Peony

Weren’t a lot of btecs replaced by the higher level NVQs? 
loads of kids taking drama and art at our school. Music is tricky I think as you are expected to be at grade 5 standard so it presumes your parents have been able to fund music lessons, which for many is not possible. 

Where’s all the snow?!

I agree, salaried employees have generally fared much better. I wonder if that is the same in the US?

To wear a mask safely you have to be able to do it without touching it or fiddling so personally I think we were right to follow WHO guidelines for children  which take into account risks as well as benefits. Personally I have no issue with those who genuinely can’t wear a face covering and don’t think they should stay home. However those that can safely should and there’s a number of people who could but just don’t want to. 

On 12/01/2021 at 09:10, Jan McNulty said:

Hello Peony, the company had been due to go in Spring 20/21 with a double bill but that was cancelled due to the pandemic.  I spent a most glorious afternoon there a few years ago watching a truly scintillating of Fille featuring Maureya Lebowitz and Chi Cao.  I had seen them performing it together in Birmingham a couple of weeks earlier and was so bowled over I immediately booked to see them in Nottingham when I got home!!  I've also seen Northern Ballet in Nottingham.

 

I gather that what we knew and loved as midscale was going to be reworked as a smaller scale tour going to Midlands-ish theatres such as Cheltenham, Shrewsbury and Nottingham but goodness only knows what will be happening in the future...

Very interesting, thank you Jan. I think the last time they came was 2016 so I had presumed it had been dropped as a venue. You’ve cheered me up thank you!

My kids have received some very odd and uncharacteristic marks. Total marks have differed by 30% between grades. I don’t know, I think it’s subjective and the marking isn’t very standardised. How do you prove it after the exam though, especially with such a small group. If you had 30 students and they all experienced the same it would be easier. Would they want to retake the exam?

Thanks for the info Jan. it’s Nottingham, so we only got them once a year. Perhaps it’s just not financially viable but it’s a great shame because as a region we get very little dance!

Under 11s are exempt although many do wear them. For a quick trip in the supermarket I think the majority of school age kids could wear one

I’d love BRB to visit more regional theatres, they stopped coming to my nearest a few years ago. I’m not totally sure why as it appeared to be well attended

The ones who have everything are probably incredibly rare and destined to be principals. Looking from the outside at documentaries different judges place different emphasis on different attributes. Looking at the vaganova they seem to have a particularly large audition panel which is probably a very good idea. They still have a large drop out rate though, the selection isn’t perfect and children change an enormous amount from age 11 in body and mind. Best thing is not to concentrate on others but to work on yourself as hard as possible. Ballet is so popular that there will always be a huge amount of dedicated people with the same aim, not an easy path to take

3 minutes ago, LinMM said:

ambulance drivers and paramedics were going to houses to pick up people with covid who refused to wear a mask at any point on journey to hospital!! 

 
I presume they weren’t in respiratory distress as you’d probably have an oxygen mask on instead!

I agree with Janet, people using excuses should really feel ashamed of themselves for making the life of those genuinely unable to wear them more difficult. When people are out as a couple both unmasked, both ignoring other measures it does rather create the impression that they’re swinging the lead. I’m not sure what the answer is. 

What a great idea!

I’ve seen a few programs now with guests who’ve said that they are in a work ‘bubble’ to allow them to be close together. Not sure how that works- maybe rapid testing? Hopefully by summer it can be expanded to larger groups of people so that at least our dancers and actors can start working more easily with each other 

Christmas Day BBC2- 2 films from the 1950s, 3 series from the 1970s and Victoria wood from the 1990s. Whilst there have been problems this year I do think they could have cast the net wider and come up with better. There are many great series from abroad they could have bought in for a start. Or what about some of the material from their private venture britbox or whatever it is. Or commission some animated works. I find so little to watch maybe the answer is just to get rid of live tv this year!

The drones were pre-recorded, I’m not sure about the fireworks though?

But surely it’s Christmas and new year which need the programming? Yes the 10 minutes of fireworks were nice but otherwise Jules Holland and the other music concert were not exactly something to sit down and watch with the family. Usually we get a new David walliams and Julia Donaldson for the kids, a couple of newish films, new Agatha Christie 2 parter or similar. Usually people are out over Christmas so new programming comes in January, I just thought it was an error to have nothing over Christmas this year. When there’s a big game on the supermarkets are empty so there is obviously some effect!

my young people knew about the fireworks so I guess there was a leak on social media or similar!

Can I put the BBC into room 101? If ever there was a year to absolutely pull out the stops it was this year, and there’s practically nothing new at all. With everyone at home on New Years’ eve a film would have been nice. I think it links a little with Alison’s observations above, boredom has set in. 
 

I think in tier 4 gyms have to shut completely? I only do group classes so that at least is quite specifically covered in guidelines!

Think it depends on whether you meet the criteria for professional dancer/ education/ rehearsal in theatre/ someone teaching you at home in your studio Michelle 

Peterborough is already tier 4. I don’t think you can fake the huge increase in hospital admissions/ in ITU which has unfortunately gone along with the increased numbers in the East/ South East. Glad you’ve got your online lessons booked Michelle, hopefully the 1 to 1s can continue, I thought they could in the current tier 4

Yes, they do have all the doors and windows open all the time at ours too. It’s interesting To hear that they’ve split the class as I thought they were required to have everyone in all the time now (unless they have covid or sit within 2 metres of someone with covid) and that DfE were following up with threats of legal action.  It’s the secondary that’s the problem really, with different subject options and different sets they have to mix a lot. Not criticising head teachers at all, I thought their hands had been tied, Greenwich are now having to open fully this week because of the threat of legal action. 

Thank you both. BRB it is then!

On 13/12/2020 at 00:11, Ivy Lin said:

ABT streamed the grand pas de deux from Ratmansky's version of the Nutcracker:

 

 

this was lovely. Have any of the companies been doing their live broadcasts in this style rather than a wide shot of the stage? I’m not really a fan of ballet on the small screen but needs must and there are now so many Nutcrackers to choose from! I’ve seen RB and NYCB live. Wasn’t  that keen on the NYCB production. Would anyone like to make a recommendation? 

They’re sitting shoulder to shoulder in all our local (state) schools around here because they don’t fit in any other way. Unfortunately no distancing whatsoever. They are separate from other year groups but the year group ‘bubble’ of 200 don’t and can’t distance, it’s a joke when you compare it to the rules about space in my workplace. They have extra sinks but we’’re on the second whip round for soap and gel supplies as they weren’t given any extra funding for supplies. It’s all very frustrating as it’s driving the infection rate up and then we have to close our theatres and businesses again!

We’ve sent all the kids back to school with no extra money for cleaning or soap and no social distancing. Now 1 in 50 of the pupils in secondary schools have covid. So we can’t really blame our problems just on people not following the rules!