Esmeralda

Thank you all for your interesting and so various reviews! Really love to read all your different thoughts about the performances and demonstrating how the people connect differently to the art. I thought about a long time if I should go but decided against it because of a few reasons. Like a few others here I wasn´t so happy about Osipovas last attempt as a producer of a show. And like capybara I don´t find Hallberg attractive as a dancer at all not his movements and definitely not his bland face. Well, maybe I need to see him with Osipova ( who I love as a dancer!) to appreciate him...But it seems that the decision to put my money to Lagrasse instead of London in September wasn´t the worst decision.

My brother would completely agree with you - he still has not one single social media account no matter how many invitations and requests he is getting from family and friends. And he passionately boycotts pages and institutions where you need a Facebook account to log in or to get informations. I also have to say this is the only thing I miss about my old account, the occasionally winning contest or where you can only get infos about it if you follow them on Facebook. Otherwise I miss my FB account not at all! Well, and to be fair: as long as the accounts are public you can still see a lot of things, on Facebook but also on Instagram. If you do not want to like things or do not want to leave a comment it does not matter anyway.

Don´t worry about it - I am sure you will definitely enjoy the evening! I wouldn´t say that I didn´t like McRae in Mayerling, just that I preferred Bonelli. Nevertheless it was great to see McRae in this role and I am glad I got to see him. And you`ll never know: maybe you will be absolutely thrilled!

Interesting discussion. I have the feeling that you almost can´t avoid to have at least one social media account these days though I agree that it seems more and more people are annoyed by all the social media. Fiz, I agree completely with your opinion about Facebook, the hypocrisy to ban art or the picture of the napalm Girl from Vietnam but not closing hate/bullying posts and groups. And all these commercial things and advertise whenever I surf through the web. I thought long about it because I have friends all over the world and it is really easy to keep up with their lifes this way, but I deleted my FB account a few weeks ago. Never had Twitter and never understood the sense of it - and to be honest, I think it had not quite the breaktrough here in Germany. I don´t know much people here in germany who have Twitter and my friends all over the world mostly tweeted silly little things. Never had the feeling that Twitter helped to stay in contact. I must say I quite like Instagram and until now I haven´t so much problems with advertising/promotions etc...I only use it on the desktop or the tablet though, no app for my smartphone. Thankfully most people on my Facebook list have also IG accounts, so I can follow them now on this way. Pinterest I don´t use in the way of following people I don´t even know much people who have an account. I only use it to pin cooking/baking recipes or touristy things for cities and countries. Capybara, you make also an interesting point. I follow quite a lot of dancers from all over the world and different companies, with some of them my friends. If I find a dancer interesting I follow them on IG when they have an account. Your observations about the different profiles is pretty good and I completey agree. To be honest, when a dancer only advertise things etc. I unfollow them pretty quick also if they almost post exclusively about their private life (unless they are friends of mine of course). I find it weird to get too many private informations about someone who I only know (if any) because I saw them in a performance or maybe met even at a stage door. If I get a few private insights it is nice and mostly I can it ignore if its getting a little too much. I know some people don´t like it at all to get backstage infos what dancers do before/during/after a show because it takes the magic away for them. Personally I don´t have any problems with it because I danced a few years professionally myself so it is more a reminder about these days in the past but I can understand them. So actually these profiles and with snippets about rehearsals etc are my favourite ones. But I think it is really interesting to see how these different accounts show how different dancers can be - in their personalities but also in their dancing and worki lifes.

I think the way you want to go is a good one! Until spring is some time where she can think about it and I understand completely that you don´t want her to let go if you already paid the money. It is a good thing to teach the children that they can´t back out and change their minds every month like a lot of people do. With the program she already has I would also leave the lower grade away if she decides to quit ballett and maybe the private one. With only one ballet class once a week maybe she finds her way back in a few months. If not, the balletclass will still help her with the other dancing styles - maybe she is just more the musical theatre girl, who knows. Maybe she could - instead of the lower grade - do some Pilates class or more acrobatic Yoga for strength.

Completely agree! There are a few lucky ones who have a smooth walk through this phase but most need just time to adjust. Some boys need a little longer others are faster but they all get it at the end. I remember a boy who went to class with me who in his worst phase danced like a mix of a duck and a flamingo - it looked really funny and the girls laughed a lot (children can be really mean...). Today he is still dancing so beautiful and elegant that I completely forget how it looked almost 20 years ago!

What a great video, had a good laugh and I think it would be good idea for teaching some people a different behaviour during performances. Though maybe it is too funny and they would think it is only satirical...Also the people find more and more things to annoy and disturb the audience around them. When I was at "The magic flute" in Salzburg this summer a woman in front of me tied her hair at least four times to a messy bun. And naturally she had to toss her hair with big gestures every time...

This looks fantastic, thank you for posting this! I must really try to see more of them.

Thank you so much for your report Naomi M! I would have loved to see this gala, which had a really unique program - had almost a business trip to Tokyo this week but unfortunately it got delayed to next week, so a bit unlucky! It must have been great to see Ricardo Cervera back on stage. Also would have loved to see Morera/Ball dancing together, I can imagine that they have an amazing chemistry. Never saw Facade live in performance but always loved the Tango from it - how I envy you! But hopefully we will see next year Naghdi/Ball together in Romeo & Juliet too (I missed them the last time). Completely understand that you enjoyed the Dying Swan by Calvin Richardson. Saw him in this piece for the first time this summer in Lagrasse. Already heard a lot of good things about it but was still sceptical though at the end I was completely impressed. Would have loved to see his new creation because - if I understood it correctly - it is based on an idea which he presented a few years ago at Draft works, which I had the chance to see. How did you like Joseph Sissens tap piece? And then I agree completely how sad it is not to see La Sylphide on the RB stage at this time (or probably the next decades). There are so many beautiful dancers right now who would be perfect in it. Well, a girl can dream and maybe there will be a small chance in the future to stage La Sylphide ( and then not in the Kobborg version because that ship has sailed definitely).

What horrible news! It is a bad week for the (American) danceworld...I never met him personally but I know a few people who knew and worked with him and raved about him every time! May he now find his peace.

As someone who also almost quit at the age of 9 I agree with the others: give it a little time, maybe reduce the hours or give her a final date ( to try till the end of the year or something like that). And talk with the teacher of your daughter...maybe something changed or she has isn´t satisfied with her own progress. When I was nine I just wanted to try a little bit in other things and focused more on my jazz classes. After 8 months I missed ballet so much that I went back to my regular hours and reduced the jazz class again to once in a week - two years later I went to vocational school! And if she really doesn´t want to do it anymore after a few months then it is like it is. I saw too many children in my classes who had no fun at dancing ballet and this is such a pity because they lose something and will turn away from ballet completely at a lter age when they can decide completely on their own...

Aw, thank you for your kind words, Alison!

Thank you alison for your Welcome! And I keep my fingers crossed that definitely we all have the chance to see him (again)! I would also like to apologize ahead for any mistakes since I am not a native speaker. I try my best but certainly there are (and will be) the one or the other error creeping in, I am really sorry!

Very sad news! I had the chance to meet him once a few years ago after I saw a performance of his company! He was a very fascinating man and such a great choreographer!

This would also interest me: it is actually my fourth try to see Ed Watson in this role, so I really, really hope that he is fit again! Who knows if there is a chance for an another attempt... Haha, I would have loved to see this. I guess it is really weird to see oneself on a big screen if you aren´t used to it. Otherwise I have to completely agree with the others about Morera/Bonelli: I saw them the last time and was blown away! Everybody who didn´t see them should try to get some tickets. I absolutely loved them so I got tickets again for this time even when I have not really the time (and money) for a second Mayerling this season. Compared to them I wasn´t so convinced of McRae even when I am a big fan of him. But I will definitely watch the live realy in cinemas.