Two Pigeons

If so could this embrace other companies, not just the Royal Ballet.

Galina Samsova was once blinded by a camera flash while turning and she fell off point and - I think - broke her ankle. There is no way she couldn't do all 32 fouettes under normal circumstances. I saw her do them in both Swan Lake and Paquita over the years and she was one of my yardsticks of ballerinadom.

This is becoming a trend now. Even Kevin O'Hare talks as though he was only ever with the RB.

I have to say that given what we know about Balanchine's controlling instincts I am slightly relieved that no one has suggested that his ballets should no longer be performed. I would suspect that the reason Peter Martins was allowed to get away with his behaviour for so long was that far too many of the NYCB set up were all too accustomed to an AD who rather abuses his power.

I take a certain amount of comfort from what you say here FLOSS about David Bintley possibly being too young for the next honour. the point about ballet being 'elitist' is also interesting. My two ballet goddesses when I first starting watching regularly were Lesley Collier and Marion Tait. As memory serves me they are very close in age. In the early/mid 90s Lesley was awarded the CBE (no arguments from me) and Marion the OBE shortly afterwards. I can remember Mary Clarke making the point that the main company seemed to get senior honours, the touring one a grade below and that this was wrong. So, the 'elitist' company was recognised more than the not so 'elitist' one. there are no two ways about it, Darcey was an out and out star from the moment she stepped on to the Opera House stage in Concerto at her graduation performance. I met her once while she was dancing with SWRB, I interviewed her when she guested with BRB and I met her again at the 40th birthday party of a mutual friend in 1998. She remembered me on both the later occasions and was so incredibly approachable. She clicked with the wider public in a way that has eluded other British ballerinas, such as Lauren Cuthbertson for example. With or without the Strictly link she was one of our great national cultural assets who was appreciated all round the dance world. I understand she had offers to join NYCB but declined to leave the RB, except to guest. I do not grudge her the honour as she has indeed brought a great deal to the world of British Ballet. She was also able to balance this with a happy marriage and family life and if she has made a fair bit of money and not wound up in destitution like poor Margot I cannot blame her for that.

My apologies to Dame Antoinette. Got it right this time.

How about Lynn Seymour? Someone else who I think has been overlooked. I know she's a CBE but we have Dame Merle and Dame Antionette -both well deserved- but i think Lynn should have had equal treatment.

The 'dinner plate' look really cuts the dancer in half.

The amount of touring BRB does is pretty minimal compared to the old SWRB days. Added to that they tend to go to the same theatres which must make touring far easier with the chance for regular digs. I cannot disagree that the RB offers a wide ranging and changing repertoire at it would be a very prestigious entry on any dancer's cv. As a company it has a more secure financial future than any other in the UK. However, it does seem from a distance that there there are some fundamental issues at ENB but then dancers come and go from all companies.

As I remember it was supposed to be Hayward and Sambe but injury meant Alex Campbell was the Bluebird. Sorry, don't remember about Princess Florin though.

I haven't seen it for about 4 years but it goes on pretty close to 10.25-10.30. With this production we have The Prologue, interval, Act 1, short pause, Act 2, interval, Act 3.

Not wish to tread on Janet's toes as your request was directed to her, I think my favourite memory from the premiere was seeing the transformation for the first time and practically cheering when Kevin O'Hare appeared out as King Rat, emerging from the fireplace at the top of that wonderful music. Still gets to me every time even after all these years.

It sounds as if the company was able to provide 3 stunning casts for the second movement of Concerto. I was only able to see two but was completely captivated by them both. Unfortunately Yvette was the one I missed out on. I know that Maurice who contributes to this forum has been a big fan of Yvette for at least a couple of years. I have seen her in bits and pieces but not a principal role until now and I am a total convert. I was also a bit resistant to Yasuo Atsuji for the rather illogical reason that I felt he had had the promotion Brandon should have been given. Whatever are the rights and wrongs of what happened there he totally justifies his current First Soloist rank and I will be a lot more open minded in future about him. We are so lucky to be able to watch such talent. I just hope that next year's repertoire gives them both several chances to shine.

I went twice and was able to get a seat to see Brandon Lawrence with Celine Gittens. They were fab and there was much else to enjoy, Lachlan Monaghan as the Jack in the box and Jonathan Paynes's quiet reliability as Drosselmeyer. I was very underwhelmed by the Clara and simply longed for Laura Day's rapt enchantment which I had seen two years ago. Hubby and I went the following week and I was completely bowled over by Yasuo Atsji as the prince but utterly knocked out by Yvette Knight. Elmhurst school were in and they all cheered her from the rafters. Clearly she has her fans and I was fast joining them. Celine was the Snow Fairy and very good she was too. However, the main highlight for me was to enjoy my last chance to see Iain Mackay appearing as Drosselmeyer. I can only repeat that he will be very much missed, both on and off stage.

Don't mention the Oklahoma! My sister went and I have still not stopped seething with envy. As I have a new Sky box would very much like the BBC to repeat the programme on Sir Peter Wright.

Makarova was an out and out, utter star. She knew it, we knew it and we knew she knew it. But she was such an intelligent ballerina and had wonderful Kirov/Vaganova training so she was the compete ballerina package. I know she looked as though she could have had Von Rothbury for breakfast but she was still a great swan queen. I know she wasn't that musical but when she was dancing somehow it just didn't matter.

Fonteyn was even more than the sum of her parts. She had a quality which she was born with, it could not be taught. I think Makarova was much the same, ditto Asylmuratova and Ananiashvili. Without wishing to overstate, they all danced with their heart and soul. Makarova excepted, they all had an air of vulnerability which came over to the audience. This is different from being a great dramatic dancer. I would suggest that the quality I am trying to describe was given to Cojocaru but not Rojo (although I mean no detriment to her).

Lovely, it's a real joy. As we currently have about 6 inches of snow and it's still falling so I will give the ballet yet another viewing.

I do agree with you about the Schaufuss era at LFB/ENG. To see him dance with Evdokimova in Giselle and La Sylphide, Haydee and Cragun in Onegin would be on my list of all time weepies. Then we had Patricks Armand and Dupont in Etudes who made me cry with joy. There are another couple of artists who often moved me to tears, both through moving me and bringing me joy and they were Marion Tait and Michael O'Hare. I would particularly single out Marion as Juliet and in Two Pigeons. For Michael it would be Two Pigeons and as Will Mossop when in the big pas de deux he has his arm round Maggie and throws the right arm towards the roof as if looking on a golden future. One ballet which I saw a few times which always got to me was Michael Corder's Wand of Youth and its depiction of a golden generation destined to be lost in the Great War. One final memory of unstoppable tears was a matinee performance of Enigma Variations when i sat with my mother in the front row at the Hippodrome for what was almost her last visit. I think a large part of this was the superb playing by the orchestra under Philip Ellis but at the end we turned to each other and we were both sobbing our hearts out. I could remember other golden moments but I think I will leave it with that memory.

You are so right! I was there and I have never forgotten it. It set me up for my lifetime of ballet going.

My money would be on Samara Downs. She and Lachlan were great together in Slaughter on 10th Avenue so this should work. I have terrific memories of Karen but I also cherish the performances of Marion Tait and Ambra Vallo amongst others in the role.

I cannot say how pleased I am to hear that Lachlan will get his chance to play Will Mossop. I was watching him tonight and really hoping it would happen. I would like to see Mathias as well.

I agree George. But if he has gone off to get some artistic/administrative experience elsewhere he can still come back to BRB in the future. Kevin O'Hare followed a not not dissimilar path and look where he is now.

I think the writing was on the wall this season when Jenna Roberts has been increasingly paired with Tyrone Singleton. I agree that his performances had been scaled down but I think he is one of those artists where his influence off stage was as great as on. I am going to see Nutcracker next Tuesday and he is scheduled to appear as Drosselmeyer so I will cherish my last view of him.

BRB have just announced that Iain will retire from the company in January. He will be sorely missed, both on stage and off. He is to take over the Yorkshire Summer Schools and I, for one, wish him very possible success.