sybarite2015@

I would also like to see some Balanchine ballets...Jewels, of course, or Symphony in Three Movements...or Agon...

Wish: a tour by the Ballet Paris National Opera Garnier as I cant ever recall them touring London in the last decade or so. Especially since I don't think the Bolshoi or Mariinsky will be coming for political reasons BNP would be a fantastic alternative.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/may/26/top-10-books-about-ballet-watch-her-fall-erin-kelly

Thought I'd share. 

Thanks for the responses everyone but this leaves me with one question...

Presumably - and let's take the Vaganova Academy as an example -- all those 10 year old girls and boys who enrol and get accepted into its ballet programme do so because they want to become professional dancers, ideally principals right? They must do to spend so many years at the limits of human physical accomplishment willingly so mustn't it be a really big disappointment if they manage to successfully graduate but not get professional ballet contracts with the Bolshoi/Mariinksy etc? (Since those who were not so good/talented/determined get weeded out by the course over the years or drop out?) 

Or am I missing something here? For example, PhDs have about only a 50% completion rate -- I know from personal experience as I was in the 50% that dropped out after some years! -- but  if I had completed it (equivalent to graduating from the Vaganova in our example) I would have been even more disappointed if I then couldn't have gotten a job in academia.

Or is the Vaganova not a good example as all their graduates get jobs in ballet?

I'd love to read any books by any such ballet graduates who didn't get a role in a professional ballet company (if they wanted it). 

As we all know, from each graduating class a certain number X of the students from a ballet school will get contracts to join a ballet company as a professional dancer. My question is what do those who do not get a dance company job do? I'm genuinely curious...

But at a 1000 pounds I'll give the dinner a miss!!

Thank you Fiona! 

Is it possible to get VIP tickets to the Dinner? I know at similar galas in Geneva one can pay extra for special VIP tickets that include the dinner too.

10 hours ago, FionaE said:

but bear in mind that there is a VIP dinner following on from the show and the dancers move on to that quite quickly. 

Why no Zakharova/Lopatkina/Polunin/ --all retired now? 😔

This cast list looks amazing! I would love to see Maria Khoreva for the first time and Shklyarov as well as the Primas in that list again (Alexandrova, Krysanova, Osipova, Tikhomirova)!

I am unsure whether to get stall seats or grand circle. Any suggestions?

Is going to the stage door possible at the Coliseum after the Gala? I usually go for Stalls but never have Grand Circled before. Is the view better?

Hi

Nice to be back on this forum after Covid! Hopefully it is soon going to be over!

Anway does anyone have any info regarding the summer visit to London of either the Bolshoi or the Mariinsky?

On 08/10/2019 at 21:42, Don Q Fan said:

I think I have seen more of NYCB and ABT in Paris than I have in the UK.  

Which reminds me, when was the last time the Paris Opera ballet company toured the UK? I'v never seen them live and I know Paris isn't far but with Brexit and all who knows what hoops we'll have to jump next year to go to Paris? After I saw Wiseman's documentary La Danse I fell in love!

Yes, sorry I meant American Ballet Theatre (i.e. Ballanchine's company) not the Aussie one! (I didn't even realise Australia had a ballet company!!)

Hi

I don't live in the UK so try to see as many shows as I can when I am back in London and I'll be back during this week so I'd love to see this Osipova/Hallberg perfomance of Swan Lake. Will be willing to pay extra.

Thank you for the detailed response. Is it also because the American ballerinas don't have the same reputation as the Russian ones?

Hi

I've always wondered why the NYCB/ABC companies never visit London? I'm sure a lot of people would love to see them perform. Any answers?

Dont know if it should have its own thread but saw The Mother on Friday and it was so powerful. Osipova is such a great actress too in addition to her exquisite dancing!

Just bought a ticket for The Mother on Fri 21st! Can't wait. Quick question: where is the stage door in the QE Hall/Southbank Centre?

 I also am looking forward to the ballets the documentary spent good time on especially, 'The Mother'. (A quick related question: what's the difference between regular and VIP tickets at the Southbank Centre's QE Hall?)

  I saw the documentary at the Curzon in Mayfair and Osipova and the director were on stage afterwards fielding a Q&A session. It was fascinating being so close to her and seeing her in normal clothes and not on stage! She was very gracious but also looked so tiny -- it was hard to believe she is 32! 

The doc itself is brilliantly cinematographed and I'd give it 4/5 -- I wish, like the doc on Polunin---that it had also talked about her personal life as she's had three high profile relationships with Vasiliev, Polunin and now -- a total surprise to me! -- Kittelberger! 

Afterwards I bumped into Melvyn Bragg in the men's loo (!) and Osipova walked off arm in arm with her fiancé into the tempting streets of London.

She's a star but definitely not a diva!

I saw this last Wednesday with Osipova in A Month in the Country. I really enjoyed it although it was different to the kind of ballets I’ve seen before — my first Ashton. Hallberg and Natalia were great! I also enjoyed some of the Firebird which preceded it. But I left after the second interval when the curtain calls for David and Natalia died down because I had a train to catch. I made a night of it though as I dined in the splendid Paul Hamlyn Balconies Restaurant beforehand. A memorable night. Osipova and Hallberg make a great couple!

 I am hoping (desperate!) to be able to get a ticket to see Osipova dance in Romeo and Juliet on Sat. June 1st 2019. I won't be in the UK for dates before then so it's the only one I can make of that ballet. I am willing to pay  quite a bit extra!!

Are the castings for Balanchine's Symphony in C out yet? I couldn't find them on the ROH website yet. I'm trying desperately to book to see Osipova!

I saw this on Friday at my local Odeon and I really enjoyed it too. The acting and cinematography were both superb and the main actor played Nureyev very well. It is definitely the best film about ballet I've ever seen--I only wish it had covered his whole life and not just up to his defection.  Hopefully someone will make a sequel covering the second half of his life too. 4/5

I just saw the trailer and it looks great. I can't wait to see it when it opens on 22nd March on general release in the UK.