bridiem

I know what you mean, penelopesimpson; but the problem seems to be that he never really wanted to 'just dance'. So unless he works out for himself how to actually want to dance, he won't be able to use his amazing talent to the full. If that involves a certain amount of 'psychobabble' that's fine with me; I just hope it achieves the desired (by us anyway!) end.

I LOVE the ROH auditorium (I see in the side amphi - though I do avoid rows B to D since people in the front row have a tendency to lean forward) and always find it more intimate and I have a better view than in any other theatre.

It does sound as if it was very generous. But other than philanthropy I don't know why you'd become a member if the only real benefit is priority booking, because as you say there are very few productions where that would be important.

Given that it's impossible to know who would buy/get any tickets you (I) did not buy (i.e. fellow enthusiast or casual purchaser), or to know how many people will ultimately be unable to get tickets for any given production or performance, I don't think it's unreasonable to book for any performance to which you (I) wish to go. At least within reason - I suppose that buying multiple tickets for multiple performances of a sought-after production might be a bit greedy. But there will be other times after all when we are unable to get tickets for performances to which we would have wanted to go.

Yes! Should be fine.

But why would general donors to BRB not have been asked if they wanted to help fund Bayadère via the Big Give? Seems strange not to use your current supporters' database when doing your fundraising.

Honestly, I'm so impressionable. I'd already booked for a Watson Mayerling when Friends booking opened, and that was all I intended to go to. When I started reading this thread, I thought 'Oh! I must try and get some more tickets!'. So I've now booked for another Watson and a Soares. Tut tut. All your fault.

In that case they should say that if no tickets are available when online booking opens, try again at 10am.

Crazy. Maybe they got so many protests that they released more tickets - but why would they not have been released earlier anyway? Baffling. But very glad you've now got your tickets, penelopesimpson!

Oh, thanks capybara, I hadn't registered that. Of course it was the audience vote I was thinking of. Though even so, I'm very surprised she doesn't appear in the list.

Congratulations to all these dancers, but I have to say that I am staggered that Stina Quagebeur is not amongst them. (I certainly voted for her!).

I haven't seen Aladdin, but it doesn't sound to me like any sort of substitute for La Bayadère. Could they not have done Act II on its own and combined it with two other popular one-acters? That would at least give a new strong classical work without so much expense.

I'm sure that 'semi permanent' is used here simply in the temporal sense of someone who has been guesting regularly for quite a while and seems to be continuing in that capacity. We are not discussing the minutiae of contractual arrangements but the use of dancers within a company.

Sounds fascinating!

But in the balcony the rail intrudes badly for a rows anywhere near the front - you have to be really careful where you book. Anywhere further than half way forward and there can be trouble. I remember years ago splashing out (by my standards) and booking in the front row of the balcony, for the benefit of my elderly Mum; and being short, the rail was directly across her view of the stage. I was so upset.

I initially thought that was a bit of a problem too, Coated; but I also found the 'floating' impression, with the high jumping and flitting and flashing around the stage, so exciting that I decided it outweighed the disadvantage of not being able to see the footwork.

I know someone from the locality, and no - the reports are not exaggerated! (But I plead guilty to long periods of browsing in second-hand bookshops and then not buying...).

I also had my second viewing last night. I thought Cojocaru was terrific. Very different from her (beautiful) early performances, when she was a shy and tentative Giselle who looked only to her Albrecht for support. Now, a mature artist, and indeed a star, she dominated the stage and (for me) dominated her Albrecht. Lots of detail and individuality, and superb technique. I found Hernandez by comparison very pale; more like an obedient puppy than a nobleman. Very handsome, brilliant dancing - he really looks the part. But I got no real connection between them, and felt no real involvement in his character. I also found it difficult to understand why this Giselle should fall for this Albrecht. But Cojocaru's freneticism (if that's a word!) in the early scenes effectively laid the path to her subsequent collapse. Her mad scene was so moving - I've never before seen a Giselle go to various different men amongst the bystanders and grasp their faces, looking into their eyes, as if she could no longer be sure if one of them was Albrecht, or if any of them were Albrecht, or if any man - or any person - could now be recognised or trusted. Michaela DePrince was amazing as Myrthe, even more so than last week - incredible jumps! And the Wilis were brilliant, whirring and spinning and really frightening. The slight thumping noise when they do their hops across the stage and back added to the menace of the music to produce a truly terrifying effect. Having read Irmgard's article really helped too. I remembered the beautiful phrase 'the sun has risen, you are saved' which greatly enriched the final moments of the ballet. And from a Christian perspective, 'sun' being equated to 'Son' broadens it out into the more general idea of resurrection and salvation which makes Giselle such an immensely powerful work.

About Giselle's grave: I've read some posts on an old forum, and several possibilities were put forward. The first is that it might indeed be in consecrated ground, because some graveyards were in forests rather than by the church; the other is that even if she did not kill herself, because her death was so sudden she would not have been 'shriven' i.e. had her sins forgiven, and in those circumstances sometimes burial in consecrated ground would have been forbidden. Also, even if she did kill herself it was as a result of loss of mental capacity and so burial in consecrated ground would sometimes have been permitted. So I suspect that the grave doesn't necessarily prove or disprove either of the options about the manner of her death.

It ends at 9.45pm (assuming evening performance).

They're £6... But lots of lovely photos and good articles.

Thank you so much, Irmgard, that's absolutely fascinating. It helps to clarify why the production is so powerful, especially in Act II. I can't wait to see it again! (Next Tuesday, I'm glad to say.)

What a tremendous performance tonight, and what a tremendous production. Laurretta Summerscales was the most beautiful and moving Giselle – gentle, ecstatic and loving in Act I until she loses her mind, and a pale, determined wraith in Act II, focussed only on saving Albrecht. It sounds ridiculous, but I realise that I’ve never before really thought of Giselle as actually being dead in Act II – usually it’s almost as if she’s come to life again. Here, she was clearly dead and that added to both the pathos and the power. And Xander Parish was a superb Albrecht – a charming, charismatic cad in Act I, and a shocked, humbled and ultimately transformed figure in Act II. When he entered the glade he looked around him not only seeing a different natural world but experiencing a different inner world too for the first time. And as the Act progressed he became the noble man he had only appeared to be in Act I. So much to treasure: the Wilis – in this production, they walk on almost as if they’re limping, and there’s something slightly off kilter about them throughout. They’re beautiful, but warped. Michaela DePrince a commanding Myrthe with the lightest, highest jump. The music/orchestra: it sounded louder, richer, and often faster than at the ROH – I don’t know if that was my imagination or not but it really brought out the light and shade, the drama, the urgency of what was happening. The terrible moment when Giselle accepts Albrecht’s betrayal and knows that her world has come to an end. Terrific performances all round. The only negative was the dearth of curtain calls (again). What is it with ENB and curtain calls?! They’re an essential part of the (I hope) mutual catharsis of a great performance, and it’s really not right to cut them short in this way. But apart from that – wow, wow and thrice wow!

I suppose tutus could be deemed by some women (or people generally) to be silly, demeaning etc, and going on pointe could be deemed to be artificial, flighty etc. (And so not appropriate for modern women...) If your thinking was that way inclined. (Which mine isn't.)

And this went viral - so it seems that ballet really does fascinate people when they are exposed to it!