akh

Think it's Chief Executive of One Dance, see their website for details of this new organisation formed from an amalgamation of 4 organisations. 

I am so thrilled Laura Morera won the category "Best Female Classical". She doesn't normally get the credit she so deserves, her performances have given me much pleasure, her Lise and Gypsy were out of this world. Delighted for Matthew Ball and William Bracewell too. Congrats to all the deserving winners.

And to all those nominated too

That's £4 - £8 increase across any given price band from from the most expensive RB production this season (R&J). To be expected (and still relatively cheap to any opera frequenter)

Is it not the Hochhausers who bring the Bolshoi over and set the prices?

Oh how terrible!! One thing my dd learnt from her experiences was how to handle mean, nasty and very selfish people, it is a skill that has done her well and she actually feels sorry for the nasty kids as she says it must be terrible to feel that insecure that you have to try to distory another person, she knows not to take it to heart. Lucky for your dd to have a good supportive class around her!! I hope your dd feels better soon and remind her what a lovely person she is and obviously the rest of the class think so if they won't hear the nasty things being said about her x

Unfortunately it isn't only children who can behave like this I know of one adult who does! 

Now I *really* wish I'd gone back and seen it again

 

Thanks for the report on the matinee, Sheila.  I've been to their Thursday ones before (which I assume showed a different programme), but am not sure I've actually ever made it to a Saturday one.  I didn't realise the dancers now alternate ballet and contemporary: I was under the impression they did a ballet class first thing every morning and then went into contemporary for the rest of the day.

They have alternated ballet and contemporary for many years. Rehearsals take up the remainder of the day.

Have sent you a pm Yaffa. 

Many of the current members of The Royal Ballet I follow on Facebook and Twitter are saying how sad they are. RIP, Mr Drew.

He was a very fine teacher, we were fortunate enough to watch him take a pas de deux class once, magic. He will be sadly missed. 

My dd was in the audience, and absolutely loved it. The thing she noticed most though, was their age - the winners were 15.

 

In the UK, it is almost unheard of for 15-year-olds to take their Adv 2 exam - let alone pass with distinction. I know that the subject has been discussed many times before, but are we lagging behind a bit here in good old Blighty?

It does happen here and with high marks.

According to a page on the RAD website listing previous winners, Rachel Hickey and Isabella Swietlicki were medalists in 2014 (I believe they trained at Elmhurst & Ballet West respectively but please correct me if I'm wrong!) however as the page doesn't specify winners' nationalities, I only know that Brenda Last, who won gold in 1955, was definitely British, although there may be other Brits who have previously won gold whose names I didn't recognise.

 

https://www.rad.org.uk/documents/genee-docs/PastGeneemedallists_updated_Jun2015.pdf

 

(Edited to add source of information)

Clair Thomas is British

Cool Yes it's quite a walk from the station. Back when I was about 16 I had a Saturday morning job in the secondhand bookshop near the station and had to hare all the way down there (about 2 miles I think) for class in about half an hour. Was a bit mad! I think the Winchester bus goes from the station to right by the Sports Centre (64 or X64?) but no idea what times/how often.

 

Ah fair enough I know all about busy work Let us know how it goes if you do pay a visit! 

Buses stop quite early, should take 20/25 mins to walk

I think that UK trained students have only been in full time training for only 3 weeks ,the timing of the competition does not favour them .

I was surprised to see on the RAD website class that the leading arm is not used for en dedans pirouettes ,ok for one turn but for many !!!!!!! 

I think one at least is 2nd year post 16 vocational

DD was planning to wear black as she feels she looks best in black. I figure that if she feels comfortable in black she will be at her most confident and hence show herself to her best advantage....Hope that's right as I don't want her to place herself at any disadvantage by her choice. It can't make much difference can it??

Maybe just put something small in her hair just to make her a little different. 

I would have agreed about Nunez until I saw her in Winter's Tale. I thought she was excellent as Hermione, dramatic, moving and very convincing in her portrayal of a terribly wronged wife. 

I would also speak up for Sarah Lamb, whose Juliet I saw a few years ago with Putrov as Romeo. She was gorgeous, light as air and again very believable as a young girl in the throes of a great passion. Her death scene in the crypt was one of the few that have moved me to tears. Well, one or two perhaps. I am a tough old bird!

Marianella Nunez has always moved me and in some roles to tears. Always a very personal thing as to how particular dancers affect you. 

I'm looking for an adult ballet class or one that will take a 20 year old. I've been dancing for over 4 years, roughly at intermediate but I will take any class I can get.

 

Does anyone know a class near Guildford, Woking, Farnham area that is accessible by public transport? Oh and now for the hard part, preferably a Monday or Tuesday evening as I work 7 days a week! But I'll take any ideas as I may be able to change my schedule around. Thank you so much, I'm missing ballet!

Have a look at Woking Dance Space. 

Some help please for a dance world novice!

 

My DD, aged 9, loves dance. With the encouragement of one of her local teachers, she has recently started to think more seriously about dance as a career and is expressing a desire to apply to vocational schools at Year 7. She is currently attending our local dance school and is doing 2 RAD ballet and 1 ballet technique class per week plus ISTD tap, non-syllabus jazz and a street dance class. She's started doing holiday workshops (eg NYB performance skills) this year and we were able to fit in a few private lessons during the summer when the studio was less busy. We have also started to look at Associate Programmes and performance opportunities (eg LCB) but in the knowledge that these are highly competitive and hard to get into. She had her first 'no' this week which, to get credit, she took incredibly well.

 

As a mum, it's incredibly hard to know if your DD has what it takes and what these schools and programmes are looking for. I want to encourage and support her in pursuing opportunities but I also want to manage her expectations and avoid as much disappointment as possible. Before we plough ahead, I feel that it would be really helpful to get an objective assessment of her overall potential and some guidance on the routes that she should realistically explore. Has anyone gone through this with their DCs? Any advice would be welcome as I am not sure about who I could go to for this kind of advice. We are London based but also happy to travel.

Probably too early to tell yet, let her explore the possibilities and enjoy her dancing. 

Just thought I'd share these. Nike studio wraps DD is raving about them and prefers as alternative to foot thongs for lyrical and contemporary. She only got the inners not the outer pack with ribbons.

 

I thought it would be a good idea to share some of our favourite dancewear items on the market as great to hear recommendations

 

http://m.nike.com/gb/en_gb/pd/studio-wrap-3-training-shoe/pid-10267179/pgid-10301772?ef_id=UeGEswAABAEOIcgO:20150826094305:s

Shame the extra small size says shoe 5-6 as that leaves out those with smaller feet. 

I wondered the same, and I'm not sure. I was aware last year (privately) that OHP and the RBS were in talks about future collaboration/venue use, but that's all.

Very fond memories of RBS performances here, very atmospheric

 

 

Among those 11 choreographers listed was Anatole Grigoriev who, sadly, passed away over seven years ago. He was the teacher of Edward Watson, Robert Tewsley, Chris Wheeldon, Martin Harvey and many others during his 20 years with the RBS. It was him who introduced the Polonaise and Mazurka from "Paquita" to the School's concert.

 

 

And what a wonderful teacher he was , an inspiration to all who were fortunate enough to be taught by him and a charismatic man too, very much missed.

We sat next to an American couple who were long time suporters of the Kennedy Center. He normally dislikes Don Quixote he said but loved this production and they said it was the best ballet they had seen there for a couple of years. They raved about the dancers. It was the first night and very enthusiastically received. Certainly a joyous evening.

I went for an audition at Rambert at the beginning of March. They were interested in me and would hopefully like me to start there in September 2016, as I am too young for this year. I have questions about the school.

1. How many people apply for the school and get accepted?

2. What is the likelihood of becoming a dancer in the future if I go to Rambert?

3. What is the background? How does the school work?

4. Are there any scholarships or ways I could have a reduction in my tution, as I am an overseas student?

I would say excellent having seen their Spring Show last Friday, very impressive.

I think the Lennon ballet (which I can't believe I forgot about) is called The Dream is Over.

 

And of course let's not forget such masterpieces as Sgt Early's Dream, Ghost Dances, Hush ... the list goes on!

Yes of course it was thanks Janet

I saw it many times with the original cast who were truly breath-taking.  ENB did IIRC a 2 week season at Sadler's Wells comprising a week of Christopher Bruce's Cruel Garden with Koen Onzia as The Poet, Matz Skoog as the Moon and Martin James as the Bull (wow oh wow - what a cast that was!) and a mixed programme which included the premiere of Swan Song.  I was at the Saturday matinee, not on the front row, and I will never forget that performance.  The production was televised with the original cast by, I think, Channel 4 and, most unusually for me, I found it just as powerful on the tv.  It was filmed in a studio, rather than a filmed performance.

 

I did see at least one other cast with ENB that included Simon Cooper, who really grew into this role during his Rambert years.  I saw many permutations of Rambert casts over the years it was performed.  There is one that, for me, matched the original cast - Thomasin Gulgec (prisoner) with Alex Whitley and Eryck Brahmania.

 

As Two Pigeons says on the "new Swan Lake for RB thread" we were so lucky with the very exciting rep that Peter Schaufuss brought to the Company as AD.  His arrival as AD came just after I had discovered "ballet watching" and it is only as I look back over the past 30 years that I realise just how lucky I was to be watching the company then with its wonderful roster of dancers and such an amazing rep.  Just to remind readers, I had started watching contemporary dance in the mid-1970s and I did not start enjoying watching ballet until 1984.  Because of this I thought I had died and gone to heaven when Peter Schaufuss brought Christopher Bruce in as an Associate choreographer.  I well remember Land (which Rambert have also performed), The World Again and a glorious version of Symphony in 3 Movements as well as Swan Song and the revived Cruel Garden (which had been made for Rambert).

 

My specs have steamed up with the emotion of glorious memories so I will stop now!

Also glorious was I think it was called" The Long and Winding Road "to songs by John Lennon  in Peter Schaufuss time.

I wonder if there are any advices on how to get most effectively to Rambert from London. Will there be any rush-time etc - and how much time will it take?

If you look at the school web site ( I presume it's the school you want) there are clear details of how to get there. If you opt for train it will be from Waterloo , Underground it's district line. Good luck if it's for an audition.

I've just been watching a clip of this on YouTube. It's on the GCSE Dance syllabus and my daughter had been shown it at a meeting at school for students considering Dance as an option. I found what I assume to be the opening section incredibly powerful and wondered when the ballet had last been performed and by whom. I'd love to see it performed live. I don't know whether ENB has enough of the right dancers for it currently, although I could see James Streeter and Fabian Reimar as the prison guards. Has anyone seen it with the original cast: Skoog, Richmond and Onzia? They were so convincing in the roles; you forgot that they were dancers rather than actors.

Yes I have seen both the original cast and several casts when Rambert did it a few years back. it is indeed a wonderful and intense piece of choreography. It can be very chilling to watch and is a powerful illustration of mans inhumanity to man.

Agree Jill is lovely