Beryl H

Today's Times has an interesting interview with Sarah Lamb, I agree she could be called the "Hitchcock blonde" of the ballet world

ENB for example do the same thing, I think it has become expected, there are several variations in the way the Russians dance SB, in the grand pdd there are no fish dives, Aurora's rise onto pointe from the floor is not so slow, in general the Russian version seems easier. I was watching the film that was found in Keith Money's garage the other night, Fiona Chadwick explains how Margot Fonteyn held a position for it to register, and I agree today's dancers move through the choreography without stopping too long in a position, maybe that's why Fonteyn's arabesques always look so wonderful!

Yes, Osipova and Vasiliev are dancing all the evening performances, Bondareva and Matvienko the 31st matinee.

Indeed they have changed, probably the same time that I booked a ticket at the Box-Office on Friday, for the 27th! The first advert I have seen is in today's Sunday Times and casting for Don Q and Laurencia is indicated, obviously the Coliseum realises it is very necessary.

I would like it to be a serious dramatic work this time, a complete contrast to Alice

Although I had seen 2 casts on 29th December and enjoyed this triple bill I had misgivings about going last night with all the negative reviews in the press and cast changes, but agree it was a great one, the best of the 3 I think, I particularly wanted to see Roberta Marquez as Firebird and wasn't disappointed and I always enjoy seeing Valeri Hristov who replaced Thiago Soares, Helen Crawford made more of the Princess role than usual too. Enjoyed In the Night even more this time, the dancers having gained more experience, must say I loved Zenaida Yanovsky and Nehemiah Kish! and Roberta Marquez and Carlos Acosta's interpretation of a tempestuous couple! Ryoichi Hirano looked more relaxed this time too, he and Zenaida had a very warm assured partnership, there are some wonderful solo's, surprisingly restrained but they come from the gentler first and second acts I think, looking forward to seeing ENB's version.

To book or not to book, anyway I gave it a go just now and the front row of the Balcony £15 is available online, usually it isn't, but only for Don Quixote which I quickly booked as I can only go on Saturday, can't get the same for the other ballets! I will keep trying. Don't forget that Easter comes in the middle of this Season, 29th March is Good Friday, there's nothing on Easter Monday.

Thanks, I'm going a second time in 3 weeks and really want to know which dancers I'll be seeing.

The tree problem was spoken about during the cinema screening interval, if anyone touches any part of the equipment accidentally it stops and they have to bring the curtain down, perhaps that happened.

Thanks for this, sounds better for me than the Duke of Yorks, only need 1 bus journey, cheaper too, still hate turning out on a Sunday afternoon though even for the Bolshoi!

This low level lighting has been a problem at the ballet for years and seems to be getting worse, I'm sure it looks worse from higher up, but the stage should be well enough lit for everyone in the auditorium to see. I thought Firebird and In the Night were indistinct on Saturday, what a difference when the curtain went up for Raymonda, the only thing I didn't like here was that from the upper amphi the patterned stage clashed with the dancers' costumes. The first pdd of In the Night was the worst(apparently dancers call this ballet In the Dark) and the third pdd has shafts of light, which was better.

I've read somewhere that in Russia it is considered very rude for a woman to smack her hands and Russian ballerinas merely touch their palms together in Raymonda's solo (honestly), must admit it is more graceful. I saw both of yesterday's triple bills, too many dancers to mention at the moment, except how fantastic Roberta Marquez and Carlos Acosta were in the third In the Night pdd, wonderful dramatic dancing!!!

Yes, all these dates are starting to confuse me, there's an awful lot on at the Coliseum next year

The Mikhailovsky London tour is now on their website, 25 April to 7th March: Giselle, Don Quixote, Laurencia and Nacho Duarto triple bill, dancers including Osipova, Vasiliev, Sarafanov, Semionova and Gomes.

I've seen PD several times so it must have been on separate occasions, I am very disappointed with the ballets chosen this time, the only must-see ones are La Bayadere and Rite of Spring, the rest will be for the casting only!

Many thanks to the committee and moderators who have kept ballet.co running this last year, I appreciate the time and expertise it must take, a very Happy Christmas and New Year to eveyone who uses this website!

I didn't notice slow tempi in the national dances particularly, but did think the lighting was down at the beginning, I missed some of the details, also there's a gauze across the front stage at the start.

I saw yesterday afternoon's matinee and agree that Shiori Kase was very beautiful and assured as Clara, most of all in the Act 2 pdd which is extremely difficult in this version, this was helped very much by the partnering of Arionel Vargas, who showed great ease and delight in this role, he was equally good last year when he partnered Anais Chalendard at short notice! The ballet itself didn't seem to look quite as good this time round in the first act, the party is boring, there's not much of a transformation scene and I prefer the adagio to be just a pdd, the constant changing from Drossmelmeyer, Nutcracker and Nephew is confusing. The snowflake waltz is lovely though, and after the Mouse King episode is over it's non-stop dancing until the end, I really liked the Mirlitons dance with Adela Ramirez, Guilherme Menezes was good in the Spanish, I didn't mind the Arabian Dance given to a man, Fabian Reimair, but the duet with Freddy was odd and out of place. It was Shiori Kase who made this performance so special though and I was pleased to see her on the Nutcracker's 120th anniversary. I was surprised by some empty Balcony seats, if you look online it appears sold out but yesterday did have unsold ones, there were school parties so maybe the Coliseum book whole blocks, also I've noticed before that often the first 2 rows are empty as you can't book them online, another Coliseum ticket policy that irritates me, there are quite a few, glad others think so too!

Saw this last night at the cinema, it was really like being at the ROH, I liked the way the camera stayed in place all through the interval looking down into the auditorium, first time I've ever seen the view from the Grand Tier! Watching ballet on any screen is always a compromise but a lovely way to bring it to a huge world-wide audience, only a small cinema but nearly full last night, what a luxury to be able to stay until the very end, saunter out into the night and get home within an hour! No technical faults at all, good sound quality, just thought the picture was a little dull, although I know this is a well lit production. We were handed a cast sheet on entrance to the cinema but lights kept down all the time so couldn't read it, recognised most dancers anyway. Steven McRae's solo's were especially thrilling to see close up, perfect, and I enjoyed Melissa Hamilton and Ryoichi Hirano too, but I thought everyone danced well, a very joyous night!

Just noticed that next Tuesday 18th December BBC1 has an Imagine documentary with Alan Yentob about the creation of Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty, 10.35-11.35pm, sounds very interesting, possibly the only new ballet programme, apart from the Vienna New Year Gala.

I saw last night's, it appears it was the press night and it was a great performance, but it will take another viewing to really get into, for a start I'm not exactly sure who I saw, the programme lists 2 or 3 casts for the major roles and no cast list was available, maybe there's one online? Also there's no synopsis, the only time I've needed one for Sleeping Beauty and I was rather confused. Some of the costumes and designs are fabulous, Act 2 being a highlight, and it looks as if Matthew Bourne just might have been a little inspired by Petipa, there seems to be more actual ballet dancing than usual, looking forward to seeing it again when I know more about it, if anyone else did go last night and knows the casting I'd be grateful, Count Lilac and Caradoc in particular were brilliant and seemed to get the most applause.

I didn't realise Zdenek Konvalina dances with National Ballet of Canada as well as ENB, I should see him just before Christmas in The Nutcracker.

The Christmas double issue is on sale this Saturday 8th December, that's the third issue in one week.

Amazon have a new recording of the Mariinsky Nutcracker for release on Monday 3rd December, DVD £10.49 and Blu-Ray £16.09 pre-order price, which doesn't leave long, Alina Somova is dancing, I've seen a Youtube clip of the snow scene and she was beautiful.

Thanks for listing all this, I was determined not to book until I did know the casting, now there are very few seats left!