Meetmeatthebarre

Brilliant news! Thank you for sharing!

3 minutes ago, bridiem said:

What seems ridiculous is that the test in question was done on Christmas Day but apparently the result only came a few days ago. Surely the results of tests should be available more quickly, and especially with top sportspeople and above all BEFORE big competitions not in the middle of them.

I could get into that but it's all about jurisdiction and a mess, frankly.

2 hours ago, alison said:

 

But then of course that will extend far beyond just figure skating - what about Sky Brown and her fellow competitors in skateboarding, for example?  The same would have to apply to them.  Hmm ...

 

What does this imply, if anything, for the rest of the Russian Olympic Committee team?  I thought the whole point was that their athletes were all untainted from any Russian doping programme?  If one turns out not to be, are they all tainted?

Not necessarily. Each sport governs themselves outside of the IOC. And I would argue that the following combine in women's skating in particular:

a) the anatomical incentive to field pre-pubescent athletes due to the physics isn't quite the same in other sports (except perhaps gymnastics), 

b) the strain is different - more risk of acute injuries from accidents in snow sports than wear and tear as seen in skating, and

c) skating a programme is intense cardio/stamina as well as skill for those jumps.

Skateboarding is a bit too new to judge, but if we take snowboarding, and women in particular (because of puberty and the strength to weight ratio), it is entirely common for competitors in their mid to late 20s to medal at the Olympics. Gravity works with you in obtaining the speeds needed to clear the air time in the snow sports aerials before it works against you in landing the elements; gravity only works against you in skating. For snowboarding, being repeat Olympians is common; in figure skating it's a bit hard to compare as the quad revolution has been so recent (and even before then, retiring in the teens and early twenties was common), but podiums where the Russians (with the quads) are eligible to compete by geography skew overwhelmingly young. One finds older female elite skaters in e.g. pairs and ice dance, but it's a different story (very few quads, and limited benefit to being tiny in the pairs exclusive elements except perhaps the twists - I speak as someone who has skated, albeit at a low level, and managed to have pairs spins and death spirals capable of scoring well above the jumps that my partner and I used to do). 

I'm not saying that all sports should be limited to the age in which one is considered responsible for one's own actions. But if there are also other reasons to skew young for the particular sport: the incentive to delay puberty, long term physical toll on athletes doing too much too young, AND the need for intense bursts of energy, then the incentive to dope grows for either the athlete (or their team, if a minor). 

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

It really is very sad. 
Now knowing who her coach is this lady’s name comes up not infrequently in the skating world as she seems to choose very young girls to peak at the age of 15 and career over by 17 as mentioned in the above article. 
It’s the quads which score the points and why such young girls are required. 
We don’t then hear about all the injuries. Perhaps the skating world needs to look at this. There is something hugely wrong with it all. 

 

I was pointed to a Russian article which claims that the Council of the ISU has put forth a proposal to raise the age limit over the next 2 years, which will be considered by the Congress this summer. I don't speak Russian, but have posted the Google Translate below. 

I think this unfortunate situation has highlighted another reason to do so, beyond the protection of physical and mental health. If athletes aren't old enough to be held responsible for their actions, should they be old enough to compete on the biggest stage? (Yes, there are Worlds, junior competitions etc. but none seen as prestigious as the Olympics.) If ROC can keep their Team Gold and Valieva is allowed to compete in the Women's Singles on the basis that she is a minor, there's even more incentive to field younger skaters. I think it unlikely that a 15 year old could and would think to obtain performance-enhancing medication of her own accord, especially with how closely the Eteri squad are monitored; I feel bad for her either way. Even if she is allowed to skate, any victory will be clouded. At least most of the commentary I've read appears to be sympathetic towards her herself. 

https://matchtv-ru.translate.goog/figure-skating/matchtvnews_NI1484050_Sovet_ISU_vystupil_za_poetapnoje_podnatije_vozrastnogo_cenza_v_figurnom_katanii__istochnik?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Only the following remain at £10 each + pp (which should be £4.85 first class signed for). 

- Capezio "Battleboot" high top dance sneakers in pink and black size 8M BNIB. (Roughly a UK size 6, maybe 7?)

- Grishko Nova pointe shoes in a 5XXXX M shank. Elastorib on but I've removed the normal elastics to reuse, box perfect, I've broken in the shank at the 3/4 but rest of the shank is almost as new (probably had 2 hours light wear at the barre)
- Grishko 2007 proflex in 4XX M shank BNIB (sent the wrong size and missed the return window)
- Merlet Cloe in an 18B. Elastorib and elastics on. Used for maybe 5 hours but as are polymer have tonnes more wear.

2 hours ago, Lottylou said:

Hi,  is the practice tutu still available please?  

Yes it is  I will send you some pictures in the morning but it's basically this model; only tried on to my thighs once before it clearly wouldn't fit despite the size chart. I've just noticed that it still has the tag as well so BNWT as a nice surprise! It's just been sitting in storage since: https://www.capezioeurope.com/practice-tutu 

(Though mine is definitely 8 layers - maybe they changed suppliers?!)

34 minutes ago, kirstyflo said:

Are the capri pants still available please?

Yes they are!

I don't have a photo ready, but they're the 4039 on page 3 of the link here, showing front V and back: 

Now I have a bit more experience at the post office, postage should be between 96p and £2.69 depending on speed/tracking/proof of delivery as they should fit into the "large letter" band  Please PM me with address details and I can post out early next week. 

I actually enjoyed Whitehead's Tybalt - the one-dimensional portrayal as just a hot-head and in contrast to the three Montague lads emphasised how ongoing and pointless this feud was; hate borne out of nothing but being told to hate. 

1 hour ago, Angela Essex said:

@MeetmeatthebarreHello if for any reason the one size skirts don’t end up going I’d love them please xx

Very sorry but they all just got posted out this afternoon!

1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

It's quite the performance for front-of-curtain speeches: just after the orchestra started playing Act 2 one of the stage management team appeared & said they'd have to re-start due to a technical problem. I can only guess the problem may have been the curtains not opening, as we didn't see the stage.

This happened, from memory, during a Coliseum Osipova/Vassiliev R&J many years ago. One hour later, with technical issues sorted, they appeared onstage supine as if post-coital as the curtain finally lifted, waving at the audience to shoo and give them some privacy. One of the best improvisations I've seen, and led to a roaring cheer from the audience!

1 hour ago, art_enthusiast said:

Indeed, I second this. I'm in my early twenties and would not dream of filming/using my phone, whispering, eating/drinking or coughing during a performance (I held in a slight cough towards the end of Yasmine and Matthew's balcony pas de deux because there's no way I would interrupt the beautiful music - better to choke during the interval.)

The unpleasant people I had the misfortune to sit next to during the Osipova/Clarke performance on Saturday night definitely had a few decades on myself and my sister, and yet they couldn't seem to understand a polite "please don't lean forward". Clearly age does not bring the gift of manners to some people!

I didn't read TSR101's post like this at all - more that newcomers to the ROH might not be aware of all the rules, especially as they vary between cultures and even between theatres - so that politely explaining that what they are doing is distracting might have more impact, and not seem unwelcoming. A tut assumes that the person knows what they are doing is wrong, that isn't always the case, and can be mistaken for hostility for other reasons. 

My mother had never been to a formal-ish dinner until her early 50s until I took my family out after I started working; she had no idea she had to wait to be seated rather than find a table herself and I hadn't anticipated the need to explain. She was upset when one diner tutted at her, wondering whether she was under-dressed, or (in a very ethnically homogenous part of the country) it was her being foreign; never would it have occurred to her that it was having to wait to be assigned a table! When I took them to the ROH for the first time with their only other experiences of the performing arts a few panto outings in a regional theatre, my father had a cough which came from nowhere and I cringed at the sound of a box of tic-tacs rattling. Coming from a place where snacks are permitted and perhaps even sold to be consumed in the auditorium, it never occurred to him just how distracting it might be - and he said later he thought it was the least bad option of coughing continuously or leaving the auditorium. (I made sure he was sat at the end of our block and had some cough drops from the front desk readily-unwrapped before the next act.)

FWIW, I think leaning forward is a difficult one, especially at the edges of the amphi where one seat away or the respective height of the patrons might make the difference between being able to do so freely and catch the best performance for yourself without hindering others, or really getting in the way. Plus when watching in the heat of the moment, I think it's easy to forget when attempting to catch the action. In those seats, if there is even a shadow of a doubt that I might get in the way, I usually turn to the people behind me before the performance. I'll offer to swap places if there's someone clearly shorter, and say to tap me on the shoulder if I ever block their view. Knowing that we're all in it together in trying to pinch a better seat for cheaper has definitely broken the ice, and led to some really interesting conversations!

6 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

The policy is the same I believe, but I'm not sure there are enough ushers to police it and the people in question might not realise drinks aren't allowed.

Agreed, if someone is new to the ROH it might not be immediately obvious - especially as e.g. the Coliseum and Sadlers permit both drinks and snacks. The short intervals during R&J probably don't help either - if you haven't pre-ordered, you probably won't be served much earlier than the bell to mark the next acts!

I once saw a person with fried chicken in the lower slips and the smell permeated exactly as you'd expect. But they were so young and talking so excitedly about how happy they were to be at the ROH for the first time that I just didn't have the heart to speak to them... 

Re: Friday, overall I really like the O'Sullivan/Sambe interpretation - I always felt that the tragedy being two young people who kill themselves for, effectively, lust and misunderstanding rather than full-blown love carries more emotion, and their youthfulness and innocence was on full display. I don't think I've seen quite a naturally playful, innocent Juliet as Anna-Rose - Osipova, who presents as very young, still feels more balletic than O'Sullivan in Act I. Whilst I still prefer the version of the Balcony PDD where Juliet runs off-stage and we are left with a Romeo who is so overcome that the sound of his sign resonates through the auditorium, I appreciated the version with both reaching to each other, foreshadowing the same in the crypt. 

But where it didn't quite work for me was another attempt at foreshadowing, being Juliet's PDD with Paris. I appreciate the attempts at contrast in the repetition, but I felt that the first time Juliet was not reluctant enough - or confused enough - or any other form of reticence. Act 3 also felt much more rushed than I remembered, with both leads seeming to jump to conclusions - Juliet, in particular, having taken the sleeping potion, seemed too quick to assume that Romeo had conclusively poisoned himself. Still, a wonderful performance from both. 

Minor-character stand-outs for me were Romany Pajdak's nurse, whose connection with Juliet felt so intensely maternal (especially during the wedding) that it felt like a whole new story could be constructed around the storge form of love she had for her ward, and Joonhyuk Jun as the lead Mandolin dancer - goofy in performance, laddish when off-duty, and something I have never seen before and defies physics - a sense of rotational ballon during some of his tours?! 

Only the Capezio capri pants remaining of the free items. 

£10 items all still available

5 minutes ago, Angela Essex said:

Thanks heaps for all the valuable info. I’m not expecting my feet to be normal sadly. They’re wide with high instep and high arches and I’ve been told I’ve got hypermobility too so idk if that will affect things. Standing up each of my toes is shorter than the last with the big toe longest so I’ll basically be standing on my big toe en pointe. Pointed my feet slightly taper. I think I’ll have to make a day of it in London as well as seeing the lady based in Essex. 

This is definitely on the more normal end of ballet feet! Good luck!

Hi forum, 

Having just moved house, I've uncovered a bunch of dancewear that I don't have time to properly sell, and would love to go to a good home! Most of these I'm happy to give away (just pay postage please), a few others for the bargain price of £10 (+PP). Photos available - please PM

For free:

- Capezio black capri dance pants size M with slight V-shaped, shimmery waistband BNIB. 
- Bloch diamond knit pink warm-up shorts size child large BNWT. 
- Unknown, one size fits all maroon chiffon wraparound skirt, vgc.
- Unknown, one size fits all black chiffon wraparound skirt w/ grossgrain ribbon tie, barely worn
- Capezio small magenta/maroon pull-on skirt. Unusual -I've cut this from a hankerchief style to more SAB, except one side is mesh instead
- Capezio small pale mint pull-in skirt like the above
- Plume small black cotton short sleeve round neck leo
- Mirella medium hot pink meryl leo, kind of a halterneck/open back cut with pretty guipure lace around the neck
- Ballet Rosa small black matt lycra long-sleeved leo, worn once

& for £10 each + pp, 

- Capezio "Battleboot" high top dance sneakers in pink and black size 8M BNIB. (Roughly a UK size 6, maybe 7?)

- Capezio black practice tutu in size XS, 8 layers of stiff netting on pants BNWOT.  (Runs really small - too small for me - would guess a petite size 4 or teen)
- Grishko Nova pointe shoes in a 5XXXX M shank. Elastorib on but I've removed the normal elastics to reuse, box perfect, I've broken in the shank at the 3/4 but rest of the shank is almost as new (probably had 2 hours light wear at the barre)
- Grishko 2007 proflex in 4XX M shank BNIB (sent the wrong size and missed the return window)
- Merlet Cloe in an 18B. Elastorib and elastics on. Used for maybe 5 hours but as are polymer have tonnes more wear. 

Just to follow up on this, as info on the Dream Pointe seems quite scarce across the internet. 

I managed to make my current pair last in the wings by aggressively gluing the wings after every hour or so of pointe class, and this, together with adjusting the amount of lambswool, made them last another 10 hours. I actually started wondering if I was just being paranoid about them dying due to my previous experiences, until one shank snapped clean in (the usual) demi-pointe in the last combo of class - that was a fun pirouette. And pity, as they were so beautifully moulded and comfy at that point!

It turns out when deconstructing that the DP shank is plastic layered with canvas, building up from 1 layer in the heel, 2 in the mid-foot, and 3 at the demi-pointe, where it is over 5mm thick. Pulling apart both shoes, I found that the shank on the other shoe had actually split mid-way as well,  but the pressure from the top layer of plastic closest to the foot and the pin at the heel, kept the shoe together. 

In other words - it seems like the DP feeling softer in the shank with wear is actually due to the lower layers snapping, yet the shoe is constructed so it can still function for a very long time after that happens. The MF shank feels, out of the bag, similar to a brand new M Grishko shank. Being the nerd that I am, and preferring the 10 hours in feel, I am going to try a SF shank next time from a materials science perspective and see if the box dies before the shank this time. Still, I've had 8-10x longer wear from the DPs than the 2007s/Novas I used to kill in 4-5 hours, so I am super-grateful!

I'll PM you some photos in the next day or two. I've just moved house so leotards are scattered everywhere

Just be aware that there is currently a huge supply chain issue when it comes to pointe shoes, and many brands are suffering. I've had shoes on back-order for close to three months now, and I'm aware of professional dancers in the US who have been waiting even longer... speaking to stores and suppliers, apparently they expect this to clear in the next couple of months, so I would suggest, unless desperate, that if you don't find the right fit for you, you wait. 

In Covent Garden, you have Bloch, Capezio, Freed and Dancia within a few minutes' walk from each other. The first three carry only their own lines, whilst Dancia carry Grishkos, Merlets, Gaynors and some models of Bloch. If you have "normal" feet, I'm sure you'll find something between them. If not, read on.

I am not the biggest fan of Dancia's fitting. I have quite unusual feet (extremely narrow, slender, compressible, tapered and strong), and it took three tries/purchases in Dancia before finding a size and model that worked for me (Grishkos) which they didn't stock, though is usual enough that most other online suppliers do. And that shoe was a full length longer and full two widths narrower than what I had originally been suggested by them. Other people I know with more typical feet have had good experiences there though, and it's worth a try because you aren't obliged to buy. 

Diva at Capezio is my favourite fitter by far, even if their shoes didn't work for me. Incredibly thorough, an eagle-eye for detail, and honest with her advice ("I'm sorry Mr. Capezio, but I think you're better staying with your current shoes" 🤣). She's also just a wonderful person to chat with when it's quiet in store - real fairy godmother vibes!

Bloch's fitting was thorough and their shoes are so pretty, but their narrowest size was too wide for me, so I can't comment further. 

I have no experience with Freed as I kill shanks, and they are known to be less hard than other brands. 

Porselli (www.dancewear.co.uk) don't advertise this, but offer a fitting service in their owner's house in North London. You need to call ahead for a phone consultation so she can select some pairs to bring with her from the Norfolk warehouse. 

Not so relevant for a first fitting unless you can get there, but once you have tried a few pairs and refining what you need in a shoe, I've been really impressed by the advice I've received from Amanda at Pointe Pura near Worthing, West Sussex, and @Sheila Beelam at Just Ballet. They are highly, highly knowledgeable about different feet and stock a vaster range of brands and models than the Covent Garden stores. 

On 28/01/2022 at 18:32, margarite said:

Bloch Arpeggio or similar (I think Capezio do a similar one too):

Camisole straps

Pinch front

Princess seams

 

To fit small size 6. Thanks

I have one which I'm happy to send for free if you're happy to just pay the postage? It's from Dans-Ez which is cut identically - I just can't remember if it has princess seams or not so will check when I can. It has been lightly used, maybe washed maybe 4-5 times, but obviously as a cotton/lycra mix won't look brand new as a result. 

Defining moment #1: I am not sure what sparked my original love, but I recall asking my parents to start ballet classes, which I did for a few years as a child. We were a fairly poor but well-educated first generation Asian immigrant family, living in a provincial town, with no love for the arts and a limited budget - I remember being sent to dance classes with a "Minnie Mouse" puffy dress for a year, because my parents both could not see the difference between those and a leotard, and could consider spending the money on one. I distinctly recall my parents asking me to switch to music at one of my birthday parties, being presented with a keyboard, and being told that there were more people who looked like us in music than dance.

Defining moment #2: Around then, in high school, I discovered a book about life at White Lodge in the library. I must have read it a hundred times through. Partly the forbidden art and partly, having grown up so differently from my parents, I fantasised about going to boarding school, and delving into dance. I wasn't to dance again for another decade (though my piano progressed, and at one point, auditioning for the conservatoires including Julliard was on the cards; I also did end up boarding for sixth form after winning a scholarship to a fantastic school). I focused on academics and early career. 

Defining moment #3: At the age of 21, with my own job and salary in London, I had still never seen any live performance of classical music or ballet. I threw myself into it, buying up the cheap tickets at the ROH. My first ever ballet was Serenade in 2008, and I believe that Alexandra Ansanelli was the first "live" dancer I saw; I was to become a huge fan of hers at stage door, and I organised her leaving flower throw.  (It was... not good. I have no aim. The carnations stuck to each other. Many clumps. Orchestra pit decimated.) Swan Lake with Tamara and Carlos the next year left me in tears at the beauty of the choreo, and I met fellow balletomanes whom I still consider close friends to this day, sobbing at stage door.

Defining moment #4: Laura Morera's Tatiana in Onegin in 2013 taught me subtlety and carriage, started me seeing multiple casts for the same production, and inspired me to go back to a once-weekly ballet class! Unfortunately I was moved with work abroad just after for five years, where classes were extremely hard to find.

Defining moment #5: Back in London in 2019, I hoovered up ballet classes, started back on vocational syllabus within months, before the pandemic. I now dance close to 10 hours per week in class and have surpassed my childhood self by miles, taking Advanced 1 and rep classes; and having the vocabulary (and sometimes, technique) to appreciate/dance the roles I see has enhanced my appreciation further. I recognise the artistry more; I apply it to my own dancing. And whilst it is a double-edged sword - I don't enjoy every interpretation as much as I might have with fresh eyes - the performances where everything is perfect lift me to highs I could never have appreciated before. And I'm glad for it!

39 minutes ago, thewinelake said:

Same in Latin

Or Japanese, Chinese, Turkish, Swahili, Pashto... by many measures of counting, languages with articles are in the minority

3 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Meetmeatthebaree, don’t you mean Lyre (which she carries and “plays” in the traditional productions) which is performed in the orchestra pit on the harp, the modern equivalent of the lyre. (Autocorrect/predictive text playing up?) 😉 

The RAD attributes it to the "Lute" variation and a few major opera houses still portray it as a lute (from a quick google - it's not as if anything but Act 3 is regularly on the roster!) but I have also heard it as the lyre variation for the reasons you state above!

2 hours ago, Blossom said:

 I think there's also a piece from Raymonda used in the current Intermediate syllabus also for the classical dance. I don't dance anymore but it does produce quite an emotional response for me as a result.

It's the music to the Lute/pas de châle variation

8 hours ago, JohnS said:

A fabulous performance to bring the interrupted Nutcracker run to an end with extra glitter (and snow flakes?). Jonathan Lo also joined in the glitter curtain call extravaganzas and quite right too! Excellent to see Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer when he has done so much to make Nutcracker work whatever the trials and tribulations. I very much enjoyed Sae Maeda’s Clara. Her dancing was lovely although I think Sophie Allnatt at the matinee made the most of showing that she still had her pendant presented to her by her Sugar Plum Fairy. And what a gem of a performance from Laura Morera partnered by her Prince, William Bracewell. Morera exudes that assurance, confidence, good nature and sparkle that Sugar Plum Fairies must have. She sails through all the technical challenges which, when she dances, seem so natural. She has so much time, nothing is rushed. And she engages all cast members with such benevolence - her Prince (how she smiles at him as well as the audience), but also Clara and Hans Peter (not just when told of their heroics and presenting Clara’s pendant but when taking leave of the stage after her solo and acknowledging Hans Peter), and the Flowers/Escorts. A sublime performance and so fitting that Laura Morera brings the curtain down on this year’s Nutcracker.

 

Put beautifully. I was very close to the stage, and what struck me was how relaxed Morera looked - I can't remember the last time I saw a dancer hold so little tension in a performance; truly luxuriant. My friend remarked that she was the "warmest" Sugarplum fairy that she had seen - definitely a benevolent rule of the Kingdom of Sweets! I was in tears during the PDD, hoping that this wasn't her swansong in a tutu role. I admired Bracewell's restraint in his batterie, fitting for the role, precise, and highly regal. 

I did not initially warm to Maeda's Clara, being a bit too "proper" in her carriage to be believable in the role in the first half of Act 1, but danced freely with abandon later on. Yudes' Nutcracker was charmingly sweet, and I thought his balletic mime was delivered with an exceptional balance of humour and narrative. (Side note, we saw both of them in the piazza after the performance, seeming on Cloud 9 whilst cradling their bouquets!)

Dias' Rose Fairy was effervescent; I was captivated by her expressive wrists and hands in particular. Whilst she recovered like a trooper after a unfortunate mishap, my heart broke to see her smile transform form genuine joy to forced - we've all encountered an unexpectedly slippery part of the floor, and I am glad the audience rallied around her. 

And nothing but praise for Gary, a character artist king, and having taken class from him before, I'm convinced he is one of the most genuinely nice dancers in the world. Loved Lo's glitter throw as well, reminding us of the incredible magic the orchestra contribute. 

I stayed until the last curtain call, cheering furiously, and delighted to see a standing ovation from a majority of the stalls. 

P.S. I write the above as a previous Nutcracker sceptic!