sybarite2015@

Hi again! I thought it would be nice to list your favourite ballerinas (especially those whom you have seen perform live). So let me begin: Of those whom I've seen live: 1. Lopatkina 2. Osipova 3. Somova 4. Semionova 5. Obraztsova 6. Skoryk Those who I am desperate to see but haven't seen live on stage yet: 1. Zakharova (btw, someone on another thread mentioned her political connections which make her 'untouchable' -- can anyone explain this to me?) 2. Diana Vishneva Those whom I wish I had seen when i was able (i.e. they performed in my adult lifetime although I was not into ballet at the time) 1. Agnes Letestu 2. Cojacuru Those whom I wish I was old enough to have seen in their peak! 1 Maya Plisetskaya 2 Sylvie Guilleme 3 Altynai Asylmuratova

The Mariinsky tour Baden-Baden every year in December ...why not London too?

Its because its in Cardiff! Had it been the Mariinsky coming to London...

Does the NYBC ever do tours in the UK? I love Jewels! I think Diamonds is my fave but the music of Emeralds is amazing!

The Mariinsky are coming to Cardiff?!

Thanks everyone! That's a lot of ballet for me to watch! Still nothing so far moves me as much as The Dying Swan. It is short so must be only shown in galas or part of a themed evening? I've not yet ever seen it advertised let alone performed live (except on YT).

Yes, Nureyev and his , ahem, ahem, ....I too was shocked that he posed for so many nude photos in his heyday! But why not? He was a beautiful specimen and, I guess, ballet dancers must be used to being nude a lot around other dancers? Well, he was 'blessed' to use Benie Mac's phrase!! He was one of my ballet heroes but after i read his mammoth biography by Julia Kavanagh, I think, I realised that as a person he had also a very selfish, petty, and unpleasant side. I'm not even gay but I'd turn 'gay for a day' for him!!!

for a moment i thought GRR Martin was dead and i'd never get to read the remaining GoT novels!!!

He's a nice guy in real life! I taught his daughter for a few years... But never seen one of his operas except bits on YT. Why are operas at the ROH much more expensive than ballet?

Hi ! I was watching some fashion videos on youtube and some of the haute couture costumes were fantastic...beautiful models wearing almost nothing but with wings made of real feathers...and i thought they could with a little tweaking change these angel feathers to look like swans. So i thought if something like this had ever been tried in ballet: in Swan Lake the dancers wear nothing or next to nothing and have wings made from real feathers and feathers sticking out of their behinds too? how about nudity in ballet from serious companies? does it exist? or is it still taboo?

Hi everyone! I'm still relatively new to ballet and would like here to list my fave ballet (or particular act or dance from a ballet). This will also help to discover new pieces to see and discover.... My favourite ballet: Fokine's The Dying Swan (I think Lopatkina is better than Zakharova here although Plisetskaya is the best!) Swan Lake (esp. add) and Giselle (esp. Act 1 Variations). Balanchine's Jewels (Mariinsky) and I love Kitr's dancei from Don Quixote (though I've not see that one live yet). I also loved the Bolshoi's Le Corsaire. I've seen some more modern ballet too but not such a big fan of it compared to classical although one of my all-time favourite's is Patrick de Bana's Digital Love (with Zakharova)

I am thinking of holidaying there -- despite the visa hassles-- just to see the Mariinsky and Bolshoi perform in their home theatres! Has anyone here been lucky enough to do so? How is it? Is it different to seeing them perform at Covent Garden? I notice the Mariinsky tours the UK much more rarely than the Bolshoi...

Hello Don Q and Allison! Thanks for your replies. Well, I might take you up on that offer about the stalls....to see Zakharova! Her, Osipova, Lopatkina are my faves but Somova, Obraztsova and Polina Semionova I also adore.... tbh all the Bolshoi and Mariinsky dancers are amazing! (I know Semionova isn't from either...) And last time I saw Ivan Vasiliev on stage in ROH I was blown away....my immediate thought was he would be ideal to play the lead role in any movie biopic of Nureyev! -- I try to get stall seats and don't mind paying extra as I thought being closest to the stage is always better...i think last time i was in row 2 and 3 respectively for most shows i went to. But I've always wanted to try the more areal view of a Grand Tier too as i read you get to see more of a birds-eye image of the entire corps whereas sitting so close i could only see the the front ... Waiting 2 hours plus after a show to see a dancer? Well for Svetlana I would! Thanks to everyone for answering. (BTW how does one get to sit in those boxes?) I've considered becoming a Friend+ of the ROH but since I live in Europe and not in the UK i;m not sure if it is worth it as i don't get to come to the ROH as much as i'd like...

I've been twice to see the Bolshoi -- both last visits to London -- and also the Mariinsky -- but was too shy to go the stage door! I will melt into a puddle if i see Svetlana as I am in hopeless love with her!! Serious note, what is the etiquette of such meetings? Am i allowed to bring flowers or a gift plus ask for a selfie? I have never seen her perform as last time, both times, the show she was booked for, she was injured and there was a last minute replacement Where is the stage door? By door 1 or 2 as i've read two different answers on here! I usually get stall seats which are the most costly -- which other seats are the best for viewing other than stalls? Thanks and hi to everyone as this is my first post