DVDfan

It does seem to me that if an AD comes into a company from a different ballet culture, they need to tread carefully and be respectful of local customs. If there is a good reason to change something, like no money in the kitty to pay for a gala, well, they may have to. But not otherwise, and I think it would be a good idea to be up-front about it.

Poor lamb! I guess this is her first experience of something which we women have to live with - that our bodies do what they like without asking! I suspect all you can do is help her conceal what she does not wish to reveal - after all, a sense of modesty will do her no harm - and wait for the passing of time to bring acceptance.

I don't know about Bayadere productions elsewhere, but my own feeling is the RB one could do with a rework and a redesign anyway - so let's move it to medieval Europe, thus keeping the plot and the magical shades scene, but removing the upset. Though, again with reference to the RB production, several of the main characters are costumed as Moghul ruling class - and therefore Muslim not Hindu. The main characters who are presumably Hindu - Nikiya and the High Brahmin - are just human. He's in the thrall of an unrequitable love, while she is betrayed by her fiance/husband. But if it upsets people, there's no need to do it in that setting. The purpose of art is to reflect life, sometimes to muse upon it or point up a moral, and to entertain. As Bayadere is entertainment, any offence is pointless.

I'm sorry to hear that you may be facing a change in your life brought on by another health crisis. I know what it is to loose the centre of your life (in my case an academic discipline - no work available) and it is not an easy ride. However you have resources (far more than I had at that time in my life): you have Adrian, you have your garden and I get the impression that money is not a problem. Build on the positives and the things you can do - but first you may have to grieve. It's not easy, it's not something you would wish on anyone, but it's also not the end of your journey through life. With the drive and determination which you clearly possess in spades, you'll get through it. The French have a lovely phrase for this sort of thing - "Bon courage". Bon courage, Michelle!

For myself, I think that the narrative of Manon as exploited and used is too simple. McMillan portrays a more subtle truth about prostitution, that the relationship between tart and client is mutually exploitive. Incidentally, although the demi-monde in which Manon moves is certainly debauched, there is a code. A kept woman, which is what Manon is, has a contract with her 'lover'. He provides for her and for any child of the relationship, in accordance with his means. In return, she keeps stumm, she takes no other lovers during the term of their contract and she does not steal from him. Manon breaks both of the last two rules, and M'sieur GM is entitled to be angry about that. What tells us that he is a rotter is that he shoots Lescaut when he is bound and helpless, and laughs.

IIRC, because I've only read the book once and that some time ago, DG is the central character and the story focusses on his obsession with Manon. He turns to cheating at cards to support her, and when he fails to keep her in the style which she loves, she leaves him for richer men. But he keeps on, so this happens more than once. Her affection for him does grow with time. She is doing alright in the demi-monde, until his family, determined to separate them so that he will make a suitable marriage and career, have her transported. He contrives to go with her, and all is well until it is revealed that they are not, in fact, married. They flee into the Louisiana desert (honestly, the author obviously didn't have access to a decent map) where Manon is overcome by lack of water and dies. I don't think this would make a good 3 act ballet, and that McMillan and his dramaturg (if he used one for this work) have done a good job in creating a version of the story that does.

Can I suggest that, given that discussion of certain schools has to be suspended for the time being, that the Mods pin a thread titled something like " Who to contact if you have concerns about a school"? I know this information is on one of the existing pinned threads, but I think it might be helpful to have it up separately. I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank the Mods for their work in running this very informative forum.

Yes, for some reason it is the women who are punished by death, which leads me to wonder if they represent something besides themselves. I'm thinking about some of the classical literature here, where the women (such as Dido) represent the land, their country. Personally I find the sex=death narratives a bit tedious, but on the other hand, at least in ballet, the men don't usually get away scot free. Sometimes they die too (Romeo, Siegfried and Solor in most versions) but if they survive, they have to live with guilt and remorse. They don't just walk away. Albrecht is devasted by guilt, DG is left in the swamp facing a probable murder charge if he can get out alive. Solor and Siegfried, if they do survive, have to make loveless marriages with villainesses.

Sounds like some good ideas here. Can I add one more comment - is it possible that there is a bully amongst them?

Manon a slut and DG a fool? Yes indeed, but I think it is up to the dramatic skill of the dancers to show that that is not all that they are. Judging by the reviews on the forum, the current generation is delivering in spades.

I agree that many journalists need to act more responsibly, and I think that the law probably needs to be strengthened around the harassment of private individuals who have the misfortune to come to their attention. But I think we should bear in mind that journalists also do good work, as in the cases of the cot death mothers and the sub-post masters scandal. By the way, I don't read the Sun either.

Assuming that the AD is in effect the headteacher of a boarding school, the person chosen will be in loco parentis and their commitment to this aspect of the role should be a major consideration for the selection board.

About bullfighting, personally I object in a way that I don't object to boxing, because animals have no choice. There is no way of bullfighting that doesn't involve abuse of the animals, in my opinion. On the other hand, ballet students are volunteers (I hope!), have agency to move away from abusive schools (ought to have, I realise that there are difficulties particularly around funding), and can change track completely. Bulls don't have these options, even in theory. And then, there are ways of training that need not involve bullying and body shaming. A student could have a happy time doing something they love, learn loads of portable skills and if they don't find a career in dance, be well set up to pursue a different profession, and leave looking back on their time at the school with happy memories.

I'm sure there are people on this forum who know more than me about these things, but I'm sure I read years ago that, at ROH, roles are labelled as principal, soloist etc. When a soloist dances a principal role, they receive an extra payment, when an artist dances a soloist role they receive a bonus payment and so on. Depending on the details, this might mean it is actually cheaper to promote than keep on with extra payments, but in any case it must be simpler, besides having been well earned. Watching Giacomo's partnering, stamina, dramatic ability and general lovely dancing at the insight, I was surprised to see that he was not already a soloist looking towards promotion to the next rank.

I agree with Peony, it is uncomfortable to know that dancers are often in pain while they perform, and that some struggle with mental health problems as a result of the way they have been trained. As for the numbers of students damaged and then disgarded by the system, it's horrifying. I think what we as an audience can do is to speak out, make it clear that we want to see technique, musicality, artistry, not bodies. Stop (not that anyone on this forum does) commenting negatively on appearance. I've given up looking at the comments on YouTube because so many of them are negative or vulgar comments about the dancer's anatomy. Don't make personal remarks is a good rule, IMO.

Personally, I suspect that all the RB senior ladies are listened to if they say, "I enjoy dancing with A, but feel I am not at my best with B". After all, though it would be arrogant to suggest that any of them could just walk into a principal job any where, they must all be able to get a good contract elsewhere. With the amount of guesting they do, they build up a lot of contacts, know where they might feel happy and valued, and where there might be vacancies and opportunities. If K'OH wants to keep them, I'm sure he has to accommodate their preferences when it's possible. And I'm sure that a dancer, if she wants to keep a reputation as a good colleague, has to make to make the best of dancing with B if A is injured and no one else is available to substitute. It must all be very complicated, and I'm glad I don't have to make the decisions.

I think I remember a bit of video with Monica Mason talking about the many aspects of casting partnerships. From that and various other sources I've garnered the following. It's complicated - there's the need for shared musicality and physical fit together (tall ladies need tall gentlemen), approach to rehearsals (some dancers prepare every small move in precise detail, whilst others prefer more spontaneity), suitability for the precise role (a good SPF does not a brilliant Mary Vetsera make), availability and personal choice of the dancers (though perhaps that only applies to principals). When one partner is a late substitute for someone else then there likely isn't much choice - availability and the need to know the role already may leave no choice at all. I'm sure more knowledgeable contributors to this forum can add to, or correct, what I say. Something I do find odd is this attack on Hirano. He is a top flight dancer, or he wouldn't be a principal with RB. He's well able to 'give' a good SPF cavalier, or he wouldn't be cast in that role in the first place. If the OP prefers to see dancers closely matched in height, why not just say that?

What this is really about, is teachers bullying pupils, which can happen anywhere and happened to us in an ordinary state primary. A successful bully is always 'in' with the authorities, whether he/she is another pupil or a staff member. That's how they get away with it - the headteacher believes what their good, caring staff member says, at best thinks there is a misunderstanding and at worst that pupil and parents are lying. The result is that if they complain, the victims are effectively gaslighted. I am not surprised at all that the schools just respond by saying how caring and nurturing they are, and how little interest or concern they seem to have for their former pupils. It's what they always say, in our experience. Years ago I was talking with a teacher who told me she thought the worst problem in education in this country was the inability of the system to remove teachers who were not suited to the job. That needs to change - everywhere.

Well, if the programs are getting rebalanced towards happy works, that's good news. About time too, I might say, if I was being curmudgeonly!

I take Sophoife's point about Manon and LWFC, so I'll rephrase mine as, why choose those novels to dramatize, instead of ones with a happy ending? To what feels like the exclusion of those stories with a happy ending. Jan, those are lovely ballets, but apart from Nutcracker, when was the last time they were performed? Hobson's choice in particular seems to have fallen out of the rep. The happy works seem to be neglected.

I mean, why can't Siegfried and Odette defeat von Rothbart and reign happily ever after? Can't Manon survive the swamp? Why doesn't Juliet wake up in time (OK, I know that's fiddling with Shakespeare), but why can't Tita and Pedro marry eventually (Like Water for Chocolate)? Wolf Works is very good, but, I mean, two suicides! The only recent new work that I can think of with anything approaching a positive ending is Dante Project, and that contains a hell of a lot of misery before we get there. Whilst some endings are what the story is about, (Giselle, Mayerling) I do feel that others are contrived and unnecessary. Opera is almost wall-to-wall sex and death - ROH's idea of a good Christmas showing seems to be La Boheme followed by Tosca! And there seems to be a dominant strand of thought in theatre that happy endings are somehow low-brow and unworthy. Now why is this, when our lives are so much enhanced by shows like Nutcracker and Fille? A good evening in the theatre with one of those does you more good than a dozen bottles of pills and tonics. It puts you in touch with hope and the goodness in human nature. Can it be that it is actually easier to pull off a sex-and-death story than a happy one?

According to a philosopher I know, the problem with the secular liberals who are so down on everyone and anyone with a different set of values is that they define their own philosophy as tolerant. They are tolerant, this is a core part of their identity and therefore they cannot even conceive that they might be saying or doing something intolerant. Intolerance is the cardinal sin. It is committed by anyone who has doubts about their other values, and therefore those people deserve to be 'cancelled'.

I think we have a problem if attitudes that someone, perhaps very reasonably, thinks unacceptable, cannot be portrayed in drama. How can the various issues be addressed if no one can say what they think - if the thought police stamp on them at every turn? You have to know why someone thinks whatever it is, and then gently and rationally explain why there is a difficulty with that, how it impacts on someone's life, for example. Drama can explore these issues very effectively, if allowed to do so. I don't think we are more tolerant, I think that the acceptable targets have changed. Look at the way many high-profile women have been viciously abused and no-platformed for expressing reservations about the trans-agenda. One philosophy lecturer at a university was driven from her job, I believe, for asking questions about it. And you try saying that you are uncomfortable about same sex marriage in public, and see what response you get. It won't be a gentle enquiry about why you feel that way, that's for sure. (And in order not to be targeted myself, can I say that I know this because I have a very religious friend, who has learned to keep her mouth shut.) I do think it is reasonable to warn people about content, but 'attitudes of the time' is of little use. People born decades later won't know what that means.

I think that the situation is morally different when there are no commercial recordings available. In that case a piece of culture that would otherwise be lost is being kept alive. And I suspect that the artists concerned are just pleased that someone is watching/listening/reading them. If they even know about it. Obviously if you buy in good faith, you are not to blame if the item was pirated. What I meant to say was that in order to stop something like filming at the ballet, you need to know why people do it.

Personally, I find that things made in the 2020s reflect attitudes, conventions and language of the time as well.