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6 minutes ago, taxi4ballet said:

I agree that many people would hope that being an associate at a particular school would give them a slight advantage come audition time. And it does.

 

But the advantage is not because they are an associate at that particular establishment. It is because they are a better dancer than they might otherwise have been, without that additional training. 

22 hours ago, taxi4ballet said:

Being an associate anywhere gives you an additional level of training that will hold a student in good stead anyway. Quite a few associates gain upper school places, but not necessarily at the same school at which they were an associate.

Exactly

It will vary year on year so statistics are not very helpful. Just enjoy the experience of Associates in whichever scheme suits the student  best. 

2 hours ago, CCL said:

I had forgotten that Victoria Wood was Nanna - an inspired piece of casting!

Our Granddaughter was lucky enough to be cast as an extra and had a lovely time filming. A friend of hers was Posy's double for the point work. Great experience,

25 minutes ago, MAB said:

There was no fight.  It was a mental health incident.  I was sitting close beneath the slips and a friend was sitting in the slips who saw what I could only hear.  Eventually the police sent for an ambulance.  Hopefully the man is receiving the care he so obviously needs.

 

A word of thanks to the ROH security staff who had to deal with a difficult situation and were subject to some dreadful verbal abuse. 

 

Thankfully these incidents are very rare and I hope those in the vicinity that were badly scared won't be put off from returning to ROH.

It is very difficult to fully police glass being taken into theatres. At ours we do police it well at doors into the theatre but there have been times when people have taken glass in bottles and glasses in their bags which we have found abandoned at the pick up. Bar staff sell drinks in plastic "glasses" if going into the auditorium and anyone who arrives at the door with a glass is given a plastic "glass" to put their drink in but it is impossible to see what is in their bag and if they go to the lengths of concealing it there is not a lot we can do. Thankfully it's a fairly rare occurrence. 

4 hours ago, MissEmily said:

I have a 7 year-old (Year 2) pupil who is very keen and shows potential. He would like to take part in some workshops/ one-off classes over the summer in London or the South, ideally specifically for boys or where he won’t be the only boy (as is the situation in his current class). I know Central has run  boys’ ballet days in the past but I can’t currently see any advertised. Does London Boys’ Ballet School still exist? The website seems defunct. London Junior Ballet is running a boys’ Summer School but it’s for age 9+… Does anyone have any other suggestions? Thank you!

Central boys days are very good, see their web site for updates

Thoroughly recommend Rambert

32 books on ballet wide variety  , some old and several now out of print. Sadly no longer will have room for them. I want them to go to a good home. Will need to be collected. West Sussex . I don't want any money but am keen for them to go where they will be appreciated as local book dealer said take them to the tip!

3 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

Full capacity in Rye and the only glitches some sound issues at the very beginning and during the spoken introduction to Act 2. Greatly enjoyed seeing the interview with Johanna Adams Farley and felt an opportunity missed by not speaking with Andrew Litton to get his perspective on The Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker from his position at New York City Ballet. The orchestra certainly sounded superb in Tchaikovsky’s ever glorious score.

 

I’m not really a Nutcracker aficionado (I have seen it once ‘live’ in 35 years and that was only because I sensed the clock ticking on Laura Morera’s career and didn’t want to miss seeing her dance), so perhaps not best based to comment, but I didn’t come away thinking I’d seen a vintage cast.

 

I very much liked Sophie Allnatt and Leo Dixon, she wide-eyed with excitement, he dashing and ardent, both dancing cleanly, musically and with easily responsive musicality; and I enjoyed Thomas Whitehead, who seemed a more sinister Drosselmeyer, perhaps akin to the spirit of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s original tale, than I might have anticipated (not much glitter, which I imagine is Gary Avis’ prerogative). However, much as I usually like her, Isabella Gasparini seemed rather light weight as The Rose Fairy (it’s good to see her being given more ‘mature’ roles, but I wasn’t convinced this was the best fit for her); and I wasn’t convinced by Anna-Rose O’Sullivan and Marcelino Sambé. Perhaps it was the camera angle, but she seemed too tall for him when on pointe (the long supported pirouette at the end of the Pas de deux seemed particularly uncomfortable) and whilst I enjoy his easy virtuosity, I agree with Linnzi5 that he doesn’t convince as a danseur noble.

 

However, I enjoyed his Romeo in cinema and thought his Rudolf really fine and see no reason why every dancer should be successful in every role they dance. As for Anna-Rose O’Sullivan, I think her technically accomplished and, obviously, musical, but she doesn’t touch me at all as a dancer. This is, of course, a personal response.

 

She did speak beautifully in her VTR about not just the challenges but the responsibilities of dancing this role. However, in the same VTR Sambé seemed to hint at the darkness behind the music at this point (it was one of those moments when the sound faltered) and I didn’t sense that glow and abandonment to the moment that can be seen in last year’s broadcast with Fumi Kaneko and William Bracewell, now available on the ROH stream so that one can make the inevitable “odorous” comparisons.

I found Drosselmeyer rather bland for me, absolutely love Gary Avis in that role. Otherwise thoroughly enjoyed it and we were well attended at the local cinema with no technical problems. Nice start to Christmas. 

Central School of Ballet also taking part.

23 hours ago, bridiem said:

And even more so, seeing the RBS students in Les Noces which made me ache to see it again. If Nijinska is so important and mustn't be forgotten etc, why does the RB not stage her works?? It's precisely because the RB (etc) don't stage them that she's being forgotten! (Yes, I know about cost etc in respect of Les Noces; but it's really a question of priorities and choices.) I have to hope that this Insight is an indication that at least one revival is on the way.

We also  really enjoyed seeing the dancers from Chile and an insight to their rehearsal of the work. The excerpt we saw showed what emotionally connected dancers they are. 

Love all of Christopher Bruce's choreography

20 minutes ago, Anon2 said:

I was horrified when my daughter told me one of her peers had a bust reduction in 2014/5 at the request of her school. To learn since that this isn’t uncommon and was being pushed 30 years ago too is just dreadful. 
 

Your comments about not wanting to say you were unhappy because of the financial implications to your family touched a nerve too. My daughter had a DaDA, we often talked to her about whether she should leave, her response flipped between ‘it’s not that bad, I’m tired …’ or ‘it will be better next term when we are …’ I’ve since found out the teaching staff often reminded the students that if they left their parents were responsible to pay the full fees for the full 3 year course. I can’t imagine there was anyone on a DaDA who thought well my parents will just pick up the bill. 
 

 

Yes not uncommon (bust reduction advice)

10 hours ago, Ruby Foo said:

This is all so our experience. When it became clear that verbal abuse in class was taking place on a daily basis, my dc, though admitting she wasn’t sure she could take it anymore, begged and begged us not to speak out because it was well known what happened to those who challenged the system. Incidentally none of this related to body shaming and in her experience the school’s education and guidance on nutrition was extremely healthy and helpful. 

Exactly body shaming is not the only issue.

Look at the new program for younger students at Central, not every week and worth exploring.

If you look at school web sites they should tell you when applications open.

4 hours ago, Laburnum1 said:

My daughter was in Northern Ballets touring production of the nutcracker last year , Northern Ballet auditioned children from her ballet school which was in the town they were performing , different children performed in each tour venue , it was quite a long process auditions around feb performances Nov , it was a lovely experience She did 6 performances and loved every minute.

4 hours ago, Laburnum1 said:

My daughter was in Northern Ballets touring production of the nutcracker last year , Northern Ballet auditioned children from her ballet school which was in the town they were performing , different children performed in each tour venue , it was quite a long process auditions around feb performances Nov , it was a lovely experience She did 6 performances and loved every minute.

My granddaughter also danced with Northern Ballet a few years back and had a wonderful experience

9 hours ago, alison said:

Hmm, my locals are announcing no trains whatsoever on the 1st, but a limited service on the 2nd.  I can't keep up with this.

Unfortunately all these strikes affect people who are powerless to do anything about them. Those in a position to do so will be unaffected by them so no real incentive. So sad.

3 hours ago, MissEmily said:

In my experience as a teacher, remote exam results are far, far lower and more random than in person. So long as she keeps up home practice/ conditioning exercises throughout the summer, I'd go for August.

Not in our experience, have had some high results from recordings

5 hours ago, Doing Dance 1 said:

Hi all, 

I was recently having a conversation and trying to explain what ballet associate programmes where to someone who was unfamiliar. 
It got me thinking 🤔 

 

How would you describe an associate programme?
What makes a good associate programme? 
Are there big differences between programmes? 
 

Do look at what the program includes, some are just ballet others are broader. It depends on what you want from a scheme. Also some have longer days than others.

https://www.rtve.es/.../nikinska-secreto.../6852973/ ,  may give you more information

On 20/06/2022 at 01:29, miliosr said:

My copy of Lynn Garafola's magisterial new biography of Bronislava Nijinska (titled La Nijinska) has arrived.

 

I skipped ahead to Chapter 16 where Garafola discusses the Royal Ballet's major revivals of Les Biches and Les Noces in the mid-60s. In Garafola's retelling, Frederick Ashton comes across as the real hero of these revivals as he commissioned them at a time when Nijinska's fortunes were at a very low ebb. Garafola quotes this lovely communication from Ashton to Nijinska in 1964 before she arrived in London to restage Les Biches:

 

"It has always been one of my favourite ballets and I look forward with extreme pleasure to seeing it again, and to having you among us . . . To my way of thinking it is essential that the Royal Ballet should have a masterpiece in its repertoire from one of the greatest choreographers of our time."

 

Ashton signed it, "Your ancient pupil, Freddie."

 

The source notes for Chapter 16 mention that Les Biches was programmed with Les Patineurs and Marguerite and Armand at the first performance. At subsequent performances, Les Biches appeared on the same bill as Les Sylphides and The Dream. How about those as mixed bills at the ballet?

You may be interested to check out www.avadancecompany.com/nijinska.html.

Avatara Auyso 's new choreography will premiere in Santiago in July. She is working with the Ballet de Santiago and creating a full length work entitled " Nijinska, secrecto de la vanguardia"

8 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

It didn’t put them on until all of the curtain calls were over. A few people did leave as soon as the performance was over, but not many.

Neither did ours and only the very few people with buses to catch left before the house lights went up.

20 hours ago, Fonty said:

 

You must live in  a posh area, Alison.  I have just booked two tickets at my local cinema.  Judging by the seating plan, there are currently all of 6 people booked in.  

We had a very good turn out here in Worthing and a very mixed audience so not a "posh" crowd. They left delighted with their evening.

On 01/03/2023 at 10:31, CCL said:

Our Voices sounds very interesting indeed- I will make a point of seeing that.

I’m also delighted about Giselle!

 I will probably book for Carmen as I’ve only ever seen it as an opera.

Overall, I’m pretty pleased!

I really rate Johan Inger. I remember him well from Basler Ballet. I am sure his Carmen will be well worth seeing.