Tango Dancer

I think you're right I started other forms of dance first and came to ballet later. So I did street dance, decided I liked dancing. Then I did tango and decided I liked dancing with people. Then I tried ballet to improve my tango but didn't enjoy it. Then I tried Bellydance and discovered I also liked wearing a hipscarf and shimmying. I tried ballet again and it didn't work for me. It was only when I was in my 40s and found a good teacher that ballet clicked for me. I think it's definitely the hardest thing I do physically. I'd say tango is harder emotionally because you have to have a relationship with your partners and respond to them. So I always check before tango that I'm a good headspace and check before ballet that all body parts are working.

I'd agree. It's not the foundation of all dance but it's certainly influenced a lot of other forms of dance and there's a lot of read across between ballet and a lot of other dance styles and it's been adopted fairly widely. So I do bellydance and there are a number of steps that have come from ballet that are used in bellydance by a lot of teachers now because they're elegant and look good. So for example arabesque in second position is used by one teacher, another one has us use a rond de jambe fairly often to practice balance and extension and because it looks good in a slowish dance. I'd also say that it's very helpful for other dance styles. I dance social tango and I've found my balance has improved significantly since I started ballet. I seem to pull up and in more and have a lot more core strength and ability to stay on my axis. One of my tango teachers was a former ballet dancer who teaches "ballet for tango dancers." I think definitely doing ballet helps with other dance forms. I'd also say that dance doesn't exist in a vacuum, it's subject to change, adaptation and evolution. The type of tango I dance has changed significantly from the one danced in 19th century Argentina, hand positions are different and the leg movements have changed because we're not now dancing in longer skirts. Bellydance has changed and evolved over the years with new schools emerging (such as American Tribal style) and wide differences between even neighbouring countries and cross fertilisation, e.g. between bellydance, flamenco and burlesque where there's a lot of overlap. As one teacher said to me the other week, there are only so many ways of moving your body.

Me too. I am really keeping fingers crossed for something in the North of England.

Well I had a great time last night at the Thursday evening performance. As usual I booked the ticket before the cast was known as it was the only night I could get to London. I enjoyed the show very much. I have always liked Gabriele Frola as he's such a beautiful dancer so I was delighted he was performing (no offence to Ken Saruhashi who is also a good dancer). I thought he was lovely. I didn't get the feeling he was madly in love with Giselle. I had more the feeling that he was playing at love and flirtation and realised the effects of what he had done when she died. I loved seeing his growing despair and terror and the way he realised that only Giselle could save him. His dancing was amazing, I wish he'd danced for longer during Act 2 as he was captivating. I liked Shiori Kase, she's not a dancer I'd seen before but she made a lovely fragile and intense Giselle who had given her heart. You could see why her mother was so worried about her health and what might happen. Her performance in Act 2 was absolutely exquisite too and technically really impressive. I liked the Wilis very much and the corps did a great job. Angela Wood was a very good dancer but I didn't think she was quite as scary as I like Myrtha to be, she seemed a bit too nice. The other standout to me was the peasant couple. Miguel Angel Maidana is a seriously good dancer with really great jumps and personality. I'd love to see him as Espada sometime. He is definitely going places I think. Ivana Bueno was also a lovely stylish dancer who really held the audience attention. They had really good chemistry together and sizzled. I would however agree about the darkness. I was in the balcony and it was impossible to see what was happening to the gamekeepers and Hilarion. I know lighting should be atmospheric but you need to be able to see what's going on. All in all a really good evening. I was also impressed with how good the view was. I got a £10 ticket for the balcony with TodayTix and was pleased that I could see almost all of the stage. I'd have liked more comfortable seats and legroom but it was extremely good value for money.

Me neither. I am hoping they come to Bradford as it's nearer for me than Salford.

The London City Ballet programme looks really exciting. I hope they bring it on tour near me because I can't do those dates in London. Also the National Ballet of Canada looks great, I'm not a massive fan of Crystal Pite but the programme looks so interesting I'm definitely making a note of the dates.

I didn't see her in 2001 but I thought she was amazing with the United Ukrainian Ballet. For some reason that performance really touched me and she seemed to be so emotionally engaged and captivated by what she was doing.

Definitely. I wasn't massively keen on Cinderella (I mean it was ok but the stepsisters were on way too much and the prince didn't get enough time dancing for my personal taste). If I had a choice I'd pick Fille every time because it has more of the individual dances I like, Colas gets a lot more to do and I also really want to see Benn Gartside do Widow Simone.

Yeah I've always felt Hilarion got a raw deal. I mean Hilarion genuinely cared for Giselle and was trying to do the right thing. But then I always struggle to find Albrecht very sympathetic. Usually he comes across as a typical upper class twit with no understanding of the impact of his actions. It takes a really good actor to make him sympathetic to me.

I usually book the date that works for me logistically and take pot luck on the cast. Especially now the lovely Brandon has deserted BRB for Zurich (and he was always the one I had a particular soft spot for). I was hoping for Tzu-Chao (as I love his jumping style) but apparently the day I've booked for has Miki and Cesar which I'm really happy about. I've liked her every time I've seen her and I've never seen Cesar performing but he looks like a lovely dancer.

Absolutely, we don't all like the same dancers and some dancers suit some works better than others, and every dancer can have an off day. It's fine not to like someone even if they're well loved on the forum.

Me too. Every time I watch something on Youtube I get Shen Yun despite saying I don't want to see their adverts.

I had an email from them about their 2024 works. I'm really glad they've got Mthuthuzeli November to do something else, I loved Nina. The first preview performance is apparently at Hackney Empire. I've pasted the text below. On Friday 22nd of March we will present a preview performance of our new 2024 double bill 'Ballet Black: HEROES'. It will be your first chance to see our new works as well as our fabulous new company dancers. What's on the bill? Award-winning choreographer, Mthuthuzeli November (Nina: By Whatever Means) contemplates the purpose of life in The Waiting Game, an exciting and energetic work originally created in 2020, infused with a dynamic soundtrack featuring the voices of the Ballet Black artists. Sophie Laplane, the Franco-British artist and Choreographer in Residence at Scottish Ballet creates a brand new piece for us, after her dazzling 2019 BB ballet, CLICK! Sophie's new work explores the complexity of humanity, heroism and self-acceptance in this celebratory and original piece. It looks like they're doing a tour but haven't put all the venues up yet. So far it's Oxford, Barbican, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

I agree I like Valentino's works. I also really enjoyed the piece Ben Ella choreographed for Northern Ballet. For some reason it really worked for me. The other one I'd love them to use is Tiler Peck because her choreography is really great and interesting and I think she could do great things. I'd love RB to use her if they want modern choreographers.

I think this is the key. If they don't go often or have much choice people tend to want the classics. (That said Akram Khan's modern Giselle at Manchester was pretty full when I went and so was Ballet Black at Salford). I think the problem can be that ACE sometimes wants companies to do modern "improving" pieces (which are often quite depressing) and that's not what people want to see. People like watching pretty dancers in tutus performing because it's escapist and fun and uplifting. If someone wants to see that they're not going to spend money on modern stuff involving grey underwear and dustbin lids. Especially given that most people don't have large amounts of discretionary budget. I try and see 1-2 modern pieces per year but it can be hard finding ones that aren't terminally miserable and woefully unimaginative. Thank goodness for Tiler Peck.

I am hoping that London City Ballet and similar companies will bring some ballet to some of the less widely toured theatres. BRB does tour more widely and I'm currently debating whether to see their Sleeping Beauty in Manchester or Birmingham. Northern Ballet does a really good job touring some of their works and some of their smaller pieces, e.g. Generations sold really well. So there's definitely an appetite for ballet outside London.

I'd always assumed she was the Queen and they were her eunuchs serving her because she's very much the one in charge of the dance. That said I quite like it as a pas de deux too. As a bad amateur bellydancer I'd say none of it is very authentically "Arabian" despite the usual costuming. No Egyptian / Turkish / Levantine / Emirati dancer dances anything like this and they don't use this music. So it's very much fantasy whichever version you do. I think my favourite version is probably the Bolshoi one which does a pas de deux that really draws on classical Indian hand movements and positioning.

I come and go on Matthew Bourne. Some of his work I really think is impressive and some of it not so much. I'm in two minds about whether to go to see this when it tours my way so would also like to hear views.

Like Jan McNulty I'm really looking forward to NB's Romeo and Juliet. Having moved from London to Yorkshire I'm really enjoying seeing their works more often. I'm also looking forward to seeing the Sao Paolo Dance company on tour because it looks really interesting. I've actually also booked for the Ballet Icons gala at the Coliseum. Not sure who from their list will be performing but it looked like fun. One of my friends also wants to go to London to see ENB at the Royal Albert Hall in Swan Lake. I always like seeing ballet in the round, it's such an interesting perspective so I think I will enjoy that. I may do the Georgian swan lake if I can find a reason to be in London at the time. Other than that I'll see what's on that I like the look of and book when I see what's coming. I like to keep some money back to be spontaneous. I'm hoping the London City Ballet will tour somewhere near me as I'm looking forward to seeing what they do and I'll probably see the BRB Sleeping Beauty.

I agree so much of modern dance is preachy and depressing. I'm not sure why there's so little joy in any of it. I am always pleasantly surprised when anything contemporary is at all upbeat. It's why the latest Ballet Black programme was such a pleasant surprise to me.

Swan Lake has several different endings which is one of the things I like about it. There used to be a Youtube video with all the different versions in which ranged from happy, sad to one where Rothbart compels Siegfried to marry Odile and keep his word (Danish ballet I think) which I thought was fascinating.

I had completely not clocked that it was a long weekend. That makes a lot more sense. Thanks for flagging. Still not sure about wanting to see just Tchaikovsky. The last gala in 2023 was a lot better curated with clearer themes and a slightly more varied programme with a mix of old favourites and some newer works like Interlinked pas de deux and a more modern take on Carmen. But I'll see what else I've got on.

I saw this on BRB's website. I think it's instead of their gala but it appears to limited to Tchaikovsky which I think is a bit limiting in terms of the repertoire. Not sure if I can make it myself but wanted to share in case others were interested. It's on Thursday 28 March which is annoying because I prefer weekend events as they're easier logistically. Tchaikovsky Classics with Birmingham Royal Ballet | Birmingham Royal Ballet (brb.org.uk)

I agree. I mean he's not the Matthew Ball type of supermodel gorgeous, but he's a very nice looking man with the sort of bone structure that ages well and will mean he looks good in 20 years time. Ryo has lovely eyes and a captivating smile and I actually like the little moustache and beard he's wearing now as it makes him look a bit more cheeky and a bit more of a rogue. Certainly I'd not turn him down given a chance!

My cinema relay wasn't brilliantly attended but more than Don Q. I think we managed a dozen people which is twice what we had for the last one. Still never mind I enjoyed myself. I like that production. It was lovely seeing Gary Avis in the introductory comments. He looked so handsome in his suit. I am always captivated by what he says as well as his fine eyes. I loved the party scene. Christopher Saunders and Kristen McNally looked excellent as the parents. That fashion really suits her face and colouring and he's such a silver fox in those trousers! The dancing was good too. Daichi Ikerashi stood out for me as Drosselmeyer's assistant and I liked Liam Boswell as Clara's partner. As always David Donnelly is a tour de force as the Mouse King. I loved how he used his tail and managed everything so smoothly that it looked easy despite the mouse head. He's really gifted in character parts. Sophie Allnatt was a charming Clara, lovely feet and arms and looked really captivated by everything she saw. Leo Dixon was also lovely as her partner and had some lovely technique in his parts of the Trepak and the other dances. Thomas Whitehead was good as Drosselmeyer but I have a weakness for Benn Gartside and Gary Avis and none of the others quite do it for me as much. I really liked Tasuki Nakao and Joshua Junker in the Russian dance. They were so well co-ordinated and had such lovely jumping technique. Isabella Gasparini felt a bit unsure in the Rose Fairy role, I thought she almost stumbled a couple of times which is a shame. I thought Anna Rose and Marci were a good pair in the Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince roles. They had very good chemistry and obviously like dancing together. Overall I thought it was a great performance and thoroughly enjoyed myself.