Angela Essex

Since I started watching ballet 2-3 years ago I’ve booked for at least one performance for everything on the main stage. Usually I’d go to see the Nutcracker multiple time (up to 4 or so) and the big classical ballets 2+ performances each plus one performance each of everything else. And all the class on stage sessions too. If I liked something I’d go and see it a few more times too and see all the cinema relays. I usually sit in cheaper balcony tickets, SCS or front side amphi. Since front side amphi has increased in price and there seem to be less cheap balcony seats coming up (I know these are only released about a month out but I hardly ever seem to catch them nowadays) and I’m too tired to stand in an evening I have booked a LOT less for the upcoming season: I have booked: Don Q: 2 x side front amphi Osipova/Clark, 1 x SCS Nunez (which I will probably sell on here or return since thanks to the generosity of a forum member I have a front balcony ticket for Nunez) Nut: 2 x SCS Buvoli Nothing else as I’m only going to ballets I know I’ll like and not trying new things due to cost. I’ve only seen RB so far but might investigate seeing more of other companies instead due to cost. Plus child seats for ENB are half the price of adult ones so if I ever take the whole family that will be a cheaper option (last year my husband and I took the 3 kids to see nut and it was £30 seat for front side Amphi - row A and view wasn’t great so for £150 we could’ve got better seats at Coli for all 5 of us). Tbh though we won’t be doing a ballet family outing for the foreseeable future 😭 I love watching ballet but I think I’ll just go to cinema relays and one or two performances a season with respect to RB now.

Yes I agree entirely. I’m getting fed up of my only options being fleeced to sit in the gods and not see as much as I’d of liked or having to stand and tire myself out. I used to be able to get a row C or D balcony loose seat for a decent price - about £30 but can’t seem to now, so I’ll be going to the ROH a lot less. Usually I book at least one ticket for everything on the main stage, but this time I’m seeing 2 Don Qs and 1 Nut and that’s it.

Question: I would really like to see Marianela in Don Quixote and wanted to sit at front of grand tier ideally but no such seats are available for any of her performances. I have a gift certificate to use and this will be a one off as I’d never usually sit in the expensive seats. I have just seen there is a front, central balcony available for £125. Question is would I be best to buy this seat? or wait in the hope of a row A return for the grand tier - or just save the certificate for an expensive seat to see her at a later date? Decisions decisions. Any advice would be very gratefully received.

Same here. The side front amphi tickets I bought for Don Quixote 19/11 Osipova/Clark B75 and 76 were £52 each - could’ve sworn they were about £35 in the not too distant past. All the other tickets I bought were SCS as it’s the only way I can get anywhere close to the stage on my budget. Tbh it is just going to mean I go a LOT less. Biggest disappointment is that I received a gift certificate for my birthday that I wanted to spend on a front row of stalls circle, grand tier or balcony to see Marianela dance Don Quixote. I’ve been waiting for the last few years for the chance, but when I finally got through to the seat maps at about 9.15am they’d all gone in row A. So I ended up with a SCS for one of her performances instead. Feeling a bit sad.

Returned to box office

Returned to box office

Thank you so much @oncnp @JohnS and @jmhopton

Thank you for replying @jmhopton I’m looking to 2 tickets and to get the best seats I can for up to £60 per seat.

Good evening! I’m hoping that some kind person would please let me know the pricing structure for Don Quixote? I’ve looked on the roh website but I can’t see it on there. I’m not a friend so I’m trying to figure out what I can afford before general booking opens tomorrow morning and any assistance would be very gratefully received. I’m ideally looking to book 3/11 or 17/11 so if anyone can give me a steer on the availability for those performances please I’d would be extremely grateful. Thank you.

What an inspirational lady. Thank you for sharing.

So sorry but just seen the comments - I returned the ticket to the box office yesterday. Apologies. Hope you both are able to find a ticket.

PS @Missfrankiecat if you need another ticket for a friend for Sunday I’m selling a SCS for the matinee as sadly I’m unable to attend.

You are in for such a treat - so many highlights and it was so lovely to see Marianela dance with Carlos - they were beautiful in the Manon pdd and the white swan pdd. Marianela is perfection. It was the first time I’ve seen Celine Gittens dance and she was just beautiful in Apollo - such personality and was quite cheeky to Apollo - I loved her interpretation. She was my favourite of the 3 ballerinas in Apollo by far. I’m so sad I’ll never get to see her & Brandon Lawrence dance. I hope BRB comes to somewhere near London? as I’d love to see them perform.

D6 £14

Yes he is amazing isn’t he? Can’t believe he’s 50.

I was at the ROH tonight. Too tired to be eloquent. Just here to say what an absolutely stunning dancer Brandon Lawrence is. His performance of Liebestod moved me close to tears. I couldn’t work out whether it was the emotion of the performance or that it’s the first time I’ve seen him dance, and now he’s going to Zurich I probably will never be able to see him perform again, that bought tears to my eyes. Love the way Carlos chucked the bouquet he was presented with at the end out into the audience. I’ve never seen Carlos dance before either and loved the way his personality really projects into the audience. He really commands the house. Thoroughly enjoyed each and every performance. The Corsaire pdd by Carlos’ nephew and his wife was amazing too. One of my favourite nights at ROH since I started going 3 years ago.

Ooh please do share your thoughts I’d be very interested to hear them.

Bumping since date is coming closer.

Bumping this since the date is coming closer.

I just had a stab at calculating my marks and think I’ve got 44 - 50 overall so a pass but sadly not enough for a merit: barre 7, port de bras 3, en dehors pirouettes 2 (1 if they’re being harsh), em dedans pirouettes 2, Allegro 1 -2, Allegro 2 - 1, Allegro 3 - 2 (optimistic might be a 1 as I got out of time after nearly slipping during a run), Free enchainement - went not too bad but it involved changemant battu and I didn’t get many of the beats so 5 I think, Pointe 5 or maybe 6, Musicality 7 performance 6 variation 1: technique 5 and performance 6 or 7: so 45 at worst and 50 at best. Let’s see if my prediction is accurate. I’m a bit sad not to be thinking I’m in line for a merit, but I’m not going to let that take away from the achievement of doing it at all at my age. Thanks all for your kind words and encouragement it really means a lot to have some people who understand. 😊

Thanks @The_Red_Shoes I asked if I could go in the morning, and my teacher did ask if I could go first, but the studio owner wanted to get the little kids done first. To be fair the little ones pay the studio for their classes whereas I have private lessons with my teacher so I pay her direct so I was just using the studio as a venue to video the exam (my teacher usually teaches me in a different hall). That is, the studio owners priority is with her clients which is fair enough. Hopefully now the studio owner knows me I’ll get a better bite of the cherry beforehand and not do a run through on the same day next time. I think Carlos is 100% spot on 🤣

Thanks Fizz - keeping my fingers crossed. Congratulations to your daughter on a fantastic result.

Interesting perspective. I thought that Marianela Nunez’s Odette at ROH last season was the same - enticing Vadim to pursue and chase her, in a very innocent and ladylike way though. Definitely topping from the bottom too.

Thanks Linn 😊 Yes it really is isn’t it? I ran the exam through this morning with my teacher which went much better and I had a mock exam about a month ago. I wasn’t overly nervous I was literally just lacking the stamina to do my best effort in some of the exercises. My exam was at 5.30pm and I was up half the night with a sore throat and blocked nose which didn’t help. By the time it got to 5.30pm and I’d warmed up I was feeling hot and tired. To be honest if I do scrape a merit it will be a miracle as technically I’m highly average in the centre. We will see. I’ll take a pass as a major win though seeing as I only started taking classes as an absolute beginner 2 years ago.

So I did my intermediate foundation exam today by film which went okay. I did the best I could with my 47year old mum body and am really pleased that I’ve managed to get this far. Forgot to curtesy at the examiner (my teacher) at the start though. Barre, port de bras and adage went off without any drama. I let myself down by a couple of suboptimal pirouette landings and managed to nearly fall over in the run in allegro 3. Luckily I managed to self correct, but then got late and was out of time to the music for a couple of bars which I’m annoyed about. I had a bit of a wobble in Variation 1. I’ve definitely done the centre work, allegro 3 and the variation better before, but I did the best I could in that moment. By the time I got to the pointe work I was struggling stamina wise and so I’ve definitely held myself up more effortlessly before. It was taking a monumental effort not to press down on the barre and the barre kept creaking every time I pressed down on it which really gave me away. Plus I did a wrong head in the echappe releve courus at the barre. I asked my teacher at the end if she thought I’d passed and she said I definitely had so I’m taking that as a major win. Next stop grade 6 and maybe one day intermediate although I need to gain a lot more strength and technique before then.