Balletfanp

I agree. It was very singing heavy. I know there are difficulties in staging ballet at the moment but I can’t believe that, with a little imagination, they can’t get a bit more into these programmes. That said, Hayward and Corrales were absolutely beautiful and it felt very emotional to see them perform. So sad not hearing any applause, though.

I get you now 🙂. But the thread had drifted onto access to the paid concerts and my mind was still on that.

I’m not convinced about that - tomorrow night’s event is a free one. I suspect they are using Vimeo for the paid concerts as they can control access more easily and it possibly gives more protection from things like illegal downloads.

You can create a free account with Vimeo here https://vimeo.com/join But I’m still no clearer about what the account was that my sisters had to create - I’m assuming that must get them in to the viewing, otherwise what was the point?? Neither if them are tech savvy and trying to explain what they needed to do yesterday just to redeem their tickets was..... just a bit stressful! I’m not relishing the thought of possibly having to explain that they also need to set up a Vimeo account too....!

That’s how I interpreted it but now I don’t know! My sisters did say, when they went to redeem their tickets, that it asked for a username and password (which they didn’t have) but they were able to create an account, so maybe that’s it? Unfortunately, without seeing what they were seeing, it’s hard to say. It also begs another question - I already had a Vimeo account before buying my ticket, so IF creating an account at the point of purchase was setting up a Vimeo account (by no means certain), presumably that now means I have two Vimeo accounts.....?? The ROH really need to make this a whole lot clearer or they could find themselves with a lot of people unable to get in on the night itself or confused about access. The fact that we all seem to have understood this in different ways highlights the problem. I’m off for a lie down in a darkened room....

I think I’m more confused now.... so - I gifted two tickets to my sisters and I know they don’t have Vimeo Accounts. Will they have to set up Vimeo accounts to view it? Or does the fact that it was purchased through my account make it OK for them?

Is that the case to view the live stream? The link seems to take you through to the ROH website and it’s already there but (obviously) currently saying offline. Possibly you might need a Vimeo account to view it on demand afterwards? I have one already but purchased two “tickets” for my sisters and I know they don’t have Vimeo accounts. Actually, I’ve just re-read the confirmation email, which says: “You can watch Live from Covent Garden via the link in your confirmation email or by logging into your Vimeo account. Live from Covent Garden will also be available in your Vimeo Library for 14 days after the event.” So it looks as though it’s either/or for the live performance, but you will need a Vimeo account to view it afterwards, if I’m reading this correctly.

I was there and what a privilege it was. Vadim’s wonderful dancing combined with Dowell’s insightful coaching, all up close, was an afternoon to remember. I always hoped to see Vadim dancing it live one day..... well, it won’t be live exactly, but I’ll settle for it for the time being!

i just asked this question on the ROH Instagram account on the post promoting the events, and they have replied to say they will be available on demand for 14 days.

Well, I’ll put in a request for Muntagirov in “Blessed Spirit” in that case - having watched him being rehearsed by Dowell a few years ago but never having seen him perform it live!

I forgot to mention in my review that I badgered a friend of mine, who is not into ballet and knows next to nothing about it, into watching the programme - which she did just to shut me up, I think! To her own surprise she was “enthralled” by it, and fully appreciative of the dancers’ attributes by the end. So I suppose it achieved its objective in some degree!

I’ve read all the thoughts on the “Men at the Barre” documentary with interest. I’ve taken my time to mull it over as I find I need to do that these days rather than rush straight into a review. I had mixed feelings about it. On balance, I enjoyed it - I’m happy to see any documentary on ballet on the TV these days, if I’m honest, especially one that attracted some positive attention in the press. Yes, it had some shortcomings, but in the article with the maker that was in one of the newspapers a few days before, he was chosen because, by his own admission, he knew nothing about ballet, and it was therefore deemed that he would approach it from the position of the average man on the street. I must say that I rather approved of the approach to the “What do they wear under their tights” section - very much “OK, we know that’s what people always wonder about, there’s no point ignoring it so let’s get it out of the way and move on.” They didn’t linger on it. I don’t think that most of the clips shown did justice to the dancers concerned or necessarily illustrated whatever point was being made, or indeed pursued that point in any depth, e.g. as others have said, it would have been good to explore just why Vadim is seen as being so good - likewise they referred to Matthew Ball of being “the epitome of grace and strength” but the accompanying clip wasn’t, to my mind, the best they could have shown to illustrate that. I found it frustrating as there are so many fantastic clips out there of all the dancers that they could have used to impressive effect. I did very much enjoy the interviews and the insights into life backstage - the teasing of Francesca Hayward, Alex and Vadim and their basketball fixation, Marianela visiting Vadim’s dressing room to congratulate him etc. I’m not a fan of Steven McRae but felt great sympathy with him after his appearance in the programme. I didn’t get the impression of him being portrayed as older and “past it,” which is what he seemed to be saying in his statement following the programme, although evidently his injuries have taken their toll and he looked tired and strained (understandable). Whilst I appreciate that he is probably very sensitive about things at the moment, I’m afraid the statement rather made my sympathy with him evaporate.....it felt like a bit of an overreaction to me although others will, I’m sure, disagree! I did like the fact that the film tried to look at different dancers at all stages of their careers - and nice to see Joseph Sissens getting some well deserved praise! I think questions have been asked about how the dancers were selected, and “What about X?” It did occur to me that perhaps not everyone wanted to be filmed or to take a full part in it. Overall, there were flaws - and it would be good to see a follow up, perhaps, going into a bit more depth, at some stage - but I did enjoy watching it, and confess to getting a bit tearful at the shots of the ROH and the view from the terrace, and wondering when it will be possible to be back there and watching a performance!

In the events calendar, someone has entered “Men at the Barre” on 28th May, but according to the BBC4 scheduling it’s on the 27th....

Not for much longer, if rumours that the government are preparing to wind down the furlough scheme over the next few weeks are true.....🙁

More madness and mayhem from Vadim....!

That’s really good! 😂

Of course not. I’m not in a fantastic financial position myself. But the ticket money had already gone, and I budget for Friends renewal anyway, so I just help where I can.

From my personal point of view, whilst I may have some issues about the way the ROH approaches things, I am concerned about the future of the company, the dancers and the staff generally (who must be worried about their future and if they will ultimately have a job or not at the end of this). I do not think that now is the time (for me) to make any big points or gestures about some minor unhappiness with the way they do things, their presumed attitude to patrons etc. by not renewing membership/not donating, or any other way I may have considered “making my point.” They may not be perfect but I want them to survive. So I will be renewing my membership and I have donated the value of the one ticket I had purchased for the end of the season. I say this not to come across as holier than thou, but I want to help support them during this time and come out of the end of it with a company still worth seeing. Dissatisfaction can wait until this is all over..... feel free to disagree! 🙂

Great, thank you!

Do you happen to know how long they will stay up?

Brilliant, he is so funny, to say nothing of those stunning entrechats!

They both link to the Teatro Colon?

That’s very funny and absolutely spot on! 😂

Very classy lady. Sad news.

Our street out again clapping, plus someone with a horn, and a car driving by hooting as it went!