Tango Dancer

4 minutes ago, Missfrankiecat said:

Sambe has been an absolute trooper.

Yes hasn't he!  He's so good to pick this up at short notice.  Woyzeck looks like a piece that's emotionally draining and really hard on the performer, to do that and Swan Lake back to back must be really tiring.  I hope he gets some time to rest after before he has to perform again.  It looks like he's not scheduled until Thursday so I hope he can relax.  

34 minutes ago, Sim said:

Or, you just might not have liked it simply because you didn't like it!  It's allowed!

Definitely things don't always work for us and we just don't like them. 

I agree it's not my favourite version of Act 4 either.  I like Siegfried to be more active.  

I'd suggest trying Bennet Gartside from RB.  His website is everybodyballet.com and he teaches a regular class at the ROH and probably does privates too.  I've never had a private with him but he's a really good teacher and I did his group classes in London while I lived there (and do when I go back) and he does a lovely class.  He gets RB dancers to cover sometimes and I've had classes taught as cover by Luca Acri (adorable, great class and so charming several of us wanted to keep him as a pet) Julia Roscoe (really sweet, very nervous and really good at breaking down turn sequences) and Isabelle Gasparini (lovely charming person but her sequences were a bit too long and complicated for me).  

Most of the RB dancers are fairly responsive to instagram messages so if there's someone you'd like to book, message and ask them if they teach and what they cost.  Not all of them teach (and not all of them teach well).  Vadim, Fumi, and Marianela all teach via Danceworks masterclasses so may be open to it but would be more expensive.  

14 minutes ago, alison said:

 

Yes, I arrived late, and also got back late after the first interval, so missed some of the talking, but thought some more explanation could have been given about the plot - such as it is - of Different Drummer, just to put it into context.  After all, you can't really expect your audience to have read the play - or even seen the opera - especially in this day and age.  Did I miss something?  Or does the company seem to be as reluctant to talk about it as it does in its printed programmes?

No they didn't give much information on the plot.  I think they should have done more talking about some of the detail of the story for Different Drummer and talked more about the different parts of the music for Faure because people may not understand the different parts or the meaning of the words. I know the Faure quite well but if you didn't they didn't say much about it.    

7 hours ago, Balletfanp said:

I’m on the fence re Matthew Bourne. I certainly found I enjoyed his shows a lot more once I stopped thinking of them as ballets, rather as shows.

Yes I think the same.  I liked his Swan Lake as it had some innovative ideas, I'm less keen on some of his other works as they don't do much for me.  I wasn't massively keen on his Romeo and Juliet when I first saw it before Covid but I saw it again last year (at a loose end in London one evening) and thought it was better than I remembered. 

As long as you're not expecting traditional ballet they can be quite fun to watch.  I think I'd agree they're not something I 'd see more than once.  I don't think I wouldn't make an effort to see them over other things but they're sometimes quite a pleasant way to spend time. 

1 minute ago, Emeralds said:

I think that sounds like a better experience than some ROH experiences I've had, Tango Dancer! That means there were more staff to serve you  than there were customers to serve 😄 .....luxurious! 

I was quite amused that one of the staff came in during the second interval to check I was ok and whether I needed any refreshments.  I have a suspicion she wanted to see if I was still there or whether they could close early.  But she was ever so sweet.  

39 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I'm rather surprised to see the company is coming to my local theatre, as it's uncommon for ballet companies to do so. Now I don't know whether to see the programme there, which will be cheaper, or to go to Sadler's Wells, which will cost more but has the inducements of a much larger stage & added Cojocaru.

I'm going to the local theatre (York) because (given a choice) I like to support local theatres and give them the benefit of my ticket prices because a lot of them are struggling.  So I will definitely be booking there rather than Sadlers Wells.  Also it means I don't have to pay for trains, hotels etc. 

I'm really glad they're going to some of the smaller less well known theatres, it's good for people to see these ballets in places they might not otherwise catch them.  

Well just back from the cinema where I had a lovely private showing because I was the only person in the cinema tonight.  Shame it wasn't better attended.  I didn't get a cinema cast sheet because they hadn't got them.  

So I'm going by the cast on the website.  Also I am terrible at working out who is who as I'm rubbish at remembering faces.  Especially if it's not clear what part they take or their character doesn't have a name.  So apologies for not being able to credit everyone I liked by name. 

So I enjoyed Dances Concertante very much.  I wasn't massively keen on the costumes and those hats were a bit weird but I thought it was a lot of fun.   Chap in yellow and chap in green both stood out for me for their excellent footwork and technique.  Isabelle Gasparini was exquisite in the lead - she has such lovely lines.  

I didn't like Different Drummer - dull, depressing and really too long and Schoenberg doesn't do much for me.  Francesca Hayward is a lovely luminous dancer with beautiful expressive technique and gorgeous arms.  I felt she had slightly more chemistry with the drum major than with Woyzeck myself.  Francisco Serrano also was really charismatic and attractive as the drum major and some lovely jumps - he's going places I think.  Marci as always showed such depth of feeling and definitely evoked a lot of sympathy so I felt he was really throwing himself into it - he's such a great dramatic dancer.  I just wish I'd found the piece more engaging. 

Requiem was rather lovely.  Sarah Lamb was absolutely excellent, such a lovely clear and controlled dancer, every gesture fitting where it should and really mattering.  William Bracewell was lovely and moved beautifully and had such expressiveness with every movement.  The taller chap she danced with was also very impressive and seemed to be so focused on embodying the movement (nice cheekbones too I noted).   I also thought Melissa Hamilton was dancing with exceptional musicality and loved Joseph Sissens in the Libera Me.  I think the quality of the singing also really transformed it and the young baritone soloist particularly impressed me, such a lovely tone and good diction.  

So overall a good evening, one fun, one moving and one that was bearable but dull.  I'm really glad I went.  

So happy they're coming to York.  The Theatre Royal is a lovely venue.  

Also glad about Joseph Taylor, he's a really impressive dancer in my view.  

1 hour ago, JohnS said:

There’s always the cinema relay where I’m rather spoiled: Keswick screen tomorrow’s live relay; Rheged, with it’s enormous screen, shows the ‘live’ relay on Thursday; and both offer the Sunday afternoon matinee. I’m going to Saturday’s final performance so if the train plus the bus replacement from Oxenholme run to time on Sunday, I could make Rheged’s encore. Having not seen the Triple Bill since opening night, I’m delighted to have chance to catch two performances and possibly repeats of the cinema relay.

Also looking forward to the relay tomorrow on the nice big screen.  Both central Leeds cinemas are showing it so I'm spoilt for choice.  

15 minutes ago, capybara said:

That’s interesting as William is one of the RB Principals who posts quite a lot of his modelling shots. (Not criticising that 😊 - their IGs are a matter for each individual dancer.)

 

I recall many years ago hearing a conversation among fans which implied that their perception of artists and their performances was quite significantly influenced by opinions about them as people off stage.

I think it certainly can be. People have a lot more visibility of dancers off stage thanks to social media and other things and it can affect how you see them.  

I do some of the ballet master classes that Danceworks offer on zoom.  Vadim teaches regularly and one of the reasons I think he's my favourite RB dancer (apart from his dance ability) is how nice and supportive he is as a teacher.  He's just so unassuming and sweet. 

He came into the studio this afternoon in a tracksuit, looking like a teenage student and not the least like someone who was centre stage at Covent Garden last night and was so positive with the class, even apologising for getting one of the sequences wrong because he said he was a bit tired today after performing.  I mean he's just so adorable I want to hug him and take him home. 

I've done Fumi's online masterclasses as well and she's also lovely and has a smile for everyone.  I don't always get along with her teaching but she's really sweet.  

21 minutes ago, Peanut68 said:

Hmm…. Actually I’ve heard that often it’s people who do things like Zumba who indeed struggle with the idea of corrections & being taught…. But to me, any class be if ballet or Zumba should offer an element of correction & teaching to ensure participants stay safe & avoid injury etc & to get better! Unless of course the class members are already perfect - ha ha! I think it can be a sign of a lazy/bored teacher or gym/school & ‘students’ whatever the age or ability deserve proper engagement & teaching!! 

Yes I think zumba should have some correction but where you get it it's a bit less detailed or exacting.  In zumba you're told to do the moves and the teacher demonstrates them but as long as you broadly get them right they don't go around and correct you on exactly where to put your arms or precise positioning.  If you turn the wrong way or aren't getting the footwork right they won't really stop or do anything about it.  It's pretty much follow along exercise.  I enjoy it but I don't do it for anything beyond the fun of moving to music and cutting loose.  

For the other dance forms I do (tango, bellydance etc) I get corrections. They can vary (I mean in tango they are a lot more physical as the teacher usually dances with you to correct you or comes along and pokes you if you're not standing right).  

7 minutes ago, Peanut68 said:

I find it really odd that anyone wouldn’t want corrections….??? It’s a ‘lesson’ afterall so whole point is to learn! Imagine saying to a driving instructor that you don’t want any corrections….🤔 🚗💥

 

Yeah I don't get it either.  But the teacher said apparently some people prefer just to do the class and enjoy it.  Personally I want to improve and try and get better and as long as the teacher isn't being horrible or telling me to do things that aren't physically possible I'd like to know what to work on.  That's what I'm paying for.  

I mean it's different when I do zumba because technique is less important than jumping around and working up a sweat.  But for ballet I would always want correction.  

I think it's difficult sometimes getting corrections.  I take classes at Northern Ballet now I'm in Yorkshire and the teacher is really great.  She said at the start of term for us to let her know if we wanted personal corrections or not as apparently some people in some classes find it offputting and don't want to be corrected.  I said I definitely do as my view is that I'm there to learn so she corrects me plenty of times. 

I agree it's important that they're not critical of peoples' bodies (I mean in my class we're mostly middle aged women and not teengers with perfect bodies) but focus on what we can improve (in my case remembering to close behind).  

32 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

I had a ticket for Alina Cojocaru's 25th April performance now featuring Miki Mizutani and Max Maslen. I still want to go as I've never seen BRB's Sleeping Beauty (though it's not my favourite ballet overall, I did mainly book to see Cojocaru as Aurora). Can anyone more familiar with BRB dancers give me some info about these two? In the last Sadler's Wells Don Quixote run, I was fortunate to see Momoko Hirata and Beatrice Parma and both are of course superb, but I'm not too familiar with the others. 

 

Also is this version of Sleeping Beauty basically the same as the RB's without the Prince's Act 2 solo?

That's the cast I saw in Birmingham and they were really good.  Miki is a lovely effervescent Aurora, incredibly light and delicate and with beautiful port de bras and a sort of gossamer fine technique that makes everything look so effortless.  I've seen her in a few things and always liked her.  Max is a newly promoted principal dancer and I can see why they promoted him.  He's great and has a lot of potential combined with nice feet (also he's from Yorkshire which is a big plus in my view).  He's a lovely light jumper with lots of energy and really comes across as a young prince looking for his dream.  I do think the prince needs more to do in the ballet overall but he does it really well.  So I think they're a good cast to see and work well together as a pairing.  

I think it's similar to the RB version but I like the costumes a lot better because they're so lovely.  The only thing I like better in RB is Carabosse who I think has better choreography.  

1 hour ago, JNC said:

I’ll add that while I’m disappointed not to see Alina I’m not cancelling my tickets. Sleeping Beauty is one of my favourite ballets and I’m intrigued to see another version other than the Royal’s. I’m very much looking forward to it still! 

I'm glad you're still going.  I saw it in Birmingham and thought it was a really lovely version and extremely well performed by everyone.  I'm sure you'll have a really good time and enjoy it whoever is performing.  

So sorry you had a bad experience Emmarose.  That sounds like really awful behaviour and quite threatening.  Some people have no manners at all.  

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

You've dug yourself into a bit of a hole here.  "The elderly rich" vs "saving up for".  How do you know whether or not the people sitting in the top price seats are rich or whether they have saved up all year.  If I wanted to see the current production of Swan Lake sitting in a top price seat for an evening performance, excluding food, it would cost me up to £400 for the experience 

I agree with this so much.  I think what makes it a good experience depends on how much you enjoyed the whole thing and doesn't always correlate with the prices. Earlier this year I paid £10 for a balcony seat for Giselle at the Coliseum on special offer, stayed in a budget hotel and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Part of the fun was the feeling of getting a really good bargain (£10 to see Frola was the deal of the century in my view).  I've paid a lot more and had less fun.  
 

I also agree with you it's impossible to know whether people are rich or whether they've saved up.  I took my parents to the opera this year and lashed out on a box because for once we really wanted to be indulgent and for dad to have room for his mobility aids in comfort.  We dressed up to the nines because it was a special occasion.  Yes it probably did look like the elderly rich in a box but the truth was I saved and economised a lot to get those tickets because I wanted to give them a really good experience and neither I nor my parents are well off. 

I like a bargain and usually I'm a "cheap seat, back of the gods" person but occasionally I want to splash out for something special.  Interestingly I go to the ROH in person much less now partly because I'm no longer living in London but also because the cinema relay is so good and gives you a great view and level of comfort without needing to go very far.  So I do that and go to other things.  

26 minutes ago, FionaM said:

I believe the description has moved on to ‘differently abled’

 

Joe is an amazing dancer who trained originally at White Lodge.  His delivery is very powerful and beautiful. 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5HSyfroQ2P/?igsh=OGFwYjBpZzlraHoz

Their website says disabled dancer so I had assumed that was his preference or had been run by him before publication.  I know different people prefer different descriptions.  Their wording is below.  

• The new ballet will see McNally work with two Northern Ballet dancers and Joe Powell-Main, a disabled dancer who uses wheels and crutches

Northern Ballet have now updated their website for the 3 Short Ballets mixed programme to say that the third ballet is a new piece (as yet unnamed) by Kristen McNally from RB.  She will be working with 2 NB dancers and a disabled dancer Joe Powell-Main.  

So I think that will be a really interesting programme, two new pieces by choreographers I really like (Mthuthuzeli November and Kristen McNally) and something older to some of my favourite music.  I am loving the variety of these NB mixed programmes. 

Not ballet but this made me laugh today. I was doing zumba because my usual classes are on holiday for Easter and I felt a need to let off steam.  The teacher felt we were insufficiently committed to the reggaetón section.  

"Come on you lot, put some more energy into it, you've all eaten today.  I'm giving it more welly than you and I've been fasting since before dawn." 

We accordingly upped the pace a bit.  

43 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I sometimes wonder if parents bother to read age warnings? There's a little girl across the aisle from me who looks about 5 & a boy a couple of rows behind who looks about 7. Goodness knows what they'll make of Different Drummer!

I think some people think ballet is automatically suitable for all ages.  I suppose at least it wasn't the Judas Tree they were watching.  On the plus side the 5 year probably won't understand it.  

Mind you I was about 8 when my grandparents took me to see John Webster's "The White Devil" and I thought it was great.  Granny had thought because it was the RSC it would be appropriate, it really wasn't but I loved it.  

3 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I'm contemplating trying to see Osipova in SL in June but the comments on her technique are a rather offputting. I've previously only seen her do Act IV, at the Ukraine Gala performance, where I found I liked her more in the role than I was expecting to, but then Act IV isn't as technical as Acts II & III. It doesn't help that SL is so expensive so do I want to fork out if she's currently not at her best technically? But then if her technique is deteriorating due to age then maybe I should see her this season because it might be worse come the next SL run....?

I think it depends if you want to see her or not.  

I wouldn't book for her myself specifically but that's because I've never connected with her performances on an emotional level.  Nela or Fumi work better for me but that's just because we all connect to different things in a performance.  She is incredibly talented I recognise and better at some roles than others.  

That said I would agree the gala probably wasn't her at her technical best as it was a little untidy in some areas and it may well have been because she was under prepared and with a new partner.  If she's dancing Odette which she knows really well and as it is with Reece who she knows and trusts then it's likely to be a better performance overall.  

So I think if you really want to see her in this role then it's probably worth doing so now, as you don't know whether RB will do the ballet again in the next year or so.  

I've been in two minds whether I wanted to see this or not as Different Drummer sounds very depressing and I'm not massively keen on the source material.  Given the good reviews of Requiem I have booked a ticket for the cinema relay.  I can't manage a trip to London but will enjoy it from the comfort of a probably fairly empty cinema.  

5 hours ago, Fonty said:

I do tend to put on something I don't wear on a day to day basis, because I take the view that if I don't wear these clothes for such an occasion when else will I wear them? But I wouldn't call myself dressed up, exactly.   Having said that, I think it is lovely to see women wearing what my mother would have called a posh frock.  But they are in the minority.  

This is my view.  I like a chance to dress up in something pretty if I can and enjoy a chance to wear nice clothes and makeup.