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jmhopton

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Everything posted by jmhopton

  1. jmhopton
    You and me both, Fonty. Raymonda is the only ballet that attracts me at all and even then it is just for the novelty of the restaging (and hopefully a brief return of Alina!) as it's never a ballet that's had great appeal to me. Something lively and colourful like Corsaire would have been more to my taste as I seem to have been frustrated with my number one choice of Fille at the ROH. I'm hoping for a 'pending' Manchester visit as at least then I won't have the expense of a London trip for something that may ultimately disappoint.
  2. jmhopton
    How do they do it?
  3. jmhopton
    Just in case any programme planners read our offerings I would like to put in a plea for several of the Ashton triple to be programmed concurrently. One of our favourite recent ballet experiences was for Terry and myself to see 3 consecutive performances of the Firebird triple in summer 2019 (including Month in Country and Symphony in C). We saw Vadim twice in Month in the Country and once in Symphony in C and it was heaven. Fabulous performances by everyone. When you live a distance away as we do it's expensive to keep travelling backwards and forwards on top of the hotel bills. It's great if you can see performances in a block. If the cinema broadcast could be a different time even better. Then I can take my usual friends to the cinema and enjoy it there as well. When they show the Ashton triple I want Terry and myself to have a few days in London and CELEBRATE IN STYLE! On a different note if Kevin wants to have modern choreographers why doesn't he nurture his home-grown talent and commission Valentino Zucchetti again? I was so impressed with the Pennefather films and also the modern piece we saw on WBD. He has a great talent and someone whose choreography I would love to pay and see.
  4. jmhopton
    Fabulous. That's me sorted then!!!!!!!! What a terrific triple though I suppose if I wanted to be really picky I could have wished for Les Rendezvous rather than Rhapsody as (despite what Kevin says) it's not that long since we saw Rhapsody with Two Pigeons. I love it but as it's available on dvd already I'd have liked something not available (I'm being optimistic here and assuming there will be a dvd as the only recording I know of Month in the Country features Dowell. It's wonderful of course but I would love one with Vadim. He was so terrific when we saw him.) You can keep your Wheeldon and Macgregor. That's all I want to see. Every night if possible!! Also want to see the Swan Lake debuts I missed and debuts in Giselle and possibly Romeo. I suppose it's too much to hope Fille will somehow find it's way into summer programming? I mustn't be too greedy!!
  5. jmhopton
    Hear, hear Bridem! A great way of expressing the effect Ashton choreography has on so many of us. I felt I had to say this as the computer would only allow me to 'like' your performance once instead of the (minimum) 5 'likes' I would have otherwise given your comment.
  6. jmhopton
    My first choice would definitely have been Fille but as its already been taken several times perhaps I could slightly cheat and go for an Ashton mixed bill (still only one programme!) that would include Vadim dancing Month in the Country, but also possibly some Ashton not already mentioned such as Patiners, Facade or Birthday Offering. The whole programme being filmed for cinema broadcast with hopefully a dvd or TV slot to follow.
  7. jmhopton
    SkyArts are also showing Northern Ballet's Casanova at 6.30am Sun 28th March. Also Billy Elliott at 9pm on the same day.
  8. jmhopton
    Thanks Dawnstar for saying what I thought but couldn't quite bring myself to say! We obviously think along similar lines. I'm dying to get back to the ROH but wouldn't risk a 200 mile train journey and an overnight stay to see Within the Golden Hour. Frankly, I'm not sure if I'd walk down the road to see it having seen it at the cinema and the livestream. Twice is more than enough. I can see why they're doing it as dancers won't need as much rehearsal time. Though regarding the train a friend told me someone she knew got the train from Blackpool to London and was the only person on it! I do like the idea of a socially distanced theatre though. Uninterrupted sightlines! No tall or fidgetty person just in front of you. Bliss! Also, I'm sure everyone will be so pleased at being in a theatre again they'll make just as much noise as if there were 2,000+. Will be interesting to see what the other programmes are, perhaps they'll prove more of a dilemma. I hope they stream all of them then perhaps I'll wait until autumn when I'll feel safer at travelling and not risking compromising my husband's health. I'm hoping for la Fille and/or an Ashton mixed bill and I'm sure Swan Lake will feature.
  9. jmhopton
    Sadly the plan for a theatre museum in Blackpool partly funded by the V and A fell by the wayside and I don't know of another. It is terrible that the country of Shakespeare, and such a vibrant theatrical tradition, cares so little for this vital artform that a proper theatrical museum can't be funded. I used to go to the Theatre Museum when it was in Covent Garden and for some reason I never really liked it. I think it was the building that seemed to go almost underground. I loved the displays and costumes but just wished it was elsewhere in covent garden. It would be a tragedy if all those artifacts including ballet costumes, were hardly to be seen again or were destroyed because of lack of care.
  10. jmhopton
    Just a short 2 minute clip but interesting to see Dowell, as Nijinsky thoroughly upstaging Nureyev's Valentino. Not something that probably happened often!
  11. jmhopton
    Swan Lake would be a great opener for the public, especially with the debuts I never got to see. From a selfish point of view I might prefer something else as I don't think I will be travelling 200 miles to London and staying overnight before autumn at the earliest. Also, Kevin may prefer to start with a mixed bill or a series of concerts that would be cheaper to stage, given the theatre will be less than half full. Also they wouldn't need massed corps de ballet rehearsals which may still be tricky. I think Swan Lake will return in autumn, hopefully with something cheerful like Fille or Coppelia.
  12. jmhopton
    Just giving this a boost as it's on tonight. Hopefully some if not all programmes will be available on iplayer for a month for UK residents. Haven't seen anything on ROH website/social media about the anniversary but haven't looked that closely.
  13. jmhopton
    I found it very poignant. A reminder (if one was needed) about what we had been missing, but the glimpses of ballets being danced and worked on gives us hope for the (hopefully not too distant) future. A very imaginative and worthwhile production.
  14. jmhopton
    ROH shop are having another sale. Calendars half price and some reduced dvds. https://shop.roh.org.uk/collections/sale?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2021_Feb_Shop_Sale&utm_content=version_A&emailsource=52897
  15. jmhopton
    It's the thirtieth anniversary of her death. Nice that the BBC remember it and think it worth celebrating.
  16. jmhopton
    How did I forget The Dream with a combination of that wonderful romantic score, fabulous fairies and several estranged couples happily reunited at the end. Just had a great romantic evening watching it. Lockdown does have its occasional uses.
  17. jmhopton
    Coincidentally, just finished watching it. It's interesting to see performances from quite a few years ago and see who's still with the Company. I see Laura Morera and Sarah Lamb were two of Lise's friends, Bennet Gartside was a friend of Colas and Steven Mcrae was leading the pony! Now going to watch 2 Pigeons and have a great Ashton day!!!
  18. jmhopton
    You and me both, Janet.
  19. jmhopton
    There was another cast filmed only a year or two ago and shown at the cinema. Steven Heathcote played the older man, whereas he was the young Count in the earlier version. Don't know which version Sky are showing. Of the two I think I actually prefer the earlier version but they're both good. Loved seeing Marianela as the Widow, streamed from Argentina last year during lockdown.
  20. jmhopton
    It's a great 'interview' though you don't see anything of the interviewer and more dance footage would be good. The filmed location is lovely. Don't know if it's Marcellinos London home but if it is it looks terrific. I always enjoy listening to Marcellino and this is really worth watching. I've already forwarded it on to several ballet friends. Makes me long to see him onstage again, preferably in a full length La Fille.
  21. jmhopton
    There is a link on the website you can click on to inform you when it's published so I've done this. Sounds really interesting. Wish they hadn't limited it to 160 but if it sells well perhaps they'll do another. He must have written thousands.
  22. jmhopton
    I got this email too but haven't been able to track down the book at all. If anyone does see publication details of it perhaps they'll be good enough to post it here. I'd be interested in buying it as I loved his reviews. Even if you didn't always agree with him they were never boring.
  23. jmhopton
    YAY!!!!!! Certainly is, for me anyway!! Loved the RB Elite Syncopations so have no pressing need to see another version just yet. Facade would be terrific.
  24. jmhopton
    I just caught up with this performance today and it's still free. While enjoying the performance I can sympathise with DanJLs point of view as I often have the same reaction to POB dancers. I suppose it's not really fair to compare them with RB dancers as I know the latter so much better and they always do a lot more for me, especially in the dramatic ballets like Macmillan's. I gave up with POB Manon as I felt the characters such as GM didn't do it justice (though I was probably just missing Gary, or Christopher Saunders!) I too often find POB a bit 'cold', especially the female dancers, and not so easy to relate to though I'm not sure why. Perhaps they don't have the RB acting skills. The great thing about ballet is we all see things differently. It would be boring if we all liked the same. I think I enjoyed this programme more than I thought I would because they were essentially plotless ballets where I think POB excels. I even enjoyed the masked defile and thought it a great way to launch a new season and would like the RB to do the same to launch their new season every year. It made the stage look incredibly deep and I found it really quite emotional. Loved all the ballets too.
  25. jmhopton
    I'm sure you'll not be disappointed Jeanette. Fabulous performances by all the dancers. As it was quite long I thought it might get a bit boring and sameish but not at all. I was engrossed and actually preferred it to the Cellist.
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