Sharon

So looking forward to seeing Hobson's Choice again it's been years since I've seen it.......

Especially as previously mentioned, Nagdhi & Ball had not danced this in front of an audience before. The enormity of the occasion - Giselle for goodness sake, and your debut. That there was only a Very slight stumble on the big jete landing - in the whole ballet - is proof of the enormous talent of these special young dancers.

Thanks Bridiem, on top of that, I had said last week that I would wear a brown jumper and when it came to Sat I didn't want to, but I made myself wear it so I could be easily recognised - but then I didn't have the nerve to approach you all. What a dope🙄🙄🙄

I did go to the escalator during the interval, I just didn't have the nerve to approach, what looked like a large group of friends chatting, to introduce myself, I sort of hesitated and then left. Maybe I'll be brave enough next time..😚

Yes I agree - why is that do you think?

Is there no review for Nagdhi & Ball?

Mine neither, although I did notice it, and I think that Alina changed her shoe brand also - a wider fitting?? - because it did become less noticable. A bunion I can live with, but Akane is dancing in shoes that are cut/or open down the side which is something I have never seen before.

Sim, what a fabulous review. You took the words out of my mouth. I agree with everything you wrote. The whole company were amazing and I'm so glad I managed to get a ticket and see be present at what I'm sure will be a performance that we will all remember for years to come. Can I just mention that after the performance Yasmine quickly changed out of her costume, but with her Giselle hairdo & makeup intact, came to the stage door to meet & greet her adoring fans. She spoke to everyone, had photos taken and was just utterly lovely and thankful for all the love and admiration. What a wonderful young woman she is!

Thank you RuthE for answering my querie. It's a shame about this, what I've wondered though is why it's not possible for some shoes to be adapted for her, the box widened or something? Maybe not - otherwise it would of been done...But I can't help but think something could be done to help her. After all is she going to dance the rest of her career with her shoes in that condition? It goes without saying that an integral part of ballet is the feet and pointe work and shoes. Obviously we look at them, we are supposed to, we appreciate beautiful feet - like Claire Calvert's or Xander's, and we notice when the dancers have good footwork because it's a part of what makes ballet different from modern dance for example. I find it a distraction so I try to avoid looking at her feet, which is a shame. I feel sorry for her having to dance with her shoe in that condition and I hope it's not too painful and she is not exacerbating her condition/problem with the continued dancing.

I so enjoyed today's performance, the corps were wonderful, congratulations to the rehearsal coach for the successful result. The pas de six I really enjoyed - but can someone please tell me what is wrong with Takane Akada's left point shoe and why it is always gaping open over her little toe, I do find it a distraction. I found Elizabeth Herrod's performance today was fantastic she really is in great form and I'd like to see her given more solo's. Fumi Kaneko as previously mentioned was perfect in this role, such light airy jetes. Matthew Ball is a really fine dancer who is developing with every role and I'm stupidly very proud of my fellow Liverpudlian🤗 But today Yasmine Nagdhi proved yet again that she really is an artist that the RB can be proud of, her impeccable technique, her musicality and her interpretation of this tragic heroine was amazing to witness. After the performance she said she wished she had the opportunity to do it again. As do we, but that will happen, this ballerina is going to very far and I feel honored to have seen her very first successful attempt at this role.

I'm afraid I find Darcey Bussell even more irritating. While she's doing this behind the scenes sequence, I wonder how many times she will manage to mention her own career like she always does.....🙄

LinMM - your post made me laugh! Probably because I have my own wardrobe dilemmas. Anyway I think I'll be wearing a brown jumper and black trousers... But anyway I'll be the short woman looking lost...🙄🙄🙄

So many good points raised. I have a little list of 13 full length ballets and 2 evenings of triple bills performed by various companies that were televised just in the late 70's. And 1980 was an incredible year from Wall/Thorogood in Voluntaries, ending with SWRB in Coppelia but in-between we saw LFB, SB, Martha Graham, B 20th C, NDT, DTW, ABT. No wonder so many people - and kids like me - got hooked on ballet and dance. There was always a wide variety not just the RB. Companies are always trying to raise money and they're profile, they should therefore use they're greatest assets, the young dancers with social media as previously mentioned. As to TV apart from writing to them to ask, demand, that they show more dance I don't know. But if whoever decides/plans what is shown now, had a look back on the amount and variety that was once televised - in the 'old days', they should hang their head in shame in comparison to what they show now.

Well I look fwd to meeting you all 🙂👋

Such a great review Bridiem. BTW is anyone going to see Nagdhi /Ball on Saturday? If so it would be nice to say hello..?

I haven't seen that before, so thank you John.

I first saw Elisabetta Terabust in 1978 in The Sleeping Beauty with Peter Schaufuss. She was just beautiful and her technical ability was amazing - obviously, as Schaufuss danced with her a lot. I have such great memories of her and the other Italian ballerinas who performed with LFB in the 70's and early 80's. I feel lucky to have seen so many great shows. R.I.P dear Elisabetta...🙏

I would love to see Semperoper and NDT, hope I can get tkts...🙏🙏🙏

Brings back so many lovely memories of being glued to the telly watching him. What a wonderful artist I feel sure he would of been a beautiful dancer if he'd been allowed to do it.....

The problem with Watt's post is his 'concern' for the dancers is a post script! He very well knows that whistleblowers are usually anonymous and to accuse those brave enough to speak up as "mischievous and vindictive" is another example of why these dancers have not been believed, or their concerns listened to and their position has been so miserable. Their plight is only being discussed now because of The Times article. Even on this BCF when the discussion's has focused on the unusually high amount of dancers who have left the company or the relationship between Rojo & Hernandez was mentioned - people didn't like it. For various reasons... I personally don't care who Rojo dates - I care about how it effects the dancers, and if dancers are saying that this relationship is making their position within the company so difficult that they have to leave - (& 2 such dancers have told me this is why they left - & no, I won't name them as they have their careers to protect and the ballet world is small and Rojo's connection's and influence is large, does that also make me 'mischievous and vindictive Mr Watt's?) - then they should be listened to. Noone is minimising Rojo's artistic achievement's - but she is a human being at the end of the day and therefore vulnerable to petty human conditions like jealousy, anger, revenge like the rest of us. She is not omnipotent. Just as those sadly departed dancers are not just disgruntled, jealous dancers.

Exactly. And I think I read that the wages the ENB dancers receive is not very high...

Floss, thank you very much for that very informative reply. I have used every minute available today (stolen while at work) hunting for the video I described. And wouldn't you know it I can no longer find it. I admit there is the smallest possibility that I could be mistaken - that it may have been another dancer. But I doubt it. In the videos I watched today he was infact very attentive with Fonteyn... But his technique was very poor on every video that hadn't changed.

Having watched the last two Emerging Dancer shows, I just hope that this year they do something about the lighting. It was all too dark. It reminded of those old Bolshoi performances that are televised occasionally and the dancers are hardly visible in that huge black space....🙄

I know a lot of you will get mad - but I really don't like Michael Some as a dancer. I just can't see what was so great about him. He looks like a man in tights - not a dancer. His technique is very poor. I watched one old film of Sleeping Beauty and he was incredibly rough in partnering Fonteyn, how she kept that gentle smile on her face I'll never know.

Just beautiful! Her bouree's are unbelievable 😍 Is this available on DVD?