ninamargaret

Saw,it in Copenhagen in 1992 with Lifeguards from Amager which I believe the Kirov used to do. And can't remember what was with it the last time the RB did it, but I know it wasn't Les Rendezvous.

Please let's keep men as men and women as women in ballet! I may get shot down for saying it but I'm heartily tired of women playing men's roles in the theatre. The idea of a female Rudolph horrifies me. Seriously though, the names put forward for future productions of Mayerling all sound interesting - Calvin Richardson particularly so. I'm thinking about four or five years ahead here.

That was last season...

Sorry, things blur - probably my age!

Correct (though the Royal Ballet School are doing Concerto in their summer performances).

We also had The Invitation

It would be interesting to know who the next generation of Rudolph's might be. Three of the four appearing in May are, shall we say, mature dancers. The next run, whenever it is,could throw up some interesting casting. Any ideas?

Don't know which is worse _ an earworm that you can identify or one that you can't!

What can be done? There are obviously two totally different streams of theatregoers these days, those that go for enjoyment of the performance they have paid for and those who want a night out or 'an experience' Maybe theatres are a little to blame with their provision of super seats, packages with drinks included, and expensive catering. The ROH is partially guilty of this and it will probably be worse when the Open Up project is finished. Notes in programmes and vigilant ushers seem to have little effect. Any bright ideas for ensuring that those of us who go to enjoy ourselves quietly can continue to do so?

Dancers certainly are troopers! I think many years ago Annette Page danced the name part of Cinderella in both the matinee and evening performances one Saturday. Usual problems with winter colds etc meant she was the only one still standing.

I think so many people nowadays are used to all entertainment being around them that even live performances are just regarded as wallpaper. So they go to the theatre and just treat it like their sitting room, totally disregarding the fact that they are watching live performers who could well, especially in smaller venues,be distracted by the noise being made by an inattentive audience. Apart from the disturbance to their fellow audience members it shows a total lack of respect to the performers, and we hear a lot these days about having respect for other people.

A couple of years ago during a performance of Richard 2 at the Barbican things started badly. A very well dressed lady with two teenage children was sitting behind me. The play started with very beautifully sung plainsong, and out came the rustling bags of nice crunchy sweets. A discreet shush from the lady sitting next to me and myself had no effect. So without more ado my next door companion turned round and confiscated the offending items. Peace reigned until the interval when there was a bit of an altercation, but apologies were made all round and the rest of the play passed uneventfully.

Agree about restoring the Pas de Deux. I think the music is not from the original score of the ballet, maybe a piano piece?

Good to know someone else has earworm problems! And SB my favourite of the Tchaikovsky Big 3

I wonder how many of the 'serious'ballets that are produced today will last as l long as Sleeping Beauty? Any theatre/ballet goer knows that many of the 'relevant' works produced throughout the last 50 years or so have vanished without trace, those that survive can be truly called classics and will always appeal to audiences because they deal with themes that involve all of us. It's quite true that none of us have gone to sleep for a 100 years, only to be woken by a handsome Prince, but story and legend have always been an essential part of the human race,and a very good thing too!

i think part of the problem is that a visit to Covent Garden is frequently billed as being 'an experience '. Audiences,and this goes for most serious theatres, seem to be sharply divided between what i would term to be genuine theatre/ballet goers and those wanting the 'experience '. Interestingly, during my recent visit on 16 Feb matinee, i was sitting next to a couple, the husband had been dragged there by his wife with the promise that it was just like zumba and on the other side a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable ballet goer from the USA. Both were, i am happy to say, perfectly well behaved!So it seems to be largely the luck of the draw.

I share many of the likes mentioned, but would like to add one. Act 1 of Onegin, where the corps crosses the stage in seemingly flying grandes jetes. Always gets me! And to add to the comments about Cinderella - my first was Fonteyn and Somes in 1958. Interestingly, the sisters were played by women. One was a revue artist popular at the time, not sure who the second was. I wonder if this would appeal now?

Yes, I noticed this as well,and I was sitting I Stalls Circle with a number of people who, from their conversations appeared to be regular ballet goers.

Thought this afternoon's performance was superb. I loved the was Hayward came on stage and immediately seemed to take the whole audience into her arms and love them. And what a gorgeous partner she had. I don't think I've seen the act II solo better done; I believe even Antony Dowell regarded it as difficult. I realised this afternoon while I love Sleeping Beauty- I love the old fashioned courtesy that is shown, like the Lilac Fairy' polite but mocking bow to Carabosse, the Prince's courtesy to his courtiers. The whole cast terrific, hugely enjoyable afternoon.

My usual supplier of CDs, Europadisc, is listing this as being out of stock at UK suppliers, but they will take orders. At the risk of being shot down in flames, I disliked the music intensely, although it didn't stop my enjoyment of the ballet. Saw the original cast in the first run and the second this time round. Difficult to choose between them, so many good performances in both. As someone relatively new to McGregor's works, I sometimes feel that the complex 'installations' somewhat detract from the ballet, although they are stunning visually. E

I must have seen around 200 ballets in my lifetime, and many of the classics and the Ashton and Macmillan I've seen many times. R and J i think around a couple of dozen times. i find that likes and dislikes have, in the main, been very much governed by who has been performing,and even more my personal or emotional state at the time. tastes change throughout our lives as well; doubt if i'd have appreciated McGregor when i was 8! But i must admit i've had a good weep at many ballets and enjoyed far more than Ive disliked

I believe that in the Soviet era it was considered 'non kulturny' to wear coats in the theatre. (Spelling probably wrong, but you get the idea). But they had pretty lavish facilities for storing all the heavy coats and big fur hats! I go to many theatres where cloakroom space is poor or q non existent, so tend to wear a scruffy coat that can be bunged under the seat.

cloakroom arrangements are awful, particularly if you are sitting on the right side of the auditorium and are, like me, a bit mobility challenged and need one of the lifts - two if you need to,get down to the cloakroom. it used to be so convenient to be able to leave your coat, and use the loo on the ground floor. it looks as though this will all vanish, and all just for somewhere serving food. i don't think they have the needs of their audiences at heart.

Heresy I know, but I'm not at all keen on Swan Lake, and the best dance of the cygnets must surely have been in a Morecambe and Wise film. Think there are more ballets I would love to see again, rather than those I dislike. Loved Two Pigeons, although I think it appealed more when it was first produced, Could be I'm just older and more cynical!

Of course, one of the classic books for children is Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfield. Read this many times when I was a child. And am I the only member of the forum to remember a series about a girl who joins the Vic Wells?

Sure you're right, Coated. Of course, the problem with ballet is that we don't get the luxury of multiple performances as theatre audiences do, and eve. Then getting tickets for some productions is well near impossible. I believe the last Ring cycles at the ROH sold out more or less as soon as booking opened to the higher level of Friends. It's a bit like the Fonteyn/Nureyev days when queues would stretch for miles.

I am new to the Forum and enjoy it immensely. My ballet going goes back to the days of Festival Ballet,although for personal reasons I didn't attend performances for quite a long period . I'm now catching up and thoroughly enjoying myself.

Three years ago I became a Friend of Covent Garden, at the lowest level to try and,ensure I could get seats. I like Stalls Circle and can always get these. However, when I logged in at 0900 on the first day of booking their were almost no seats left for the Watson performances of Mayerling. Just a few odd seats, and quite a bit of amphi. I managed to get a,slightly poor seat, then proceeded to book for other Mayerling casts with no difficulty.

The question is - where have all these keen ballet lovers been hiding? There are no restrictions on the number of seats purchased, although performances like the forthcoming Otello allow a maximum of four. As far as the Viagogo fiasco is concerned,the Opera House should be ashamed of itself, especially as it particularly names them as being an offender.

The