Roberta

Darcey Bussell and Norah Roche? Same. 800 of us. The head did know me however, though not really for the right reasons! Some schools nowadays have 2500 students, on varying sites. You'd have to be the Memory Man (or woman) to know every one. Yes the role is defined by those writing the job description. The role is monitored by governors / trustees. I very much suspect the continuing international nature of the role will be part of that. I also think the role at the RBS may well be a poisoned chalice in the short term, with all the publicity which is bound to ensue pending probable up coming court action, so an excellent PR person is also needed, though in the interest of not prejudicing any possible hearings we need to not discuss here any details.

I think the role is an international one nowadays. I don't think there can be any doubt about that. It's how ballet is now. I think teaching experience is vital to the role of AD, but I think excellent teachers at both schools should be left to get on with daily teaching of their students, who they know and who appreciate from day to day what needs to be worked on. I think the AD should be around both schools as a friendly presence, and drop in to watch class from time to time, but I really don't think being an occasional guest teacher is going to add hugely to student progress.

I suspect had these been inserted (I'm sure @Irmgardwouldn't dream of allowing it, as the guardian of Miss Skeaping's work) the phantom of Mary Skeaping may well have been seen flitting in and out of the line-up of Wilis to glower at the perps! She may have even taken up Cecchetti's big stick (she was a distinguished proponent of his 'method'). Her history with this ballet goes back to dancing it with Pavlova's company. Long may this lovely, genuinely Romantic production continue. Others can do melodrama and crowd pleasers, those who prefer subtlety and more than a nod to ballet history really should go and see it while you can.

I think you'll find this is something that occurs in many mainstream schools also, especially in large Academies, with a head who oversees more than one site. Many of those are quite successful schools. A head of a smallish school (1000 isn't huge these days) who only has to oversee that school and not play a part on wider world stage of excellence really can't be compared to the AD of the RBS in these times I don't think. I don't see that dropping in and out and teaching one off classes is adding a great deal to individual student progress, and it all becomes too insular and the role really is much wider ranging and international now. There are only so many hours in a day, and if you have excellent staff hired to teach, I think they should be allowed to get on with doing that.

Ferri though has her roots in the Royal Ballet. She was trained at the RBS Upper School, and began her stellar career in the company. Perhaps her return to Covent Garden should be considered less as guesting, more as a return to her family! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandra_Ferri

I don't think Mary Skeaping (who died 9th February 1984) can be blamed for the poor lighting in 2024. I don't recall it being too dark to see when I first saw her LFB Giselle way back in the early 1970s. Obviously, a certain amount of gloom is required to build up the atmosphere of the forest, though not so much that it defeats the ability to see what is happening.

I don't know that being taught personally by the AD is really very relevant in 2024 TBH. I'm not sure what it would add to the student experience or progress. The AD hires experienced staff to teach and how many classes are there at White Lodge and the upper school? My view is it's better to have continuity, daily class with teachers who know each student from daily contact, with the AD perhaps sitting in on classes occasionally.

More clogging! (I love the BFI refers to this as an 'Orphan Work', a film without an identified rights owner.) If anyone would like a pair of clogs, there are still makers toiling on. https://simonbrock.co.uk/how-its-made In 2023 Heritage Crafts released its revised Red List of Endangered Crafts. Clog Making is still listed as ‘Critically Endangered’.

Stanley Holden clogging is on YouTube, with Nerina. The original and the best.

This was quite a thing in movies and stage speciality acts at the time. There are many clips on YouTube from thirties movies. The shoes were not ordinary pointe shoes but had strong metal shanks which propped the dancer up. Tough as old boots!

Yes to both of those. The tea brought on trays was, indeed, a treat during the interval. Smoke filled theatres and cinemas? Not so much. Not only were there ashtrays, but also metal match striker plates in some venues. The Theatre Royal at Lincoln has issued these guidelines on theatre etiquette. That this is necessary at all is a sign of our times perhaps. https://www.newtheatreroyallincoln.co.uk/theatre-etiquette-2/

Romantic ballet isn't romantic ballet though. Sadly we don't have lifting and flying machinery utilised nowadays to really make the Wilis fly! Gaslight, flitting and flying phantoms, it must have been quite terrifying. https://www.ballet.org.uk/blog-detail/mary-skeapings-research-into-recreating-giselle/

Lovely and greatly appreciated. Thank you @Dawnstar.

I'm assuming people know the late Mary Skeaping's history as dancer (she danced with Pavlova) then noted dance historian & reconstructer? Also that she used historical sources to guide her choreography for GIselle for the then London Festival Ballet? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Skeaping Enjoy it for what it is is my suggestion. Though obviously it is not a totally authentic reconstruction of the ballet as it was at its premiere it is certainly not one which incorporates all the later lifts and show off steps for audience applause. The perfume of Romanticism is a glory in its own right. https://www.ballet.org.uk/blog-detail/mary-skeapings-research-into-recreating-giselle/ @Irmgard Berry was MIss Skeaping's assistant / collaborator. I'm so grateful for the insights posted here, thank you so much. Buy the programme! Anyone in New York, go listen. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/4c6c7540-c325-0133-5faa-60f81dd2b63c

I saw the Georgian State Dance Company live on a tour of the UK many years ago. The men were astounding too, in a different way to the astonishing floating women. Try YouTube.

If you look at the CV of the outgoing Artistic Director & CEO of the Royal Ballet School, you will see that the role is wide ranging, international, and a highly qualified and experienced person is required. A dancing career, followed by teaching qualifications and experience, management and admin expertise and experience for this pressured role are all part of the expected skill set in these times. A life as a dancer and then coaching at the Royal Ballet once retired I doubt will even get anyone an interview in 2024. https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/discover/people/christopher-powney/ Darcey Bussell was a late entrant to White Lodge, so wasn't as advanced as other students in her year. She worked extremely hard as a student to catch up. Her talent was obvious as a student. She was carefully nurtured. Her destination was always going to be Covent Garden, though this wasn't apparently communicated to her at the time; she was given a year in the touring company to gain more experience. Her first role was as a snowflake in Nutcracker. Kenneth MacMillan chose her to create the lead in Prince of the Pagodas and so she was moved to the London Royal Ballet. She didn't spring from nowhere, undiscovered. Jonathan Cope is 60. I doubt he'd be interested in applying for the job, even if he had the skill set and qualifications. I think a certain amount of realism needs to come into play when bandying names around as the next AD?

It's possible alternative casts are not yet fully rehearsed and certain dancers not even in London right now? Last night's cast was all ready to go again.

The wonderful Brian Cathcart on The Sun. https://bylinetimes.com/2023/07/12/the-bbc-presenter-scandal-every-editor-and-reporter-who-helped-promote-the-suns-story-should-feel-shame/ Coruscating. The press in this country is a national shame, as is the sham of a press regulator in IPSO. We should have had Leveson 2 and it was cancelled.

Don't YAGP contestants also have to participate in earlier rounds, semi finals and those include masterclasses and class? YAGP broadcasts (all on YouTube) untold hours from all over the world of class as well as the final stage competition dances. I don't think all a contestant has to do is turn up and perform on stage to be judged solely on that performance? https://www.youtube.com/live/8k9_VFG6krM?si=ufKhjj9jdeUE7bKK

Ratmansky's Giselle Act II is available to watch on YouTube, excerpts and also split into sections. As I recall it, Albrecht certainly is made to dance to exhaustion, utilising a wider variety of steps, grand allegro, and far more interesting choreography than simply repeating 32 six. Everyone will have their own views and favourite versions, of course. At the end of this article, Ratmansky discusses his sources, though he states he has altered the version he did for the Bolshoi when he restaged it for the United Ukrainian Ballet. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/sep/18/united-ukrainian-ballet-giselle-coliseum-london-review-alexei-ratmansky-a-moving-act-of-defiance In some older versions of Giselle, Albrecht dies at the end anyhow. These days, we like to consider Giselle's love beyond the grave has saved him from her fellow Wilis. Ratmansky has Giselle telling him to go back to his fiancé before she sinks back into the cold, cold ground. The original question of Skeaping's choreography? No not the 32 six, unless you're determined to change it on the night, in which case you'd better pull it off with aplomb.

It's quite some time ago I last saw this version of Giselle, however the entrechats six, as far as I recall, are not part of Skeaping's choreography. They have been danced, though unscheduled, by Cesar Corrales. He then spoke about his own approach to entering the stage on his first performance in the role. “Normally Albrechts do the entrechats six, but not in that version, so I had never rehearsed them . But I just love those ‘sixes’ so much that I said to myself ‘I have to do this tonight.’, which is a most dangerous thing, which is something you should not do at all. I never prepared for it. People work for those famous entrechats for weeks and weeks to get the stamina for it. I decided to run in, get into the centre and everyone is looking ‘What is he doing, what is about to happen’ and I could imagine Irek saying to me ‘oh my god, what has he done?’” Linda said: “I saw you do that, that was a bit naughty but you brought it off, didn’t you?” “Luckily I pulled it off,” Cesar agreed. “I just managed to get to the end without literally having a heart attack but they were quite impressed. No-one was super angry or anything. But they told me ‘you could have hurt yourself pretty badly, especially when you don’t practice it. Your body needs to have the stamina for it.’” https://www.tlbc.org.uk/resources/135-in-conversation-with-cesar-corrales There's an assumption that the six was an introduction by Nureyev, see John Percival's biography, as an alternative to 'traditional' brisées though the Nureyev 32 six may only have been an introduction to the Royal Ballet version and may have been performed elsewhere prior to that. I need to find my John Percival and double check what it says. Serge Lifar is also credited with the entrechats in the 1930s. Ratmansky doesn't have either to the best of my recall, and it's better for the omission. I dislike the 32 six as the audience tend to treat them as some huge feat and clap along in time. Nureyev loved that. He's quoted as saying he did 24 and if the audience was applauding he'd carry on to 32. It's really not required in Giselle, and breaks the mood. The story of Nadia Nerina wickedly substituting 32 six for the fouetté turns in Swan Lake one night, while grinning widely, is amusing, though I understand Nureyev didn't laugh. There's further discussion on an old Ballet Alert thread which has further information, however don't treat any of this as set in stone either. the solo was introduced by Lifar in the 1930s (when he danced it at the Paris Opera with Spessivtseva). He performed the apparently endless series of entrechats. https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/3324-question-6-entrechats-or-brises/ A quick skim through Cyril Beaumont and there's no mention of 32 six being part of the choreography as he describes it, 1944 revised 1945. Nor does he say anything about numerous exhausting brisées. He's very sniffy about Lifar and his overacting, so I suspect had they been performed by him he'd have sniffed at those as far too vulgarly crowd pleasing. If anyone can add to what I've said, or has alternative information, then please do post. This is off the top of my head and I'm happy to be corrected. Giselle, remarkable survivor though it is, as we know it now is not Giselle as it would have been seen at its premiere, even Skeaping's version, no matter how much we'd like to consider we are seeing something handed down, unsullied, through the ages.

There is a long and troubled history regarding the renumeration of dancers in Japan, with payment by performance and other problems. This is being addressed at the NBJ at least, which will mean talented dancers have some assurance they can make a career in Japan. The AD addresses this here https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/news/ballet-dance/2324-season-ballet-dance.html

Apologies, it is La Bayadere. https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/news/ballet-dance/2324-season-ballet-dance.html

There has been discussion in this post topic of the YAGP and job fairs. The YAGP has run job fairs since 2015. The YAGP is now running its job fairs as standalone events, after the success of doing this in 2023, when over 70 job offers were made by partner companies. The 2024 fairs will take place in Stuttgart and in Nashville USA in February 2024. All the information is on the website via this link https://yagp.org/yagp-2024-job-fair/

Hello @Peanut68. Japan does have ballet companies. It has a national company in the National Ballet of Japan, which was founded in 1997. David Bintley was Artistic Director for a while I think around 2010 -11? Miyako Yoshida (former principal dancer with the Royal Ballet) is currently the AD, and she certainly seems to be ambitious for her company. The company dances the big classics as well as new works. Raymonda is one of the ballets scheduled for 2024. NBJ participated in World Ballet Day 2023 with an excellent company class, displaying a very high standard of dancing indeed (sadly no longer available to watch online). There was also an excerpt from its new ballet The Tragedy of Macbeth, choreographed by Will Tuckett, which was on a double bill with Fredericks Ashton's The Dream. The company has over 70 dancers. It has a school. The company tours abroad widely. https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/news/ballet/NBJ-WorldBalletDay2023.html https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/about/nnt-ballet-school.html There are, of course, other companies in Japan. With regard to Japanese students receiving further funded training at the Royal Ballet School, this can surely only be a good thing for both ballet in general, and the students themselves? The Kinoshita Group is sponsoring far more than training for Japanese students and perhaps we should be grateful that it is supporting the school so generously, as a big corporate sponsor. Without such sponsors I suspect the school would be struggling financially to do all it does. https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2023/02/17/the-royal-ballet-school-partnership-with-kinoshita-group/ Hope this helps.