trog

There are several things that I think could be done to improve the MacMillan R&J. As Northstar hinted, the ballet is too slow. When Juliette first walks away from Romeo in the balcony pdd, she should just keep going. Mercutio should just cark it rather than writhing around for ever. The same can be said for Tybalt and Lady Capulet, although in the recent performances that I saw Lady C didn't seem to roll around as much. There are some other bits that need speeding up too. When I was watching in Brum, I thought of a new ending. After Romeo takes the poison and dies, Juliette wakes up, sees Romeo dead and so stabs herself. I think at this point, Romeo should wake up, having drunk the same potion as Juliette, so that he has to kill himself all over again (without the rolling around on the floor).

On the whole, I don't think the story translated well into a ballet. I've never read the book or indeed a precis, and I found the storty very difficult to follow. It spite of this, there is no doubt that it is a very stylish production and there was excellent performances. It was well filmed too. Often ballet on TV uses far too many cameras, with too many cuts between short shots, but in this case they got the balance right.

If you're a fan of Wilson, Keppel and Betty (and who isn't) there is a bizarrely titled book out about them (which I've just ordered) Wilson, Keppel and Betty: Too Naked for the Nazis I found out about this book via The Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year 2015. Vote now https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WZMYH2G

If you're in Birmingham there is a rare chance to see The Red Shoes on the big screen. It's at The Electric on Sunday 3rd April. https://www.theelectric.co.uk/programme.php?film=1344

I've been meaning to post this for a while. The website for IDFB is live and has the entire program http://www.idfb.co.uk/ Quite a lot of the performances are at DanceXchange I have my tickets booked.

There are more people than ever attending the adult class that I do. At the start of the year, they were turning people away. It has settled down now but we're still getting 20 per class. I remember the days when it was in single figures. Another school that I know of has had to lay on another beginners class especially for teenagers, so I think the future is pretty sound, especially for those of us who play at being dancers.

Worryingly, I got Titania the Fairy Queen - I'm not sure I could pull it off

I guess that depends on where you dance. When I started 22 years ago, I was the only chap in the class, and it was like that for the first decade. Now there are usually two or three of us. It was never a problem being the only chap there. I used to do an RAD 6 class with a group of teenage girls (14ish I think) and one 22 year old young woman. The girls where understandably wary at first but they quickly realised that I was only there to dance and they used to like follow me across the floor, as I knew the syllabus very well. I might be outclassed physically (they do the steps better than me) but I can remember the sequences better than most of the class. After I had been dancing for a couple of years, I was a few minutes late for class, which is extremely unusual for me. I took a place at the back, and the ladies said "We've saved you your spot at the front". They gain liked me there so they could follow me. To this day, I always stand at the front right. I'be been standing there for 20 years. There is alwatys plenty of room in the front of the studio - it gets a bit crowded at the back. I really can't add any advice to of use to Plie22 except to dance and enjoy. Both Chika Temma and Yury Demakov, who run the Russian Ballet School used to dance with the Swansea Ballet Russe (sadly now gone). I used to go and see them quite often and I spoke to Chika a number of times. She was always gorgeous to watch and I think she would be a great teacher.

I found it difficult to know who was who. I thought we met Kate in front of the curtain but no. I found the glued together very bitty. Overall, I also thought is was a most ungainly ballet. Excellent broadcast though.

Thanks John and Ian. I suspect the problem in Dudley was caused by the projectionist forgetting to switch back to the live feed.

I saw this yesterday in Dudley. In Kirsty Warks introduction she said how it was in theatres across the Uk, "many of which are full". I had a bit of a giggle as I was the only one in the cinema, although three others turned up just as the film was about to start. These people scarpered during the closing credits. The live Q&A was marred by not showing the first five minutes or so - it finally came on with Deborah Bull just finishing explaining the difference between British and Russion ballet. I'd like to have heard all that she said. Did anyone else in a cinema beyond the M25, experience a similar technical fault? I enjoyed the film, although as others have said, it really only needs one viewing. I think the bits in the rehearsal rooms were the best - I'd like to have seen much more of that. I thought the questions in the Q&A were predicable and I suspect those chosen from the audience may have been pre-empted. One question for the panel. Which ballet is the baby in the oven from? Am I correct in thinking it's Matt Ek's "The Appartment"?

If you are really interested the Ofsted report is here http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/102947 It's an emergency inspection report. All of the RBS Ofsted reports are here http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/results/any/any/any/any/any/royal%20ballet%20school/any/any/any/any/0/0?sort=0

People in London can see it on the 27th Dec http://www.electriccinema.co.uk/film/bolshoi-babylon

Booked my tickets for 2016 too! I'm seeing tonights performance, and most of my favourite ladies are dancing - lovely!

Bad news for the BRB and CBSO (together with the rest of the Birmingham arts organisations. http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-city-council-slashes-arts-10567577

I ordered this last night!

I didn't see the production last night, but I saw it earlier in the year in Cardiff, as part of a double bill (no Marc Brew). That evening, many of the audience knew the songs and were encourage to join in. This really added to the atmosphere - I doubt that happened in London. When I saw it, I really enjoyed the Celtic Concerto. I always think it's very special when the harp takes centre stage. It doesn't happen often enough. Ballet Cymru are, IMO, the best small company in the UK. They are always worth seeing.

One class I do has recently moved studios and the barres move side to side a lot. There is no danger of them falling over but it is very easy to tell who is holding onto the barre to tight. I try with my hand just resting on the top but sometimes I push it too much. Since we've been using this studio I have noticed an improvement in the centre, so perhaps all studios should have wobbly barres. Still can't do pirouettes though

I can't remember the last time I did a class with live piano, and I do miss it One of my teachers has a new CD which she purchased at the York seminars a couple of months ago and it's piano versions of popular tunes, mostly from the 1980s and a few TV themes too. The first couple of times she used it we played "Name that tune". Later we started to sing along when doing the second side. She took it all in good stead. It was very funny when "Blackadder" popped up!

In addition to the NYCB workout (which is very difficult) I have XTend Barre Ballet Workout and Sleek Technique which I think are both excellent. Of course, DVD workouts will never replace live class. As an alternative, perheps you could consider live classes online? I know Sleek Technique run these and there is an increasing number of offerings by others. You login with your PC and the class is streamed live, so you can follow it. The instructor can see you via your webcam and offer encouragement and corrections. I've never tried these but is could be an alternative when live gets in the way of class. Saves travelling too! At the mo, It's taking me 40 minutes to get to class in Brum on account of the road closures in the city centre. It should take 25 mins. Only 12 months more of misery (allegedly) although if we go on past form we can treble that.

Originally, the violin was used in class. The ballet master (probably more correctly the dance master) would play a small violin called a pochette. Later, the piano became the norm because it is a percussive instrument and it is far easier to dance on the beat. Well that's what I was told by an Italian ballet historian, whose name escapes me at the mo. I have done the odd class to recorded music that wasn't piano. Perhaps the oddest was Madonna, which worked surprisingly well! In this case, the teacher had forgotten her cds.

Once upon a time, the Wikipedia page for a certain former UK PM, displayed this (The Golden Brown link for the song by The Stranglers. Sadly the link had gone.)

Kitri in Don Q - she seems to be in control. Titania in Midsummer Nights Dream - a match for Oberon. Fortuna in Carmina Burana - very scary!

Readers might be interested to know that in 2005 Ballet Ireland produced Diaghilev And The Red Shoes, which contained a shortened version of the ballet from the film.

Having taken ballet classes for fun, for over 20 years, I can tell you there have never been many black people in class, one or two at most in a class of 30. The number of black men and women always seems to be equal, while overall the number of women has always far exceeded the number of men. For years, I was the only bloke in a room full of scantily clad attractive women - a tough job but somebody has to do it Now there are more men taking class than ever before. Here in Brum, over the last few years, there have been more Chinese and Japanese people turning up to class. I don't know if this is as a consequence of the Asian dancers in the BRB, but I doubt it. I think it is because there are more Asians at the universities here in Brum and the people who come to class as usually uni students. Also, I have only been taught by one black teacher, the brill Julie Felix. A lot of black people do go to the DanceXchange and they do other types of dance. I'd rather see people who can go for more that 5 mintues without fiddling with their phone.