist and I didn't get a reaction from her neighbour either. KB, "Did you hear what I said?" Girl #2, "I said OK, what else do you want me to say?" KB: "Well , maybe "I'm sorry" would be appropriate". Girl #2: "Well *I* didn't think it was distracting". KB [splutter]: How can you possibly know how distracting it is to someone else? Girl #1, getting huffy: "The announcement said no recording or sound". [when of course the announcement had said "turn off all mobile devices..."]. Needless to say they continued to take out their phones (and discuss their messages with each other), despite glares from people 4 seats away and a row ahead (but I guess they were no judge of whether it was distracting or not either). Then someone else's phone went off at the end of a particularly sublime bit of Mozart. During the last piece on the program, Girl #2 dropped her phone on the concrete floor creating a clatter. I HOPE SHE BROKE IT!!! After the end of the concert Girl #1 started going on loudly about how the high arts are always saying they want to be more accessible but then they don't let people "ENGAGE" [gag me], and seriously, how can she be expected to just sit there for 2 hours. I wish there were a way to address this rudeness without being subjected to more rudeness, getting into a confrontation and being made to feel that I'm the one in the wrong.

You may have to walk, with these ticket prices, for e.g. La Bayadere: Dates Toutes les dates sauf ci-dessous € 140 110 90 70 50 35 20 15 5 Dates Vendredi 20 nov., Vendredi 4 déc., Samedi 12 déc. € 154 121 99 77 55 39 22 15 5