alison

There *was* someone eating popcorn at my showing of Giselle the other day, but she *was* being incredibly discreet about it. It was the bagged stuff, and I'm pleased to report that it didn't have the nauseating stench that most theatre popcorn has, either.

Did you see when the Kirov brought their production to the Coliseum quite a few years ago now? Giselle's gravestone (a full momumental one) was at front left, and she just stepped out from the wings straight onto it. Whether it was like that at the Mariinsky, or whether this was just due to the limitations of the Coliseum I don't know, but it was highly unatmospheric.

There was nothing wrong with the first-night cast which actually performed, Floss, which was what I meant

Even with no knowledge of Romanian, the news looked good to me! Google "Translate": https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ro&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fstory.php%3Fstory_fbid%3D519090221595556%26id%3D468508013320444&edit-text=

I was thinking, from what I did manage to watch last night, that the RB has lost a distinctly good actor in Scarlett, now that he's no longer dancing.

Do you know, I don't think I'd ever registered that before! To emphasise the aerial nature of the spirits, I suppose. And note that Giselle doesn't have wings, and is therefore not a Wili I agree a bit, too. Certainly if she's already a bit fragile the breakdown is probably easier to accept, especially for a 21st-century audience. At least in the cinema we didn't have the opportunity to spot Giselle's appearance, because the camera switched to focus on Myrtha, I think. Sometimes the ballerina times her entrance too early and can clearly be seen, but some do manage to get the right effect, and/or get the return to the grave effectively. What *has* been bugging me in recent productions, though, is the dispatching of Hilarion. Whereas it used to seem that Moyna and Zulme actually sent him to his death, it now looks more like "oh, go and throw yourself off that bluff, will you?"!

Definitely not showing up on Chrome

Rather belatedly, since I'm several days behind with the Links page this week, a plea from Ismene Brown in the Spectator to go and see these showings - especially if they're on at your local arts centre - if you want them to continue: http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/04/giselle-v-superman/ I have to admit, though, that the sparseness of the audience does vary enormously from cinema to cinema. Last time Giselle was on (with the admittedly starrier Osipova/Acosta cast), my local Odeon sold out two screens before I even got around to booking, the locally accessible(ish) Picturehouses were also sold out, and in the end I had to traipse over to Wimbledon, which almost sold out two of its largest screens, just to see it. I booked one of the last seats going at a Picturehouse for the Bolshoi recently (twice over, as it happens), and for this run of Giselle I again had to go some distance because my two "local" cinemas were both sold out. The Two Pigeons bill had sold well at the cinema I was at, and of course the Nutcracker was a sell-out, and almost so even at one of my backup cinemas which doesn't usually sell so well. Not to mention that all the Royal Ballet screenings have repeat showings, many of which also sell out. And while I'm writing, just a reminder about the new Bolshoi Don Quixote in cinemas this Sunday, 4 pm in the UK.

Does it necessarily mean they would be together in Symphonic as well, though, Fonty? (I know several of them were in it anyway). Personally, I'd like to see the cast we "accidentally" got on the first night of the last run, only this time scheduled, please.

Top right on the "Select tickets" page - which is precisely where it wasn't when I was trying on Chrome earlier today. No wonder I was confused.

... talking about approaching/entering retirement, and so on. I meant to mention that after I listened to it earlier in the week, so thanks, rowan.

No broadband

Worth copying over from this week's Links a long interview with Nuñez on the subject of Giselle: http://www.dancing-times.co.uk/features/item/1909-nunez_on_giselle

Ah, yes, it's the whole account or nothing, then. But the principle applies, that if you have privileged access something said privately shouldn't be transferred to the public domain. It's not always easy to remember.

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The timestamp on my newish laptop is also failing to comply with the Daylight Saving Time setting: I have to tell it to ignore DST to get the right time!

Hmm, no RB representation on the jury this year. No RB nominees.

Traviata AGAIN? Oh well, it'll keep the accountants happy. Ironic, isn't it, that ENO do a new Norma and there's all the publicity about how long it's been since the last one, and then two come along at once!

Thank you, annafranklin, and welcome to the forum.

That could be because the offer's expired? Or not.

I think it's discussed up-thread that he didn't appear to have applied for it?

Just spotted from that: "Kevin O’Hare announces that former Royal Ballet Principals Viviana Durante and Leanne Benjamin will return to the Company to coach roles that they made their own during their careers; Viviana in a major revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s Anastasia, and Leanne in Mayerling."

Isn't there something for followers only on that, too? If not, my apologies. I'm not on Twitter, so I wouldn't know, but I thought there at least used to be some form of privacy for those who didn't want to share with the whole world.

No. She's said the jumping is beyond her now.

Just to remind people that if you're posting from Facebook or Twitter please make sure that what you're posting isn't privileged access only, i.e. that it's publicly available to all. Not saying that anyone hasn't been doing that, but I thought the reminder might be timely