Peanut68

I need to read more of this thread!! Am I wrong to now suggest perhaps there are borrowings in the story of Coppélia from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or earlier Prometheus stories??? A more light hearted take on re-creating life??? Just as many fairy tales & pantomime storylines actually often stem from far darker fables & myths? I really want to see this though no idea how to manage it logistically even if Friday Rush works in my favour!!! One success with that when on a computer but disaster another whenn using phone with screen timing out & needing to refresh constantly.....am I missing any tips?

Ah - I did wonder if this was an addition or I’d just missed it watching stage versions! my DD loved it but pointed out a few anomalies.... some background crowd noises included plus things like a dog bark & flap of pigeons wings....a difficult balance to strike.... should Lasy Capulets screams have been heard? Personally I think not as that’s not ballet.... but i found myself agreeing that whebTybakt swept bottles off the table in a rage, that jarring noise would’ve added effective scene setting tension to his drunken challenge to fight! In conclusion on that point, I think non human background noises (wind/rain/dog bark/wings flapping/chairs scraping/sword blades contacting etc etc) do add to the film but decision needed to have all or non human background noises....in crowd scenes this was inconsistent & not very realistic volume levels...I presume they trialed a variety of styles before deciding on it? It was fascinating as really got me questioning the boundary between ballet & drama...& anything that gets us asking Q has got to be good! Id wished Haywood had been st the SW Q&A too to give her perspective.... is the Curzon Q&A available to view online? I really hope they more of this film crossover gets commissioned!

Having seen the screening at SW with the post Q&A & now watched on my (very small) small screen I must say I enjoyed it equally both times.... so hats off to the directors & all involved in achieving this. I do think at times camera angles perhaps could’ve been improved upon....I wonder that perhaps budgetary/time constraints limited the number of takes & number of set ups thus limiting how much ‘in the can’ do to speak material they actually had to work with to create final edit. It was commendable & I think sets a precedent to repeat the excercise & I hope next time with the budget etc to make it bigger & better. I think this also must link into distribution.... it surely should’ve been mainscreened our via all the regular ballet ‘event’ cinemas. The big popular ballets like R&J from ROH certainly sell well at my local Odeons & Cineworld & independent cinemas so think this would’ve too.... I also think this condensed version is a great entry to Ballet for those new to it & also was very good paced telling of Shakespeare’s tale making it relevant viewing for those studying the play for GCSE for example or even younger school years. The casting was sublime.....thank you!

I hope the DC in original post finds a happy nurturing environment in which to flourish & enjoy their dance!

I really hope your sister is able to be honest & say it as it is (I know often it’s easier to just say what they want to hear rather than give a full on critique) A dance school I was once associated with had one of those super talented kids who was pushed up to dance with older ones. I think single handededly that DC was reason why so many of the early teens left one by one those classes as they felt inferior/fat by comparison to this pre-pubescent protégée of the teacher. (This kid also had a particularly irritating habit of sitting in box splits & smugly looking around the room at those regular kids just doing their best to stretch within the boundaries of their own facility) Class sizes have never returned to previous numbers even after this DC left for vocational school. Once they give up dance it’s hard to ever attract them back & of course any siblings/friends etc are not likely to be encouraged to join that school either. I think teachers can become a little wowed by their ‘stars’. Yes, important to nurture talent & give them the training & support needed for success but it is important to not lose sight of the bread & butter fee payers & reason why they have a school & are teaching in first place....I do think it is precisely for this that associate schemes began.... these talented ones can then get the push up/extra classes etc to supplement their training without detracting from rest of their peers in regular classes. But it is hard I appreciate to ‘manage’ the expectations/complexes etc of all....the teaching at this school was excellent with many years of exam success, fabulous shows & many going on to top vocational training and ending with careers as dancers & teachers. However, in previous decades it seemed to manage that alongside keeping many many local teens fit, active, creative & happy far better IMHO. Of course, I suspect the Instagram images of nothing less than perfection have not helped in keeping classes full of ‘normal’ kids.....as well as the general decline in youngsters doing stuff beyond school/home sadly.... I wonder if there is a golden key to reverse this all too steady trend for smaller class sizes & fewer ‘regular, not ever gonna be pro dancers’ kids taking up/sticking with dance? The trend for so many more adults to re-start dance they have given up as a child/teen or to take up for first time suggests that dance is a joyful rewarding hobby....how best to engage our youth with this whilst still producing the stars of tomorrow?

Gosh seems so many have similar issues & find route to self resolve! I’m a bit wary to take on any formal commitments or to be relied on by others right now (priority needs to be my own DC & non D son!!) but actually I do feel emboldened by others experience to perhaps consider looking at setting up in this way in the future....maybe mid 2020 so indeed may PM with Q next year! thank you & hope these continued comments on thread help the original poster too

Really interesting idea fir a possible solution.... & how enterprising of your DD Annaliesey!! Wondering if that’s something I could look into to solve my similar dance problem; no advanced class I’m ‘allowed’ (!!) to join locally but not wanting/able to afford private lessons & struggling with travel/children commitments to get to next nearest (45 mins away) suitable (though different syllabus) level class happy to have an oldie join (loving it when I can make it!). That teacher did suggest putting on a shared private class for me & one other bit actually maybe what we need th do us find the potential students & sort a class in location & at a time to suit as many as make it viable to run with studio hire & paying teacher.... I’m sure I’m not alone in my area in wanting a class to push on! And I’d be happy to share (safeguarding/DBS checks/insurances of course needing to be in place by teacher) with any age who can make the class!

Gosh, I’m surprised by this! Am I right in that’s under from around 4 foot 11 to 5 foot 5 in old money?

I can never walk down tree Embankment without looking up at Red brick Mansion Blocks & wondering which one Drina lived in (with her Grandpatrjrs??) & imagining terrible pea souper fogs over the Thames as described in the book!

Oh that slightly shatters my little girl memories..... I was sure Drina got to live out my dream & joined the Wells Ballet School (I equated to RBS) then the company 😃 In the ‘Wells’ books was there one main lead character? Funny how some snippets from books remain with you...& do indeed seem part of ones own character!

Ooh I remember those Drina books... Drina at the Wells....that alongside pictures of Margot Fonteyn & her peers just inspired me so much to just want to dance!

No.... just that these would be announced on 8th January!! so save the date.... lots of us will be refreshing our computers that day I expect!!

Just got my Dancing Times & it fell open at the page with ad saying NYB Auditions for 2020 Company! With 8th Jan as the applications open by date!

Could you clarify.... did this clearly important lady die in the 1880’s/90’s or did you mean she died recently aged in her 80’s/90’s? Certainly sounds as though she were with a body such as RAD/ISTD/BBO/Cecchetti/ With the RAD celebrating their centenary I should’ve thought that they’d be a little more helpful....perhaps you need to ask to speak to a person more involved with media or post on their social media? Hope you get some info.... here is prob a good place to try!

Emma - I owe you an apology I believe as I do now indeed think it was Ballet Boost I saw mentioned as holding an ‘acting for ballet’ workshop.... quite likely it was on this forum! Think it’s a great idea as so often the ‘best at the barre’ students can disappear when it comes to portraying a character in performance. And we must all remember dancers of all ages, shapes, styles & levels are needed to tell rounded stories! And great idea from Canary to watch LCB dvd’s to get a ‘heads up’ & hopefully be inspired! A bit of research always a top plan before going for any ‘job’!

Beaglemum, thanks for clarifying the age as 16 not 6 as I do indeed think that there is an issue....not so much re: entering exams & the fairness of marking. More full time vocationals feeling they need to supplement their training elsewhere.... clearly not getting all they want/need (?) at main school. This does happen I know; to add in different genres/different examining bodies/satisfy obsessive parents/pupils who think they should dance every single day of their lives/maybe to continue with a syllabus previously studied to not lose out other options such as teacher training/trying to get ahead of the game/ be better than peers in vocational class.... So some good reasons some not so crystal clear & some just nuts. At 16 however these likely to be more savvy students quite probably have a negative affect on the more regular class members where they may feel less able with things like speed to pick up work, stamina & then also those things like confidence, pushing to take front row/limelight/main parts, body image/looks etc. Can also have a positive affect too by raising the level of classes & introducing perhaps a healthy element of comparison & competitiveness.... the dance world of work let’s face it is only ever going to get tougher in these areas so an early intro may actually help to toughened/strengthen a youngsters resolve/skin/passion. I feel like I’m rambling now but basically I think it is something I’d raise more as a discussion on these elements with the school principal & possibly I would ask if additional classes with non vocationals could be added instead or as extras & perhaps exam entrants not be mixed to avoid any on the day anxieties that I think are potentially quite real....that a vocational v non voc student will be seen as better. The examiner will merely see entrants doing their thing in front of them & judge & Mark according to their guidelines so yes, higher trained or better able may do better. But it’s that unquantifiable thing of did the non voc pupil not do their best in the exam due to feeling second class by merely being next to a vocational pupil? Of course we can all say they shouldn’t let that affect them & if entered at say RAD HQ they may be with strangers from who knows where do they should just put on the blinkers & focus solely on what they themselves are doing. But let’s face it, can any of us do that? Good luck for discussions; I think you have opened an interesting debate here... maybe it seemed a little crazy when we all thought these were 6/8 year olds 🤣 But aged 16+ it is a whole different thing!

Consider parking just a short time to drop off then go drive somewhere else for the day where parking free! Maybe a visit to a small town with good shops or a national trust property? Or out of town shopping centre? Then return & Park just time needed to watch any showing & to collect.....

Suspense or what???!!!

You are welcome & im sure others may have ideas too... let us know how you get on with it!

Never done anything like that but seem to recall seeing one time that Masters of Ballet (I think?) held acting for dancers one day course once aimed I think c.age 12? Perhaps also look at where ballet companies are performing as often hold workshops across various ages based on the current rep so would include the acting required to tell story of that ballet perhaps? I know BRB & ENB both hold Nutcracker workshops across age groups - lots of acting required in that ballet! New Adventures also.... Plus RAD run various courses that might be relevant around the country. Good luck! Just acting look also at drama schools & National Youth Theatre

The deadline was a good while back so hopefully someone is quietly in post doing said strategic consultancy role to move it on ever upwards! But someone must know who this is & how things are progressing as surely they are visibly out there talking to relevant important industry people & influencers?

Does anyone know any info for a 2020 NYB company.... The likely audition/rehearsal/performance dates etc would be great to know about as soon as possible! Highly recommend it!

Last time I flew with BA the in flight magazine had an article about the creation of Chanel no5 perfume with much of the background story ‘told’ (albeit somewhat historically sanitized) here....very helpful! the costume/staging was immaculate (yes, obvious but how could you not be with such an iconic & recognisable timeless look that is Chanel?) I quietly admit to never having seen any Bolshoi work or evebbany footage/photos of this enchanting star....I did find there was almost a too perfect look to the female dancers that kind of made be love the ‘ordinary’ & varied look of our own RB by comparison! I imagine though a corps of swans all with these ‘perfect’ (?) proportions of overly long limbs & wistful faces would be truly stunning. An earlier reviewer suggested that Zakharova rather than acting embodies her roles. I agree with this.... like a method actor.....I imagine she wears nothing but Chanel in the run up to this (& glorious she looks too!). You could sense the time it took to ‘leave’ the role during the bows... Loved the costumes & effective lighting for the minimalistic staging of the first piece. Feel publicity could’ve been better to make it a sell out. Ballet school students ought to be at shows like this to see the variance in performance/training styles.... though I suspect it would further ‘depress’ many who struggle with this impossible to attain image of physical perfection that Russian dancers seem to all exude! I actually almost preferred watching the men as they were more varied & somehow more real.... but then didn’t seem to ‘mstch’ the women.... like they’d never be dating the girls; looked out of their league lookswise!! But they more than matched them in virtuosity & I feel have a greater feeling of emotional intensity. A really interesting night out!

It’s really good on this forum to share & hear of all news.... the good, the bad & - dare I say? - the ugly! The good news can spur others on to try again, the conversions over time of no’s to yes’s are always really encouraging & even hearing about what can seem a brutal ‘No’ does offer to readers a level of empathy & solidarity. Speaking as a parent of DC with experience of no’s, wait lists, reserve lists, and the odd very happy YES along the way! Have gained advice, empathy & laughter by sharing & reading things on this forum!! Good for a sanity check & private messaging has proved invaluable in getting (& sharing) info & advice, do thx to all who make this a great place to ‘visit’!

Confusingly the names used by Tring for their programmes differ from other institutions. Tring Park CBA is their equivalent of RBS Junior/Mid/Senior/Advsnced Associate programme ie. a part time course with students selected at auditions. Tring Park Associates is in effect their part time school in association with Tring Park (same location, possibly some crossover with main school &/or CBA staff) These I anticipate are to be seen more as regular dance school weekly lessons on a termly basis as opposed to the CBA which is more an additional elite add on to your local dance school training - a great option if you are local enough to travel there regularly. In addition open to all there are regular courses such as Days of Dance in various genres across the year plus longer courses in school holidays so lots of options to explore! And remember a not yet may become s yes after more time/experience etc so good luck!