Bruce Wall

Both Jerwood and Davies facilities are listed in the Open City programme on line.

You can subscribe to the launch announcement for this new digital product and see a promo clip here http://on.aol.com/cityballet It is seemingly to be free for all and is sponsored by Citibank. It is executive produced and narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker, a NYCB board member.

Well, I guess that's better than being smothered by a trailing cloud of gauze during the second act of Bayadere, huh ...... Though either would be equally dramatic ... What of a ballerina slaughtered by embarrassment .... Now that (as an audience member) I myself have been witness to on a very few (but certainly memorable) occasions ...

I agree with Janet, Ann, on Orpheus ... Unlike so much of Balanchine's dazzling rep of 420 ballets .... this piece (Orpheus that is) was very much of its time and now falls (at least for me) sadly flat. For me I'd take a fine rendering of Brahms/Schoenberg or Mozartiana any day ... or oh, so many others ...

Thanks so for the information, Margaret. This is most helpful in terms of future expectation.

Thanks Margaret .... Can anyone see what Slips are being held ... just for the public interest ...

Well, I would have thought, Alison, that a segment of SW's funding to help support co-productions might have been aimed in this direction .... but then .... I wonder if there are restrictions in other (to be read: foreign) companies showing Ashton's work within a certain limit of the Royal Ballet's home. (I'm only asking as I can't myself remember seeing a non-British company for several decades doing Ashton in London ... other than the Schaufuss pick-up troupe doing Ashton's R&J which, of course, Schaufuss was responsible for bringing to ENB while he was director there and knowing that the original production had been staged for his parents in Denmark.) Certainly many foreign companies (including the Royal Ballet, Mariinsky and Bolshoi) have presented Balanchine immediately across the the plaza from NYCB's home, the (then) NY State now Koch Theatre. It would have been wonderful if NYCB had been able to piece together and bring - even as a one off - Les Illuminations during their last visit to London in 2008 (after a quarter of a century's absence). That ballet had, of course, been originally mounted with Ballet Society in New York prior to Ashton deciding to more permanently lodge the enormity of his gift in the UK. (That noted, Ashton himself said that he felt he was often more appreciated in America than in the UK. I know this as I heard him say it himself when I attended a talk he gave at the Joffrey School whist the main company (The Joffrey Ballet that is) was doing Wedding Bouquet and Fille at City Centre oh, so many years ago now. (The Joffrey hold a large canvas of the Ashton rep in their history.) That talk was graciously free and oh, so eagerly attended ... but those were, of course, different times.)

Understand, John .... and agree about the money .... 'in these difficult times' .... to quote the Prime Minister. It would be good if the impoverished could read a report. Will anything be published?

Would that some of the Sarasota specialties could be brought to Sadler's Wells for a showing

Janet, I agree with you vis a vis balance. As I have said before, I think once Carlos goes - and surely it can't be that very long - that I very much hope that the RB powers that be use the monies set aside for the PRINCIPAL GUEST ARTIST contract (the '25 performances per season' as established for Guillem) to fund a variety of 'guests' ('a principal guest artist' itself has always been a contradiction in terms at least to me) to show their skills honed in works for which they have been uniquely trained/tailored and for which the sharing of their expertise will be of the greatest benefit for ALL at the Royal Ballet (and here I would include audiences in the proverbial mix). That way ALL other monies and opportunities - such as have been earmarked for the RB dancers themselves - can be 'ring-fenced' (hate the word) for the further development of those within the ranks, e.g., ALL ranks. I agree with O'Hare that the focus at the bottom is most crucial given that is where the future top is to be defined and clearly needs to be cherished Such will I think re-establish the balance you are encouraging/desirous of Janet.

For myself I think that one has to give support to the Director. Kevin O'Hare is relatively new in his post. He has given more opportunity to young dancers - taking more in at the bottom of the ranks this season - than many other more recent former RB artistic leaders. He obviously has a vision he is trying to grow and does, I think, quite rightly not want to 'over-promote'. I, for one, applaud that. He has said he wants to concentrate on the development of the assignment of the British creative team (x3 in this case) and is building the shape of the company around this as is now reflected in ALL work. I also think that he has shown himself to be quite generous in giving a wide range of opportunities in a variety of works to the rank and file while not pushing the envelope beyond the appropriate guidelines which, as we have seen, can be even more damaging. In this specific instance he is balancing the opportunities offering a soloist much cherished on these boards an opportunity which might not otherwise have come (so soon) as well as bringing in guest artists from whom hopefully all (including they themselves) will profit. I think that is as prudent as one can be under the circumstances. As to the results of the gamble - of ANY such gamble - as ever - only time will tell. Blessedly this is not a fixed science - or we Balletcoforum types would have precious little to speak (or is that squawk!) about ... LOL

Dear Joan, That's exactly why I suggested HARLENQUINADE ... Something all can enjoy while not compromising on the choreographic or musical artistry. Call me prudish, but I for one am progressively distressed when I see ever more British parents/relatives bringing (very) young people to works like Mayerling where I fear the youngsters might well be forgiven for identifying (with justification) the art of ballet alongside a certain level of societal depravity inclusive of rape, drugs and homicide. They will, I'm certain, have plenty of time to read/learn about the later well away from the opera house/theatre itself. I suppose it's all a question of what people wish to have their children experience and certainly in this regard the RB offers a wide array of options whilst aspiring to celebrate the dictum: 'to each their own'..

Sorry duplication ... Would remove if I could ... See above ..

One thing I would like the to have the Royal Ballet attempt because I think (a) it would be popular for them (as it has a complete two act narrative and is both for and with children) and ( as it would serve as a wonderful vehicle for some of the less tall male dancers like James Hay is Balanchine's HARLEQUINADE ... or for Ricardo. I know I have mentioned this before ... but have never found a video segment from it before and I know many will have not had a chance to see it in New York. Now I have found one. This is one on a very small make-shift stage of Jimmy Carter's White House. The chandelier is almost as large as the stage. (You will see Robbins in the audience's second row). This segment is of the central second act pas de deux between Harlequin and Columbine and is danced by Baryshnikov (what a glorious balletic artist he was) and the ALWAYS enchanting Patti McBride ... as well as two small groups of very young children from SAB in the interlocking interludes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL_OJbNK-Sw&feature=youtu.be I very much hope that you might enjoy this.

Also, as has been pointed out much earlier in this chain by one of the ROH's own Student Advisors, the ROH itself advised that it was changing their policy to ADD the 10 SCS & 10 slips places per performance to students only as the availability of the afore-referenced Standby Scheme had already become relatively rare and as they themselves projected that it would become progressively more so in the future.

Yes, that would be a fairer way to deal with it .... for ALL ... but I would imagine almost impossible to administrate. Still, I suppose, where there is a will there would be a way. Question is; Is there the will? .... Another Trust surely ... That might do the trick ... only after, that is, the funds from this pony have been exhausted.

Many of those who contributed to this chain might be interested in this new film link put out yesterday by NYCB on Swan Lake with two ballerinas (both very talented; both very different dancers) Ashley Bouder and the truly exquisite (well, from my perspective) Sara Mearns. They speak about their experiences and approach to Swan Lake in Peter Martins' production (which has to - from a design perspective - be one of the ugliest I've ever seen.) That said among contemporary ballerinas I truly feel that Sara Mearns must stand amongst the international best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v19PaQ6XF48&feature=player_embedded#t=275 It would be wonderful to see her be able to guest with the Royal in this (or so much else for that matter). Perhaps the Royal might like to try (as a one off) presenting Balanchine's one act take on the Ivanov classic ... which had so many different solos he choreographed for the various dancers who performed it. (If you are in NY there are wonderful tapes of these differences in the Robbins Collection at the NYC Lincoln Center Public Library. They are available with free access as an educational outlet for the better understanding of all.)

I have long advised a Jerome Robbins holiday to friends devoted to the art form. If you go during June you can overlap both NYC Ballet and ABT and spend the rest of the time on the third floor of the Lincoln Center Library. (You'll be amazed who you may see at a karol close to you This resource helped seed so much of my own knowledge of dance. I do not have the words to thank all those involved for this amazing outpouring of joy. When I was living in NY - some time ago now it is true - I so used to look forward to their opening hours. It is a truly invaluable public service (in the truest sense of the term) and, hey, you can't beat the price. Surely many of the long standing balletcouk members have already availed themselves of this unique facility. I would be sincerely shocked if that hadn't been the case. Seeing is, after all - at least in dance - believing. For me that is the only way to truly open horizons and inform .... and this allows a unique window into the past .... and aids in allowing one to actively and creatively project and evaluate the future. (Many of the special cinema showings here ... at the BFI, etc. ... and at considerable cost it must be said ... have sourced their materials (including many, many instances of British dance history) from this collection. Bless our friends in NYC for preserving it so openly and well as they do.) Would that there were a similar library facility that could be set up here with a direct link to the ever expanding Robbins Collection catalog. I only fear that access in such a case would find its way to being made - in one way or another - exclusive (knowing the ways of certain UK institutions) and that would ultimately defeat the overall educational purpose for which the collection was quite rightly established. If it could be sustained according to its original guidelines that would be grand. If not, a deafening NO. Certainly a link to such an educational entity as this (perhaps as part of our so called 'special relationship') would be well worth the public subsidy in my book .. but then, .... who am I???

Ref: NYT: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/08/29/arts/dance/that-40s-pas-de-deux-you-can-still-catch-it.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=nytimesarts& In my book it is. The world has much to thank Jerome Robbins for ... And to think ... this is (a) open to all and ( free ... no matter what your economic, national, academic, (etc.) status ... I can think of several very well funded arts organisations (let alone national libraries) that could profit from this example.

I have to in part agree with Fonteyn22 here. I very much admired Mr. Cope's fine work - especially as a partner to Guillem in so many works - as much as early on with his wife, Maria Almeida - as well as in the aforementioned Mayerling to which I agree he give surprising scope to that particular piece's quite obvious and oft times rattling bones (whilst recognising some superior pas de deux, of course, at intermittent intervals.) I don't know however that I would immediately ascribe Cope to the international heights of, say, my two previous suggestions of Manuel Legris or Peter Boal. Somehow (again for me ONLY) his work - while very fine in so many regards - lacked that ultimate and very personal radiance that might have carried it aloft to those most rarefied of heights.

Just to say I saw the production in Warsaw and agree as to its conceptual quality.

Vis a vis the opening suggestion. I thought this an effective introduction to a season representing a stylistic whole understandable to many in a brief but inviting fragment. http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=554014 Refreshingly clean, not cluttered.

Ref BBC : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b038x4x1 Otherwise she would 'rather not talk about it'.

Thanks so much Bluebird, Jane S and Alymer (any relation to Sir Felix?) for your correction vis a vis Opus 19/The Dreamer. I do love the ballet so I'm so pleased that it has been done by the Royal Ballet and seen here as performed by NYCB. I would have been in NYC myself during the Royal stint (and in 1986 just starting my time as a director on staff at the Met.) Though I did frequently hop back throughout that period, there were long stretches when I was away ... and my memory has, I fear, dimmed with age. Bless you.

Chrischris, if you wanted to see two excellent examples of danseur nobles (and I agree with Alison that they are VERY rare - and with Beryl H that Muntagirov gives every indication he may well yet go on to grow into the heady ranks of such) I would suggest that you might like to look at MANUEL LEGRIS or PETER BOAL. Here you can see Legris with a young Guillem in Grand Pas Classique http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNA4iIN-dbQ with his home company, the Paris Opera Ballet. (Legris is now the director of the Vienna State (Opera) Ballet. While he did guest with the Royal Ballet, I fear the large brunt of his glorious career was sadly missed by those who did not travel beyond the UK's borders. You might be interested to see him do that stunning solo from Balanchine's Square Dance when guesting with NYCB: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAFYjUOFVhs&feature=player_embedded#t=11 Balanchine inserted this long after the ballet was first premiered to 'celebrate the art of the danseur'. This remains a thing of great beauty and I feel so privileged to have been there when this was filmed in a live performance. Here (more familiar to straight RB watchers) he dances the second act pas from Giselle with Alina who surely had never been MORE lovingly partnered in it than in this Tokyo outing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsEGld44LIE&feature=player_embedded#t=11 Here you can see Peter Boal in the opening segments from Balanchine's vivacious Agon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud8zVcHPnuM as performed with his native stamping ground, the New York City Ballet. (He was hired and coached by Balanchine while at SAB but joined the company on the day the great master died! How's that for luck.) He also danced for a year in France. He, like Legris - who danced the same assignment in Agon at the Paris Opera with that stunning solo - brought his extraordinary line and informed grandeur to ALL that he ever did. I was lucky enough to see him in oh, so, so many roles. Dancers knew both as 'the danseur's dancer'. There is one performance of Boal's extraordinary talent in Robbins' Opus 19/The Dreamer that will stand ever fixed in my memory. Sadly this grand work has yet to be seen in the UK. Boal, whose mother was British and who in fact got married in this country, never guested with the Royal Ballet (sadly) although he did with the Birmingham Royal Ballet (as his grandfather - of the Cadbury family - hailed from there). He is now the Director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company. These are two GREAT examples of danseur nobles ... at least in my estimation ... They mix artistic distinction with elegant charisma both when supporting themselves and others, inclusive of their audience. These lads (as did Dowell before them) reached out and touched many. Both, in a sense Nureyev would have understood and brought how to the West, knew how to walk on stage. Their work was viscerally exciting, crossed world borders and remains cherished by history long after their names have ceased to actively grace contemporary marquees.