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George C

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Everything posted by George C

  1. The only ballet danced to music by Holst that I can think of is in the opera The Perfect Fool. I would have thought that someone somewhere has used The Planets but I am not aware of it.
  2. Very cleverly done and beautiful to watch. The dancing, the instrumental playing and the production are so professional and skilful. Congratulations to all and thank you for providing balm for the soul in these difficult times.
  3. Excellent news about Michael’s Gold Medal. He has been a very loyal member of the Royal Ballet organisation. He was such a talented dancer for BRB in a variety of roles and then developed into a first class character dancer and actor. On top of which his work behind the scenes is invaluable. His experience, sensitive approach when coaching dancers and amazing workload has been recognised by supporters of the company for many years. Congratulations Michael - a gong very well deserved.
  4. I was wondering if this topic should be a new thread but just to answer Lizie 1 the Ballet was Sleeping Beauty which was what they had toured the USA with. Also, before anyone asks what else Ballet Rambert danced on their wartime tour I sadly lost all my old programmes in a flood but if my memory serves me right it was Judgement of Paris and Aurora’s Wedding.
  5. Oh dear - where would I start ?! In the hope that it might get someone else going my very first ballet performance was a wartime tour by Ballet Rambert. It was seeing the lovely Sally Gilmour dancing in Lady into Fox. Perhaps my most memorable ballet night was being lucky enough to have (by chance) a ticket for the ROH for the first performance the Royal Ballet gave after their first triumphal tour of the USA. Sublime Fonteyn, my first flower shower and applause that seemed to go on and on. How lucky was that ? You shouldn’t have got me started !
  6. Thank you Maryrosesatonapi for your good wishes. I have resigned myself that at 90 and living in Mid Wales my ballet going days are drawing to a close. Having been an avid ballet fan since I was 15 I have had a pretty good innings and can look back on some quite amazing experiences AND I did manage three performances of Hobson’s Choice last June ! I hope you enjoy Giselle - never one of my favourites although the thought of missing Momoko makes me a little sad. Perhaps you will post a thread on the performance that you see.Celine or Miki........I wonder !
  7. Did no Forum contributors go to the Hippodrome last week ? Due to old age this is the first season for over 20 years that I haven’t become a subscriber and due to ill health I had to miss the first of the only three shows booked. I had been hoping ( with mixed feelings) to reading a review of what I had missed. I have heard a rumour that the new work was very good. More information would be very welcome.
  8. I think that this trailer is exquisite. An unusual take on the ballet and beautifully filmed. He really is a very talented young man....and not a bad dancer ! !
  9. Hi North Star. I shall be at the matinee tomorrow. I am sitting in the Circle if you recognise me from our meeting at the Evening of Music and Dance. For anyone disappointed that they may not see the Lachlan/ Samara cast I must tell you that the alternative cast at the matinee on a Thursday were quite superb. I have seen many performances of Hobson’s over the years and this was as good as any.
  10. Now I know ! I enjoyed Seasons in our World. Attractive setting with very atmospheric lighting. Satisfying choreography with Winter particularly impressive. Very well danced and a shame that it will not be seen in Birmingham. I went expecting to tolerate Peter and the Wolf knowing the music inside out from my teaching days but I have say that Ruth has been brill (sorry). No unimaginative meadow, tree and pond but and urban setting with scaffolding and backyard bits that give much scope for invention. A cute girl (Petra?) as Peter, the bird is a hip/hoppy lad in a tracky outfit, the wolf is an angsty teenager in a hoodie, the cat is a very sexy young lady in very short skirt, the duck is a dumb young lady lost in her headphones, grandad is a baseball becapped almost adult teenager and, best of all, the hunters are a group of young ladies obviously out on the pull. Excellent choreography, some lovely humorous touches, a ‘ let’s get on with story and no messing about’ approach and for me a total success. I eagerly await seeing it again in Birmingham.
  11. Thanks Tony. I was looking forward to Saturday anyway but you have increased my feeling of anticipation. Plus there is still Hobson’s to come. Bring it on !
  12. Did no Forum members go to see the show in Cheltenham? I am anxious to hear opinions of the touring programme before I see it at Shrewsbury.
  13. Absolutely superb photos Dave. Thank you so much for sharing them with us. I now want to see it all over again.
  14. Don’r worry......she is back, There is a comment on the BRB website from someone who saw her dancing the role who reported that she was very, very bossy, the audience laughed a lot and loved her. Great to read. She is the consummate artist in whatever role she dances and a wonderful ambassador for the company.
  15. Sorry Celine - I do know how to spell your surname. Put it down to old age! Better to stick to Mrs Holder in future !
  16. Lovely photo of Celine Gittins guesting ‘down under’ https://www.instagram.com/p/BumFCF5h4cB/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
  17. Impossible to add to a great review by Odyssey. i am also one who doesn’t much enjoy ballet ‘bits’ and am not fond of galas so have not previously gone to this annual event. This year however, it was obviously going to be a very special one and to anyone as fond of BRB and the work of David Bintley as I am, not to be missed.. it fully came up to expectations and apart from showcasing the wonderful orchestra it displayed the brilliance, virtuosity and enthusiasm of this company which I feel does not always get the national respect it deserves. Having supported since 1945 all the variations of Sadlers Wells that have developed since.I just hope that the future will stay as successful as it is at the moment. Good to meet you North Star and hope to see you in Birmingham again and many thanks for the link.
  18. Thank you Pilcinella for that information. I can now put a face to the names on Ballet Cymru’s web site. I forgot to mention the music which,I agree, was very tuneful and atmospheric. When I was waiting for a friend to go in to the theatre I thought I saw a familiar face. As it was one that I normally associate with BRB Friend’s events and matinees at the Hippodrome a number of years ago I presumed that it was a doppelgänger. I wish now, that I had spoken to you. It must be five years since I last saw you. i hope you enjoy the show at Aberystwyth. I loved the film as it was shot in Montgomery, just up the road from where I live and I am intrigued as to how they are going to translate it into dance. It will be clever I am certain. I regret that I am unable to get to see it. A review would be lovely !
  19. Just back from a Sunday afternoon performance of this production at my little local theatre.I do admire this little company. They always surprise me and are a pleasure to watch. I can’t comment on individual dancers as I was too late to buy a programme but I was very impressed by the Stepmother. Just as with Lady Capulet in their earlier production of Romeo and Juliet this young dancer was riveting. When she was on stage she was impossible to ignore. However, the dancing all round was of a very high standard. The choreography was also quality. My overriding memory is,as always, how inventive they are. One or two nice twists in the story, A couple of unexpected characters but above all the excellent use of projections. No scenery, very few props but constant interest maintained by clever lighting and projection. Another very satisfying performance on a dreary,pre Christmas Sunday afternoon when I would normally be dozing !
  20. I had also been wondering about the lack of feedback on BRB’s Nutcracker but assumed that everything that could be said about has been said many times in the past.I attended yesterday’s matinee for what I THINK was my 30th BRB Nutcracker. Still love it as much as ever and still have a lump in my throat when the tree and the fireplace transform into the winter wonderland. How can that still be so magical, but it is. Strangely for BRB there were one or two technical issues - hence my contribution to the thread - it makes a change from comments about the dancing ! The cannon remained weirdly silent when it fired. The fully grown tree swayed in the wind which was realistic but unusul and a little unnerving. Finally, the gauze that is in place at the start of Act Two suddenly descended just as Clara was about to be carried home at the end of the ballet. Then it suddenly collapsed to the floor as it does to reveal Clara at the beginning of the Act. Also unnerving as the performers were very near the gauze when is swished down. I guess a few knuckles were rapped later. Otherwise it was the usual flawlessly danced performance by Beatrice Parma as Ckara and Arsncha and Max in the pas de deux. Max is confirming his growing reputation with every performance. To those contemplating matinee performances most of them now have only limited availability so get in quick.
  21. Thank you Two Pigeons for the very tactful way you corrected my typo.........Glossop 🤭- where on earth did that come from ?! Actually I suspect that it wasn’t a typo, just me suffering from a surfeit of joy from those performances last week. On the subject of audience numbers I do remember that many years ago I heard David Bintley point out that whilst ballet fans are fully familiar with La Fille to the casual ballet goers the name means nothing at all. A recent statistic from BRB states that over 40% of attendees at the last Nutcracker were first timers. I suspect that many, if not all of those were not tempted to go to this ballet with it’s strange name.. Mr.Biintley also gives the same reason for not reviving Cyrano and he may have a point.
  22. By a very lucky stroke of coincidence I was able to attend three performances of La Fille in Birmingham - I haven’t done that for about ten years ! i won’t attempt to do a review as Janet has, as always, given a very good one already. However, I have to say, and I can hardly believe that I am writing this, by comparison with the two casts that Janet mentions the performance featuring Momoko and Matthias was almost ordinary. That was because the other two were simply EXTRAordinary. Momoko and Matthias were exemplary but somehow the overall performance simply didn’t have the thrill of the other two. I saw the Saturday evening show with Celine and Tyrone but,as with the Thursday matinee there was an electricity in the audience that was lacking at the Saturday matinee. I can only put it down to the sheer delight of watching the two pairs that Janet refers to.Miki and Lachlan were so sublime that my poor old man’s tears were not far away. There was a tenderness about their relationship that is often missing in the fun and frolics. As for the other ten star performance - it was Celine and Tyrone- need I say more. And yes, the Fanny Essler was one of those ‘Wow’ moments. Plus, of course, we had Jade’s ‘farewell’ performance ! I didn’t know about it at the time and wondered what on earth was going on. It was like being at the last night of Nutcracker! Sorry to end on a sour note but I had noticed earlier that there were plenty of empty seats at all performances but the front of house manager told me that on Saturday afternoon that for the evening performance they had sold 500 tickets. What’s all that about ? By the way, may I remind everyone that David Bintley told me at last year’s Christmas party that he has lined up Lachlan as his Will Glossop next June . YES!,
  23. A few years ago a couple of female friends that go to the gym at the same time as me started asking me why I went to the ballet so often and why I loved it so much.As they have backgrounds that give them no knowledge of Birmingham Hippodrome, travel arrangements and booking etc. I decided to treat them to the Nutcracker as birthday presents. I was amazed, humbled and totally delighted ar their reaction..They so wanted to go again, told their friends and became addicted. There are now five, sometimes six ladies who come with me regularly and the original two have just bought their first BRB subscription package for next season. For me, watching their delight at every new discovery as been an emotional journey for me. It has been almost like rediscovering my own amazement at the amount of sheer joy I get from watching dance.For them each new ballet is ‘ the best yet ‘ , although Nutcracker will always be top of the list being their introduction to ballet. i am sorry if this contribution is maudlin and self indulgent but as this thread is entitled ‘Sharing our passion’ I feel that it is not entirely inappropriate.
  24. In case any enthusiasts have missed the announcement the booking has already opened. for the 2019 Evening of Music and Dance at Birmingham Symphony Hall on February 15th. As it is going to be a tribute to David Bintley before he departs ai suspect that it will be even more popular than usual. I notice that quite a number of the better seats have already gone.
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