Tatiana

Ooh, I hope to catch some of this. Thanks for reminding us!

Hang on now, we rewrite and adapt Shakespeare all the time. The RSC has done some really amazing and innovative adaptations recently; Cymbeline set in futuristic dystopian Britain was especially fantastic. And it doesn't stop anyone from going to see classic Shakespeare; it just adds an interesting option. There will always be classic ballets playing somewhere - why shouldn't we experiment too? I like the ENB's current approach, with Akram Khan's Giselle playing first, and then the classical Skeaping Giselle in the spring. Something for everyone

The glittery shirts! God, the prince's shirt really was blinding. And I was in the upper slips!

It's interesting to think about new costumes - although I love the aesthetic of the classical version, the costumes actually annoy me somewhat in the narrative because they're so over-the-top, they don't really make that much sense. "Who's this man with the huge, evil-looking cloak, and the black make-up, and the scary staff-thing? He seems like a fine, upstanding member of society, I'm so glad he's at this ball. Nothing could possibly go wrong here." And Odile in black, too - I'd like to see a very realistic production in terms of costumes, where the characters and audience can be fooled. Put Odette/Odile in white and let her really act the parts instead. As for new styles of production, I'd be happy to see some. There will always be a classical version playing somewhere, and it's always fun to try new things.

I think I watched about 8 hours in total - from the tail-end of the Royal Ballet to the end of the whole thing. I had it on in the background and it glitched a few times (I missed a fair bit of San Francisco) but otherwise I think I was pretty fortunate! I was even featured on the rolling Twitter banner onscreen once or twice. It's a pity that more people couldn't join in interactively, I always think that's the high point. I'm really looking forward to watching the segments I missed later.

That's just what I was told when talking to the orchestra director this summer

I have a ticket for opening night (with Osipova) - I've never seen Anastasia before, and after watching some of the rehearsal today in the World Ballet Day livestream I'm really looking forward to it!

The equipment and copyright issues (they don't own Sadler's Wells, obviously) do make recording extremely expensive for the ENB, whereas companies like the Royal Ballet who have their own theatre don't have the same problem. I think given that this production is creating such a buzz they'd be working harder to record it - I hope so, anyway!

I missed practically all of the Onegin rehearsals due to a bad connection But it started working again about halfway through the San Francisco segment, which is very good. They're currently rehearsing something new by Yuri Possokhov, and later they've promised some scenes from Scarlett's Frankenstein, which I really enjoyed seeing in cinemas earlier this year. (My girlfriend is a big fan of Gothic literature and Scarlett's Frankenstein was a great excuse to introduce her to ballet!) I do wish I'd gotten to see more of the RB rehearsal though. I agree with VickyPage, YouTube is the much more sensible choice.

Oh, and not that I'm biased (I am), but they'll be rehearsing Onegin at 6:00pm (1pm in Canada) which I'm sure will be amazing! So I hope everyone's technical difficulties are solved before then.

I'm so pleased this is being received well - I watched a lot of the rehearsal process and completely fell in love with it, especially the score. I do agree with some reviewers that the actual narrative falls flat in places, but honestly the dancing more than makes up for it. I can't wait to see the finished performance in November (I've got Madison!) Would have liked to see Stina as Mrytha on stage but I saw her perform beautifully in rehearsals many times so I can't complain.

I've found that the stream on the San Francisco ballet page is the best quality! I'm loving this section with the Canadian national ballet, I think they've had the warmest, most interesting segment so far. And those dancing pumpkins!

My favourite of the younger dancers is Rina - especially after watching her in Giselle rehearsals. She's absolutely perfect as one of the Wilis, especially in this adaptation!

There was a Great Friends Open Rehearsal that week and the Masterclass - I think there was a little confusion on the matter! Did you enjoy the masterclass LinMM? Awful issues with sound but I thought really enjoyable after all.

I booked for the London matinee because it was the only performance left, but I'm very happy to see Madison, I think she's wonderful. It would have been nice to see Alina though! I might try and grab a ticket for one of her shows in Southampton if there are any left.

Costuming. Wouldn't have to be for the ballet, but my second love in life is making clothes and costumes. I have a spinal impairment which means it would be pretty impossible for me to sew full-time for a living, but I still love doing it as a hobby.

Hello to all - I'm delighted to have found this community of ballet fans. I wondered if anyone here was at the ENB's season launch last night, and if so, what did you think? I loved Tamara Rojo's speech: "There's a misunderstanding in the ballet world that in order to cherish our heritage, we have to freeze it." I really admire the choices she's making with the company. And of course I am incandescently excited to see The Rite of Spring next year. How does everyone else feel about the upcoming season?

It is, and thank you! An absolutely breathtaking performance from Alina, as always.

I noticed that when I went to see the Bolshoi's Swan Lake this year, the applause style was much like what OP had described; clapping after every scene, after laugh lines, etc. But with performances by English companies I've always experienced a much more subdued audience. I hate to say it, but maybe it's because going to see the Bolshoi for a SL performance is more "touristy?" I assume you'd have a lot more people there who weren't used to ballet than in an audience for something less well-known. (It was magical, nonetheless, despite the noisy audience!)