jmhopton

I was watching at the Preston odeon and there was a transmission break of over five minutes in the last act and just at the most crucial point (for me anyway). I'd really enjoyed all the ballet but I was so looking forward to seeing Yasmine and Matthew as the Bluebirds. I thought their initial pas de deux was stunning and then just as Matthew was preparing to start his solo the transmission went and didn’t resume until little red riding hood so we missed virtually all the Bluebirds. I was gutted. Did other cinemas have the same problem?

And I also firmly believe that had Muntagirov danced Onegin he would have been capable of making the role his own in an entirely convincing way. Hear Hear Maryrosesatonapin!!!!!!!!!

I phoned the box office today about Vadim's non-appearance (as it said to do in the cast change email) and had a very pleasant chat with the young man there. He was very honest about it and I came off the phone feeling happier about things but like Capybara think it's better not to discuss it in a public forum until Vadim can state his own case. I just wanted people like me who have been worried about the reason for it (and getting rather depressed) know they can find out for themselves if they don't want to wait until the 20th Jan (or afterwards if, like me, you can't make the meeting). Like Capybara, I feel a lot of speculation and worry could have been avoided if the ROH had given more detail in the cast change announcement. Anyway, enough of that and onto Reece's promotion which is really wonderful news. My only surprise is that it didn't come earlier. I was expecting it in September as he has already danced several principal roles and seemed a shoo in for first soloist. This season he debuted the prince in Sleeping Beauty and was obviously understudying several major roles as he was able to fill in mid-performance for Steven McRae in Manon and also Onegin at fairly short notice. So a hugely versatile dancer with a great talent and I'm sure he'll be a splendid Onegin.

I assume Vadim was dancing tonight as scheduled?

To get back to the original thread about the NBC visit I find I am in danger of becoming (or have already become) a Grumpy Old Woman re the ROH. Having been devastated by Vadim not dancing Onegin and cross about the removal of the calendar I'm now disappointed that if NBC are coming they're not also dancing The Merry Widow which is one of my favourite ballets and the only really favourite ballet I haven't seen live. The nearest we've got is the cinema broadcast from Australian Ballet last year but I would have loved to see it at the ROH. We've just seen our excellent RB Sleeping Beauty but will probably never get the chance to see The Merry Widow unless NBC or Australian Ballet bring it over here. I've very fond memories of my old VHS recording with Karen Kain which I transferred to dvd and still love watching. It would have been great to see it live and very (very) slightly made up for not seeing Vadim in Onegin. I know touring is massively expensive and the sets and costumes are so opulent it would have been a huge financial outlay to bring them and they may not have recouped their costs which are a lot easier to guarantee for Sleeping beauty as has been seen with the latest sell out run by the RB despite massively inflated ticket prices. Still it would have been a great summer treat to look forward to.

This is a copy of the second letter I sent yesterday to Graham Boland the Customer Services Manager re the disappearing easy access calendar:- Many thanks for getting back to me so promptly. I'm still really hugely disappointed the old season calendar has gone. it was just so easy to use and I still vastly prefer it to the new one. Is there not room for both? I've reluctantly saved the new calendar as that's all that is available until the old version is (hopefully) restored but I can't say I really like it. It seems to rely on you wanting to know what is available on a specific day which is OK in it's way but I much prefer looking at a list of all annual productions and seeing how they all fit together and clicking on a specific production to see the list of who is dancing or what ticket availability there is. I tend to want to look at a production as a whole and not specific dates. I know I can do this via the ordinary booking site but if the production is a while off you have to do a lot of scrolling to find it and the old layout was invaluable for this and just general ease of access. if I as a ballet regular find the new layouts tedious and time consuming how can a ballet or opera newbie easily find information? I suppose if you've never known anything else you might just accept it but when you've had a great system and it's taken away for no good reason it is very frustrating. I've already had the very depressing news that Vadim Muntagirov is no longer dancing Onegin when I've been waiting for him to dance the role for five years and my husband and myself have booked all his performances and hotels as well as we live 200 miles away so it's been a very depressing ROH day which the calendar news has just made worse. Please re-instate it. I got a very prompt, polite reply from him today (I only wrote my letter last night) to say he will pass my concerns on to the web team so we'll have to see but I'm not optimistic. it seems the ROH wants to remove all the useful easy to use parts of their website and replace it with things that look good but aren't nearly as easy to use (from my point of view, anyway).

Just what I think Lizbie and have said so (twice now in the last 2 days) to Graham Boland, Customer Services Manager. He said the old calendar link had been removed and gave me the link to the 'new calendar option which makes it easier to see what is coming up' (his words). I've just replied and said the new calendar seem to rely on you knowing what day you want to attend, whereas I loved the clarity and simplicity of the old calendar when all productions are laid out and you can see at a glance how the season fits together, and if you want to know casting/seat availability for a specific production you can just click on that production and it's there without endless scrolling through the ordinary website. he said he'd pass my comments on to the web designers but I'm not holding my breath. I asked why the ROH couldn't have both systems as the good one is only one page so I'll see what he says. As I said to him, coming on the same day as the news of Vadim's non appearance in Onegin (devastating for me) it's been a hugely disappointing ROH day.

If anyone is in London and can't get a ticket for a performance you can always watch it on the largeish TV in the crush room. It is obviously intended primarily for those who have tickets and who've arrived late (as was the case when I watched it) but the crush room seems to be part of the new open up areas and when I was there several people came in, watched for a while and then left so I assume it's available for anyone. There wasn't anyone from the ROH monitoring the situation or asking for tickets. Mods if I have misinterpreted the situation please remove this post.

I only mentioned it previously in my posting because I thought from what I've read previously that the 'new' Cinderella included some new choreography and wasn't solely just new sets and costumes. Perhaps I was wrong though I do think the pantomime characterisation of the two ugly sisters is a bit OTT and could do with toning down a bit. I see why Ashton did it like that as the roles were created for him and Helpman but to me it doesn't quite work today. I also thought the lack of a stepmother rather odd and I'm sure many children (who usually take their fairy stories literally) think it's a bit strange too. Having said that I do like Ashtons Cinderella and would love to see it back in the rep again.

Agree with many of JNC's suggestions especially Giselle with all those potentially wonderful debuts. La fille too has great potential for debuts. Aso a new Cinderella ( retaining much of the Ashton choreography) which would be great for Christmas. If it was combined with another good traditional mixed bill that would be great too. I thought the double and triple bills programmed round Christmas for the last couple of years have been exemplary and a great tradition to keep going. Also I love the idea of keeping traditional and modern mixed bills more separate. I've gone to more mixed bills at the ROH in the last couple of years than in the ten years prior to that because there was always at least one ballet I didn't want to see at all and it's too expensive to pay for an overnight stay for part of a programme. More heritage programmes whether on the main stage or Linbury would be wonderful, especially Macmillan, Ashton and Ballet Russes ballets that haven't been danced for ages and are in danger of becoming forgotten through neglect. As I've said before many times once the likes of Christopher Carr and even Kevin himself are no longer around who will be able to revive obscure Ashton, Macmillan and others? They need to be revived now then current dancers and potential ballet teachers can experience them for themselves. Finally, Onegin has been number one on my wishlist for far too long. My wait is nearly at an end but please Mr O'Hare don't let us all have to wait so long for its next revival.

Seen so much this year and it's almost all been amazing so to pick one performance is almost impossible. I've really enjoyed some incredible debuts; Sambe /O' Sullivan and Hayward /Coralles in Romeo and Juliet. Naghdi /Ball in Coppelia as well as some great mixed bills. However I agree with Jenny Taylor that at the moment Vadim is in a league of his own so my outstanding performance must include him. His solo in Coppelia I think is one of the most outstanding solo's I've ever seen as was his performance in Winter Dreams. Like others I cried at the end of his Two Pigeons but if I can only choose one outstanding performance it would have to be his performance in A Month in the country which I found emotionally draining and so incredibly moving. I went with my husband, Terry, and we both thought the same. We booked specifically for the second week so we could see him twice in this and also once in Symphony in C, another great ballet with great performances. We have been so spoilt with such amazing rep. and dancing in 2019 it's difficult to see how 2020 can equal it let alone surpass it but it will be a lot of fun finding out!

Happy New year everyone! Let's hope it's a great ballet one! For me it gets off to what will hopefully be the best possible start with two performances of Coppelia on January 4th followed by the Onegin casting I've been waiting for for five years in Muntagirov and Osipova. Despite living 200 miles from London I've booked for all three performances and a couple of the Bonelli/Naghdi ones as well. They all (including the Coppelia ones) have the potential to get my new year off to the best balletic start ever. However at this time of year my thoughts always go forward to what will be in the programme for the next balletic year of 2020 /21. I know it will almost certainly have already been decided but you never know, there may be a mixed bill that still needs finalising or if enough people respond we may suggest something that will appear or be revived in future seasons. I concentrate mainly on the Royal Ballet as that is the company I mainly attend but of course suggestions for other companies will be great too. So for 2020 /21 I would like to see more Frederick Ashton who has been very underrepresented this season. Sylvia would be a great start, especially for the cinema broadcast as it was very disappointing it wasn’t filmed last time (especially with Nunez /Muntagirov). Month in the country would be great to see again and if that could be broadcast as part of a mixed bill that would be great too. Failing this I'd love to see any Ashton mixed bill. Another gala would be great as the Fonteyn one was one of my favourite performances of the year. If it became an annual event it could be used for fundraising too. It doesn't have to be specific to Fonteyn. It could have a different theme every year and if it was filmed it would be great publicity for the range of styles and dancers at the RB. Have to go and walk the dog now so may add a few things later but this is my start to the next balletic year discussion.

Thanks to everyone who replied to my queries. My heart goes out to those ballet enthusiasts who must have spent so much time and effort to see Vadim's Raymonda debut. How much more frustrating must it be it for him if he's been in Paris all this time waiting to dance. I'm sure there are far worst places to spend Christmas but very stressful not knowing whether or not you're going to dance and how well prepared can you be to make a debut in these sorts of conditions? I hope in a way his performance at the end of Dec is cancelled as I'm sure he must not feel properly prepared for it and he won't want to debut a role in these conditions. It is a shame for the dancers too with their pensions problems. Difficult to know how it will be resolved.

Does anyone know if Vadim danced today and if so, how it went? Also is this his debut both in a full length Raymonda and with POB?

...if only I could be there, sigh... But in lieu of having to miss that treat how about this one a friend sent me. (Sorry to derail the Coppelia thread. it won't happen again!)

Just answered my own question by doing a bit of searching. On Sky It is channel 457. I've set it to record both but the repeat seems to be Saturday at 8.15pm. The Tuesday broadcast is 7.30pm. It seems to last about 90 minutes. It doesn't say its a ballet so you wouldn't know if you were just browsing.

Does anyone know what channel it is on Sky, please?

Ah, that's probably it then. I didn't realise it was the date of the livestream.

Let's hope he has found the right place for him. It certainly seems that way. We've been so privileged he chose the RB when he could have probably had his pick of any company in the world including all the Russian ones. However he seems to have found the right mix of varied rep, the chance of having new work created on him and the opportunity to guest internationally when possible. No wonder he's smiling! I've met him a few times at the stage door and he is always smiling, modest, charming, unassuming and willing to chat if he isn't rushing off. Just a great dancer and a really nice person.

Not quite sure to place this so perhaps mods can move it if necessary but a friend told me Ratmansky's Giselle is being live streamed, possibly on the Bolshoi video channel Dec 26th. Can't see anything about it on their website but just though I'd mention it in case it happens. If it does happen you go on the Bolshoi website and click on the small Bolshoi theatre logo at the top right hand side and this takes you to the video channel. We'll have to wait and see.

Wow indeed!!!! I can see myself having this permanently on my phone to enjoy it whenever I feel the need (fairly frequently I imagine!) It's not just an amazing talent; he just exudes 'niceness' and happiness and the joy of dance. We have had fracking going on near us until recently. Now that's failed perhaps you could just attach Vadim's smile to the National grid. I'm sure it can power the entire North-West of England if not all of it. Bring on the dvd, please!!!!!

Nothing new balletwise on SkyArts in the next couple of weeks but a few interesting repeats. The following are from a quick look. there may be something I missed. Sunday 1st Dec. 3pm. Nureyev doc. (Not on Sky box. Seems to have been replaced by a Jonathan Miller La Boheme; presumably in tribute). Monday 2nd Dec. 2pm. Peter Wright's the Nutcracker. I think this is the BRB version but danced by Australian ballet. Wed. 4th Dec. 6am. Discovering dance on Film. 2pm. Nureyev doc. again. Thurs. 5th Dec. 10.30am Les Patineurs. (McRae, Lamb, Pennefather) Fri. 6th Dec. 7am. Patineurs repeat. Also Sat 7th Dec. 7am. Mon 9th Dec. 6.10am. Bach's Christmas Oratorio: a ballet by John Neumier. (I don't remember this shown before but it's not marked as New so perhaps it has.) Wed. 11th Dec. 6am Les Patineurs. 6.35 Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake. Thurs. 12th Dec. 6am. Peter Wright's Nutcracker. 4pm. Gene Kelly: to live and dance.

I think it is Olga Spessivtseva.

A year or more ago when I was in the ROH amphi the woman in front of me was using her mobile. I hoped she would stop as I hate confrontations and you just don't know how people will react these days but she persisted and I knew I was going to have to mention it or have my evening ruined. Given how much time and effort it takes me just to get there it seemed an awful waste to let one selfish or thoughtless person ruin it. So I attracted her attention and asked her politely to switch off her phone. She looked at me as if I was mad and said 'but I've put it on silent' as if the noise was the only problem. When I said it was actually the glare of the screen that was distracting she looked totally disbelieving but did grudgingly switch it off. Obviously she'd no great interest in the amazing performance she was missing in trying to text someone that could have been done in the interval. For some people today their gratification has to be instant whether it's eating, drinking or using their mobile. Other people's needs don't count. At least at the ROH even though most of the building seems to be devoted to food and drink they do draw the line at allowing it in the auditorium. Long may this rule and the ushers vigilance against mobile phone use continue.

I was sat in the side amphi yesterday afternoon and an usher remained in the theatre most of the performance I saw (I missed the early part) presumably monitoring mobile phone use. In the evening one was actually sitting in the back row of the stalls and was very proactive in intervening with people using phones especially during the overture and the end of the short later performance break.