alison

When I stupidly did an excessively keen clean-up and accidentally deleted the FT cookies or whatever it is, I discovered it would only let me have 3 articles per month when I logged back in. That is totally ludicrous. I don't think the Prince's solo is Ashton, is it? (I had a feeling Deane had choreographed it). Are you getting confused with the one in Sleeping Beauty? But yes, as I understand it the pas de douze and the Neapolitan are Ashton's. It also used to have his pas de quatre, which you can see on the LFB Swan Lake, which I believe is available on DVD (and featured a young Leanne Benjamin). I'm not sure why it's changed to a pd3, although given what I've read about the number of men off injured I'm starting to wonder if that's actually an emergency measure to reduce the number of soloists needed. (Does anyone ever actually do things like that?)

She was doing Big Swans the other night when I saw it.

There's another thread on this from last year: I don't know whether that will be any help, too? http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/6302-phyllis-bedells-bursary-competition-2014/?hl=bedells

Out of interest, what do you do for flats? I have a very wide forefoot, too. Seems to me that it's equivalent to wearing an overpadded padded bra (there are loads in M&S these days, I noticed recently).

Thanks, BBB. I don't know how I managed to miss spotting that one.

Did I mention how much I liked James Hay as the White Rabbit, too? I can't remember now.

Perhaps it's a rights issue or something? I know there was something recently that you couldn't watch because you were in Germany, whereas we in the UK could.

Said before the Age of Anxiety bill this autumn, of course. Even then, though, I can't see why they couldn't have done The Dream if they wanted an hour-long work, given that that's appearing in the US tour as well.

Isn't it just. Lucky USA. Thanks, John, for saving me from using up one of my precious NYT visits

Nothing like having high ambitions, I suppose. Best of luck to them.

Thanks. I spotted coverage of this in the Evening Standard yesterday, so it's good to have more detail.

Yup. Or scheduled to be, anyway. For the Swan Lakes. No partner is mentioned for La Bayadère. Swan Lake, 20th and 21st August; Bayadère 22nd and 23rd. Only one performance per day: presumably not even Ms Kolesnikova can manage to dance Odette/Odile twice in one day. Tickets £85-£25, it says on the flyer.

I haven't been to see a film in the cinema for months - in fact, I can't remember what the last one I saw was. Most film releases just seem to pass me by these days And I got back from Swan Lake a little while ago and realised I'd managed to miss Film 2015 - AGAIN. That doesn't help, either

Yes, nasty little rag. I bought a Saturday one maybe a decade ago because a friend had raved about how good the TV guide was, and I don't know whether it was a particularly xenophobic/racist/anti-everything-else edition, but I felt soiled when I started reading it. Lisa, I'm not sure, but with 5 million copies of CH being printed I don't think it's going to have much rarity value - most people may well have forgotten about it by the middle of this year.

I tried the popping candy ones a year or two back - it was rather disconcerting, I felt. Sarahw, do you object to hot cross buns immediately after Christmas, too? I noticed Sainsbury's were selling them (and having to remainder them, too - serve 'em right!)

I for one will *not* be volunteering for the taste test. Not if it means eating a whole one. Tastes like Hershey's? Yuck. (Sorry, Sim )

Under the circumstances, that's a great achievement. Congratulations to her!

She's retired. Will be discussing working on the Ashton Romeo & Juliet tomorrow, and I shan't be able to listen. Bah!

Steady on, Janet!

I meant to say after Hayward's debut that I actually found myself *enjoying* Act I (with the possible exception of the caucus race, of course). She had found a way of imparting meaning to the choreography that I don't think I'd seen with most of the other Alices: an arm movement wasn't just an arm movement, but was done because ... But by the time we were into Act III I found I was starting to be a bit bored, mainly because Hayward was sidelined for so much of it, in the same way that I would have if my only reason for going to see The Nutcracker had been to see the Clara. Me too. I doubt there's ever been a whole month in the RB season since the House reopened where I haven't been to a single performance, except between the end of the Ashton programme and more or less Christmas. And then I had 3 in 3 days I'm looking forward to something more meaty - when does the next triple bill start? Must be a while off, since public booking hasn't even started for it yet.

I see the run is virtually sold out. Has anyone noticed whether they're doing standing?

I thought I spotted someone exiting the amphi with a (champagne) glass the other evening.

Interesting to see all the comments about Vasiliev (who I haven't seen): opinions on his dancing appear varied, but it seems that everyone thinks his characterisation is very good. I'm starting to wish I'd seen it now. Incidentally, I've just been reading this week's Links, and I see that now, according to Jeffery Taylor in the Express, it's Vasiliev who's the "Brad Pitt of ballet", rather than Matthew Golding!

More than one paediatrician, unfortunately. Sim's right, of course: Albania, North Korea - all sorts of places if I put my mind to it. I think my concern's more that with Fox they have other options, just choose not to use them.

Which must mean that if there's increased financial pressure (and I'm assuming this would apply similarly to all companies) there might be a temptation to push dancers out after a few years in the corps and attract some school leavers instead? I remember Iohna Loots in a documentary on the RB/School some years ago bemoaning the fact (I think) that she was never going to be able to buy her own flat on a dancer's salary - that, of course, is far more common for most young people now. Not that long after, she got a promotion to Soloist (this was the same documentary in which Steven McRae said that if he didn't get promoted to principal by a certain age he'd be leaving - and again I think it was not long afterwards that *he* got promoted ) I've noticed recently that there seems to be an increase in the number of dancers modelling fashion as a sideline. I suppose that's something they can fit around work a bit, and presumably it could pay quite well for not too much time expended.