bridiem

And for the first time at She Said last night I sat near some people who brought drinks in with them. So the smell of beer drifted around me all evening, which I really don't like (either beer or the smell!). I understand allowing drinks at a cinema, but not in a live performance - a live performance demands total concentration from the audience, who are the crucial 'other half' in creating the atmosphere for a great performance. If the audience is busy eating or drinking, or being distracted by smells and sounds of food and drink, it really ruins the point of live theatre.

Perhaps if they get married their threads could be united...

I saw this bill last night. I found that the promotion of it as being works all by women was distracting - I kept involuntarily thinking about that aspect of it instead of feeling able to judge the works completely on their own merit. I thought Broken Wings worked well as a Frida Kahlo painting brought to life. And seeing Mukhamedov again was thrilling, especially he and Rojo dancing together so beautifully. Now there would have been a partnership... It was very striking visually and sustained a sufficient level of interest. But since it was itself rather surrealist in style - images and moments rather than narrative development - I often didn't really know what was happening and couldn't really get involved in the characters. I thought that with such a heavy emphasis on the design and less on the choreography itself, it was more like dance theatre than ballet. But on its own terms I thought it was quite effective and original (and superbly performed by all involved). M-Dao started promisingly, with attractive designs and very expressive dancing from Laurretta Summerscales. But it became repetitive and when the lighting and music changed in the central section I'm afraid that for me it just became really crude and heavy-handed. And I only realised what had happened with the children after it had happened (even though I'd read the programme). The ending was effective, but by then my enthusiasm had gone. I found Fantastic Beings very repetitive and monotonous. There were some good moves but it just went on and on without going anywhere, and for me the music was very insistent but to no good effect. The dancers were wonderful, and I felt sorry for them having to work so hard to so little purpose. They must have been exhausted at the end. There didn't seem to be a lot of individual differentiation between what they were doing, so I couldn't see why they all came on for separate curtain calls at the end (except for the fact that they deserved all the applause they got) - why treat them as individuals once the work is over?! So overall I was disappointed. It's very good to see new three new works in an evening and very good to give opportunities to women as long as they merit the opportunity; but on this occasion I felt that a huge amount of time, money and effort had gone into the bill with not enough to show for it. That could of course just as easily have happened with new works by three men; but if you draw such attention to the gender of the choreographers it does mean that it's going to form part of the assessment.

I think you buy it at the bar in advance and it's then left out ready for you at the interval.

My experiences have been very good too (except that people don't applaud - just me!). And I can't say that I would object to a bit of quietly eaten popcorn. I don't think we can expect exactly the same conditions in the cinema as in the theatre, and if 'normal' cinema-goers get to see ballet as a result that's fine with me. Though I'd draw the line at noisy talking over the intros.

Yes, a huge thank you to all the moderators who do such a brilliant job, and to everyone who posts on the forum. I've been going to ballet for many years but it has still made such a difference to me and I've learnt so much from the other posters. It also informs the way I watch and experience performances, and helps me to formulate my thoughts about what I'm seeing or have seen. So it's a real blessing!

Yes, the previous Frankenstein was an absolute hoot. I loved it and I've never heard such a roar of appreciation as happened as the curtain came down on the first night. But I'm really looking forward to the new one, which by the sound of it might be a slightly more serious treatment of the source material.

Brilliant news!

In a way this may even have strengthened his position. They know now (which they don't seem to have appreciated before) how very popular and respected he is both with the dancers and the international dance community, and that they challenge him at their peril. I hope he will feel able to continue the wonderful work he's been doing there.

Definitely true. It's just odd when effects/approaches that used to be possible/effective are abandoned in favour of ones that are less effective. Sometimes that judgement is subjective, of course; but something like now being able to see Giselle walking on from the wings is a pretty basic flaw, I think.

That's true about Hilarion's death. Moyna and Zulme used to basically manhandle him to his end and then come back as if to say 'good riddance; job done'. Now he goes off on his own. I think the former was more effective.

If you sit in the Amphi, you do nowadays see Giselle coming on from the wings. I don't remember that happening in the dim distant past - her appearance from the grave even to those of us who sit upstairs was the revelation it is supposed to be. Not sure if it's done differently now and less attempt is made to disguise the entrance? Which is a shame if so. (I try and look away so that I don't see her come on. Which is a bit pointless really if I know it's happening!). And it's much better when she appears to sink back into the grave (as far as is possible for the dancer).

That's a big shame. Though personally I'd happily sacrifice height for depth (so to speak).

Zenaida Yanowsky.

I was at the performance itself tonight. It was unlike any Giselle I have seen before. At first I wasn't sure if it was working; in spite of wonderful dancing, Giselle seemed too stable and down-to-earth to fall apart so completely, and too much in control to be so much in thrall to Albrecht. But then came Act II, and it all fell into place. Nunez was the least wraith-like Giselle I've seen; she still seemed almost to be alive. But that was what made it all work - her life couldn't be extinguished, even by physical death, and her love was so strong and so boundless that it drew out the essential goodness in Albrecht which had previously been buried by immaturity and selfishness. So as she (still) danced and loved with such passion, he matched her. He became the person he was intended to be, and his terrible grief at the end was a reflection of the completeness of his redemption. Her death in Act I was against character, but fundamentally necessary in some way. And they both danced like angels; in Act II they moved as one. Nunez's expansiveness, spirit and generosity were matched by Muntagirov's now blazing love and understanding. And the most incredible entrechats I have ever seen! I found Mendizabal's Myrthe too one-dimensional to be really moving. For me, there has to be pathos there, not just evil. Wonderful pas de six, as others have said. And excellent performances from Gartside, McGorian, Avis and Arestis, with the most beautiful Moyna/Zulme pairing (Cowley/Stix-Brunell). I am seeing an encore showing of this performance on 17th April at my local Odeon, so it will be very interesting to see it then from a different perspective. In the meantime, I feel privileged to have been there tonight.

Yes, lots to look forward to, but I'm also a bit disappointed because apart from the new works (obviously!) there's little that we haven't seen regularly in recent years. I would also not choose to revive the full-length Anastasia - the last act is powerful but I personally find the other acts weak choreographically, though they look good. (I think it also loses a lot of its power now we know that Anna Anderson was either deluded or deceiving and not in fact the tormented Anastasia. But maybe that's me being too literal.) But I will still go to it - sometimes works that I haven't enjoyed in the past suddenly come alive for me years later. Very pleased about Beauty (though it's stretching a point to describe it as being by 'Ashton' as the press release does). I'm not celebrating McGregor's 10th anniversary myself, though I will happily go to Woolf Works again. Can't wait to see the castings for all these works!

And translated: https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ro&u=http://www.agerpres.ro/comunicate/2016/04/06/comunicat-de-presa-opera-nationala-bucuresti-10-19-48&prev=search Bizarre.

I put the headline into google and got this - not very good translation but better than nothing: https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ro&u=http://www.europafm.ro/scandal-la-opera-nationala-dupa-numirea-lui-tiberiu-soare-in-functia-de-director/&prev=search

Interesting. Makes me think of La Sylphide and the feckless James. It would be interesting if Bathilde were portrayed in a more sympathetic light. She never does seem to me to be sufficiently upset/shocked/angry when she realises what Albrecht has been up to. Perhaps she just doesn't take it sufficiently seriously; until Giselle dies.

I am!! And I've booked for the Friday evening so am very happy.

Fiona Chadwick was a chillingly cold Myrtha.

I noticed that too. I loved Bussell in Song of the Earth, both as a young dancer and before she retired. It suited her combination of strength and innocence and the boldness of her dancing. But although she had a lovely quality about her I didn't generally find her especially involving or dramatically interesting, and I didn't think one role warranted a place on a 'favourites' list.

Delighted by this evening's performance! I had been very disappointed that Laura Morera was injured, and to be honest I had no great expectations of Akane Takada. And at first I did find her a little too bland, but her dancing was wonderful - light and fast and amazing jumps. But then came her mad scene, and it was really affecting - such bewilderment and anguish. And in Act II she really danced so beautifully and graciously that I was completely won over. Similarly Nehemiah Kish, who I thought was an interesting and unusual Albrecht. Very reserved and quite haughty in Act I - just wanted to have a bit of fun with Giselle but didn't realise what he was getting into. And then in Act II, shame and sorrow all the more moving for being expressed by someone normally so reticent. Excellent dancing and acting that was touching without being histrionic. Seeing him sprawled in agony at Giselle's grave at the end, all dignity lost but his humanity saved, was incredibly emotional. I also really liked Hikaru Kobayashi's Myrthe. Implacable yes, but also shrouded by such intense sadness. Another quiet but highly effective performance, and superbly danced. An interesting bit of last-minute casting: because of illness, Sian Murphy performed both Bathilde and Zulme. I don't think I've ever seen that doubling up before, and it gave a fascinating resonance to Act II. I can't say I've ever felt much sympathy for Bathilde in the past; but in fact on reflection, she was very betrayed too. Even if it wasn't a love match (which we don't really know), she was humiliated and deceived too. So there she was (sort of!) in Act II, a jilted Wili refusing to spare Albrecht... And absolutely brilliant dancing by the corps. Total belief, commitment, unity, purpose. All made for an unexpectedly powerful performance.

Yes, an exciting foretaste (I hope!). The other dancers were terrific too (Olivia Cowley, Paul Kay and Matthew Ball). Interesting seeing new ideas and movements to music and for characters that are so extremely familiar. And Joshua Beamish (Canadian choreographer I hadn't heard of before) had some valid ideas about the plot/characters. But I personally would prefer not to take the spiritual out of Giselle.

Funny that - I barely noticed the fish.