bridiem

I didn't receive the survey. Surely the views of all their current supporters matter, since initally they are the ones most likely to take up any offerings?

The new Wayne McGregor piece on Saturday evening is described as 'an intimate new ballet' and will be for Francesca Hayward and Cesar Corrales.

Well yes, but I think it's preferable to proceed with sensible and realistic precautions rather than aiming for perfection.

As far as I'm concerned the swans are essential to the plot; they're von Rothbart's other victims, they're princesses to Odette's queen, they express anguish, love, protection, pride, anger, fear, dignity, courage - depending on which part of the ballet they're in and what the music is saying at the time. They make the ballet more than just a personal tale of the prince and the Swan Queen but a story of mythic grandeur and spiritual redemption. Ditch the swans and I'd ditch the ballet.

And with no mention of social distancing etc. (I went as far as the ticket selection page for 1 September.) ??

Ah, I didn't registered that it was students. Yes, maybe it was for the end of year performance then.

Ashton's Act IV is sublimely beautiful, stunning, transcendent. It absolutely takes my breath away.

I see that the review in today's Links refers to 'Deane's choreography' for Act IV! Poor old Ashton...

I didn't think Watson quite said he had completely done with dancing - just that he knows he's near finishing (though I could be misremembering). After all when this programme was made he would presumably still have been looking towards doing The Dante Project at least. I also didn't know that he now coaches for the company. And it was interesting to hear about Zucchetti choreographing, clearly quite a big piece. Maybe that would have been on the cards for next season? Who knows.

I see that he's posted this on Instagram: 'JUST TO BE CLEAR☝🏻 I have received a number of messages from people, worried about my injury after watching the latest Royal Ballet Documentary, ‘Men at the Barre’ that was aired on BBC4 or from reading some articles reviewing the program. Unfortunately I was painted as a dancer of a particular age, riddled with injuries and having to come to terms with my career coming to an end...... I would like to make it VERY CLEAR that I have NO INTENTION of stepping away and I am more determined than ever to make the best possible return to the @royaloperahouse stage & screen...... I am also more determined than ever to ensure that future generations of Dancers are given the respect that they deserve by allowing Dancers to decide if they have been portrayed correctly or not when people (Film makers/Journalists) choose to capture snapshots of a persons career.... A lifetime devoted to the profession should always outweigh the view of any film maker who can never truly understand what the person being filmed has gone through.... I look forward to sharing my own journey with you all, in a Film that enables me editing control, that will of course tap into the darker sides of the profession, but ultimately it will celebrate all the incredible facets of life as a Professional Dancer WITHOUT highlighting the usual cliches or reinforcing stigmas! JUST TO BE CLEAR, I AM 34 YEARS YOUNG, I HAVE NOT PEAKED YET, & I WILL ENSURE THAT MY CHILDREN GET TO WATCH THEIR FATHER FLY AROUND THE STAGE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME 💪🏻' On reflection I think his reaction is understandable, judging by my sister's impression from the programme - she wasn't sure what had happened to him and got the impression that his career may well be over, so I explained that he's still in rehab and fully hoping/intending to come back.

Yes - I actually thought it was unnecessary and disappointing to use her comments as the reason for the programme.

There's a double-page feature in this week's Radio Times, interviewing Kevin O'Hare, Edward Watson and Matthew Ball, to highlight the programme. The headline is 'Ballet boys - From support acts to taking centre stage - the role of the male dancer has changed radically, say three of the Royal Ballet's leading men'. I'm not sure it's actually changed 'radically' - I think it's a very long time since the men were just 'support acts' (after all, Mayerling was made more than 40 years ago). But I suppose it's a way of trying to provoke interest in male dancers.

Yes; and if the BBC is really serious about arts/ballet programming it will make good the assertions in this programme about 'men in ballet' and actually commission those other programmes...

I understand your comments, The Sitter In, but I think this was a programme with a particular purpose. It wasn't about men in ballet, with all the areas such a programme would/should cover; it was about the image of men in ballet (for the general public) as opposed to the reality. So I do think that ultimately it was pretty superficial, but it gave everyone a chance to see (and hear from) these magnificent dancers and that in itself is more than worth doing. And I agree with Jan that it would have been better placed on BBC2 or BBC1 since it was clearly aimed at a general not a specialised audience.

Yes, I wondered if it might be something like that; but I would have thought that the right sort of marketing could entice more people/more money (and be more democratic, even if payment is involved).

I don't quite understand the rationale for it being for a limited number of paying customers - why not as many as wish to pay?

I haven't had all my refunds or credit notes yet. I don't think their system is really set up (understandably, I suppose) for doing multiple reverse transactions like this. (The emails I've received about the various credit notes have been completely confusing.)

If so, and for the sake of a more complete picture, he should know that I watched Dust recently in my dressing gown.

It seems to me that the key to any sort of meaningful resumption of performances is that social distancing is to be maintained 'where possible'. It's clearly not possible for dancers to keep their distance from each other to either rehearse or perform. There's a limit to how complete social distancing can be if a group of people get together to watch a performance any distance from their homes. There's a limit to how far social distancing can happen on public transport at least some of the time. If 100% social distancing is to be required at all times (which isn't in fact how it has generally been expressed, hence the fact that the police cannot enforce it) we may as well give up on ballet resuming for the foreseeable future (with all the implications that brings). So I hope that decisions can be taken that are both realistic and responsible. And, of course, both dancers and audiences should only do what they personally find acceptable.

Good to hear that Tamara Rojo is to be on a new taskforce to help sport and the arts recover.

I'd love to see it again. (And Checkmate too.)

Well of course most 3-act (or 2-act) ballets are made as such, with climaxes at the end of each act that would be greatly diluted if the action then just continued. And I think that 1.5 hours is probably the maximum to run without causing potential loo break issues. In a cinema it is after all possible to go out if really necessary in a way you wouldn't do in a theatre. I'd always prefer shorter intervals, as long as there's time for loo use if needed (inc queueing at the ladies, of course...). I don't understand the attraction (or advisability!!) of drinking during the intervals - I need to keep a completely clear head to appreciate what I'm seeing, and I think the performers deserve a fully sober audience! (I realise I'm probably in a minority in this opinion...). I also think that 1.5 hours is not very good value for money for a full evening show (unless the price is lower than usual, of course). I would only book for a show that length (unless the tickets were cheaper) if I was really confident I was going to like it and it was going to be worth it (e.g. some of Akram Khan's works, once I realised how wonderful they are). I know that in some triple bills the actual performing time is not much more than 1.5 hours, but at least you do get 3 different works and different sets and dancers, which is interesting and stimulating and would feel like better value even if still a bit skimpy on actual dancing time.

Thank you! I downloaded the app but still couldn't see the interview with Leanne Benjamin, but I've just been able to watch it on his IGTV. It was wonderful! He's a lovely interviewer and she is SO interesting and illuminating.

If social distancing is to remain on public transport with the resulting drop in capacity, it's going to make the time/s and length/s of any performances of rather theoretical relevance to most people since it won't be possible to get to them anyway. At the moment the advice is to only use public transport if essential; that advice would have to change to make theatre-going possible even if/when it re-starts.

I'm afraid I don't love it. 😒