Angela Essex

I saw this production at Sadler’s Wells for the first time this evening and I really liked the way the prolonged sledge ride Prince Florimund and the Lilac Fairy go on to find Aurora had been cut and replaced by a corps number - hooray! Also raining glitter at the end was lovely.
 

I did miss the fairies all having very distinctly different coloured tutus as they do at the RB. The BRB version has all the fairies in similar hues of tutu which makes them stand out less imo.
 

Also the scene with the 3 weaving ladies that illegally use spindles and the king threatens to hang them with the Queen begging him for their life had been cut. I missed it a little bit, but it didn’t detract from the performance overall. 
 

The dancers all beautiful especially Max Maslen whose Prince Florimund Act 3 solo was powerful. Bluebird danced by Shuailun Wu was especially good too I thought and the white cat (Yuki Sugiura) and puss in boots (Eric Pinto Canta) were danced with a lot of personality and got quite a few giggles from the audience. 
 

Gabriel Anderson as Carabosse was fantastic - first time I’ve seen a male Carabosse and he was very imposing and wicked with a faint touch of diva. 

I’m going tonight 25/4 and am very excited as I’ve never seen BRB before. Also just checked the cast sheet thanks @Amanda Liu and Hannah Martin, whose you tube channel I love, is Red Riding Hood - hooray! 

7 minutes ago, Spoke said:

I think Ball is a very good actor - IMO he also has real stage charisma as a 'romantic hero', which really helps sell the narrative. Thanks for telling me who Benno was. I thought he was excellent! 

Yes MB dances with such emotion.
 

Also agree with others tonight cf Marianela Yasmine was not as emotional / expressive on this particular occasion, but to be fair Marianela has been a principal for 20+ years so there is that… I saw Marianela dance SL a couple of weeks back and I don’t think anyone can or will ever top that for me.
 

And yes there was very slight stumble by Matt Ball in Act 3 but for me it did not detract from his acting and him really being able to connect with the deep pain of Siegfried which he really brings out for me. 

1 hour ago, Silke H said:

Wowza! 
2 words: Yasmine Naghdi

🤩

Agreed! She was utterly amazing. Highlight for me was the black swan adage/pdd in Act 3 it was mesmerising. I absolutely loved Matthew Ball’s Siegfried - the pain on his face when dancing with Odette in Act 1 was so touching - I nearly cried for him - the sorrow of his situation of not being able to fully realise his love as his beloved was a swan projected right of of the cinema screen. Never has a Siegfried moved me in that way. Superb acting as well as dancing. 

Kudos to Joonhyuk Jun who was a brilliant Benno - his jumps were like he was suspended in air - such a joy to watch.

Also shout out to Annette Buvoli who was a lovely Siegfried’s sister - I love watching her dance she’s just so graceful, regal and generous. 

Basildon Cineworld was packed out, we had a m few dodgy moments with the sound in Act 1 but otherwise it all went off without a hitch. Darcey pointed out that Yasmine Nagdhi did 3 triples in succession in the fouettés and that not every ballerina can do that - I didn’t count them myself but I was glad Darcey pointed it out - how incredible. 
 

I really enjoyed seeing all the extra commentary that happens in the cinema intervals - especially how the tutus are made - it was really quite awe inspiring- over 400 costume items for every cast and 60 hours to make each tutu - we are so lucky to be able to witness such art here in the UK. 

5 hours ago, Fiz said:

Oh goodness! Good luck, @Angela Essex!

Thanks @Fiz - I posted about the class on my local town discussion page on Facebook and have already had 4 people register their interest so fingers crossed it will be up and running again soon 🤞

Hope this is allowed - the adult ballet beginners class I attend is having to close as there is too few attendees to make it financially viable (there are only 4 of us). We need at least 2 more people for the class to run. It’s a great class and is open to everyone including absolute beginners Weds 8.30-9.30pm Women’s Institute Hall, Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex. Please consider joining us we are a friendly bunch of ladies and gents and would love to meet you! We are all ages from 20s to 60s. The Class is taught by Andrew Potter of Chelmsford Ballet. Pay as you go (£8 I think) or pay termly. DM me if you’re interested and will send you the teacher’s contact details.

22 hours ago, EverHopeful said:

I’ve just found out that I got a High Merit! I genuinely can’t believe it. Crying my eyes out. I’m so so happy. 

Yayyyy! Congratulations what a fabulous achievement well done you 🙌

Glad the colonoscopy went smoothly @Michelle_Richer thinking of you. With respect to the mortality rates associated with a right hemi I am thinking that is an average taking into account all ages and all levels of co morbidity? So for a very fit and young individual such as yourself it is likely nowhere near that figure. Also it would be lower for planned (elective) surgery than for emergency surgery. I so hope that provides some reassurance, but I know how scary facing cancer treatment can be - sending hugs. 

12 hours ago, LinMM said:

Does that mean you started your ballet journey while you had cancer Angela Essex? Sorry to hear about your mum always a blow whatever your age. 

Thank you so much @LinMM I miss her very much. I started ballet in 2020 during lockdown - with respect to the cancer (breast) the surgery x 2 was Dec 2019, my chemotherapy finished April 2020 and the radiotherapy finished around May 2020. 2020 was all such a blur and I honestly can’t remember if the treatment and me starting ballet overlapped. It is possible they did. 

That is impressive - Good luck @Colman I can relate - petit allegro (well actually any allegro pretty much except maybe just the sautés) is my nemesis. Also hope your injury heals fast 😊

3 minutes ago, EverHopeful said:

It was in person. 
Allegro 2 is the bane of my life in every grade! I’m not much into jumping at the moment! 
but I must say I prefer grand allegro to petit allegro since I can at least travel to compensate for my lack of elevation! 

Well huge congratulations for sitting it. It’s a hard exam and I think any adult sitting vocational exams deserves a medal (especially if over 40 😂). So many gruelling parts in the IF exam and then pointe to totally finish you off - I remember it well. Only exercise I fully enjoyed 100% was port de bras. All the others were just about hard graft, performance and effort. 

Ooh how exciting @EverHopeful A massive well done!! I can identify - that exam nearly killed me. And yes the wait for the results is just excruciating isn’t it. I’ll wager you’ve done better than you thought. I still have PTSD from Allegro 2 😂 keeping my fingers crossed for you. Was it an in person exam or video? 

So sorry to hear of what you’re going through @Michelle_Richerans @Fiz thinking of you both. I had cancer in 2020 and my mum died Nov 2023 - so I feel for you @Michelle_Richer. As Colman has said ballet will be there for you when you are ready ❤️

What exam did you sit @EverHopeful? 

6 hours ago, JNC said:

of course! Same as with me and Matthew Bourne - I respect what he does (anyone who is this successful in bringing people to see dance is to be commended) and clearly he’s very popular but just not for me. I don’t dislike his works but with limited time/budget I can’t see everything so would prioritise “ballet” at RB, ENB, BRB and Northern ballet etc over Bourne. 

Same here @JNC

6 hours ago, Fiz said:

What about Harlow Ballet, Angela? They used to do adult ballet classes. 

Yes I used to go there and am thinking of going back there as I work in Harlow and the teachers were amazing. It’s just the class time for Adult ballet on Tuesday clashes with kids dinner time and so I could only go once a fortnight when the kids were at their dads. Plus some of the class - a lot of the centre - was above my level so it was difficult to learn the steps as it was quite fast paced. I really struggle to pick up combinations and I forget them almost as soon as the teacher has explained them especially if they are difficult so Harlow was hard going for me. I think if I’d of been going only there multiple times a week I may have got to learn the combinations. Maybe the answer is to go there, make the time work every week and go to more than one of their classes a week. Could be a plan thank you @Fiz 😊

On 07/04/2024 at 14:12, Lesley said:

I couldn’t help wondering if this was Marianela at her zenith in this performance of Swan Lake as she certainly was on fire. As capybara has said -it will be some time before Swan Lake is repeated and I feel she must have been aware of this and was making the most of this iconic role and her partnership with Vadim while she can.

Yes @Lesley I felt the same. There was one part of the ballet when, as Odette she really danced with so much abandon (a fast tempo solo section involving quite a few releve passes on the spot - apologies for the description) that I literally felt as though she was dancing as if it was her last time. It was a really odd experience as I felt like I could feel the exact emotions that she was projecting as if they were my own. And in that moment I felt sad for her as it was as if she was saying, in a way, that she knew there may not be very many more times that she would dance this - and all her grief and love came out in a rush at once (though I hope this is not the case at all, and that there are many many more times she will dance this). At the end of act 2 the Australian lady that had the seat next to mine, and I turned and looked at each other - we were both speechless with tears in our eyes. 

14 hours ago, Colman said:

Those mixed open recreational adult classes are a problem for teachers: they’re a mix of keep fitters or ballet romantics who don’t want corrections and will take it personally if they get any and students who want to improve and will get frustrated if they don’t get corrections, it’s very hard to cater to both, and they need both to make the class profitable for them. 
 

I think some teachers also have difficulty understanding that adult students exist. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 

I find it’s best to tell teachers you’d like corrections and that you are doing curriculum classes or whatever as well. If they don’t take that hint, find another class (or use the class to work on what you need to work on - two of my classes are a bit like that, with little correction: the general level one I use to push fitness and the beginner/improver I modify exercises as I need - doing stuff on demi-pointe for instance. (If the teacher won’t correct and complains about you pushing yourself within the exercises definitely find another class!))

Agree 100% with this. I don’t feel brave enough to tell the teacher I want corrections though. I just accept however the class unfolds. I really wish I had local options other than such recreational open classes or paying for private lessons - I just want something in between - a regular 3 x a week adult syllabus class without having an hour plus commute either way.
 

I went to RAD HQ once a week for the summer term last year coming up to my int found exam and it totally exhausted me - it was a 2 hour trip each way. I have ditched my 2 local recreational open classes so am just left with 1 x grade 6 class and 1 x Chelmsford ballet beginners class every week. I feel like I need to find 1-2 more classes a week ASAP. Am considering going back to Hannah Frosts class at Pineapple online and also maybe Ballet with Isabella online - does anyone have any experience of BWI? 

Hello everyone, just wondering how you are all getting on with your exam preparation? Hopefully some kind person on here is able to advise me - Is anyone aware of a dance school local to Essex or London that will train adults with multiple RAD classes every week? Currently my schedule is 1 x RAD grade 6 class and 2 x adult beginner's drop in classes locally. I also do 2 x 45 mins weights/kettlebells classes at Pure Gym. Problem is I am not receiving any personalised corrections except in my RAD Grade 6 class and I am getting really fed up with going to adult ballet drop in classes and not progressing my technique. I have tried to attend pineapple classes online, but it’s not the same as in person. I suppose what I’m looking for is one school where I can take class 3 x a week and get trained properly. If anyone knows a place where this exists in the south of England ideally somewhere commutable to South Essex I’d be grateful for any information. I started ballet as an adult almost 4 years ago now and would really like to progress my technique. Thank you all in advance. 

3 minutes ago, Kerfuffle said:

Saw it tonight, an electric atmosphere in the ROH! Could palpably hear the relief when the announcement was made about replacements in the cast that it wasn’t going to be Marianela or Vadim! Hugely appreciative audience, standing ovations and the longest curtain call I’ve ever experienced! Every aspect of this was truly memorable, I feel like I’ve experienced something very special tonight. 

Agree 💯 and yes I let out a sigh of relief when I found both lead roles were unaffected by the cast changes. I was sat next to a lovely lady who had travelled all the way from Sydney, Australia to see Marianela and Vadim dance swan lake so was relieved for her too.

13 minutes ago, Lucy M said:

Feeling on such a high after the performance tonight. Marianela and Vadim were on another level as always, but they seemed to be even better than opening night, which I didn't think was possible! I feel privileged to have been able to witness them dance, such a wonderful partnership and you can see the care and trust they have built between them. Just remarkable.

 

Also wanted to give a shoutout to Luca Acri who I thought was an excellent Benno, he seemed more confident this time around than opening night and I thoroughly enjoyed his characterisation. 

 

All I have to say is bravo!!

Yes it was an amazing performance from all. Marianela danced like there was no tomorrow and I absolutely loved her characterisation of the cunning seductress Odile while Vadim was the perfect lovestruck and hapless innocent young man. They are both stunning to watch and I was lucky enough to sit right at the front of the middle of the stalls circle so had a perfect view.  Big shout out to Olivia Cowley as Spanish Princess, Megan Grace Hinkis as Prince Siegfried’s sister (those turns were 😮💥) and Annette Buvoli and Valentino Zuchetti who danced a beautiful ?polonaise (I think) in Act I. There is always a little extra sparkle on stage when the aforementioned are dancing. 

Hopefully there will be no sign of the C word Michelle, but even so many cancers are completely curable nowadays. Still sucks for it to even be on the cards though - you must be worried sick. I’ve also had a colonoscopy and the prep was 24hours. Top tip - avoid curry the few days prior - I am speaking from experience 🤣😭. Glad to hear the isosorbide is helping though. And yes I think it is safe to assume the positive FIT will be investigated with an endoscopy. Thinking of you and wishing you all the best of luck ❤️

On 06/03/2024 at 22:14, Peanut68 said:

It was not sustainable to carry on with high level classes as nine at local school & the 3 months travelling 25 miles between school runs twice a week did cause much family conflict….but, I did my RAD Inter aged 50 & am proud of that. But deeply sad to say since I’ve sunk back down to a very recreational once a week dancer & have had some injury/falling to pieces issues making a grande plié a thing if the past…. I do muse on to think had I not just pretty much stopped (with Covid exacerbating this) but gone on to a regular Adv F class (has I been able to find one anywhere) then I might now be on Adv 1 or 2!!! A girl can but dream…. 
Good luck to all those still pursuing the feeling of achievement working towards & then taking an exam does give you! Enjoy!

(I’m sorry if I sound a bit self pitying….I am as I miss it all so much 😢) 

Guess what I’m really trying to say to any dancer of any age, is don’t let others put you off & if one option says no, you will find another so GO FOR IT! 

Thanks for the encouragement Peanut and congratulations on doing your intermediate exam. I’m 48 and just started doing the intermediate pointe alongside grade 6 so I will be a similar age to you once I get good enough to sit the intermediate exam. The intermediate pointe is very hard - what a fabulous achievement for you that you’ve done it. So sorry to hear of your injuries - do you think you can rehab from them and start doing more classes when they heal? I hope that is the case and that you can go on to your advanced foundation in the future? 

On 04/03/2024 at 15:31, TYR said:

"This is a men's turn traditionally because it needs strength and [she points at her backside] you've got the CANNONBALL!"

Question - The cannonball - Was she referring to glutes? 

3 hours ago, LinMM said:

Alex Simpkins is my teacher at the City Lit! I really love his classes he has a nice balance between technique and artistry though exam classes may be different of course! 

Lucky you Linn I really liked the way he taught. Yes in the RAD intermediate foundation class he really focused on dynamics and musical  interpretation as well as being very thorough about technique. I felt like I wish I’d have been able to get to his class for more than one term as he was such a great teacher - he wasn’t trying to be everyone’s mate and was quite strict with us about technique which was a real gift. We had a really great live pianist at RAD too his name was Jeremy.