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jmhopton

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  1. jmhopton
    Apologies for being a bit late posting this but I see SkyArts are showing the 2017 Ashton triple The Dream, Symphonic Variations and Marguerite and Armand (Yanovsky's farewell performance) today at 12.45pm. I know it's been available on dvd for a while but it's 'New' to SkyArts so presumably hasn't been shown there before. It is followed by a programme called Why Do We Dance? 3pm to 4.15 (no details given) The latter may be part of a series as there is another programme of the same name on Tuesday 21st May at 9pm; this one headed New, and presented by Akram Khan who 'examines how dance is often used to feel a sense of unity and to find solace and refuge'.
  2. jmhopton
    I'm going to see this triple bill at the kino cinema Rye tomorrow if anyone else from the Forum will be there.
  3. jmhopton
    I've been waiting for the single word Onegin in the Royal ballet seasonal announcement for what seems like forever and it's here at last! Christmas has come early! That said I'm still disappointed at no cinema broadcast. I didn't really expect one because of the control Reid Anderson exerts over the ballet but it seems such a shame when you imagine all the fabulous potential RB performances of it there will be. Still the main thing is it isn't vanishing from the RB rep and will hopefully be performed by them for many years to come. As regards the rest of the programme I am rather underwhelmed. Though I thought the same a couple of years back and still enjoyed some fabulous performances of ballets I wasn't initially bothered about seeing but saw some stunning debut performances. No doubt it will be the same this year. Like many others hugely disappointed at the lack of Ashton. Difficult to understand as his ballets sell so well, unlike more modern triples. The current modern bill was showing many unsold seats until recently and I don't know how many of the expensive sold ones are student reductions. They wouldn't have this problem with Ashton. Also re programming apart from Sleeping beauty, Swan Lake and Coppelia there doesn't seem many ballets where you can see 2 ballets for one overnight stay, something important for us non Londoners. It makes all the difference to see more than one ballet for your hotel visit though of course casting is important too. Finally I was very disappointed no mention was made of Margot Fonteyn in any of the briefings. I'd hoped they would repeat and film Sylvia as a belated tribute but not to be. I think it is disgraceful that our only prima ballerina assoluta is treated so shabbily as just to have a seemingly unplanned gala as her only tribute. Has the programme even been announced yet?
  4. jmhopton
    The only time I've ever sat in expensive seats in the ROH was when I was in the Grand Tier for the Kirov (as they were then called) rehearsals in the early 2000's. I used to be a Friend of the Kirov just for the privilege of buying Grand Tier rehearsal tickets for £10. I sat on the front row next to the left hand wall and had a great view of all the stage. Also, being at the edge of the semi circle you felt a lot nearer to the stage than if you were more central. A couple of times I tried a box just to see what it was like but both times concluded the Grand Tier was a far better view. Never having been able to afford a Grand Tier ticket for ordinary performances I now much prefer side stalls circle where I find I can usually get a good view both of most (or all) of the stage and also see dancers expressions and small acting details. Nowadays I much prefer this experience than peering at the action through my binoculars in the amphi, though because of the increasing prices I sometimes have to revert to the amphi.
  5. jmhopton
    Afraid I wasn't at the Saturday evening performance but I did really enjoy the matinee. Despite slight reservations the first time I saw Vadim as Romeo in the last run I thought he was really tremendous on Saturday. As someone said previously he and Sarah Lamb take you through all the emotions and technical expertise of the roles without their personalities taking over and distracting you from their wonderful performances. After seeing this performance and the Sambe/O'Sullivan one I'm even beginning to like the ballet! Vadim was so happy when in love, his smile really lit up the stage and conveyed the joy of young love. I thought fleetingly if he came to my part of the world and harnessed that smile to the national grid there would be no need for fracking and the only earth tremors would be caused by his passion! His style and elegance and Sarah's passion and acting skills made for a brillian combination. Also it was a joy to see Sambe as a wonderful, expressive, energetic Mercutio, one of the best I've seen since Northern Ballet's Jeremy Kerridge. Finally, Theo Dubreill (?) was a wonderful Benvolio. before seeing him I always thought Benvolio rather a boring role but I never realised there was so much in it. I didn't realise he seemed to initiate the street fight in the first act and actually took on Tybalt. Also he was wonderfully mischievous in the ballroom scene, going in between couples and then 'apologising'. Bravo to everyone for a really great performance. I have to say I think my enjoyment was heightened by where I sat in side amphi. (C92) I was very close to the stage and thought I would miss a lot but it wasn't too bad at all and these days I often find it pays to miss a bit of the action but being close up to the drama and being able to see facial expresions clearer. That said. for this ballet I think if you're being close to the stgae on the 3rd row it is better to be on the left side though these seats sell quicker and probably weren't available for public booking. Now I'm looking forward to seeing Hayward/Coralles and Naghdi/Ball.
  6. jmhopton
    That's very interesting as the only performance of Vadim's I've ever attended when I've not been really bowled over was a Romeo and Juliet performance in the last run. I put it down to Vadim not being long with the RB at that point and romeo and Juliet not being a favourite of mine. Be interesting to see what I think tomorrow especially as I'm in the stalls circle though too close to the stage to see everything.
  7. jmhopton
    Of course Muntagirov/Lamb are performing tomorrow afternoon not evening as I just said. Was thinking ahead to the Hayward /Coralles performance I'm also really looking forward to on the 25th.
  8. jmhopton
    Many thanks to Briedem for her fabulous review for the Muntagirov/Lamb Romeo and Juliet. Really whetted my appetite for tomorrow's evening performance which I am attending. Did anyone else attend this performance? I'd love to hear what other people think of their performances.
  9. jmhopton
    I've only seen the first half but spent more time trying to work out whom the male dancers were and why it is deemed necessary to hide their identities in such hideous masks! I then had to go and watch The Dream; proper ballet and beautiful music (though probably not at all relevant to anything apart from my appreciation of beauty and excellence!)
  10. jmhopton
    It's part of a triple bill with The Dream and Marguerite and Armand. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ashton-Ballets-Various-Opus-OA1264D/dp/B07DSJ666F/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=the+dream+ballet&qid=1555577413&s=dvd&sr=1-16
  11. jmhopton
    This is an interesting point, especially as I think I myself consult the Links section less than I used to but I'm not sure why. I log on the the Forum once or twice a day to check the Performance and Information pages but unless there has been the first night of a production I don't often bother with the Links. The restrictions imposed by certain newspapers are a nuisance but I tend to think if there aren't any relevant reviews there's nothing there for me; which is probably wrong. I wonder if it would make a difference if the links were put daily in the Information section with the days date at the top then people could click on that and see what's new. it may be better used this way if people don't have to come out of the 2 main topics and into another one.
  12. jmhopton
    Alina is the only dancer I can remember whom (I think) played both Olga and Tatiana in the same run when she was still very young. I think it was the Ross Stretton period. Both were amazing but I have a particular fondness for her Olga to Ivan Putrov's Lensky and Rojo's Tatiana and Adam Cooper's Onegin; fabulous casting and performances all round.
  13. jmhopton
    Yes I thought that too. Also like, O'sullivan and Sambe didn't they do the school matinee as well? The only slight consolation is that when they came to perform it again they were given the cinema broadcast so perhaps this will also happen to Marcellino and Anna Rose in a couple of years or so (not that I want to wait that long!)
  14. jmhopton
    I'm on the train going home still completely blown away by this afternoons amazing performance. It was indeed an 'I was there' performance, sensational in every way. Anna Rose and Marcellino weren't just dancing or acting the roles they WERE Romeo and Juliet. They set the bar very high for anyone coming after them. For some reason I've never been a huge fan of Romeo and Juliet, especially the Macmillan version but once again the Royal Ballet has shown that the dancers themselves can alter my whole perception of a ballet. Bravo Royal Ballet, especially Marcellino and Anna Rose!
  15. jmhopton
    Lucky you to have seen their Corsaire which is fabulous and (in my opinion) far better than the Bolshoi's. I first saw the Kirov's (as they were then) Corsaire in 1990 at the Birmingham Hippodrome and was just blown away by the colour, athleticism, artistry and spectacle of it. I'd never seen anything like it before and I've loved it ever since. I didn't recover for at least a week! Do they still have the fabulous fountains that no other company has? Sadly the Mariinsky haven't brought it to the UK for nearly 20 years; every visit I've been disappointed. last time I saw it (about 2000/2001) Margaret and Denis Thatcher were in the audience. I keep hoping that next time...
  16. jmhopton
    Me too for Brandon Lawrence!! Any chance of it coming to the Lowry or does that complicated set make it too expensive to tour?
  17. jmhopton
    Just checked now and there are 29 stalls circle seats left for all of the Firebird triple 6 performances and little availability in low amphi. However the 7 performances of the Flight pattern triple which have been open for booking for several months have 70 SC tickets for one performance alone; 14th May, and quite a few available for other performances and this when tickets are cheaper than Firebird triple. Why more performances of this than the Firebird triple when it is obvious which is going to be more popular? Just the opening night seems sold out everywhere except amphi and there are still 100+ tickets available here. Looks as if the students may be benefitting again unless sales pick up. I hope this doesn't lead to more price rises next season for more popular ballets. It seems wrong genuine ballet lovers who want to see different casts should be literally made to pay for poor performance planning. I can appreciate the need for modern ballets even though I probably won't see them myself but why have so many performances when management must know they don't sell well?
  18. jmhopton
    Loved the photos Don Q Fan, especially the one mentioned of Magri and the last 2 of Muntagirov/Osipova. Just thought it a disappointment that Laura didn't get any flowers.
  19. jmhopton
    At 09.10 this morning I too found the queue paused but not for long; I was in in about 3 minutes. Finding affordable tickets was another matter. Like some previous posters I prefer side stalls circle as my eyesight isn't as good for amphi as it used to be. I have arranged a house swap specifically for the second week of the triple bill so I could see Vadim in both roles (please keep him injury free!!). Wed 12th June was the main date I wanted decent tickets, to see Naghdi's Firebird as well as Vadim in Month in the Country. I think I got possibly the last 2 £68 tickets together which was considerably more than I wanted to pay but at least I'm not paying for accommodation. Thursday I went for amphi anyway and Friday 2 more stalls circle tickets that were close together and one slightly cheaper than the other though still more than I wanted to pay. I've never seen a triple so sold out at the start of public booking. Regarding the actual booking logistics I had the Seasons calendar saved as a favourite so used this and avoided the new 'booking experience' altogether. I didn't realise until half way through that I could select 2 (or more) seats together for the same performance and not add them to basket until I'd finish making my selection. That did save time in coming out of booking and going back in again. Also, is it my computer or has it got slower after you click on 'Buy'? It seems to egg-time for quite a while before it gets to the area select option, not just today but any day. On my computer it does this both on the new buy ticket option or the old seasons buying option. Had to wait a while (about 40 minutes) for the confirmation email. Tried the Fonteyn gala but sold out. I do think it is disgraceful that our prima ballerina assoluta has been treated so badly; hardly a celebration of her life and achievements when the programme still doesn't seem to be announced and genuine enthusiasts can't get tickets. But silly me, of course we're not really wanted anyway.
  20. jmhopton
    Yes, I can only echo what has been said by previous posts about the two performances yesterday. Both were really excellent and you wouldn't think it was Mayara Magri's debut. She ran on the stage full of confidence and seemed to be having a ball which is what you want from Kitri. Alex Campbell's partnering and soles were wonderful as always and he has a great cheeky persona and always times his 'death' perfectly which isn't easy to do. I think I too prefer Christopher Saunders/Philip Moseley Don/Sancho Panza. I thought Christopher in particular gave a very nuanced performance and is the only person I've seen who makes me believe in the Don as a credible character not just a stage eccentric - and yes the horse is very good and a lot less messy than the real thing. But Vadim and Osipova in the evening were just sensational! I'm so glad this is the last Don Q I'll see in this run as I just want to remember it forever. My husband, Terry, came with me (he enjoys ballet but doesn't come as much as he used to) and he thought it fabulous too. I'm so glad he saw this performance. We both enjoy seeing Vadim and have seen him in two Pigeons and Winter Dreams and he never disappoints. An audible gasp ran round the auditorium both times he did his split cabriolets and the audience nearly raised the roof at the end of the performance. I've never heard so much noise and as Terry is noise sensitive he had to leave during the curtain calls (fortunately we were at the end of a row) Everyone was really good especially Fumi Kaneko as Queen of the dryads but the night really belonged to Osipova and Muntagirov for their very special performance. we are so lucky to have them (especially Vadim!) Roll on Romeo; can't wait!!
  21. jmhopton
    I owe my love of ballet, and especially Russian ballet, to the Hochhauser Kirov and Bolshoi tours starting in the early 1990s and continuing to the present day. So many great memories such as the Kirov Corsaire with Farouk ruzimatov and the fabulous Altynai Assulyratova and the amazing debuts of Osipova and Vasiliev in Don Q. None of this would have been possible without the dedication and commitment of Victor and Lillian Hochhauser. They were the best, and leave a tremendous legacy of artistic memories and a passionate commitment to the arts which is sadly lacking today. My thoughts are with Lillian at this very sad time but I also hope that their great work in bringing Russian opera and ballet to the UK can continue as I'm sure Victor would want.
  22. jmhopton
    Me too though I can still access the seasonal link posted previously. http://www.roh.org.uk/seasons/2018-19 I'm keeping everything crossed this will still be available come April 3rd!
  23. jmhopton
    I had a reply to my second email about website design today (the one where I suggested they replace the links at the bottom of the new Homepage). it is just a general reply from Graham Boland, Customer Services manager. So at least it was a person not an automated reply. 'Thank you for your email in relation to our redesigned website. I will be passing your feedback to our Digital team. I do know they are issuing new pages over the coming weeks and months and will be endeavouring to make the user experience as smooth as possible. '
  24. jmhopton
    Yes I do see the News page is still there and does have some of the old features. My comments relate to when I clicked on it at the weekend and the links at the bottom were not there on my computer at the time. it was just the meaningless logos you get at the bottom of the current home page. I do see that some links are there now (though not the seasons one I usually use to book tickets with). Also it still isn't used to give current casting changes though they do seem to be using it more to publicise actual events such as the Romeo live streaming and the Jette Parker Young Artists. So it's good to know it is still being used and perhaps casting will be returned eventually. However, it's not easy to find unlike previously. I just found it now to give this information but I don't know how to find it again from the Homepage. it is the Homepage that is so awkward to use for regular users who usually know what they want and want to get there quickly. I can see the superficial attraction of the new layout perhaps to people who want to browse the website, so my suggestion would be (and I will email it to the website people like I did my letter) to possibly keep the Homepage at least for now but have the old links restored at the bottom of the page. Surely that will please most people? Like most people using the Forum my definite preference would be for the website to revert to what it was but presumably they have spent a lot of time and money 'updating' it and are not going to abandon it yet so if they can make it more user friendly for us that might have to suffice at least for now. Ironically, the News page layout is a lot more user friendly than the Homepage; could have something to do with the fact it hasn't been altered though of course the links at the top (Tickets and Events; Your Visit and Eat and Drink) take you to the new style pages which aren't good.
  25. jmhopton
    Have done just this and sent a long letter (see below). Will be interesting to see the reply. I'll keep you posted. ROH website 2019.docx
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