Jillykins

wheelchair access very confusing! Ticket says one door for wheelchair and a different door for companion,. Couldn’t find staff to advise until we went up in lift! On arrival at door for wheelchair staff couldn’t have been more helpful.

Fascinating comments and reviews! Thank you all for the wide range of opinions and historical detail. How lucky we are to have so many dancers able to fulfil the many roles in Mayerling. I still feel lucky to have seen Hirano but wish I had seen more interpretations!

Was a last minute decision to go as this course of chemo is tough. I am so glad I tried out my new wheelchair and used the lovely Stalls circle place provided for wheelchairs. I had booked for Watson and didn’t feel like making the effort! I was amazed by Hiranos performance, he built up the character so convincingly and broke my heart at the end. During the song at the party he was in the gloom and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was so still and so tortured. Such pain. The final pas de deux was heartbreaking. By the way surely the lady with long hair is Elizabeth? 

I agree that the Hungarian officers gave a great performance but I do want to giggle sometimes when they keep popping out of the curtains. There is a lot of front of tabs in this ballet in order to keep the story moving! 

In a recent visit to Vienna we learnt some of the history of the family relationships and I do find the pas de deux between Rudolph and his mother a bit incestuous. Maybe that is just me. 

However many congratulations to Hirano, it is a disadvantage knowing people booked for Watson, he gave a fine performance. So glad I went!

Staff very helpful directing us to toilets for disabled, towel containers also overflowing there. As usual we were taken to backstage lift to reach Clore by delightful, helpful staff. Unfortunately my seat and my companions seats were numbered but there was confusion where to put us. I hate being conspicuous but we were clearly a problem. All was sorted and I enjoyed the evening. 

I had a duplicate ticket ticket for Mayerling rehearsal with a note to destroy  The original. This was because the ticket  told the wheelchair to go in through one door and the companion through another. Difficult as my companion has to push my chair! Full marks for somebody in the box office spotting this error. Now praying to be well enough to make a rehearsal, but I can be very determined!

I had a great evening as it was first time out during a course of heavy treatment. Lovely to see familiar forum faces and to have a brief chat with LinMM. So good to be able to use Piazza entrance. I admit this old girl got a shock when she saw the modern public area but looks good for modern world and the heart of the building looks the same.

i enjoyed the Insight but agree I would have liked more imput from designers and to hear more about the music. As shown it seemed Howells did most of the work in choreography, teaching and design. I realise that is not so! Wonderful to see Matthew Ball working so hard and sharing his talent with us. I was sad pianist given no solo thank you. Usually they do get an acknowledgement.

In general a good evening though it seemed a bit ad lib. Looking forward now to seeing Bracewell in this role in November. 

Friends membership invaluable for me with Access membership too. I got all my first choices in both Main house and Clore. It is expensive but well worth it for me. Hope you all get what you want. Maybe it’s the weather but I keep thinking of Les Patineurs longingly!

Thank you LinMM for your review of RBS performances, I agree with all of your comments. I also enjoyed the variety of styles and although I would not rush to see some of the pieces again it is good to see the students being prepared for so many styles of dance. I had such a wonderful afternoon with my ex student Andrew Warth  now director of Zama Dance School in Cape Town and previously dancer with Cape Ballet. He introduced me to so many interesting members of the audience. I felt very honoured. 

Auroras Wedding was a great start, I especially enjoyed Yu Hang and was impressed by Taisukes Bluebird and later Crinoln. Loved Tori Forsyth Hecken (crystal Fountain) Yu Kurihara (Songbird) and Lor e Zonderman (lilac fairy). 

I  enjoyed Toot and the contrasting flow of Sea Interludes.

So many talented dancers,  such a promising future for us! Looking forward to following progress of Rebecca Blenkinsop.The Grand Defile moved me to tears, such grace, virtuosity and discipline.  Sorry, typing makes me tired, so I may have missed out some things I would like to  say. I so enjoyed my day. Now to look forward to a big contrast Tommy Steele Glenn Miller story. Keeps me positive.

I will be in Stalls circle left B 28 and pleased if I bump into any forum friends. I am fairly recognisable due to wheelchair. Thank you all for information about programme and dancers to look out for. The forum, dancing and support of access scheme and box office means so much for me. 

Looking forward to Sunday as my ex pupil is coming with me. He is director of Zama dance school in Cape Town and I am so proud of him. Really looking forward to seeing all the young dancers who will give us so much joy in the future.

Tessie there were no lighting problems in the little arts centre we saw live screen showing. Problems seem to vary from cinema to cinema. What a shame. However glad you enjoyed it! 

On holiday in North Wales we were welcomed in an Arts Centre in Holyhead. £8 per seat in a beautifully restored chapel in a former convent. Full house of a very appreciative audience. I saw Takada and Bonelli live and loved the production but saw so much more at a second viewing. Nunez and Muntagirov on top form, I did see real contrast in O/O I thought Nuñez facial expressions showed well thought out and considered character. Everybody else has commented on production so I won’t repeat only to say at the end of Act 3 my non ballet regular husband sighed and said to me ‘ I call that perfection’ and that made it so for me. What a season it has been.

How I loved Brian Shaw and Graham Usher! Lovely to see them mentioned. 

I really enjoyed Tuesday evening despite being disappointed not to see Lauren Cuthbertson. I agree Kevin O’Hare did the right thing to,address the audience before the performance started. Akane Takada was lovely, as mentioned in previous posts her arms ,neck and head are so graceful and really tell a story on their own. Wow, what magnificent sets and costumes. My only slight quibble was the Swan tutus. I seem to be alone in this. For me they were too stiff and modern, too much buttock on display. I would have preferred a softer look and more feathers than sparkle. Can’t really explain because I do like swans in tutus not longer costumes. 

I do prefer old ending but not enough to let me disagree with Liam. He did a great job, I loved the pas de deux in Act 4. I admire his passion and talent and look forward to seeing it next time round. I do,however, wish the audience didn’t feel the need to clap so often and break the continuity. It just happens too often.

So much talent in the company and so many good performances. It was also good to briefly meet some forum members, I was sorry to rush off but if I don’t get wheelchair in the busy lift I will miss the dancing. Again thanks to all who make the forum happen!

So disappointed not to be seeing Lauren tomorrow. However probably not as disappointed as she is! Grateful to Takada for stepping in, so still looking forward to seeing this new production. Have enjoyed all the forum contributions so far. Will ask my wheelchair pusher to take me to bottom of escalator in case a friendly face is around in the interval. 

Thank you all for such interesting comments. So looking forward to next Tuesday when I get to see it!

Ondine her waterfall costume. My current figure and age not suitable for wearing it, just admiring it!

It was a wonderful evening for me. So good to be close to the action. Even at a rehearsal the eye contact and emotion between Vadim and Marienella was palpable! Liam is clearly still a talented dancer, despite his claim of not going to a class for a number of years. His appreciation of the former history and choreography of the past and his respect to his former character dance teacher was evident. I am so looking forward to reviews of the opening and seeing it live on May 22nd. Good to meet Blossom last night another great joy of this forum.

Looking forward to Insight eve on Thursday. Great way to celebrate reaching 82! Big thank you to Access for getting my wheelchair in and thank you to lovely lady on camera who is always so considerate. Must be about 75 years since my first Swan Lake, looking forward to learning about new production. 

Wish I had seen it! Campbell is a great favourite of mine. I did admire his Lescaut, a really unpleasant character or was he a weak character? 

Terrific performance last night. I won’t repeat previous views just say Hayward was amazing. Bonelli such a safe partner their confidence in each other gave us some heartbreaking moments. However no other Des Grieux has performed his solo before Manon as well as Ed Watson. The Demi point balance needed has caused some unsteadiness. However Bonellis lovely line and expressive face, especially in act three compensated for any wobbles. Maybe I was a bit tired but Act two seemed to go on a bit, not the dancers fault. Hayward seems to wear quite soft pointe shoes and her feet are beautiful extensions of her legs and seemed noiseless.

So much talent in the company ( loved David Yudes beggar chief) so much to look forward to. 

Looking forward now to Swan Lake Insight on May 10th!

It’s on my birthday and really looking forward to it. I am lucky to get a wheelchair space. I am a friend and also an Access member. 

A fabulous evening! It was great seeing Obsidean Tear again and I still found Ella exceptional, tears in the eye again. I did prefer his partnership with Sissons, special spark there. However magnificent work by all the men.

Fonteyn and Nureyev will always be in my head as Marguerite and Armand but last night Cuthbertson and Ball gave me something special. I could see how they used the Insight coaching to produce a special and moving performance. Couldn’t fault it. However a mobile phone spoilt the emotional departure of Marguerite from a Sleeping Armand. Then as she died a very small child let out a loud wail! However I think we were all feeling moved. 

Loved Elite Syncopations, terrific way to end a very special evening. Wonderful varied programme. Now really looking forward to Manon next Tuesday. As I have to spend so much time around hospitals at the moment the Royal Ballet is an absolute lifeline——A’s is the forum! 

Really looking forward to tonight! So enjoyed dress rehearsal different cast tonight. Saw Lauren and Matthew working on M and A at Insight so looking forward to performance. 

Thank you Jan, this information is a life line for me.

Ninamargaret do you belong to the Access scheme? The help for people with mobility problems is wonderful! Without this scheme my life would be so different. Box office staff helpful and thoughtful.