Duck

Try this link here https://boursechange.operadeparis.fr/panier/panier# (the link includes the "#" sign), click on the icon for the person in the top right-hand corner. This will provide a pop-up form. From there, choose the lower section "Nouveau sur la bourse Opéra" ("New on the ticket exchange forum of the Opera") to register with the ticket exchange forum. "Remplir le champ ci-dessous pour créer un compte" - Fill in the form below to create an account "Indiquez votre adresse courriel" - State your email address "Choisissez un mot de passe" - Choose a password Once registered, this should allow you to set up the email alert for Giselle on http://boursechange.operadeparis.fr/ballets-onp# by clicking on "Soyez alerte par courriel" ("Set up an email alert") While the exchange forum offers alerts for tickets offered, the ticket site for Giselle https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/ticketing/29-Giselle does not provide alerts, so this will require ongoing checking. -- edted regarding the pop-up form

My experience from seeing other productions at POB earlier this year is that a few more return tickets tend to appear on the POB site/ ticket forum one to two weeks before a performance, and even up to the day of the performance. Very little for Giselle so far though, and those that have appeared were all taken incredibly quickly. Good luck to those who are looking to get tickets!

I am afraid I find the tone of your post offensive. My post described my own interpretation and not that of Wayne McGregor or anyone else. All I have seen is the recent Insight event and the Wikipedia article, both of which are available on the web. As a result, whether my interpretation applies or not, I don't know and I will find out on May 28. Sincerely.

I am no geologist; from trying to understand the description on Wikipedia I have a picture of the creation of a form based on movements by different elements (aka dancers) at different speed and intensity and into different directions, something that I believe can indeed be shown through dance. I look forward to 28 May to finding out more. Regarding the perceived low probability that Obsidian Tear will not be performed by other companies - both Infra and Chroma are in the repertoire of other companies; Tree of Codes will be performed at POB next season. Whether the same will apply to Obsidian Tear, time obviously will tell. However currently the piece has not even been premiered at the ROH yet so assuming that it will not be staged elsewhere is a bit early in my view. There seems to be a lot of negative expectations in relation to Obsidian Tear in this thread. I like some of Wayne McGregor’s pieces more than others however I do watch his new creations with positive expectations, and I often leave the ROH thinking that I've really seen something that has not been there before.

Good question. La Bayadere also saw Kim Kimin guesting at POB in the role of Solor at the end of last year (and for which he, in fact, received the Benois de la Danse prize yesterday), and I recall both triggered a similar discussion on French ballet sites at the time. I personally had hoped for Sebastien Bertaud, who is with POB, to be cast as Albrecht as replacement for Josua Hoffalt.

Yes, there'll always be different opinions I didn't see the performance on 6 May though in case this was different.

Thank you for sharing the link, A frog, as I'd been offline for a while.

Two winners were also mentioned in today's news links, here the full list. Congratulations to all the winners. Best Choreographer – Yuri Possokhov (Bolshoi Ballet) and Johan Inger (Netherlands Dance Theatre) Best Ballerina – Alicia Amatriain (Stuttgart Ballet) and Hannah O’Neill (Paris Opera Ballet) Best Dancer- Kim Kimin (Mariinsky Ballet; for his role of Solor with POB) Best Scenographer – Ren Dongsheng (Beijing Dance Academy) Special joint Russian-Italian Benois-Moscow-Massine-Positano Prize - Ekaterina Krysanova (Bolshoi Theatre) Special prize “For Great Partnering Artistry” - Oleksandr Ryabko (Hamburg Ballet) 2 prizes that had already been announced were also awarded yesterday Edward Watson (I think this will have been the Benois-Moscow-Massine-Positano prize which he received some months ago?) John Neumeier (for Lifetime Achievement) http://benois.theatre.ru/english/massmedia/news/

I returned my remaining ticket for The Winter's Tale in exchange for another view of Frankenstein last night. I'd been so impressed by Tristan Dyer's performance of Victor on 7 May that I went for last night's cast. I like the way he shows Victor's inner torment and equally how he handles the 3 PDD with Sarah Lamb, and I've come to the conclusion that I'd like to see him as Rudolph in next year's run of Mayerling. I previously hadn't observed how Victor's father comes to lie dead on the stairs so I was paying particular attention to this part last night. Last night, he seemed to be thrown onto the staircase from behind the stairs (rather than walking back on stage and once there, mysteriously, being killed). Immense applause from the audience before the start of act 3, and standing ovation towards the end of the curtain calls from most of the stalls last night.

Vadim Muntagirov will be dancing with Dorothée Gilbert in POB's version of Giselle on 2 and 7 June. Muntagirov is replacing Josua Hoffalt. https://twitter.com/BalletOParis/status/732503621590351872 The forthcoming run of Giselle is sold out however return tickets become available occasionally, either on the ticket site for Giselle, or the ticket exchange forum ... and if they do, they go very quickly. The 3rd scene of the ONP site shows a number of videos about productions, life at the opera, etc. Some are funny, some are intriguing, some give insights. One of my favourite videos is about the production and transport of the one backcloths for Giselle https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/3e-scene/giselle-the-walking-landscape.

I was back at the ROH for Frankenstein last night as well, was wearing my badge, and didn't see anyone wearing one either. It'd be interesting to know how many posters actually use a badge as this would give a rough indication as to how likely it is to see one.

My understanding from this part of the Q&A after the end of the live stream was that McGregor responded to a question by the presenter as to why sometimes there is only one cast in his ballets, so I took this as a general statement and not specific to Obsidian Tear. I have tickets for both casts and hope that I will be able to see both. ----------- edited to add last sentence

If I remember correctly, he explained this in a sense that life would also be ambiguous at times. I can't see the recording on the ROH Youtube channel yet however the link to the live-stream is already in the news item that announces the live-stream. http://www.roh.org.uk/news/watch-obsidian-tear-in-rehearsal-live-streamed. I liked the way the presenter moderated the evening, she came across as natural, interactive, and involving both interviewees in equal measure. As this was the second Insight evening in a row that was live-streamed, I am hopeful that this will become a more regular feature in the future.

I was wearing a - small - blue badge on the opening night of Frankenstein and haven't seen anyone else wearing one nor been approached by anyone about the badge. I didn't wear the badge for the Lamb/ Dyer/ Kish cast on Saturday, thinking that it will take time for others to get a badge, and haven't seen any blue badges that day either.

Last winter I spotted a bird in my garden that I didn't recognise, and various searches in books and on the web showed that it was a blackcap. It turned up on a regular basis throughout the winter. I was most amazed as I hadn't seen it in previous winters, and equally this year it's only been there occasionally. Congratulations, it looks like with the fields and the marina you'll have a regular resident there! I agree about the cormorants, when I saw these for the first time in a coastal area, I couldn't believe that such birds existed in Europe. Memories of the Crosby marina ... I once took part in a company-sponsored 5k run around the marina, and I was awfully slow ;-) That's absolutely stunning! Oh, and I love the book by John James Audubon with those wonderful prints of birds.

The sight of a grey heron in a local brook this morning provided the perfect reason to interrupt the run when it started to get a little slow anyway. I find herons so incredibly elegant and graceful, just standing there motionless.

I saw cast 2 this afternoon. I loved Johannes Stepanek’s portrayal as the father as benevolent and so proud of his family, which then twice turns into complete despair; what an excellent performance. Yasmine Naghdi’s acting had me in tears when she carried William on to the stage and grieved for him. Lucra Acri delivered a vivid and detailed performance as a good-natured Henry Clerval. Nehemiah Kish was a revelation as the Creature, he made me believe in his despair at being rejected by everyone else. I missed on Wednesday that the Creature feels sorry for William once he is dead, and that equally he mourns Victor’s death and takes up the notebook again, looking for information as to how he might be able to bring Victor back to life (tears again!). Last but by far not least, a convincing performance by Sarah Lamb and Tristan Dyer, both on their own and in their PDD. In act 1, Victor really looked in love with Elisabeth, and I much enjoyed Dyer’s facial expressions that showed his inner torment in act 2 and 3 as well as Lamb’s attempts to understand and comfort Victor. In contrast to my first viewing on Wednesday, I found the scenes both in the anatomy theatre and in the tavern too long, not sufficiently moving the story forward. I noticed today that Victor is massively disappointed when the Creature initially seems inanimate and I do agree that there is potential to add further detail to Victor’s reaction once the Creature is alive, and the latter’s reaction thereto. Equally, it is not clear that the beating up of the Creature at the start of act 2 stems from his appearance, and so this scene would also benefit from some amendments. These aspects however do not diminish my enjoyment of the ballet as a whole. The wedding dance in act 3 that shows Victor haunted by the Creature continues to amaze me as superb, and I much enjoy the various PDD between the three leads. I do hope that there will be a DVD issued of this ballet. ------ edited for typo

The same from where I was sitting, and the applause increased further when Liam Scarlett came on stage.

I agree a PDD would help. I haven't read the book and am thus unable to compare.

I think there is a brief moment in Act 1 when Victor recoils in horror when he first sees the Creature which has come back to live following the various pyrotechnics. I'll check when I see cast 2. I agree about the tavern scene. For me, this scene amplifies the scary atmosphere of the operating theatre in the previous scene, and its impact on the medical students.

Jérôme Bel, and NEBT with a new choreography by Kristen McNally

There are many references to Mary Shelley in the programme. I looked at the cast sheets for The Winter's Tale and Romeo & Juliet, and I can't see any references to William Shakespeare there either, and yet there are plenty in the related programmes.

Fabulous. Marvellous costumes from start to finish, impressive scenery and atmospheric backcloths, wonderful PDD with inventive lifts and throws, beautiful group dances, and fitting music. There is so much that I loved in this ballet. Thomas Whitehead superbly scary as the professor in act 1. Federico Bonelli being haunted, during the wedding festivities in act 3, by a vision of Steven McRae and by his memories of those who died. Guillem Cabrera Espinach incredibly convincing as Victor’s younger brother. Meaghan Grace Hinkis’ portrayal of the maid and William’s nanny. Laura Morera trying to understand and give comfort to Victor (and looking at the way she is thrown around in the PDD and based on her acting - Laura Morera for Mary Vetsera in next year’s Mayerling, please!). … A wonderful evening, and I really look forward to seeing cast 2.

The run of a triple bill at Stuttgart Ballet with choreographies by Hans van Manen, Glen Tetley and Katarzyna Kozielska ended on Saturday. I saw its penultimate performance on Friday evening. Hans van Manen’s Kammerballet was created in 1969 and is new to the repertoire in Stuttgart. Music is by Kara Karayev, Domenico Scarlatti and John Cage. If I needed to summarise the ballet in one sentence, it would be “dancing while others are watching”. One dancer after another comes on stage carrying a side table on which they then sit, and from where they watch, observe - some interested, some with an intense stare – those who are already on stage and those who are still walking on stage with their table. 4 women and 4 men, clothed one each in yellow/ orange/ brown/ black. Individuals and then pairs start to dance (each however with a different colour than their own), watched/ observed by everyone else. Larger groups start to dance, still observed by those who don’t dance at that time. Finally the dancers rearrange the side tables to form a semi-circle, to watch from there a long PDD by Elisa Badenes and David Moore. My words don’t do justice to the intricacies of the movements and variations of glances and stares; suffice to say that I loved it and that I found it funny and intriguing to see the dancers observing and interacting with each other. Glen Tetley’s Arena was created in 1969 and first shown in Stuttgart in 1973 as part of the same evening that saw the premiere of Voluntaries. Had I not known that the ballet was created more than 40 years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to tell. The arena (a.k.a. the stage) is a bare room with a large electric fan to the left, a running sink to the right, a stack of chairs at the back, and large red panels on all three sides of the stage. The music is by Morton Subotnick and called “The Wild Bull”. Played on electronic synthesiser, some of it does sound like a wild bull. The title is fitting for what follows. Six men wear nude underpants and identical red makeup on their forehead and various places on their torso, reminiscent of ancient warriors. A dancer sits on top of the stack of chairs. The men enter into fights over power and domination through sets of jetés and pirouettes and through duets with lots of strenuous and stamina-testing lifts. One duet seems to show a little more intimacy and yet still leaves a dancer motionless on the floor. Another duet is a clear question of oppression whereby the remaining dancer from the first duet is left lying on the floor, knees up, with the victorious dancer sitting on these knees to emphasise his dominance. Towards the end, the stack of chairs is dismantled one by one and the chairs are thrown into different corners of the arena in an outburst of anger by the dancer who has risen again from the first duet. The curtain goes down while he is walking faster and faster around the victorious dancer from the second duet. Congratulations and respect to all dancers, with Robert Robinson and Louis Stiens outstanding on Friday. Katarzyna Kozielska is a demi soloist with Stuttgart Ballet. Neurons is her second ballet for the main stage and was premiered at the start of this run in March 2016. She took inspiration for the choreography from having her brainwaves measured while listening to music by Max Richter. She uses music by Max Richter and John Adams for her piece, and the two composers are cleverly integrated. The curtain goes up on a dancer doing bourrées, wearing a costume that looks like a metallic sheet that is pulled tight at the waist. At first the stage is barely lit with only the arms visible, then a circle of lights turns to show the whole neuron (i.e., dancer). Costumes for the other neurons are like from space age, marbled grey unitards with a little shiny silver around the waist and near the shoulders. The other neurons come on stage in a series of dream-like PDD and other interactions, with mist flowing in from the side. The wonder at watching what was happening on stage took over from remembering the details of what was shown, and I would really like to see this again as there was so much going on. It is difficult to highlight individuals amongst so much excellence however I was mightily impressed by Constantine Allen and by Martí Fernandez Paixa. The latter graduated from the John Cranko School only in 2014, had a substantial role created on him by Demis Volpi while he still was an apprentice with the company, joined the corps the ballet in 2015 and was promoted to demi soloist earlier this year. What I really like about this company is the vast variety of style among its repertoire, including in the same evening and by the same dancers, and its ability give opportunities to young dancers very early on in their careers. ------ edited for typo

I'll attend the opening night and the matinee on 4th June on the assumption that cast 2 will do the two Saturday matinees. I completely agree with Hayward/ Hay and Naghdi/ Ball.