Pulcinella

I've just been looking at the programme for the south mid-scale tour and notice that BRB appear to be going back to the original designs by Desmond Heeley for Solitaire. It gives his name as designer on their website and there is also an illustration of RB students showing those designs. I will be so so pleased if this is the case as I love Solitaire but it was ruined for me by both of the redesigns. https://www.brb.org.uk/whats-on/event/five-tangos-midscale-tour

Full casting for Variations programme in Birmingham Theme and Variations Momoko Hirata/Joseph Caley - Thursday/Saturday(E) Nao Sakuma/Cesar Morales - Friday/Saturday(M) Kin Thursday 5 Women (only 4 listed for Friday and Saturday(M & E) Laura Day Samara Downs Delia Mathews Elisha Willis Yijing Zhang 5 Men (only 4 listed for Friday and Saturday(M & E) William Bracewell Joseph Caley Tzu-Chao Chou Brandon Lawrence Max Maslen Friday Ladies Ana Albutashvili Reina Fuchigami Yvette Knight Yjing Zhang Men William Bracewell Feargus Campbell Lachlan Monaghan Luke Schaufuss Saturday(M) Women Laura Day Yvette Knight Elisha Willis Yijing Zhang Men Feargus Campbell Joseph Caley Tzu-Chao Chou Max Maslen Saturday(E) Women Laura Day Delia Mathews Yvette Knight Yijing Zhang Men William Bracewell Feargus Campbell Tzu-Chau Chou Max Maslen Enigma Variations Edward Elgar: Jonathan Payn Thurs/Sat(M) Dominic Antonucci Fri/Sat(E) The Lady: Samara Downs Thurs/Sat(M) Ana Albutashvili Fri/Sat(E) Hew David Stuart Powell: Kit Holder Thurs/Sat(M) James Barton Fri/Sat(E) Richard Baxter Townshend: Feargus Campbell Thurs/Sat(M) Max Maslen Fri/Sat(E) William Meath Baker: Rory Mackay Thurs/Sat(M) Lachlan Monaghan Fri/Sat(E) Richard P. Arnold: Jamie Bond Thurs/Sat(M) Tom Rogers Fri/Sat(E) Isabel Fitton (Ysabel): Arancha Baselga Thurs/Sat(M) Delia Mathews Fri Yvette Knight Sat(E) Arthur Troyte Griffith (Troyte): Cesar Morales Thurs/Sat(M) Joseph Caley Fri/Sat(E) Winifred Norbury: Angela Paul Thurs/Sat(M) Jade Heusen Fri/Sat(E) A.J Jaeger (Nimrod): Valentin Olovyannikov Thurs/Sat(M) Wolfgang Stollwitzer Fri/Sat(E) Dora Penny (Dorabella): Elisha Willis Thurs/Sat(M) Momoko Hirata Fri Karla Doorbar Sat(E) George Robinson Sinclair: Tzu-Chau Chou Thurs/Sat(M) Mathias Dingman Fri/Sat(E) Basil G. Nevinson: Dominic Antonucci Thurs/Sat(M) Jonathan Payn Fri/Sat(E) Lady Mary Lygon: Yijing Zhang Thurs/Sat(M) Daria Stanciulescu Fri Alys Shee Sat(E)

The casting is now up for the Variations triple bill in Birmingham, seems to be two different casts. https://www.brb.org.uk/whats-on/event/variations-triple-bill-birmingham

The IDFB 2016 takes place in May next year. The full programme hasn't been announced yet but the following will be at the Birmingham Hippodrome, for which booking has opened. Nederlands Dans Theater 2 - 3 & 4 May Carlos Acosta: A Classical Farewell - 6 & 7 May Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan - 10 & 11 May Ballet British Columbia - 20 & 21 May

Official announcement http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-changes-casting-announced-for-romeo-and-juliet-the-nutcracker-and-giselle

I was looking through some of my old programmes recently and came across one for The Sleeping Beauty in 1972. The cast was as follows: Aurora: Antoinette Sibley Florimund: Anthony Dowell Carabosse: Ronald Emblen Lilac Fairy: Deanne Bergsma Fairy of Beauty: Lynn Seymour Fairy of Honour: Lesley Collier Fairy of Modesty: Diana Vere Fairy of Joy: Georgina Parkinson Fairy of Song: Ann Jenner Fairy of Temperament: Monica Mason Gold and Silver pas de trois: Ann Jenner, Jennifer Penney, David Ashmole Princess Florine: Merle Park Bluebird: David Wall Out of this list everyone at that time was a principal except for Lesley Collier (soloist) and David Ashmole (coryphee), both of whom later became principals. This meant there was a total of 12 principals in the ballet (actually 15, as Leslie Edwards, Gerd Larsen and Derek Rencher were also in it). The thought of seeing that many principals in Beauty today is unthinkable although there was a large number to call on in 1972. I don't mind lower ranking dancers being cast in the Fairy variations but there seems to be no consideration of the style being suited to the dancer. I'm sorry to have returned to this subject but when I saw my programme I remembered this discussion and felt impelled to mention this.

BRB have this season introduced free pre-performance talks, available to Friends and ticket holders and bookable Company Class (fee payable) at most of the venues it is visiting as well as at the Hippodrome. Details are available on their What's On page and also on the Hippodrome site, where tickets can be booked. This is obviously an attempt to bring more information to the General public and to encourage them to join the Friends. I agree with Floss that the BBC could do more to educate the public by showing more dance on TV and re-showing programmes from their archives and that a standard monthly dance slot on BBC 4 is not too much to ask. When I remember all the ballet that there was on the BBC in the fifties and sixties (and this was before we had BBC2 let alone BBC4) I really think that the BBC only plays lip service to ballet on TV. I know this was for opera, but would the BBC clear their schedules on BBC2 to show La Traviata because it had such rave reviews for Angela Gieorgieu as they did in the eighties (not quite sure exactly when it was). I think not.

It's about two and a half hours long. It finished about 9.35 last night.

Try looking at University Halls of Residence as these are usually available during the summer months and should be cheaper.

There is an article on Sarah Lamb in the Culture section of today's Sunday Times for any one who wants to go and buy a copy.

Elmhurst School for Dance are celebrating 10 years of being in Birmingham this year and for the first time their summer shows are being held at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and open for public booking. The performances are on: Thursday 2 July 7.00 Friday 3 July 2.00 and 7.00 Saturday 4 July 2.00 Tickets £12.50 - £25 www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/event/elmhurst-dance-school/

"Note particularly the "cash-only basis"" I was in London on Thursday when all the trouble started and went to the Bella Italia at the top of St Martins Lane and they would only accept cash so it must be happening in quite a few places.

As are those for Birmingham.

Unlike Alison, and others, I'm pleased with the change to 8am as it means I can book at home before going to work. I'm not allowed to use work computers for personal use and although I've used my iPad previously our work Wifi isn't working at the moment so that isn't an option.

Thanks for all this. Looked at 10 o'clock and showed sold out so didn't bother again but have just got a ticket in the Upper Gallery and there are still some left.

Same programme at Lighthouse, Poole 22 and 23 May.

Although BRB haven't announced details of their split tours for next year yet I received the brochure for the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham today and they will be performing there on Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 May at 7.45, matinee Wednesday 2.00. Booking opens 29 November and the rep will be Quatrain (Kit Holder), Facade plus excerpts from Beauty and the Beast, Swan Lake and La Fille mal gardee.

Screening of The Pharaoh's Daughter at the Electric Cinema, Birmingham today cancelled as the film not received from Belgium!

The Electric Cinema in Birmingham is showing The Pharaoh's Daughter and other Bolshoi showings for £10.50 (concessions £8.50) for basic seats, although there are more expensive tickets in the sofas (£12.50 & £16.50). I've just come back from Bruges and the tickets at the cinema there are €22.50 each for the Bolshoi or €136.50 for all 7 ballets.

I'm one of those who has booked for this performance solely because Cojocaru was announced to be dancing as I haven't had a chance to see her in Swan Lake so far. Needless to say I am none too pleased at the change of cast (this is no slur on Lauretta Summerscales, who I'm sure will be very good and I intend to enjoy her performance). I know cast changes can be expected due to illness or injury but in this instance this is not the case and I do wonder if this cast change would have occurred if the performance had been in London. Knowledgable ballet goers don't just live in London and I think audiences outside London deserve better than to be treated like this.

I've just gone on to the Sadler's Wells site to look at the ticket availability for these performances and got the following message: "Unfortunately this performance is not available for purchase"

There is a double page article in today's edition of The Times about Frederick Ashton and his ballets.

How I agree with this. I remember seeing Romany Pajdak when she won the Silver medal in the Genee competition (the Gold wasn't awarded that year) and thinking what a beautiful quality of movement she had. I have followed her career since and been really disappointed that she hasn't progressed further, unlike Joe Caley and Alex Campbell who both won Bronze medals in the same competition.

Well I can't find any cinema in Birmingham showing this at the moment. The nearest I can find is the Showcase cinema in Coventry. Why are the different cinema chains so selective with which places they transmit this from? Perhaps it doesn't help that Macbeth from the Globe is being shown that evening in a lot of cinemas.