Richard LH

No he has two including the Schools Matinee.

So First Soloist Sissens gets 4 performances (with Sasaki and Takada) but Principal Campbell gets none....again🫤

Osipova/Clarke, Takada ❤️🙏/Sissens, Calvert/Edmonds...!

Me too! 😂

We were also near the stage ....almost as close to the stage as possible I think (front right hand side SC) and I very much agree.... being able to see their expressions helped make Yasmine and William's artistry and storytelling come to life so much. Beautiful, emotional dancing, and I don't think they put a step wrong. Act 3 was particularly incredible I thought...Yasmine seemed so broken on her arrival at the port, it was heart rending... The only part I didn't really appreciate was the Gaoler scene...some of the elements seem gratuitous and perhaps could be toned down without losing the gist of the story...provided what is happening is clear enough to enrage Des Grieux in his defence of Manon. The final PDD was electric....how did they manage Yasmine's lightning fast aerial full body twists? And she showed so much confidence In William, in starting to fall towards the stage well before he was close by to catch her. I thought we were going to see the first major RB production I can remember where the lead ballerina didn't receive flowers (which would have been a travesty!) but fortunately a bouquet arrived for Yasmine just in time for her to share a flower with William as well as Luca Acri (a brilliant Lescaut). Overall this is a fabulously staged production, with all the cast on top form.....the whole company now have a well-earned mid-season break. Looking forward to seeing two other casts later on....

Superb debuts from Yasmine and Will tonight....❤️❤️

I'm missing Akane so much! 😞 Like @Emeralds I last saw her on the ROH stage on 26 May 2023 in that wonderful SB performance as Aurora with James Hay. She danced in the summer Japan Tour but missed one scheduled performance there, and has been absent here since the start of the season. Hopefully she is now receiving the new treatment and recovery time she needs to sort out, for the longer term, the nagging injury problem she has suffered for many years. It would be so lovely to see her dance again in the Ashton programme and The Winter's Tale (Perdita), as well as Swan Lake of course, but naturally she should take out whatever time it takes to allow a strong and lasting comeback - in the same way that Fumi Kaneko did some years ago with formidable results!

Yes, well worth watching...good luck to Annette on her debut after all her hard work learning and polishing the role. I was surprised and impressed that it only takes about 2 hours for dancers to learn the basic steps and movements for something as hard as the SPF solo. Perhaps only the Telegraph could have a "Head of Luxury" (presenter Sasha Slater).....nice work if you can get it!

From where I sat she seemed only to do them with her right leg.....🤨

Completely agree....Viola stole the show for me! Her dancing is so light, quick and expressive and she was very much in tune with the beautiful music and with the character of the role as Clara. I am not at all surprised she is making a name for herself already. A star in the making, I feel.....

Great cast... apart from James Hay's absence. Looking forward to my first Nut of the season!

Isn't it just something to do with the light, and reflections, at the front of the curtain? Becuase Meaghan's shoes, for example, look the usual colour when she is holding her flowers with the rest of the cast, just a minute or two earlier. Earlier photos in the run show a similar effect. @Rob S would know, I expect!

Always interesting to watch Class.....not many dancers attended this morning, but I did spot new "signing" Grace Reid. All the best to her as she settles in at the RB.

Would love to see the RB do Symphony in C in a Triple again....simply dazzling, and a fabulous showcase for the current talent in the Company.

Giving birth? Very much so, I believe......

Ryo was also excellent in Onegin and Mayerling, to take just two examples...plus his Espada as course!

For anyone who has been missing Akane so far this season, here is something she has been engaged with at least.... https://shop.chacott.co.jp/news/20231208_645.html

Should we have a "General Steaming Thread" for when we need to let off some?🤔

Pleased to report a smooth booking experience this morning. The MacMillan seems to be booking pretty well considering we are this far out.

Booked three dates and looking forward to casting in due course. At the ROH you can cancel for a credit very easily if need be.

Should that be "Sae"...?🤔

I wondered the same thing yesterday at Birmingham Hippodrome...can the conductor see the dancers sufficiently, particularly when they are nearer the back of the stage?

We attended a lovely matinee yesterday and really enjoyed the production. It has some great transformation scenes, super music from the Sinfonia, and includes Clara flying down into the magical kingdom from on high on the back of a snow goose 🪿 (?) at the start of Act 2, which drew some gasps/amusement from the audience (a typical cross-section of which would be 7 year old girl plus Mum and/or Dad/Grannie/Grandad). Was it debuts this time (or perhaps earlier this run) for Reina Fuchigami as Clara, Riku Ho as the Prince, and Rachel Pizzillo as the SPF? I thought those two main ladies were a touch overshadowed by a super performance from Celine Gittens as The Rose Fairy. In this iteration the magical kingdom appears just a dream and the Nutcracker is just a toy. There is no Royal Ballet-type imprisoned Nutcracker/nephew who is rescued back to real life and who returns to his uncle. I think the BRB misses out on having Drosselmeyer and Hans-Peter's poignant backstory, and their relationships with Clara, who, in the RB version, retains her link to the magic kingdom with the necklace she is given by the SPF. I also missed the lovely RB Angels, and the more extensive use of ballet mime. That said, our own 7 yr old granddaughter loved her first live professional ballet so much that she burst into tears when it had finished and she had to leave...there can be no better recommendation than that!

A great Insight....it made me feel quite emotional to see a rehearsal of the first PDD I fell in love with (when Hayward and Campbell were in the roles), and which remains one of my favourites.The music is so beautiful and it's the moment the Nutcracker magic really begins. The dancers featured were brilliant, and Gary Avis did a superb job in passing on his extensive knowledge and enthusiasm. I also loved the interview with Kate Shipway, and her amazing duet with Rob Clark.

Good point, although this is not impossible, if my calculations and biological knowledge are correct!