jmhopton

If it was me I'd definitely go for SC -  if there are any left! Or even adjust which performance I attended to get the best SC seat. I'm sure a child would appreciate being so close to the action. I certainly do! Good luck

Hi Tiptoesmama. Hope you and your daughter have a great time. I would never advise anyone taking small children to sit in the stalls unless they're on the end of a row or on the front row and then they may be too close with the height of the stage to see properly. Probably the only stalls seats would be the side blocks on row H as they have an exit in front of them, therefore a gap rather than people. But there are only a few of these and they tend to sell out quickly. I would try and go for the front row of the stalls circle. You are raised above the stalls and should have no one directly in front of you so sightlines shouldn't be an issue. However, I haven't sat in them myself (I usually sit in the third row as it's cheaper). It also depends how much you want to pay. There are several prices for the front row Nutcracker; £160, £153 and £145. Unfortunately, no child discounts. The more expensive ones are more central and you get a more comprehensive view of the stage. However, because of the horseshoe shaped size of the auditorium the more central you are the further away you are from the stage. The cheaper seats are nearer but you may miss a little bit of the side of the stage. It's always a balance between being close to the action and seeing all of the stage. The £153 seats should be fine on both counts if you want to be a bit nearer, but others may be able to be more informative as it's a while since I've seen the Nutcracker at the ROH. Usually see it at the cinema. Do you have a particular date in mind? It's just I've had a quick look at a couple of the matinees and because they're so close to Christmas a lot of the front row stalls circle and grand tier have sold out already. If you're waiting for public booking I'd get in quick and try and be flexible with your dates. Even second row of the SC should be OK and you can always borrow one of the ROH cushions or take your own.

I've been on the backstage tour a couple of times and enjoyed it but the last time was a few years ago. Both times I went in the morning and had a brief glimpse of company class though I don't know if you went in the afternoon you might see rehearsals. It is only a few minutes but interesting. Your daughter might be interested in attending one of the onstage classes open to the public (check dates with website or box office) or the Nutcracker Insight Tues 21st Dec at 7.30. Or one of the Thurrock Tours of sets and costumes. This is just outside London and I don't think winter dates have been announced yet but again, check the box office or email customer services.

Shows how long ago it is since I bought ice cream at the ROH! Judging by the comments it will be a while before I bother. Ginger caramel just isn't the same. I've never bought champagne in my life but even if I liked it it would have to be an exceptionally special occasion to pay £16 for a glass. It's more than my standing ticket for Don Q!

Yes, it looks a great initiative. Far easier and quicker than emailing the Box Office, and quick with your credit as well, according to Lynette H, which is great. Useful for me as well as I logged into my account to check it out and found I had no upcoming event which wasn't true as I'd booked several Don Qs. So I emailed the Friends and they sorted it and I was able to see the new facility for myself. Just for curiosity I clicked on the Champagne and ice cream option. Ice cream is now £4 and the make seems to have changed again, though according to the picture they still do stem ginger which I like. Champagne is £16 a glass!! Lucky I don't like it. So an extra £20 for champagne and ice cream and another £8.50 for a programme. All these extras add up though I won't be buying a programme until the Ashton mixed bills and Sarasota programme.

8 minutes ago, Legseleven said:

There are some fabulous photos on Yasmine Naghdi’s Instagram page of her partnered with William Bracewell in the Roberto Bolle and Friends performances. It looks like an absolutely fabulous partnership - it would be lovely for these two to dance together ‘back home’ too (although I know it does seem that both are in demand as partners to various dancers despite the established Naghdi/Ball and Kaneko/Bracewell partnerships). 

Perhaps this will allow Vadim to partner Fumi at the ROH. I'm sure Matthew will have no problem getting a partner!

I emailed Customer Services about whether or not the ballet Insights were being filmed. Graham Boland replied and said he had been advised that Don Q will certainly be filmed and the Nutcracker almost certainly.

Well, I was one of the lucky ones (perhaps the only lucky one?) who didn't have a problem today. I logged on just after 9 and was in the queue for about 15 minutes but I was away from home and was using my phone which takes ages for the seat plan to load up. So after 9.30 I went round to the local library and found I was still logged in so didn't have to go back to the queue and bought several Don Q tickets, no problem. Even managed to get a couple of standing tickets though there were none left for the Fumi/Bracewell matinee. Very few standing overall but the standing tickets made it a lot less expensive than usual as as I'd cancelled so many performances earlier I had enough credit to pay for everything, so quite a satisfactory day, marred only by the thought of having to find an affordable hotel for a couple of Saturday nights, something that seems even rarer these days than SC standing tickets.

Hear hear Blossom. Well said. Culture can only be truly accessible for everyone if it's started early, at school age and preferably at school. Otherwise it will be just a lottery, dependent on parents and relatives encouraging arts attendance and participation.  For too long the Arts have been treated as some sort of optional extra, filling in gaps between 'proper' and 'useful' school subjects; if they have any place at all in the modern curriculum.  Yet apart from enhancing life experience and encoraging mental wellbeing, the Arts play a huge part in our economy. The exports in television programmes and films, the tours abroad of our major theatre companies and actors and musicians. Not to mention our world beating dance companies  and the technical knowledge and support that makes it all possible. I don't know any figures to quote but I suspect our Arts industry economy is one if the highest in the world for a country our size and should be celebrated and encouraged not treated as an optional extra that politicians are ashamed to admit to attending for fear of being thought elitist. Something is only elitist if it isn't understood (education) or unaffordable.  ROH please take note.

Thank you so much for your Romeo and Juliet review, Naomi. I was wondering how it had gone and I'm glad it was as wonderful as I thought it was going to be. I hope Kevin takes note and casts them together in London. Manon would be a great start. They've danced together so much abroad yet not in their home country and Company which is a shame. 

14 hours ago, emmarose said:

 

Vadim's Instagram is so like him as a person, just kind of gentle and sweet and nothing at all to bother anyone. Very pure!

Lovely description of him, emmarose; couldn't agree more.  I love the 4th video in of him dancing. Great he's so often videoed doing a pirouette or an arabesque even out of doors. He just exudes the joy of dance wherever he is. Looking forward to hearing comments of his Romeo and Juliet with Fumi. Would be wonderful if it could be filmed!!!       I don't suppose there was a film of his Month in the Country with Morera?

Interesting to see a comment by his Instagram film from Sergei Filin too. 

I must admit I far prefer the BRB Don Q sets though the Bolshoi is my favourite Don Q production. 

1 hour ago, Suffolkgal said:

Oooh I wonder if they might get to partner up in Manon ...

I was wondering/hoping for that too. They partner abroad a lot now but I don't think they've been paired together much (if at all) in London. I know they were together for the Two Pigeons recording but I think Fumi was replacing Laura Morera and that was a while ago. Wasn't Fumi in Vadim's Cinderella as the Fairy Godmother? But even if she was, they don't really dance together in those roles in Cinderella 

Yes, they must but I'm with the scheduler (though not necessarily at 6am)! Vadim's Young Man (and pigeon managing skills) and Fumi's Gypsy are a fabulous combination. I think his second act solo is my favourite recorded solo of his. He just looks so happy and carefree; full of the joys of dance. Rhapsody is pretty good too!

My usual online TV schedule hasn't been working for a couple of weeks so I've had to rely on the Radio Times which only goes up to a week ahead. After a very quick look for next week (may not be definitive) I can only see

SkyArts Tues 4th Jul 6-8am RB Rhapsody and Two Pigeons

Having Premium 1 and 2 Friends and Supporting Friends booking priorities all on the same day, just separated by an hour or two sounds like a recipe for disaster. Hope the technology has been really sorted by then. You think they could have spread it out a bit between then and the 11th when ordinary Friends starts. There should be at least an offer of a free programme for inconvenience caused, like they did a year or so ago. 

Thanks Benjamin.  Got my dates mixed. It was a long time ago! I remember it was at the beginning of Ross Strettons Directorship as I thought at the time it was the best thing about his Directorship! Also, he did something I don't think any RB Director at least has done since, and that is having one dancer (Alina Cojacaru) cast as both Tatiana and Olga on the same run. She was compellingly excellent in both roles. Such a shame she wasn't filmed in either role.

I too wish we could see more Cranko ballets here in the UK.  I remember being blown away when I saw Onegin for the first time, when the RB first staged it, possibly in the late 90s. I think it was in Ross Strettons first season so presumably Anthony Dowell must have done all the commissioning and organised the ballet training. It is still my favourite ballet of all times (and the 'mirror ' pas de deux my favourite pas de deux of all times). Though I have seen many casts since those early casts,  especially Tamara Rojo and Adam Cooper as Tatiana and Onegin, and Alina Cojacaru and Ivan Putrov as Olga and Lensky will always remain with me. Its always been a huge disappointment that Reid Anderson would never allow any of the RB casts to be filmed and preserved for posterity as they deserve to be. Perhaps if Vadim and Osipova reprieve the main roles they should have danced several years ago he may relent but I'm trying not to get too hopeful. 

The only time I've seen Stuttgart Ballet live was about 10 years ago when they came to Sadlers Wells and did Taming of the Shrew, and my husband and myself saw 2 performances and thoroughly enjoyed them. I thought the recent film with Jason Reilly really terrific. Brought back memories of seeing him in Onegin at the ROH quite a few years ago.

Saw RBME for the first time as a stream during the pandemic and loved it.  One of the few positive things to come out of the pandemic is the many streams different ballet companies made available to give their dancers an opportunity of performing,  but also reach out to audiences starved of ballet and who may never have seen their particular ballet company. 

Several years ago had the pleasure of seeing Pineapple Poll performed by Birmingham ballet  and really enjoyed it though perhaps not quite as much as the dramatic ballets. However, it's a pity its not performed more and seems to have vanished from the RB rep altogether. Its a shame great ballets, choreographed by an ex RB dancer get ignored when so many new ballets (many of whom I suspect don't have either the quality or longevity of Cranko), get promoted. Like Sim, I'm keeping everything crossed for a return of Onegin in the 2024/5 season. 

4 hours ago, Emeralds said:

😂😂

They should have commissioned another comedy from Christopher Wheeldon to create with Laura before her farewell! Maybe a Shakespeare comedy. Or some other author/libretto. We need laughter in these times. And Laura does it so well. As did her partners- poor Bennet Gartside getting slapped by the Queen! Or Nicol Edmonds looking comically terrified! 😆 Or one from Will Tuckett! Well, there’s always the Linbury....

Sounds a great idea, Emeralds and thanks for making it touring so us outliers can get to see it. While it sounds a great ballet (love the casting!) I can't say I'm enthusiastic about Wheeldon as I'm not a fan of any of his ballets. This one sounds great fun and I would certainly go, but I think I'm going to be reckless here and suggest a second ballet (money no object!) and that is David Bintley's new full length ballet for Sarasota Ballet, Comedy of Errors. This is part of a review. 

The world’s newest story ballet is a fun, funny, foible-filled and fantastic romp that erases all thoughts of war and despots, plague and politics, and replaces them with a sumptuous feast for the senses and sunny solace for the soul. If you weren’t there, I promise you are sorry. 

Sounds good to me and hopefully there'll be a suitable part for Laura as I don't really know the plot. One reason I was so pleased Sarasota were coming was I hoped they'd return and bring this ballet though it may be too expensive to tour the sets and costumes. 

I'd also love to see Laura star in Cranko's or Maillot's Taming of the Shrew.

Shows how little ballet there's been on TV lately as this thread had almost vanished from the first page!

SkyArts RB Giselle (again!) 6am Friday June 23rd. Usual stock photo of Acosta/Osipova which usually means it's Nunez/Muntagirov, but who knows.

SkyArts NYCB Balanchine's Nutcracker Tues 27th June 6.10-8am, filmed in 2011.

For an Arts channel they never seem to schedule their most artistic content at a time people actually want to watch it.

Really enjoyed Vadim's talk at the Royal Ballet School,  hosted by the London Ballet Circle last night. There was a large and appreciative audience, many of them buying his book to be signed. Lovely seeing several friends including Balletfanp. He was expertly guided through his story by Deborah Weiss, being sent to a very strict Ballet boarding school at Petm aged 10, then coming to the RB upper school (recommended by Sergei Polunin) after his Lausanne scholarship silver medal  and not knowing a word of English. The difference in physical training, but also learning about different aspects of dance and fitness, such as contemporary dance, improvisation and pilates which were new to him. It was a fascinating talk and over far too quickly. There was certainly scope for a further talk, perhaps focusing on later in his career, his partnerships, special roles and international guesting. I've dipped into the book and it looks a fascinating read. He doesn't hold back or shy away from when things were difficult.  He concluded by making a heartfelt speech thanking his audience who support him on the stage and elsewhere and who have made him so welcome in England  'my second home'. He says they make all the hard work, worthwhile. A lovely ending to a great evening. 

7 hours ago, Emeralds said:

I think many RB regulars (and the ROH Finance Department) would have preferred the Tokyo programme for the June mixed bill, or something similar, eg Diamonds, For Four, Untitled 2023, A Month in the Country. 😊

Either the Gala or the mixed bill would have temped me to the ROH this summer.  Sadly not even Laura Morera's final performance could tempt me to the ROH this summer.

I've thought for a while it would be a good idea for the RB to do an annual gala as a fund raiser if they could manage it. One being given on tour and already prepared and rehearsed would have been ideal. If only it could be filmed.

Yes, really enjoyed this and made me appreciate Nunez even more. I especially liked the bit she did on momentum, highlighting the second Marianela finishes her fouettees, Vadim immediately starts his. This keeps the momentum going unlike some other versions, (Russian companies are terrible for this) where there is a pause, sometimes for several minutes while the ballerina milks the applause. Then by the time the male dancer starts his fouettes all the momentum has gone.

Never mind Wayne Mcgregor. STILL no sign of the Ashton triple!

9 hours ago, capybara said:

Agree that that casting needs to be added.

 

However, when he was with BRB, Alexander Yap’s performances as Espada moved him to the top of my ‘must see’ list. (I could say that it is unfortunate that he is now with Hong Kong Ballet but he obviously made a good move as he is now cast as Solor in La Bayadere and will no doubt excel in that role too.)

Me too, Capybara. I couldn't believe it when I saw he was only an Artist. He is one of the best Espadas I've ever seen and I was going to start looking out for him, only for him to leave and move to Hong Kong ballet!

Yes Vasipova was one of my great all time balletgoing experiences, possibly only exceeded by Vadim's Mayerling.  They were incredible together, all the more so as at that time (early 21st century) we hadn't had a lot of the virtuoso male dancing we now take for granted, with the possible exception of Acosta and Mukhamedov. Also the two of them had such fizz and charisma together. This is why I'm surprised the RB haven't filmed Osipova in Don Q as her name is synonymous with Kitri. Her performing it with Sambe would seem to be an ideal opportunity as they should be terrific. I'd rather hoped she would perform it with Coralles as they were so tremendous together in Laurencia. However, I do think he'll be wonderful with Magri, and really pleased they're both doing their main role cinema debuts together.

Is it Naghdi/Ball debuts ogether as well? I thought Yasmine did it with Sambe last time and wasn't totally convinced  by it because of the height difference.  Will be great to see Naghdi/Ball together. 

Also pleased Luca Acri is getting a principal role at last.  He was never really on my radar until Cinderella, but I loved his stepsister and saw him at the stage door looking really pleased with his flowers so will be good to see him in a major role.

Hope there will be some standing tickets left by the time Friends booking opens. Do they hold any back for ordinary Friends or public booking or don't they bother now?