Petunia

I’ve never been “that far east” before, so you might be able to help… this is what I’d like to do if the weather isn’t too bad: First thing in the morning: a visit to the Geffrye Museum and Garden. From there I’d like to find a nice walking route to the Old Truman Brewery where I want to see Andrej Uspensky’s photography exhibition. Is there anything interesting between the two places worth a detour or should I just take the bus? If there’s time I’d wander over to Spitalfields Market and then take the tube from Liverpool St Station to Euston Sq. Or I could walk down Brick Ln to Aldgate East and take the tube from there. In any case, I’d like to be back at the hotel in time to freshen up and relax because I’ll have to be at the ROH in time for Mayerling.

Very well said, Angela. I am part of the "overlap", I think ! I believe the Berlin "classical" audience can tolerate Forsythe and Kylian, but Malakhov's choices regarding contemporary ballet had been disputable, to say the least.

This was a truly enlightening and interesting Insight performance. Exactly the right mix of talking and dancing. I've seen Pat Neary years ago at a similar event, she's a very good presenter and full of great stories and her corrections are real eye-openers. Besides of the fantastic dancing, I very much liked the remark by Marianela Nunez about Diamonds: "I love this so much I could do it everyday for breakfast" and Sarah Lamb about "the time when America was happy to welcome immigrants".

I am imaginig this SO vividly now. :-D I remember a Nutcracker matinee somewhere else where a lot of schoolchildren were so noisy during the ouverture that the conductor stopped and lectured the audience about what an ouverture is and why one has to sit silently and listen. Then the music resumed and everybody was quiet.

Live-sized Polunin dances for Diesel now on a screen at my underground station. Can watch him every morning!

Ellie, I’ve never experienced anybody eating / drinking at our three opera houses or at theatres / concerts here. Latecomers wait outside. Filming or sound recording is not permitted and the use of phones is strongly discouraged, there are always announcements before the start of a performance. At smaller or more informal venues, sometimes people bring drinks from the bar but that’s it. I remember one of my first posts here on balletco must have been after my first visit to the RB’s Sleeping Beauty in 2014, when I was somehow surprised by the mediocre behavior of the audience (checking phones during the Interlude etc).

Janet, you must read "Orlando", it's witty and funny and I think it's Woolf's most accessible book, I'm sure you'd like it. The movie was great, too.

Yes, that was him.

I often wondered whether in the theatre one could experience more of the space, as the screen lacks depth, especially in the second act.

I feel exactly the same as you, Odyssey. Just got home from the cinema and I'm so excited I can't go to sleep. This was my first McGregor experience and I'm thrilled! I wish I could see it all over again right now. The sheer beauty of the work is so striking. I've seen a lot of ballets where a big effort was made, but very rarely it comes together as a whole. I have my head full of images which will return again and again for a long while, I'm sure. So sorry I missed you Sim, but there were no cameras at the Floral Hall this time!

I'm going to see the cinema relay tonight. Anybody passing the camera in the Floral Hall, please wave to me. Thank you

Aren't there any more Theatre Cats in London? Like, e.g. Gus?

I am now SO much looking forward to my next visit to the ROH.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyDp3OOPMiM Found this in today's links - Alessandra Ferri for a skincare product...!

Best: Khan: Until the Lions Khan: Giselle Cherkaoui / Eastman: Fraktus V Pina Bausch Company: Palermo, Palermo Hayward / Hay in Rhapsody Nunez / Muntagirov in Giselle at the cinema Will Tucket: Elizabeth World Ballet Day 2016 Worst Nacho Duato’s Nutcracker Several “cutting-edge” contemporary choreographies I don’t want to remember. Luckily, there was a lot more to like than not. Just not at home, but I like to travel…

Ikea has them, too.

I can see you’ve put quite a lot of work into your solo and there are many nice moments in it. Generally I feel there’s a bit of a lack of different dynamics, like in the music which is quite monotonous. If you choose that kind of music, it’s always much more interesting if you go against the beat a bit, then you have to develop your own dynamics. Just a few examples here: in the beginning, when you step into that flatback developpé arabesque, put an accent on it (exhale sharply) to give your audience a little “wake up”. Then, when you have that step back in the lunge and lift your right arm, make a clear and sharp form with that arm. And after the first roll on the floor, you stand and twist around your back and wrap your arms around you: hold that tight or swing back directly. Everybody has preferences in movement, that’s the way we choose movements for choreography, it comes easily to us, but we learn more about us as dancers if we leave our comfort zones and experiment with forms and dynamics we wouldn’t choose automatically. You could try to think a little more about polarity, contrasts, dynamic-wise: big/small, slow/fast, sharp/soft… and breathe! I’d also experiment a little with time: can you do something really sloo-oow and then a sudden accent or little staccato movements, for example? The timing is very much the same, especially in the long sequence on the floor. Forget about the beat of the music for a while and talk yourself through it: with sounds you make or words or singing. There’s a nice moment about 20 seconds in when you cross the L foot over and then step into a lunge on R to the side and reach with your R arm and look to the R – really look! - and then turn away from it very quickly. More of that quality would be great! Afterwards you have twice a step on R and sort of an enveloppé with L, there you do a nice arm gesture – but you don’t finish it, when the hands come together and down, that could be a nice exclamation mark! In general, give some more attention to your arms – what are they doing when, where, and why? I hope you don’t find this too much of a ramble, this is just a general overview, I didn’t pick your dance apart. I think for an audition it’s important to show that you are a versatile dancer and that you give attention to detail. All the best wishes!

This is how an enthusiastic dog reacts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PLPMgpGWmc

Courgettes? Not in the apple crumble .

I'd definitely buy the DVD - just a few minutes ago I thought about writing to Sadler's Wells and pleading for one! As I have several DVDs of works by Khan and/or Cherkaoui which are co-produced by them I thought there might be a chance.

I like the "Cafe in the Crypt" at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Just a ten minute walk from the ROH.

Aaah, Boxer!

Fabulous it was, indeed! But I never felt rushed, even if the tempo in London is much speedier than in Berlin.

My Mini Trip Report I’m back home and I still feel a bit drunk. I’ve seen and done so much in such a short time! Although the beginning of the journey was a bit bumpy when the train from Gatwick Airport to Clapham Junction stopped at East Croydon and didn’t go further, so we all had to wait for the next one, and we missed our connection to Southampton, but after that everything went smoothly enough. We had a lovely dinner at The Vestry and after that the highlight of the day: ENB’s Giselle at the Mayflower Theatre! I felt quite drained after that but we had very comfy beds in the B&B. Next morning we left early for London (I can sleep everywhere as long as it moves) and stayed in Bloomsbury for two nights. Best things in London this time: Treasures of the British Library St Bartholomew-the-Great and the little café Sidi Larbi Chekaoui’s “Fractus” at Sadler’s Wells The “Undressed” exhibition at the V&A The “Beyond Caravaggio” exhibition at the National Gallery “Anastasia” Tea and Scones everywhere A real Scotch Egg from Borough Market, and a Steak-and-Ale Pie The new Switch House at the Tate Modern The weather which was much warmer and sunnier than at home, and the trees much greener, still. Everybody was so nice. Unfortunately I haven’t met any Balletco’ers this time but I hope I’ll be back in Spring for Mayerling!

It was funny to come back from London yesterday and read your comments, as I was thinking quite the same after the performance on Friday (with Cuthbertson). Sadly I couldn't stay for the Morera matinee - I knew I'd miss something exciting! The first two acts very beautifully staged but quite empty of interesting choreography or characterisation, so unlike other MacMillan ballets. Fabulous dancing, glamourous costumes, great music – I can’t say I was bored, but I wasn’t thrilled either. Maybe there was more to it but from my seat in the Amphi I couldn’t see much acting. And then the change in the third act, when everything is told through the choreography. I’d be happy with a one act-ballet, too. The Martinu score is fantastic. But I’ll go and see the cinema relay, I’m curious what I’ll discover then.