Blossom

Forgot to mention this in my excitement. Love Playlist and glad it’s balanced with something new.

Delighted my prayers have been answered at least for a new Nutcracker and co-choreography by Arielle Smith. Interested to see what they will create. A nice mix of productions, happy with some of them than others, but hopefully will have wide interest/appeal. Feeling more optimistic than this time last year…

I sent my daughter today, age 16, with a friend who has never seen ballet before. The friend loved it- so hopefully will get similar love from those people attending for the first time thanks to the low entry cost for the ROH. My daughter also really enjoyed it but not had the full download yet. Key question is whether she thinks I would think it unmissable…

Out of interest, how old is Baby Campbell? Perhaps they are choosing to take Shared Parental Leave which would explain a lack of Alex as Claire comes back???

No info on Next Generation festival either although there is an insight for it

Me too!

Is this not perhaps more to do with junior dancers and facilitating use of a number of dancers for a specific campaign? There was one a while ago for skincare and there was a clothing brand they have teamed up with recently- All Saints - which I think used quite a few young dancers. Pretty sure I’ve seen at least one similar partnership from ENB. My feeling is that this won’t be about individuals, it will be about the group. Realistically the challenge is that everyone from supermarkets to the ROH are struggling with profitability - or even to break even - and are looking for new revenue streams. If this sort of endeavour can contribute to the ROH coffers and help to manage the cost transferred onto audiences, I am all for it.

Finally! Thanks so much for sharing @capybara Thrilled that of the 2 dates I was contemplating, there's a choice between Yasmine Naghdi and Viola Pantuso as Perdita. What a choice to have to make!!!! Perhaps I will have to try to see it more than once.

The music drives a lot of the passion in and for a ballet. There is none in this music. I did find Like Water for Chocolate had more depth, but it’s all just incidental music and is not completely absorbing like Tchaikovsky or Prokofiev. Given Talbot can create more emotive music, is this driven more by Wheeldon? I do want to experience TWT so I can understand if it can feel emotive. Like Water for Chocolate was very cast dependent- much preferred Naghdi cast, plus it worked excellently on screen having seen it on the stream.

I really can't decide what do do for TWT. I will definitely go once, but (as I have said often) I do not get on with Joby Talbot (although he worked on the Willy Wonka film and that was far more listenable) so it's not something I am keen to splash out on. If I can't pick up an SCS ticket I will probably wait to see what's available later on. I'm also starting to think that I am not so keen on the choreography - unless significant changes have been made since the premiere season, which is when the filmed version is from. The question is who to choose to see (if only we had the casting so I could make that decision) if I am picking a single performance.

It's going to be pretty impossible to get booking right as well if they aren't releasing casting... You'd think that they could at least explain why casting still hasn't been confirmed via the last Friends newsletter before the premium groups open next week.

Depends if you are spending time engaging with those ads. The more you engage/interact, the more you will see those sorts of ads - or even content. I engage with lots of cute dog videos, so my instagram feed is interspersed with more of those. I clearly have an interest in gluten free food content so I get targeted with this sort of information. On top of that, my registration data gives away my age and location. Plus meta (facebook and instagram) can also track you offsite (at the moment cookies), unless you have set specific conditions, so if someone else is using your device, you may be targeted based on this.

Firstly, it's algorithms not cookies... To find out how it works, Everything You Need to Know About Social Media Algorithms | Sprout Social

Links - Tuesday, 13 February, 2024 Review- Royal Ballet, Dark with Excessive Bright, ROH: Nicola Rayner, The Stage (paywall) Review- Sao Paolo Dance Company, Triple Bill, Sadlers Wells: Siobhan Murphy, The Stage (paywall) Lucy Carter, Everything Theatre Matthew Paluch, Broadway World Review - THE Dance Company, Rethinking Coexistence, Coronet Theatre, London: David Mead, Seeing Dance Review - Spanish National Ballet, Afandor, Teatro Real, Madrid: Cristina de Lucas, Bachtrack Review - Alvin Ailey, Program B, Washington DC: Emily Berger, Broadway World Review - Tribe, Black Hole, Boston: Debra Cask, Arts Fuse Review, Acosta Danca Junior Co, Havana: Staff, Prensa Latina Review – Akram Khan, Jungle Book, Perth, Australia; Isabelle Leclezio, Dance Australia Review - Black Swan State Theatre Company, The Pool, Perth: Deborah Jones, Limelight Preview- Ballet Nights, Spring 2024, London: Staff, Gramilano Preview - Sao Paolo Dance Company, Triple Bill, Nottingham: Diane Parkes, Left Lion Preview – Ballet Frontier, Romeo and Juliet, Texas: Stephen Montoya, Fort Worth Magazine Preview – Ballet BC, ‘NOW’ triple bill, Vancouver: Staff, Stir Preview – Compania Nacional de Danza, Triple Bill: Victoria Looseleaf, San Francisco Classical Voice Preview- Covent Garden Dance Company, Iconique Dinner Ballet Gala, Bahamas: Staff, Tribune Preview- Joffrey Ballet, Cosmic Rhythms, Chicago: Oliver Sava, Block Club Chicago Season Preview - Ballet Manila, 2024 season, Manila: Staff, Business Mirror News - Northern Ballet replaces live music with recordings at upcoming shows Siena Linton, Classic FM Staff, The Strad Mary Stone, Arts Professional (paywall) News - Your February Roster Roundup - dancers and directors on the move: Kyra Laubacher, Pointe Magazine Article- Knutsford dancer in English Youth Ballet’s production of Cinderella: Barbara Jordan, Knutsford Guardian Article- Central New York Ballet Company makes waves with inaugural dance project, Ebenezer Mensah, BNN Article - A tale of two ballets: Can CNY support Syracuse’s duelling dance troupes? Linda Loomis, Syracuse.com Article- What it’s like to write for Dance Magazine: Haley Hilton, Dance Magazine Sponsored content - A day in the life of a Grand Rapids Ballet Company dancer, Lindsay Hoffman, Fox 17 Feature – As RWB launches grand romance, company couples talk about their own personal pas de deux: Jen Zoratti, The Free Press

Links: Monday 12 Feburary 2024 Review- Royal Ballet, Dark with Excessive Bright, Royal Opera House, London Alastair McCauley, Slipped Disc Matthew Paluch, Gramilano Debra Craine, The Times Sakchi Kandelwal, BNN Review – Sao Paolo Dance Company, Triple Bill, Sadlers Wells, London Nicola Claire, Seeing Dance Vera Leber, British Theatre Guide Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Review, San Francisco Ballet, British Icons, San Francisco: Jim Munson, Broadway World Review- West Australian Ballet, Metamorphosis: Ballet at the Quarry, Perth: Alana Kildare, Dance Australia Review- Fernando Alonso National School, Young Talents Gala, Cuba: National Center for Arts Schools Staff, World Nation News Article - The Royal Ballet celebrates new talent in choreography with edgy set design: Hannah Silverman, Wallpaper Film review - Scottish Ballet, Starstruck, Emmanuel Abara Benson, BNN Preview- Lowell House Opera, The Unknowable: An Operatic Ballet in 2 Acts, Boston : Staff, Broadway World Preview- The Trocks, Aspen District Theater: Staff, Aspen Times Feature- We have MS and ballet together at the ROH - Not a bad date, right? Stefan Kyriazis, Daily Express Article- Ballet Star Patricia Zhou: Passion, Resilience, Artistic Exploration Journey Unveiled: Maria Alejandra Trujillo, BNN Article- Dancing for Life: Staff, Dance Australia Article - Ralph Fiennes: West End theatre prices ‘worryingly high’: Charlotte Gallagher,BBC News Article - Eddie Moffat: The unicycling ballet dancer on Austin, Texas: Geeta Pillali, BNN And finally, an early Valentine’s story… Interview - A (ballet) love story: La Jolla couple to share local stage in upcoming production of ‘Don Juan’: Ashley Mackin-Solomon, San Diego Tribune

There’s also a review in on Gramilano and BNN which will be in tomorrow’s links. Generally, reviews seem to be following a similar trend

I am somewhat hoping that the late casting is to have Corrales and McRae in mind for Rhapsody. The former is perhaps more likely as he is already cast for the earlier run of Swan Lake.

Links: Sunday 11 February, 2024 Review – Empower in Motion Gala, London- Deborah Weiss, Bachtrack Review - Akram Khan, Chotto Desh, London: Alastair McCauley, Slipped Disc Review – Sao Paolo Dance Company, Triple Bill, Sadlers Wells, London Jonathan Gray, Gramilano Marianka Swain, Telegraph (paywall) Review - Varna International Ballet, Swan Lake, Norwich: Charles Bliss, Eastern Daily Press Review –NYCB, Contemporary: Leigh Witchel, Dance Log Review - Atlanta Ballet, Coco Chanel, Atlanta: Celia Wren, Washington Post Review – Ballet West, Swan Lake – Edward Reichel, Utah Arts Review Review – Carolina Ballet, Rhapsody in Blue, Carolina: Megan Eesley, The Seahawk Review – Pina Bausch/Sadlers Wells/Ecole des Sables, Rite of Spring, Los Angeles: Jillian Verzwyvelt, Ballet Herald Review- West Australian Ballet, Metamorphosis, Perth Staff, Out in Perth Rita Clark, Limelight Feature – Alexei Ratmansky: Marina Harss, New York Times Preview Feature– The give and take between music and movement: A closer look at these unique challenges in Ballet West’s production of Swan Lake - Les Roka, The Utah Review Preview - 52nd Annual Dance on Camera Festival, Lincoln Center, NY: Caedra Scott Flaherty, Observer Preview – Houston Contemporary Dance Company, The House Chris Becker, Houston City Book Film Review – ’10 Times Better’ – CeFaan Kim, ABC 7NY News – Alternative funding plan for Suffolk proposed by Equity: Matthew Hemley, The Stage News - Local stores offer ‘Swan Lake’ deals; fashion-show designers named: Helaine Williams, NW Arkansas Democrat Gazette And finally, one for those of us taking in multiple casts/dates Feature – For the Love of Theatre: These superfans have seen their favourite shows up to 800 times: Glenn Sumi, The Star

With booking open for some in only 12 days' time, it's disappointing that there still isn't any casting information. There are so many clashes to manage over the summer season between the different ballets and RB/Sarasota that it would be helpful to have the information in order to prioritise.

In addition to lack of information on casting, there is just too little information on the programming to generate interest among non-balletomanes. I've had no interest from friends so looks like I will be going alone most evenings. The ads appearing within youtube when I have been searching for videos to try to generate some interest (only a couple of videos of Leanne Benjamin in Requiem) are completely blank of any still images or videos. Definitely need some of the pre-cinema style clips and interviews to generate demand sooner rather than later.

Hugely appreciative @capybara. Pleased that I do have a mix of casts for the dates I have booked, now just need a ticket for 9 April... Now just hoping that we get the summer casting before booking opens in a few weeks!

Speaking of casting, 3 weeks till summer booking opens and no casting yet…

I have walked through it many a time recently!! Can’t vouch for hot or cold food although they do have a new exec chef since I went (5/6 years ago).

I have eaten in the Crush Room once and remember it being a very pleasant experience, but worth noting that all food served is cold. I don’t particularly remember feeling overlooked by people walking through from/to their seats but I do feel that when walking through after the interval while people are still seated. For privacy, I think the balcony of the Paul Hamlyn is probably a much better bet.

Young ROH gives access to a number of £30 seats throughout the auditorium. My daughter has sat in the balcony, stalls and has stalls circle front row with Young ROH. There aren’t that many tickets available but there are sometimes special Young ROH performances where the whole auditorium or at least the whole amphi are on offer. Tickets are generally easy enough to book on Young ROH day but Swan Lake was impossible. If certain ballers aren’t selling particularly well, they will sometimes release additional seats for Young ROH later on.