Erica

Did I miss something? According to ENB’s Web Ken Saruhashi is doing Lankendem THUR MAT 14, SAT MAT 16, THUR EVE 21, FRI EVE 22 and SAT EVE 23

It is obvious you have a grudge against Rojo and nothing she does will meet whatever requirements you have for ENB. You keep repeating in many of your postings “how the company is vastly diminished by their departure, how much Klimentova and Muntagirov are missed, how irreplaceable they are”, etc. etc. If I remember correctly it was Rojo who raised Muntagirov to the highest position within ENB, right after a performance at the Coliseum. It was her who gave him the possibility of creating ENB’s Conrad, the high honour of performing that role alongside Cojocaru and being recorded and it was Muntagirov who decided to leave the company, right in the middle of the season and not even performing the dates for which he had already been announced and I remember hearing Klimentova saying that she did not want to remain at ENB without Muntagirov regardless of which Rojo gave them a huge farewell performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Can anyone clarify some doubts regarding this matter? Is it not true, as several rigorous studies have proved that for every pound the Arts Council England grants for dance, it produces two pounds to UK state through the VAT and other taxes, due to industrial & commercial generated activity? What is the value, monetary and cultural, of ENB international tours as: “promoting abroad a wider appreciation of British culture and civilisation by encouraging cultural, educational and other interchanges between the United Kingdom and elsewhere”? Would it be a good idea to rebrand ENB? For example: English Royal National Ballet, in order to avoid any explanation to the Arts Council England on how they spend the grant? Does a brand or a name generate the privilege of not touring throughout the country despite enjoying the economic and artistic stability given by the residence in a large subsidized theatre? Finally, an historical account: What would be the Russian ballet without Didelot, Johansson, Saint-Léon, Perrot, Petipa, Cecchetti, Carlotta Brianza, Virginia Zucchi and Pierina Legnani? What would British Ballet be without Diaghilev, Cecchetti, Sergeyev, Lopokova, Serafina Astafieva and all the other Russian ballet artist exiles produced by the Bolshevik revolution? But surely I'm wrong. Now excellence and merit have taken a back seat because the ballet is no longer a universal art.

I went to see the show last night and was really surprised, during first act there were only 6 Lilac Fairy attendants instead of 8 and the Lilac Fairy had to do Aurora friends and then change back to Lilac for the end of the act, they had 12 Nymphs instead of 16 and by the end of Act III only 4 Lilac fairy attendants instead of 8 were on. The stage looked really empty!

If you don’t have any evidence you should not write this type of comment, it is very rude

"Vadim approached me about the possibility of joining The Royal Ballet" the lady doth protest too much methinks....

After such fantastic reviews I can’t wait to see Le Corsaire at the Coliseum. I already got tickets to see Alina & Tamara

Isn’t this topic “English National Ballet - Nutcracker - Winter 2013/14”? Unbelievable how RB fans manage to divert almost everything to their performances!

Hierarchy could be relaxed but without voiding individual merit. It would be appalling if étoile dancers are vanished & replaced by “star choreographers”

Lauretta Summerscales has won the Gold Medal at the Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition 2013 Congratulations!

Contrary to what you say I think Esteban has been very well treated by Tamara. He partnered her in Nutcracker, was Prince Desiree (Sleeping Beauty), Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake RAH), will dance Song of a Wayfarer, one of the iconic Bejart ballets, will partner Rojo again in Raymonda and has been widely used in promotion ENB posters. Next year, apart from dancing one of the roles in Corsaire (he is the main figure in the poster) he would have had the privilege to work with Russell Maliphant, Akram Khan and Liam Scarlett at their new creations for ENB. As for your assertion that Tamara and her new staff are more focused on how many pirouette’s one can do, are you saying that Laurretta Summerscales was recently given the role of Odete/odile at the RAH just because she can just do pirouettes? Or that Nancy Osbaldeston will be doing the female principal role at Petrushka because she is just a pirouette dancer? I really think you are insulting them

Tamara Rojo interviewed by Melvyn Bragg today at 9,30pm the South Bank Show on Sky Arts: http://bit.ly/12fW7rn

I wonder how much money Royal Opera House really gets from ACE, this was published last January: Funding awards to support capital projects in the arts and culture sector Date: 22 January 2013 Region: National Royal Opera House Award: £10 million A programme of improvements over four years to maintain, repair and modernise stage and rehearsal facilities, as well as its digital capacity. This will enable the organisation to increase its artistic, financial and environmental sustainability. This means that, on top of what they receive from ACE portfolio they are getting another £10 million and I bet there is a lot more money coming through different channels which is not considered when talking about ACE funding The Royal Ballet is a resident company so no renting of theatres in involved, no travelling expenses out of London (except for a yearly international tour when they can manage it) etc. etc. so there is no possible comparison about costs and taxpayers money

What is British about RB? Acosta?, Benjamin?, Bonelli?, Cojocaru?, Galeazzi?, Golding?, Kish?, Kobborg?, Lamb?, Marquez?, McRae?, Morera?, Nuñez?, Osipova?, Soares?, Nuñez? …

How about The Barbican? It has larger stage and pit for the orchestra…