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webfoot

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Everything posted by webfoot

  1. Forgot to mention, it is even more convoluted if you want to upload your own pictures to Instagram via your PC - you have to fool it into thinking you're really on the App by "inspecting the code"!!! - sooo user friendly - NOT!!
  2. I have managed to watch Instagram live classes on my PC. You need IG stories for Chrome (no idea what you might need to do for other browsers). I used this link which gives you instructions on how to load the Chrome Add-on : https://sociallynina.com/instagram-web-how-to-watch-instagram-live-and-instagram-stories-from-your-laptop-pc-or-desktop/ I've no idea who Nina is, but grateful for her assistance in this case. You need to scroll down to the heading "Install IG stories for Instagram". As Instagram is designed as a mobile App, it's really clunky on the PC, but I am able to do Sander's classes and watch at least some of his conversations with various people from the ballet world. Once I managed to get on to Instagram, I chose to "follow" Sander. His picture then appears at the top of my home screen. If the picture shows a play button (triangle on its side) there are video(s) to watch. If you want to join in live you have to wait for another picture to appear with a "LIVE" button. If you have missed the live class but want to join it later (it disappears before the next day's class starts), click on the play button. There may be several videos as Sander does so much for the ballet community. The first thing you are likely to see is the class - you'll find Sander sitting on the floor waiting for people to join the class (one class I joined, there were over 200 other people also doing the class from all over the world!). On your browser window, outside the Instagram image which is mobile phone shaped, you will see a right arrow, if you click on this it takes you to the next story, which is usually Sander doing a 15-minute stretch after the class - this is saved as a separate video. If you then click the right arrow again, you get to the conversation - if there is one. The conversations are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at 7:00 p.m BST and are available for the following 24 hours, but then disappear. Hope this helps someone. Apologies if I'm repeating someone else's answer to this, it's taken me a while to compose the whole message.
  3. I recall a rehearsal of Ashton's Five Brahms Waltzs ... Isadora Duncan (the correct title eludes me). This was at the BRB studios where Lynn Seymour was coaching Molly Smolen. Molly was a beautiful dancer and we were all entranced, but then Lynn Seymour got up to demonstrate a particular section. Well, she was absolutely extraordinary. This particular section was a soft run round - not fast, and she added extra weight to the movement. I am not referring here to physical weight although she was obviously a mature woman compared with a young slight ballerina, which was Molly. It was a grounded, earthiness, she gave to the movement and it was so completely different from the beautiful motion of the younger dancer. It was that particular moment I remember from the whole rehearsal as she totally lit up the room for me. I also remember she had with her a little dog who spent most of the rehearsal running around the room. I have to say the dog didn't actually interfere with the rehearsal, but ran round the outside, investigating the audience. I didn't have the pleasure of seeing Lynn Seymour perform, just from video clips, but at this one moment I completely understood how captivating she was on stage.
  4. Casting now available but can't get any tickets as the Hippodrome website tells me I am number 5700 in the queue and have an hour to wait. No point me making the journey for tonight's performance as originally planned. It's a complete joke!
  5. There's Arabesque school and Julie Johnson in Sutton Coldfield. I have no experience of either of these but they gave been going for quite a while. Otherwise, there are open classes for all ages at the Dance Xchange in Birmingham or Annette Nicolson in Digbeth, excellent teachers. I am an older dancer so do the adult classes. I don't know what age range you are looking for.
  6. The Crystal Ballet masterclass in Birmingham was really excellent, if exhausting. I felt like I was dying after the end of the barre work but managed to complete the whole day and enjoyed myself so very much. My fitness levels are currently down due to minor health issues and I did wonder if I was being over ambitious too soon, but it was so much fun that I didn't want to hold anything back in reserve. Silvia's class was of a high standard, as usual and Jenna's coaching in the rep was excellent. Both were looking for the detail but so very encouraging as well. They seemed to enjoy the day as well. The Q&A session at the end was also really interesting. Great insights to the tricks of performing. Thank you Crystal Ballet and especially many thanks to Silvia and Jenna. Can't wait for the next one - hopefully I will be back to full fitness.
  7. Sorry Janet, I have to disagree. At the Saturday evening performance in Birmingham (Yoaquin) Shang's fouettes went wrong after the first 2 doubles and she gave up half way through. I agree that dancers will have an "off" day every so often, but not managing to complete most of the fouettes, especially at the expense of throwing in extra turns, is a definite no-no in my book. I have to say that technically the rest of the performance was accomplished, but she didn't move me as had Delia Matthew's on the Thursday evening.
  8. That is my understanding, but I suggest you contact Crystal Ballet directly to confirm this. As it is a "Ladies" class then I would assume 18+, I guess there would be no issue for a student a little younger than this, but I don't know.
  9. Crystal Ballet are holding a Swan Lake masterclass in Birmingham, at the BRB studios, in November. Details can be found here: http://crystalballet.com/index.php/event/crystal-ballet-birmingham-ladies-masterclass.html I have no affiliation with Crystal Ballet but the day is being organised by Silvia Jimenez, formerly a soloist with both Stuttgart Ballet and BRB, currently teaching at the Dance Xchange in Birmingham, which is where I take classes. Silvia is an excellent teacher and the rep coaching is by Jenna Roberts, BRB principal. It's not very often we get this sort of event in the Midlands, so please do come along and support.
  10. "Jenna Roberts & Matthew Lawrence will be performing" And wonderful they were, too. I thought Jenna was an absolute delight and Matthew's partnering was excellent. He was handed some flowers at the curtain calls, so I am guessing that was his last performance with BRB. A real shame, I shall miss him, but best wishes to him and his family for their future back in Australia.
  11. I've just read the first-timer's blog from the link posted by Janet above. How eloquent it was and I found it quite moving. I have been watching ballet for many years and always feel so much better for having "fed my soul" as well as having an excellent evening's entertainment. Through this blog it was almost like I was watching it myself for the first time. I am so thrilled that someone completely new to the genre can experience the same beautiful and uplifting experience. How many more people would feel the same if they could just get over the ideas that ballet is elitist and "not for me".
  12. DrDance, I go to the Dance Xchange classes in Birmingham City Centre, driving in from Hinckley (takes about 1 hour). I am usually travelling against the main rush hour flow of people trying to get out, although once there is some issue with the traffic the whole system does tend to gridlock. I appreciate that your travel circumstances will be different, but I have been doing this for a couple of years at least. I have been going to the DX classes much longer than that, but from different work places. I fortunately work flexitime so can leave at 4:30 to be there for a class at 6:00. I have always done ballet (since I was 3, apart from a couple of short breaks) but would really not like to do a class on my own. I have too many faults that creep in if I don't have a teacher correcting them. I am envious of those confident enough to do it themselves as 2 / 3 classes per week is really not enough. Although the benefits now are about avoiding getting any worse, rather than improving the technique. :-)
  13. At the DanceXchange in Birmingham the adult classes contain a core of students of all ages (from teenagers to the more mature student!) that are serious about their classes even if it is a hobby for most of us. During the holidays there are also classes held in the studios, but run separately. The quality of the teachers means that the vocational students that live locally attend as well as us "oldies". It's a fabulous mixture as the youngsters enjoy being part of an "adult" class. They are not at school with their friends and they can see that we are just as serious as they are about the class, even if we are less able. It's also a privilege and a pleasure for us to see the students as they mature and embark on their future careers.
  14. I'm afraid I usually only get to see performances in Birmingham, and I have enjoyed all of BRBs performances this year. My one highlight has to be Symphonic Variations. It literally took my breath away it was so beautiful. I love Pineapple Poll that followed Symphonic on the programme I saw, but I almost didn't want to watch it as it could only bring me down from such a sublime experience. I still get a thrill when I think about it today.
  15. Sorry that Heather's visa has caused you so much stress. You should be able to enjoy your holiday together. Good luck to the whole family and hope to see you at the Christmas classes! Oh that is so terrible, talking about Christmas already! Also good luck to all those DD and DS going back to vocational school.
  16. webfoot

    Happy News!

    Congratulations David and good luck
  17. I also managed to donate over the weekend. I had to get my login sorted out (couldn't remember log in name, nor password). All sorted now, so able to donate and also post (even if it was very trivial). Thanks to all who make this site what it is. I have to have my fill of balletco daily if possible.
  18. Primrose, we are definitely not brave, stupid more like it. I'm still trying to decide whether it's enjoyable or torture. I wouldn't mind if I felt I could do it elegantly and gracefully instead of feeling like a fairy elephant. Good luck Fiz, I'm sure you will enjoy the challenge of it. The important thing is to listen to your teacher and don't try and get ahead of yourself. It's all about the muscles under the bottom and not about the feet at all - at least that's what we've been told. That's how I learned to jump again. I had problems with my knee, 3 physios all had different opinions as to what was the problem, and I found I was having to sit out the last part of the class (the most enjoyable bit). So I went to a wonderful teacher who I trusted. There I learned it was all about using those muscles under the bottom to support yourself as you land in a jump and now it's very rare that I don't complete the whole class and I don't even think about my knee. It's not actually any better I just know how to work round it. Anjuli, thanks for your wise words, it is all about the joy of dancing in your head.
  19. I am, sadly, one of those mature ladies at the Dance Xchange in Birmingham. I have taken ballet classes pretty much all my life, only ever at local schools though. When I was approaching 40 my previous teacher retired and I thought it was probably time I did as well, but I really missed the ballet. I did other dance, but it just wasn't the same. I love doing barre work and I am still working on my technique (and boy does it need some work!!), but then when you get into the centre and you are presented with a sequence that you just "get" and you can use the whole studio, there is nothing quite like the sense of freedom and enjoyment Fortunately, being very short-sighted I can't see what I look like in the mirrors. I only dance for fun, am not very good at it, would welcome anyone to the class. No, we don't look at anyone new and criticise, we're all too busy trying to remember the steps, not collide with anyone or fall on the floor. The latter, unfortunately, I did quite recently. The exercise ended with us kneeling on one knee (getting down is usually OK with the help of gravity, but getting up is a slow and very inelegant process), but I was slightly off balance, and I'm sure the floor moved as well as I slowly and gracefully toppled over.
  20. I would like to add my thanks to everyone who posts the links. (I know it's taken me a while, but forgot my password and then couldn't get logged in again - all sorted now though) I fully appreciate the amount of time it must take someone everyday to trawl through all the reviews and interesting articles. The reviews and links section has always been my first port of call for dance-related info. Unfortunately, I am only one of the "lurkers" on this site. I couldn't possibly compete with the quality of contributions that are always such a pleasure to read, plus I don't have the time. Many, many thanks to Bruce (and fellow contributors) for all your great work. Enjoying Dance Tabs, but haven't had enough time to do more than skim over the content so far - must get my work / life balance sorted out :-)
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