james sinclair

There's an obituary on Radio 4's, 'Last Word.' repeated this evening from Friday and also available on iplayer.

Janet, thank you for the useful information.

Not exactly on topic, but could anybody recommend where is best to sit at the Birmingham Hippodrome, Stalls or Circle?

Not wishing to be disrespectful, but is Elena not rather mature for Swanilda and, apologies to seem ungallant, she did seem to be carrying quite a lot of weight at the Russian Icons Gala last month. I was rather taken aback....

As are others cast for Swanhilda (rather mature,) which is why I mentioned Osbaldeston.  I didn't see Glurdjidze at the gala, in fact not since last summer's Coliseum season in which she was stunning in Raymonda, (at which point she had already been taken out of Swan Lake.) If it is indeed true what you say about her figure, then this would be a consequence of lack of performances and rehearsals. Doing one class a day is not enough for a body used to doing  roughly 8 hours exercise. So , if it is true that some pounds have been gained, it seems that Tamara Rojo's cruel calculation  would be working in her  (TR's) favour. An ugly, destructive game, I would say, and not the sign of a good artistic director. Solution is simple; let Elena perform.

I agree with MAB, Alison and Aileen's comments and I think that Begona Cao and Nancy Osbaldeston would have been better choices for the role of Swanhilda than Tamara Rojo and also Erina Takahashi. A shame that they do not announce the casting for Dr. Coppelius. I would book for any performance when Michael Coleman is playing, although, I'm on the verge of quitting attending ENB in response to their sidelining of one of their very best dancers: its a shameful disgrace.

Roberta Marquez...wonderful as Cinderella, (with McRae)

In response to James Sinclair's post 121:

 

Mr. O'Hare also has to think of his dancers. The audience may want to see a great variety of Ballets and New Works but it has to be humanly possible for the dancers to do so! This Season has already taken its toll on many dancers (so many injuries, causing a double/triple workload for the ones still able to dance). Mr. O'Hare has to strike a balance between the demands of the audience and the workload put on his dancers.

Don't worry Nina. I know the wish list is not feasible. This is after all fantasy and not reality here!

Poor K O'Hare. He is never going to be able to satisfy all of our demands this Monday! To make his life a little harder, I am going to add a just few more to the wish list: I would be very happy to see Cinderella at Christmas time (preferable to Nutcracker or Potter,) particularly for the sublime choreography of the seasons, stars and ballroom act. Sylvia would be a great vehicle for Osipova. I would also like a new Swan Lake, or a return to the previous version would be just fine. Another run of Giselle, (there were so many wonderful performances this season,) and Coppelia.  Facade, Illuminations, A Wedding Bouquet, Birthday Offering, Valley of Shadows, Gloria, The Invitation, (Yanowsky, Arestis or Chapman will be great as the wife.) I never tire of Les Noces . I would also like to see The Rake's Progress, Checkmate, Lilac Garden, Les Biches, Les Sylphides, Petrushka, La Boutique Fantasque, Choreatium, Tombeaux, Polyphonia, Live Fire Exercise (that was too short lived,) Asphodel Meadows and much more from Liam Scarlett.

While I like and admire much of Balanchine's work (not just for the choreography, but also the choice of music,) I just don't think there is room. His work is often as prominent or more prominent in the repertory than the home-growns and that can't be right. His ballets are well looked after by a number of other companies worldwide and are in no danger of disappearing. Low priority. However I would like to see Prodigal, 4T's and  Ballet Imperial again soonish!!!

I always look forward to new creations, or anything Jerome Robbins or Mark Morris. I wouldn't mind seeing the first two pieces from the Titian evening again and the designs from the third piece!

Once again, it will be impossible to keep us all happy, even if our wishes are spread out over a number of seasons. 

Balletcoforumers are simply greedy! Good luck on Monday K.O'H!

Not Darcey Bussell, or even Deborah Bull. I would like to see Lynn Seymour presenting ballet programmes on the television. Now there's somebody interesting!

Yanowsky, Rojo and Chapman?

I wish Daria could/would go with him. And Elena for that matter. I think he's made a good choice.

In today's Dance Links section!

http://dancelines.com.au/david-lichines-australian-years-borovansky/

It definitely wasn't the Hynd production. That was a dance for eight children from the Arts Educational School with parasols and fans. I think the production before was from Jack Carter, although I believe that what a reworking of a previous production. There was a beautiful film (without sound) of John Gilpin dancing in the end of the first act shown at the NFT a few years ago (15 maybe?) Not sure if that was Jack Carter's or earlier. The Hynd production was magic.

I third it! I love watching Elena.

I fourth it!

 

In an arabesque, as the arms and legs come out of the body they create triangles.  However, if you took a pencil and drew an outline of the arabesque it creates a curving line running from the top of the dancer's head, down through the spine, and up through the lifted leg.  If the line is a smooth curve it is "pleasing" - however, if the leg is too high, the head too low, the spine misaligned - the curve is destroyed and our brains see this as misshapen.  

 

 

When is the leg 'too high,' Anjuli?

What a wonderful community of people you are! Thank you all for all your comments, swift and numerous. There's a wealth of information on this website and kindness too!

Could somebody please tell me what they understand by 'line' in ballet. Is it particularly to do with the arabesque? Which physical attributes  are necessary in order to achieve good line.

Thanks,

James