Swan

And I recently found a copy of The Company We Keep when I was clearing through my loft. Quite enjoyed revisiting it!

There have been so many wonderful comments about Fumi and Will during this run of Swan Lake and I now know why. A masterclass in technique and characterisation that also moved me deeply. Lovely supporting performances too.

I certainly did, @Fonty! 😠

As am I @Sophoife, what would we do without it? @lady emily, I can’t thank you enough for recording the curtain calls and speeches for us all. I couldn’t go last night and am crying on my sofa watching You Tube at 7:30am on a Saturday morning. 😢 Alex is a humble, kind and beautiful man as well as an amazing dancer and he will be missed at the RB.

it was a stunning rehearsal today and I’m so pleased that I have already booked to see Sasaki/Sissens on 11 May.

I’m very excited and looking forward to seeing who is dancing Benno etc. I know it’s highly unlikely but I would love to see Magri/Corrales….

I’ve put some thoughts about last night on the Alexander Campbell appreciation thread but, to add to that, it was a great performance from everyone. It was lovely to see Valentino Zucchetti back on stage, Marco Masciari had a real swagger and youthful arrogance as the beggar chief and Nicol Edmund’s gaoler gave me chills every time he stood at the side of the stage looking into the audience!

I completely agree with you @lady emily, I loved their performance last night and imagine that their dancing on 8 March will take it to yet another level. I did see Frankie’s performance with Marci Sambe which was terrific but I felt there was so much more chemistry and detail last night. Alex is an amazing dance actor. I was lucky enough to obtain an orchestra stall return so had a lovely view and joined the standing ovation at the end reserving my loudest cheers for Alex. How lovely that both of them were happy to chat at the stage door after such strenuous, emotionally draining performances. I’m so very sad I won’t be able to see Alex dance again but am very grateful for the performances I have been privileged to see during his career. At the moment I can’t get to London on 8 March but am considering moving mountains if a ticket were to become available. 🤔

Me too, @Mary

There are a few returns on the ROH website for 2 March, have just managed to grab one!

I will never forget that performance of Romeo and Juliet either and am sad that I may not get the opportunity to see Alex dance again before he takes up his new role. Fingers crossed I can grab a Manon return as his Lescaut is brilliant but I would love to see his De Grieux too. Congratulations to Alex, I’m sure he will be a huge success but I will certainly miss him at the RB.

I want to comment on the Manon matinee yesterday afternoon but I’m still struggling to find the words. It was awesome and one of those very special performances that I’ll always remember. Magri really suits the mistress role, Campbell is a fantastic Lescaut, Sambe was wonderful and Hayward was incredible. I was moved from act 1 to the end. Bravo to all of the amazing RB dancers on stage yesterday!

oh no, I have a matinee ticket for 17th! Off to check the website…..

So sorry to hear that @LinMM as I know what you’re going through. I very frequently have Thameslink issues to contend with at the northern end of the line! 😬 I’m sure you will enjoy the cinema relay. 😃

I felt really connected with the dancers at the general rehearsal today, am so glad I took the day off work and hurried down to London for an 11:30 start. Note to self: Read the ticket information properly and don’t make assumptions!🤣 I really enjoyed watching Luca Acri as Lescaut, thought Lauren Cuthbertson/Matthew Ball were lovely together, Gary Avis commanding as Monsieur GM and everybody else played their part too. As other members have already said, this is a terrific cast and I’m very tempted to see them again.

Thank you all so much for your hard work and wishing @Ian Macmillan a very happy retirement. I know very few people that I can interact with about ballet therefore this forum is a lifeline for me and I am forever grateful. 🙏 I actually stumbled across the forum by chance when searching google! Wishing all moderators and members a wonderful New Year and I’m very much looking forward to ENB Giselle and RB Manon in January. 😃

Lukas BB and Charlotte Tonkinson danced the Swan Lake pdd (IIRC) and I had a front row seat on the floor that Sunday morning. They were lovely and I believe they both joined in the quiz later that morning. I’m looking forward to another Friends Celebration, in 5 or 10 years maybe…!

Very pleased that the Annette Buvoli/Nicol Edmonds rehearsal is on You Tube and available to all. I also highly recommend watching and hope that there might be more events like this in the future. The rehearsal footage allowed us to see how hard the dancers work, the stamina required, a look at how they develop their partnership and ‘tricks of the trade’ offered by Darcey Bussell. Enjoyed the Q&A too, lovely answers from a delightful couple and I wish I could see their performance on 1 January. Good luck to both!

I wholeheartedly agree with your comment @Blossom, every time I see the act 1 pdd I long to give the dancers the applause they deserve! Lovely photos from @Rob S. I would have loved to have seen this cast, particularly those in new roles, and am looking forward to seeing another Nutcracker at the ROH tomorrow.

I was so happy when I saw the cast sheet while travelling in this morning, it definitely lifted the spirits on a rainy day. It was lovely to Marianna Tsembenhoi and Giacomo Rovero perform on stage after watching the recent Insight rehearsal and I was delighted to see Francesca Hayward and Alex Campbell together. We also had Gary Avis, 24 snowflakes and much more so I’m very much looking forward to my next visit.

it’s a no from me although I really enjoyed seeing these amazing dancers in a very different production to Don Q, they’re so adaptable! 👏 👏 It was a privilege to see the dancers commit to the choreography and perform brilliantly at an 11:30am rehearsal but the ballet overall doesn’t move me. Very happy to have revisited this ballet at a reduced price but I’m unlikely to see it again.

I wholeheartedly agree @Jan McNulty, we certainly had fireworks last night! My heart was in my mouth at various points during the performance and I think watching on screen really allows us to fully appreciate the effort, strength and poise displayed by these wonderful dancers. 👏 👏

We had around 30+ at Bedford Cineworld so there are a few more ballet fans locally than I thought! 😃 I always enjoy the behind the scenes segments, so interesting and I really enjoyed this performance and close ups. I’d seen James Hay as Gamache earlier in this run but thought he was even better last night. I love to watch Isabella Gasparini and Leticia Dias in anything they do and they were great but my highlight of the evening was Calvin Richardson whose terrific characterisation and dancing as Espada was fabulous! Mayara and Matthew were sweet together and their dancing was amazing. Felt so sad for Mayara when she slipped but it didn’t detract from the success of the evening, they both excelled as Kitri and Basilio.

So pleased to hear that, really happy for them all. 😍

I found myself smiling throughout last night’s performance of this crazy ballet and watching all the debuts made it that extra bit special. Congratulations to the debutantes. 👏 I was so pleased for Meaghan Grace Hinkis, it was a fabulous night for her and lovely to see so many bouquets presented. I’ve always enjoyed watching Luca Acri and really liked his Basilio characterisation, indeed both dancers seemed to support each other beautifully during the evening. Did anyone get the chance to chat to the dancers at the stage door? I hope they all went home happy. I’m still quite new to Don Q and am looking forward to the cinema screening now as well as trying to see if I can get to London for one more show…🤔 @Occasional audience member, I’m sure you’ll have a great time. Hope you’re feeling much better today @Dawnstar