ToThePointe

Wow those are some great ideas @Odyssey - definitely something for us to think about for the next Season! Any other ideas or questions for future episodes please let us know, or send us an email at openbarrepodcast@gmail.com Thank you!

@Odysseyso sorry for the delay in getting back to you on this! Thank you for your kind words. We pre plan all of the topics and come up with them together! We feel very grateful to have had so many special guests for Season 2 as well.

Thank you so much! @Janite

Thank you everyone for your support so far! Season Two is well underway and so far we have some exciting guests who have joined us for a chat - Aiden O'Brien, Tzu-Chao Chou, Ruth Brill and Kit Holder to name a few...! We also have more exciting guests joining us so please keep listening Julia & Brandon You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Spreaker. Apple works best on your phone via the app and I would recommend Spreaker and Spotify if listening on a computer. Links below (just put us in the search bar for Spotify) https://www.spreaker.com/show/open-barre-season-one https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/open-barre/id1521293558?fbclid=IwAR3MNC3G_A3YjeJ39-IrQ_PatqO7i6STbL3_m_NlM-HtC9LqU5xMiZrek3w

Hi everyone - thank you so much for your support so far with the podcast! Episode 2 is now live and can be found, downloaded and played via Apple, Spotify and Spreaker. Please like, comment and subscribe where you can! In this episode, we discuss the interval and the wings. I hope you enjoy https://www.spreaker.com/show/open-barre-season-one https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/open-barre/id1521293558?fbclid=IwAR3MNC3G_A3YjeJ39-IrQ_PatqO7i6STbL3_m_NlM-HtC9LqU5xMiZrek3w

Hi everyone! I have teamed up with Brandon Lawrence, Principal dancer at Birmingham Royal Ballet, to create Open Barre - a podcast set out to discover what goes on behind the scenes in ballet. It's meant to be light and fun rather than a serious in-depth look into the world of ballet! Today Brandon celebrates a year since his promotion to Principal so it seems fitting that we release our first episode of Open Barre on the same day! You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Spreaker. Apple works best on your phone via the app and I would recommend Spreaker and Spotify if listening on a computer. Links below (just put us in the search bar for Spotify) https://www.spreaker.com/show/open-barre-season-one https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/open-barre/id1521293558?fbclid=IwAR3MNC3G_A3YjeJ39-IrQ_PatqO7i6STbL3_m_NlM-HtC9LqU5xMiZrek3w Please like, subscribe, and give us a rating when you listen! I hope you all enjoy xx

Please find a link below to my interview with Cathy Marston. It's quite lengthy, but a great read with a cup of tea and a biccie in the garden...if you're fortunate enough to have one! It was really fascinating to speak with her and learn about her journey and what's inspired her over the years. There are links to the online streaming of 'The Cellist' and 'Snowblind' at the bottom of the interview which I also hope you enjoy! https://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/2020/05/28/ToThePointe-Meets-Cathy-Marston?fbclid=IwAR3f18_IkrbwULI2A1AJuoZQl0K26TTr1YxgX7UfEMYmjB45Wv87dRM1UhY

I've just posted some of my favourite 'mad scenes' from Giselle. Who has performed one of your favourite 'mad scenes'? https://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/2020/04/09/My-Top-5-Mad-Scenes-from-Giselle

Hi everyone - I've launched a new feature on my blog called "My Top 5" where I'm sharing some of my ballet highlights. I thought it could be something fun and inspiring to read during lockdown so I hope you all enjoy. Please see below for the link... https://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/my-top-5

Thanks jan! Great clip - her pirouettes are great and I love the addition of her arm rising up and down!

I've just posted my review of 'Romeo and Juliet: Beyond Words' if anyone is interested in having a read! Link below :) https://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/2020/01/20/Romeo-and-Juliet-Beyond-Words

Thank you to all of the moderators for keeping Ballet Co alive! Your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed and we are all very thankful. I’ve been watching ballet for as long as I can remember, but at 28 years old, I love being able to enter a world like the forum where I can learn and read more from different generations, many of whom talk so often about the great dancers from before my time. Happy birthday forum!! Xxx

Selling Balcony standing D33 and D32 for the performance this evening. £11 each PM me for details, thanks

If Des Grieux isn’t working for me throughout the performance, then I know I won’t be moved by the end! It’s a tricky one - when he’s doing his solo in the brothel, some Manons seem to almost take pity on him but I feel more moved when I feel it’s a mutual love. I think there’s space for both though - I don’t think Manon is a ballet where there’s pressure to be moved by the end - unlike in R&J!

This is a very gushing review, but I thought you might like to read my views on the Hayward/Campbell cast! https://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/2019/11/08/Manon-at-The-Royal-Ballet

Hopefully a bit of light reading for a Friday afternoon! My recent interview with Mayara Magri for ToThePointe... https://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/2019/10/28/ToThePointe-Meets-Mayara-Magri

I'll see what I can do Ian!

Earlier this summer I asked Rachel Hollings (Artistic Administrator at the RB) if she would publish a contributing article for To The Pointe featuring her photographic highlights of The Royal Ballet’s 2018/19 Season. The result? A wonderful reflection of another superb offering of dance from The Royal Ballet. Although Rachel says she isn’t a ‘professional photographer’, for me, her photos capture the essence of ballet in its most beautiful and magical form. Enjoy! https://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/2019/08/19/Abandonment-to-the-Art---the-view-from-Instagram

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Shale for my blog, To The Pointe. He's a lovely guy and a great ambassador for classical ballet... Link to the interview here: https://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/2019/08/04/ToThePointe-Meets-Shale-Wagman

I think it’s quite interesting how some find Naghdi too classical for Juliet. Naghdi and Takada are, in my opinion, the next big classical stars at the RB and I loved both of their Juliets because they looked so aristocratic. Because they naturally have such a classical hold, they really looked like they belonged in the Capulets' decadent mansion, and I think this worked really well. It explains how she is meant to be paired with Paris and married off and why she is a product of her upbringing. I really dislike it when Juliet is made to be too feral which I found with Osipova’s take. She ran into the ballroom looking completely in awe of her surroundings and completely shocked that someone like her could have a place in such a magnificent setting. To me, that is more like Giselle turning up to an extravagant party. Although it’s likely to be Juliet’s first party, it’s being held in her house, and she would be very aware and used to the glorious setting of it all. Naghdi and Takada are so classical, elegant and graceful that I think they were perfectly suited to depict the aristocratic nature of Juliet. I also felt that they cleverly ‘loosened’ as they fell in love, culminating in complete despair and limp like bodies by the end.

Looking for a cheapish ticket for Friday 14th for the triple! Please get in touch if you can help, thanks!! X

Tuesday 7th May sees the return of English National Ballet's Emerging Dancer Awards 2019. I caught up with the finalists to find out what they are most looking forward to at the awards and what it means to be named a finalist... https://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/2019/05/03/ENBs-Emerging-Dancer-Awards-The-Finalists-Have-Their-Say

Hi there Am looking for a ticket, ideally standing or cheap amphi, for Takada/Hirano in Romeo and Juliet on 28th March. Please let me know!

Agree he has a wonderful partnership with Nuñez but I’m desperate to see Vadim dance with others - maybe Akane Takada or Yasmine Naghdi, both of whom are such beautiful classical dancers.

Some of my views on Ball / Cuthbertson from Friday night: I’ve always been a huge Cuthbertson fan and always saw her as one of those special talents who can master all roles, whether it be a classic like Giselle, a MacMillan like Juliet or something contemporary from the McGregor sphere. I have to admit though, that I think her style has changed quite significantly over the past year or two. I find her a bit over the top these days and quite boisterous. When she danced in Symphony in C I found it all a bit frantic and I have a similar view on her Kitri. She really bounds onto the stage, chaotically weaving through the crowd and it seemed to me in quite a few instances that she was unsure about where she needed to be on stage. I also found the acting slightly forced and over the top. Yes Kitri is independent, stubborn and cheeky, but she’s also flirtatious, warm and full of joy. I felt Takada really understood this, and in the more seductive moments used everything, from her eyes to her fan, to really seduce Basilio and the audience. Technically Cuthbertson was great, but I just found it all a bit chaotic and too much of a whirlwind. It’s sort of how I expect Osipova will be when she dances Kitri – but I don’t mind that as much with her because a) I expect it and b) it’s sort of what she’s all about. I don’t think comedy comes as easily to Ball as it might do to others like Campbell. For me he is a natural prince, a dark and brooding artist perfect for meaty roles like Rudolf or Onegin. I think the ‘lighter’ pieces aren’t quite as a natural fit but I think he did well and that this is perhaps something that will develop as time goes on. Unfortunately I didn’t think there was much chemistry between him and Cuthbertson, unlike with Takada and Campbell who perfectly balanced petty jealousy, flirtation and humour with a real deep and loving connection. Ball is incredibly tender and affectionate on stage – we saw this with his Romeo - but I don’t think that style matched very well to Cuthbertson’s more exuberant characterisation of Kitri. I’m not seeing them dance together in Romeo and Juliet but will be interested to read everyone’s views on it.