Odyssey

Yes, very true. She was another ballerina whom I admired as a child from the portrait photos in the ballet books I used to pore over. I hope there is recognition on the ROH website and social media of her contribution..

Ahh, a ballerina from my childhood .So very elegant, the epitome of the graceful ballerina both off stage and on. I have some treasured videos of her performances. I was reminded of her recently watching the film Nijinsky in which she was perfectly cast as Tamara Karsavina

Just looking at the casting of the Karl Abraham - wondering why the cast for the 30th have no other performances. Really feel for Melissa Hamilton - she is so under used.

I favour the idea of a ‘Friends of the Ashton Foundation’ which Rina suggests in her initial post. Mainly because I think with the Foundation already in existence, it makes sense to focus the energies in one place. I don’t know much about theFoundation, but have found it a useful tool. I’d be interested to know whether people here think having multiple owners of Ashton’s work is a good thing in terms of a ‘voice’ for the choreographer as say compared to Deborah Macmillan .

What a labour of love. Thank you so much for sharing this resource which is so refreshingly straightforward to use.

I haven’t read or heard many interviews with Yasmine Naghdi so this latest podcast is a real delight, particularly as Yasmine was in the same cohort of students at the Royal Ballet school as co interviewer, Brandon Lawrence, which ensured a lovely relaxed , sharing of experience between the two of them. Yasmine is a class act and refreshingly down to earth. Another brilliant podcast which I highly recommend.

So much promise. What sad news. The beautiful Asphodel Meadows seems such a fitting legacy.

Really enjoyed this latest podcast. Romany gave such thoughtful and honest responses to some probing questions. Thanks so much!

Interesting to read Dawnstar’s desire to see Job stemming partly from reading about it in a children’s fiction book. So many ballets I would like to see are in part due to pictures in the Princess Tina ballet books I loved as a child. Shadowplay, Graduation Ball, Card Game, Daphnis and Chloe, Birthday Offering, Les Biches ..... to name a few. Of those I’ve listed, I have only managed to see Birthday Offering. It’s sad to say but I can’t see how a torch can be held for such ballets to be revived if there is no exposure to them now in the form of released extracts from archives, masterclasses etc, more initiatives such as those by the Ashton Foundation.

Yes, I hadn’t received any communication about this. Well done to the resourceful team in putting this together. Hope there will be further stimulating opportunities for all budgets to support BRB in the future .

A lovely clip, but these aren’t the fairy variations. It’s the pas de quatre from act 3 edited to say that this was the clip that came up on my link, although I have since noticed there are others there too. Sorry.

Yes, I agree that the venue for the old Theatre Museum was less than ideal but there was a wonderful array of exhibits. Wouldn’t it be brilliant if some enlightened philanthropist could fund something opening in Coventry as part of the City of Culture. Wonderful transport links and near enough to Stratford / Birmingham to be able to attract tourists who are already in enjoying the wonderful theatrical experiences available in the Midlands. We can only dream.

To think we used to have a Theatre Museum. How can we not celebrate the wonderful achievements of this art form in our country.

So pleased for them. It’s another profile building happening since the ‘new era’.

To see dancers being able to return to their companies and begin rehearsing for performances with full casts and without bubbles, allowing them to release their creative selves and continue developing their relatively short performing careers.

Really good news. BRB has assembled a terrific team with a good mixture of ‘old’ and new.

Couldn’t agree more Janet. He has such a relaxed persona in this type of interview. When you look at what he has managed to achieve with BRB in this most difficult of years, you realise how fortunate we are to have him at the helm. If anyone can bring BRB through this awful period, Carlos can.

So many ‘household names’ from that era. Just wish Ann Jenner was in that line up but she’d left for Australia by then. I never saw her dance the Fairy of the Songbirds which I gather was one of her signature roles.

I was just about to post about this too! Can really recommend this film, with an excellent cast ( including a very young Jeremy Irons who plays Fokine)and wonderful staging of the ballet extracts. I have a book about the film which includes a very detailed account of its making -casting/ locations/staging etc. , so if after viewing it anyone has any questions regarding background I might be able to find the answers. Edited to add that Patrick Dupond was originally considered for therole of Nijinsky (apparently as well as his superb dancing, the Rosses were struck by his resemblance to Nijinsky), but his shaky command of English was considered a problem.

I am fascinated to know why Helen Mirren has written a forward to the title.

Loved the podcast. Titanic the ballet! I like my romances complicated so I would be inclined to be more in the Romeo and Juliet camp. I find both A Month in the Country and Onegin incredibly moving.

Yes, I have been enjoying these in-depth interviews. For those of us of a certain age (!) , check out the interview with Doreen Wells subtitled the Miracle of Soleto - for a reason she explains during the interview. It’s a wonderful resume of her career and she name drops so many wonderful artists. There are a couple of previously unseen clips including a wonderful extract of her dancing the second movement from Concerto with David Wall.

I seem to recall the BBC including Yuri (Carlos Acosta biog) in their planned dance season last summer, but I never saw it advertised in the schedule. Does anyone know if it has been screened? I saw it at the cinema and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I enjoy reading dance biographies and autobiographies, and over the years have read quite a few. Among my favourites are Dancing on My Grave, the first of Gelsey Kirkland’s two autobiographies, Nijinsky, a biography written by his wife,Romola Nijinsky, Nureyev biographies by both Peter Watson and Diane Soloway. Different Drummer, a comprehensive biography of Kenneth Macmillan, Lynn, Lynn Seymour’s autobiography, two meaty biographies of Ashton & Fonteyn: Secret Muses, the life of Frederick Ashton by Julie Kavanagh and Margot Fonteyn by Meredith Daneman, Dancing Away, Deborah Bull’s account of the period when the Royal Opera House was closed for redevelopment Wrights and Wrongs, Sir Peter Wright’s refreshingly frank autobiography, Diaghilev by Richard Buckle and Hope in a Ballet Shoe, Michaela DePrince’s uplifting story, co-written with her Mum.

Thank you for enabling us to share our love and enthusiasm for this wonderful art form, particularly through such a difficult time.