emmarose

Re Cinderella, I had very expensive, fairly central tickets in the SC and yet I missed one of the big moments of Cinderella walking down the stairs en pointe. I won't be going back for the exact same issue to come up again...

But when it is allowed and not in the middle of a piece of music but in a clear break and after a solo, then enthusiastic applause can take place instead of a mere smattering after a difficult solo.

Oh I know they are out there, I just wondered if there was enough of them to shift all of those seats. But I suppose tourists will have the money as well.

But applause is actually called for after certain solos and forgive me, but being thankful there was only a 'smattering of applause' is basically talking the performers out of applause. There are certain conventions, however our audiences are the most mute by a mile, if you watch most other countries they will have enthusiastic applause when applause is called for instead of polite and muted clapping.

Can families even afford it as a standard? I know certain families can, but will that many have the spare money for that many tickets in this climate?

Oh dear. Well, personally I find Act II the most beautiful and moving as well and probably smaller moments than the regular favourites. Obviously nobody is screaming during those, I usually release a small and content sigh... But AFTER a solo, more than a smattering of applause is allowed and justified. I honestly don't know if we love the dancers and art form why anyone would be talking the performers OUT of applause, but here we are.

Exactly. And I doubt there will be one dancer on the stage who ever comes away thinking they wish the audience had clapped LESS, that they wish the audience wasn't enjoying their performance quite so much. Imagine the hard work that goes into it all, the days on end of training and rehearsal, to then really nail a difficult solo and only get a smattering of applause. I don't know. They work so hard and dedicate everything to the art, maybe we as an audience can show when we really appreciate something as well.

As an ex dancer myself, a receptive audience gives you a lot of energy and you feel on a high and you do give more to it. Also, in your head is a weird place, so if it's quiet you can doubt if it was good enough, but with a receptive crowd there's no room for doubt. I'm also thinking of Don Q opening night where the crowd were so receptive from their entrances and Vadim said afterwards he was nervous about it all, but the crowd really helped him settle in and they were clearly feeding off of the crowds enthusiasm and appreciation for a stellar performance. It's a live art, so both the performers and audience are giving each other energy.

Agreed and I would imagine that some, especially Nunez (as she thrives in and adores them) might be looking to guest elsewhere to pick some up as their season will offer none to them. I'm honestly dumbfounded, as a traditionalist, those are the ballets I always want to see and also think that every time they are performed the make the whole company better throughout. The corps will be missing a lot this season...

I just find the whole thing so strange really. This company has some of the finest true classical dancers and a full company and there will not be any true Petipa for the whole season? Will that many Alice's even sell?

I haven't been on for a while, so forgive my late reply, but I found it interesting that someone on twitter was at opening night and they were saying how the audience didn't give enough. They said after the fouettes there was barely anything at all and said the British audiences were somewhat too muted. It's also interesting to note that the dancers have said how wonderful they found the ovations, Vadim and Marianela both were very clearly moved at the end of the performances, and they do work incredibly hard, so maybe they all appreciate more than a smattering of applause after they perform difficult solos. Perhaps our audiences in just politely clapping the extraordinary are doing the dancers somewhat of a disservice? I'm not suggesting a mid performance standing ovation, but at least something. So you as an audience member say you were pleased that Yasmine's smattering of applause didn't ignite, but perhaps Yasmine after performing so well would have loved to have heard how much it meant to the people watching? It's an interesting thing to think about.

In honesty I'm not really liking much of that except being so happy about the Balanchine and Cinderella replaces Nutcracker as a big seller over Christmas, but they don't seem to have anything else that'll fill the places like a Swan Lake/Giselle etc, I don't see Alice selling out in a similar way. Seems a strange kind of season.

It was such a one off, as many of you have said, so many times I've had wonderful chats with people I'm sitting near or even ones who come down and want to take a pic where I'm sitting, I'll offer to take it and they'll chat about where they've travelled from. This was a complete one off.

Thank you all for the kind words. It did mar an otherwise lovely evening. I was just discussing it with the person I took with me and she said she was worried that he might follow us out. Thankfully I'm not like that really, but I wasn't aware she was conscious of it. I've just sent off an email explaining what happened. It's probably best they're aware of what can happen after they have spoken to people causing trouble. I have medical conditions, I can't always go when I want to (I've had to return a lot of bookings due to not being up to it at the time) and so each time I go is quite precious. It also costs me a lot. I've been in pain since and I'm still extremely tired, so to go is a big deal for me, and to have it try to be ruined by others is a lot. I'd go for a box, but the four seats and the price, and the fact I prefer the views from stalls/stalls circle mean I have to be around more people who at any time are liable to behave like this.

This is true. It was a very violent kicking, the chairs were all moving. It was quite something, coupled with the coughing on my head/neck on purpose, it wasn't pleasant to say the least. He did follow me to the toilets by the SC and he and his daughter were standing there and staring, but TBH I am not easily intimidated.

I think I will make contact. I'm drafting my thoughts and then I'll send them over. The man's behaviour was aggressive and threatening and as there was nobody nearby and the second act was minutes away and I didn't want to disturb anyone, I was left with it. If someone had have been there to see it, I believe he would have been kicked out, so it's best to let them know what happened after they spoke with them.

I would agree with this too, to pick William as one of the more reserved is an interesting choice as he shares an awful lot, including his partner and also his partner's mother who sadly had cancer and then died. I wouldn't say he was one of the more reserved on social media. Of anyone I would say someone like Ryoichi Hirano would be an example of a dancer who is reserved on there. There's no criticism for me either way. If a dancer wants to not post or share every detail of a life they enjoy, they should do as they wish in whatever way makes them happy. If we don't like a certain way, we're free to not look.

I think it was probably a combined Freudian slip and being absolutely exhausted. Glad it made you laugh!

I'm not so sure. It's every other year and a few days ago she thanked Vadim for his partnership and said they had done these roles many times and she knew they had many more to come.

Do you think it's worth it? I suppose it might make make them aware to keep a closer eye on people they've already had to have a word with. Honestly, it's like nothing I've ever experienced anywhere.

I did tell him he better stop kicking me and for the rest of the performance they were very quiet. I didn't want to further spoil the show not only for me and my guest but also the others next to me who were also in shock at his behaviour and said what's been echoed here, that maybe some people shouldn't be aloud out in society.

I think it was because it was the last few minutes before curtain up, so there was nobody nearby at that moment.

It really was. I've never, ever been bent over to cough on the back of my head and the kicking was deliberate, he was sitting back into the chair to do it with full force. I don't know what is wrong with people sometimes.

Yes, I noticed that, when they came out again the lights came up a bit to light the standing ovation. You could see it meant a lot to them.

I'm sorry to report that last night I had the worst experience with poor audience behaviour. I was on the front row stalls Circle, the people behind were talking all throughout the first two acts, getting phones ready to video, the usher had to come over right at the end of Act II and have a word. They were also constantly moving one of those sleeping bag coats and making noise with that. In the interval I went over to an usher and asked if maybe they could be more on hand to quieten them. I went to the loo and was told that someone had come over and actually all but shouted at them and threatened to kick them out if there was one more noise. I came back to my seat to the man (father to his two daughters) making these very loud coughing noises. Very strange as he wasn't coughing, then I felt him do it directly onto the back of my head. He had leaned forward to do it and I felt it. Then he started kicking very hard the back of my chair, like pushing it forward. I obviously asked him to stop, it was so violent the man in the seat next to me felt it. It was truly awful behaviour and I've never experienced anything like it.