Two Pigeons

For anyone in the West Midlands area, Carlos is appearing on Midlands Today at 6.30 tonight.

If only both versions had had the benefits of modern recording methods.

What a line up! Is that the version of Symphonic which was recorded and turns up in very grainy black and white?

Many thanks for the heads up on this one. I really enjoyed it, with the usual caveat that Miyako seemed to leap from the Royal Ballet School direct to Principal level at the Royal Ballet aged 29. Regrettably her years with SWRB/BRB were completely unmentioned. I thought, despite that absence, it spoke volumes that she chose as her very last professional performance to dance The Mirror Walkers, choreographed by Sir Peter Wright. Given that the other two works, Cinderella and Birthday Offering, are both by Ashton I loved her all over again. I heard from an excellent source that the first new production she is mounting as Director at New National Ballet Tokyo is to be Sir Peter Wright's Swan Lake. The mutal affection and respect runs very deep there.

The Royal Ballet hardly lacks exposure these days and it was merely a succession of the DVDs many of us already have. I am sorry there wasn't a companion programme covering the work done by the other major company, BRB, ENB, NBT, Scottish Ballet and Ballet Black etc. Between them they cover much more of the population of these isles and could open an untapped potential resource of future ballet goers.

My all time favourite Captain Belaye, the Divine Mr Wicks, is doing lots of coaching with the Royal Ballet, not least with the apprentices. I would have thought it might be an excellent work for them.

The BBC news website was more interested in the guy who created Peaky Blinders who has been given a CBE. I am recording Midlands Today and Central News, probably more in hope than expectation.

And the greatest Petrushka I've ever seen.

Hallelujah. Justice for Sir David at last!

No, it's not. I was filmed by the BBC in the mid 90s but never issued on either VHS or DVD.

Lovely photographs, cracking cast. Many thanks for posting. Is that Jonathan Payn as Clara's Dad? So pleased he's still with the Company.

I think I have dealt with the same guy at the Hippodrome Box Office. He was very friendly and so helpful that he took the trouble to ring me back and point out that I had missed the Friends' discount on my seat so he had reduced my payment accordingly. I have always found all the staff at the Box Office extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with. It's just a shame that ringing them us so expensive and time consuming.

I agree. She was amazingly, enthusiastic about the move from London to Birmingham which was incredibly refreshing amongst a lot of anxiety from the dancers and downright hostility from some of the ballet intelligency. She had enormously vision and the success of BRB vindicated her faith.

That's been suggested before but I would like to think he had at least been offered one.

Let's hope he will finally get his knighthood.

Not what I would call a clap!

I went to the screening last night with a poorly hubby. I volunteered to leave after Enigma but he gallantly insisted on staying to the end, trying to contain his coughing. Valuable though a cinema screening is it makes you view the performance with different eyes from a live show. This being the case I am not sure that my opinion of Concerto is that valid, but here goes. The second movement was excellently danced but it didn't get me the same way as when I saw with BRB. On that occasion I thought Jenna Roberts and Tyrone Singleton were just sublime. It had something extra. That may be down to my adoration of Mr Singleton but there you go. The movement I would like to single out was the third with Myara Magri just sailing through its huge demands. I first saw Enigma Variations in the 80s, led by Derek Rencher and Monica Mason. I must confess that I didn't get it at all. As time went on I saw Sibley as Dorabella and things began to drop into place. When I moved to Worcestershire my appreciation of Elgar really started to blossom, not least as I had a few seasons listening to the CBSO. I think it was 1993 when BRB acquired the work, coached by Michael Somes not long before his death, that I really started to value the work. Our Elgar was Desmond Kelly and he was just fabulous. Kevin O'Hare was Troyte and I was very pleased when he reminded me that he also appeared as Elgar not long before he retired. To be honest I didn't think that much of Christopher Saunders and, being so close, I must concur with the view of an earlier poster that I felt that the way her looked at his Dorabella was slightly uncomfortable. One of the drawbacks of this type of viewing. I was very taken with Matthew Ball bounding through Troyte and Francesca Hayward as the only brunette Dorabella I have ever seen. I also looked at Luca Acri as George Robinson Sinclair with different eyes, greatly helped by Wayne Sleep's explanation of some of the details of the role he had reintroduced. However, the whole performance was remarkable for the truly tremendous Laura Morea as Lady Elgar. I am so pleased to have seen her in an Ashton role, and one she so obviously understood. I never saw Beriosova in the role but I felt, accurately or otherwise, that I had seen the nearest thing. She was Alice Elgar as she would like to have been, to partially quote the bon mot about Monica Mason being Alice as she actually was. It should never be forgotten that Elgar had all his major successes during the time he was married to her and that they ceased with her death. She was his true inspiration and I really felt that with Morea. So, on with Raymonda, something of a favourite of mine. I was very curious to know how Natalia Osipova would fit into the Nureyev version. I will just say quickly that I saw Nureyev dance in this production towards the end of his career. He was no Vadim Muntagirov by that time! So, would Natalia clap or not clap. No, apparently ballerinas are not supposed to make a noise. It looked a bit odd without the slap as she was so imperious in the role. My favourite bit of the ballet is her demi-solo when Raymonda starts at the back with her slow relevè passes progress to the front of the stage. The Russians do it differently, starting at the front of the stage and moving backwards very fast. I prefer the Nureyev version and I once saw Sylvie Guillem (in the wrong tutu, her loss) take it so slowly you could have done your shopping list between each balance, but it was so exciting as she accelerated forward. I was very taken with Osipova although I do prefer my Raymondas to be more radiant and less triumphant. However, she danced with palpable authority which is difficult when the character has so little opportunity to show off. As for Vadim, there are no words. I feel so privileged every time I see him.

More please!!!! Can't believe how the audience 'got ' Varii Capricci. I seem to remember at the time the reviews saying it went down far better in the US than over here. Did Sibley and Dowell coach the dancers? Thank you so much Iain and Maggie.

P.s. his brother looks pretty thrilled too!

Excellent news and thoroughly deserved. I have been watching Michael for nearly 40 years in a huge variety of roles and I cannot remember ever seeing him give a bad performance. Even in roles like Oberon his intelligence and sincerity meant he always found something of value in the role. Every time he was cast against type he was well worth watching. However, when he was cast in roles which really suited him, he was unmatched. This has been the year to remember him as Will Mossop in Hobson's Choice. You could see his influence in both casts and his coaching had clearly paid handsome dividends. I cherish my memories of him in works such as Two Pigeons, especially when dancing with Sandra Madgwick, and all the Male leads in Fille. To me he is the ultimate example of a SWRB/BRB dancer, matched only by Marion Tait. He may not be the most important O'Hare in British Ballet these days but I would argue that his contribution over the years continues to be hard to beat.

It is my personal view, and gripe, that BRB are indeed pricing themselves out of the market, especially at the top end. Added to that we have the eternal blister, the lack of notice of casting. Two top price seats for Swan Lake will be well over £100, nearly £140 for the Saturday evening, with no indication who will be dancing. These prices may be low by the Opera House rates but at least there is a reasonable guide as to whom you hope to see. I am no longer able to take out a subscription but that doesn't bother me as when I had the first nights I seem to always get the same ballerina in all the leading roles. It will be very interesting to see of any of this changes under the incoming regime.

BRB please take note!

There is something very special about James. He is obviously highly intelligent dancer and I am not surprised he is going to stay in dance but in a teaching capacity rather than as a performance. I agree with Janet. He will be much missed

I still regard Nina's performance as the greatest individual full length I have ever seen. It is not that Raymonda is a great ballet but she was transcendent in it. I remember floating out of the Coliseum afterwards to hear Clement Crisp rhapsodising to a small gathering of similarly smitten balletomanes. She was beautiful, musical and classical all at once. Sheer heaven!

Gosh, I remember this so clearly. Ditto her appearance on Wogan. There are a few episodes of Face the Music I would love to see again, such a calming and sensible programme. Wouldn't last 5 minutes these days unfortunately.