Petunia

http://www.roh.org.uk/news/watch-the-royal-ballet-live-in-morning-class-from-the-royal-opera-house-stage There's going to be a live stream on facebook and a video-on-demand on the RB homepage. Hooray! I'll be sitting on a plane to London at that time. Is Wifi available on the trains from Gatwick?

But, but, but... https://tickets.barbican.org.uk/eticketing/performancelist.asp?shoID=43490 this is quite confusing. Kenneth MacMillan: Steps Back in Time Viviana Durante Company 18 Apr–21 Apr 2018, Pit Theatre And then ther are performances listed on the 19.-21.April, at 19:45

Methinks he's the Golden Idol...

Here it's Donkey-SHOTT with a heavy ending .

For me, everything was new – and I liked it much more than I thought I would, after reading all the reviews. I wish I could see it all over again, especially Yugen and the Wheeldon. I was very impressed by Yugen, visually and emotionally. Beautifully flowing movement, changing from liquid to surprising stops and little poses. Lovely loose shoulders and arms and expressive backs, particularly Calvin Richardson in his solo. I can imagine it to be quite unusual for a classically trained dancer to take the momentum for a movement from varying and always quickly changing places in the body. As always, there is so much to see, and so much happening in different spaces that one can’t be satisfied by just one viewing. And the beautiful stage, the lighting and the soft red costumes. I think combining voice and movement can be difficult, sometimes dangerous, even when one doesn’t understand the words, sometimes I wasn’t sure if I was overreacting. But the music hits you where your heart is (or wherever) as soon as people move – I’d like to imagine the dance without music and the music without the dance to see clearly here – if there were a video, I could switch the music off… you see, I haven’t fully digested the ballet, please bear with me here. Need to see it more often. Same with the Corybantics…I was happy to see most of my favorite dancers even if they were dressed in the most fussy and annoying costumes I’ve seen for a while (although the skirts were cute). I liked a lot of what they were doing, even if I couldn’t see it all because of the width of the stage and the selective view of the camera. What caught my eye was how clever Wheeldon works with groupings in space, you really can see Petipa as the grand master of spacing here… how a group develops a sequence, and another group joins them and then a variation happens and how it is all connected, and suddenly there’s a breakup. Very intelligent, sometimes witty and many small surprises along the way. Fabulous, fabulous dancers. What a company. And I quite liked the Age of Anxiety, too. I have so many remembrances of old American films and musicals, I think this ballet is perfect for the screen. I even liked the occasional close-ups this time. I would have appreciated it even more if the “darker” moments when the straight storytelling stops and we have a look “inside” the characters were longer or more elaborated. Lots of small and interesting details, coming and going very quickly. I can imagine them to just disappear when you see the ballet from the Amphi. Bennet Gartside fantastic but everybody very remarkable. How does the incredible Sarah Lamb manage the switch from Yugen to Anxiety in just twenty minutes?? On the whole I think the evening was again a proof of how beautiful and versatile and dedicated the RB dancers are and I can’t wait to see them again (soon!).

This Times article has some pretty nasty reader comments.

And me, too! I am very sorry to miss her on Tuesday at the cinema broadcast, and I have a ticket for her Manon on 19 April...!

Decision making: Besides winning the lottery I'll have to start again with the Excel spreadsheets... when I know what ENB is going to do and who is coming when to Sadler's Wells etc.

I seriously consider moving to London for a year... sigh. How tempting! Everybody missing Onegin: you can come to Berlin and see it here.

Too cold to cycle, at least for me. Underground trains and buses are crammed with people. PEOPLE. With woolly BOBBLE HATS and big chunky HEADPHONES on top of that. Eyes glued to their little screens, they step into the carriage and JUST STOP THERE. Wearing BACKPACKS, they have absolutely no spatial awareness whatsoever and they don’t budge. But sometimes they turn around and then their backpacks wreak havoc. And I never say anything. Sometimes I’m tutting a little (must be the heritage of my English Gran) but I have VERY AGGRESSIVE THOUGHTS. Please come Spring.

I've received an email from the box office: if I'd like to swap A15 for AA15, the bench seat, which I've accepted. I don't know yet if they'll send a new E-ticket.

That’s exactly what I thought, ninamargaret. Further belated thoughts: I’ve seen Judas Tree only on DVD, with Acosta and Leanne Benjamin who I think were perfect impersonators (after Mukhamedov and Durante), they were thrilling even on video. Soares was very, very good, too, but I feel this role needs an even stronger physical expressiveness. Cuthbertson is so, so beautiful but almost too elegant, I liked Hamilton, when I saw her in the rehearsal on Ballet Day, I thought she’s just the type. I’m always completely bowled over by Watson, he seems to give everything, in every role. It makes me feel exhausted just to watch how he’s fighting. Gloria, I must say, seems to be one of those ballets I’d have to see more often to form any opinion. I loved the music and many parts of the choreography, and Northern Ballet’s dancers were impressive. The set was truly beautiful and atmospheric but I was distracted by the costumes (sadly, I hate head gear in dance) and this got in my way, too. And Elite – I loved it, also watched it the first time on stage, the musicians were even better than on the DVD and how I’d love to be invited to that party! Although I was sitting in the Amphi, Morera, Naghdi and Hirano radiated so much joy and fun it was dazzling. Everybody had a ball, down there and up here, what a great end to a great celebration!

On Tuesday I flew to England JUST after a big storm, spent a few lovely and partly even sunny and warm days in Liverpool and London and came back yesterday at night JUST before the next big storm here. Saw some awesome dance and met up with dear balletco'ers - am I not lucky? Sitting in my warm flat, watching dancing trees and hearing howling winds .

Can't add much to was was already said... this was my second Giselle and my first with Rojo, she's very different from AC but what an experience! I had hoped to see Corrales again, I found Cirio not as strong a presence, he was very good but I felt not quite dangerous and threatening enough. I think the company as a whole was so impressing, they move as one body... and they don't look at all like Ballet Dancers who "master" contemporary dance but it looks completely natural. I just deeply admire them. And it was lovely to discover Liverpool and to meet Janet!

No, that's not all but I wouldn't call it an "extravaganza" either ! It's Liverpool before that (to see Giselle again) and on Friday 27th I'll be at the ROH for the mixed bill. Am available for meetups or a pub or whatever. Mr P is coming, too. Naghdi / Ball sounds great, thanks! I haven't yet seen a programme.

I have a ticket for the Insight on 26th Oct. at the Swiss Church, about R+J. I expect there won't be any dancing but I'm so curious who will be there to tell their stories!

...and two hours by plane to London...!

Welcome!

Climb! Look at Rome from above! The terrace of St Peter's, and if he's confident, also the cupola (very winding and narrow stairs). Up to the Pincio to look over the city from the terrace, and wander through the park to the Villa Borghese. Don't eat near the "tourist attractions" - cross the Tiber via the Ponte Sisto to eat real food in Trastevere. Get lost in the streets and alleys around Piazza Navona, then walk over Ponte Sant Angelo to the Castello. The markets! These are my favorites .

The RB screenings have moved from this huge popcorn palace with 15 screens to a much nicer 1920's cinema which has recently been refurbished and the technical equipment is excellent, we never experienced any glitches. (They don't sell popcorn, which is a bonus.) Sadly there is absolutely no advertising of these screenings, so it's still an insider thing, I believe. I can't come to London as often as I'd like so I'm quite content as it is.

Here it's 25€uros and sometimes there are just about 20 people at the cinema.

I've lost my beak

Isn't that a German speciality...?

And SBF - please allow us some light gushing!

Please go to today’s links and see that photo in the Telegraph where he is hovering in the air and looking at Marianela Nunez who is coming to meet him up there. Incredible !