annamicro

Bill, you can sign: Angela will never know ;-) And she will have more time to come to London :-D

Has just been published a petition is support of Kobborg, if somebody want to try to help just a little bit and sign, here are the link and the translation http://www.petitieonline.com/artistii_si_publicul_il_sustin_pe_johan_kobborg_si_echipa_lui Performers and audience support Johan Kobborg and his team at the Bucharest National Opera We do not understand why we have to make changes when things are well done and the result of some people is that viewers who fill every representation of a ballet hall Romanian Opera and enjoy every day, along with their children. In the last two years and half the rooms were full, often shows being "sold out". We do not understand why when viewers come to the Romanian Opera ballet with original choreography with carefully studied scenography, costumes beautiful with good artists want to cancel the entire effort. We do not understand the injustice that could be made given that every artists scheduled show many times, each time with a different cast for each role of the main preparing at least three artists. We do not understand why there can not be very good competition and promoting artists, as there are everywhere around us. Do not understand how you can not enjoy the good things that happen and the Romanian Opera, the scene in the last two years and half were 5 premieres ballet. Do not understand how you can not appreciate that just because artists on stage I could have invited artists from major ballet companies from other countries. We do not understand how a collaboration with Covent Garden anyone not enjoy. We do not understand how one can reproach material gain "huge" compared to others, but the results and assessments are unseen. It is not serious the situation as a whole, but only part of it that, indeed, viewed separately could arouse envy. We do not understand why until now, every premiere everyone waited anxiously show hall was full and there was every representation only words of praise, and now everything is forgotten and dismayed. We do not understand why there is a mandatory mediation situations such as in a relationship for two. If there is something to be saved, we must try not to save? We do not understand what good could bring such a change. Top Artists, Top choreographers, set designers better, best dresser? We do not understand... The fields to complete: forename Name City Country Email address Want to put your signature to the public? Yes No

Dancers are really threatened at the moment. Cojocaru tweeted a beautiful photo of the group of protesting dancers hugging her all together and there are several Romanians (and also in other photos), some are posting a lot on Facebook, but many, as Alina wrote, even if supporting her and Johan have fear to take a public position. An heritage of fear and silence it's hard to contrast, even after 26 years since the Revolution (also because many things don't seem to have changed that much, including old people in ballet relevant positions)

Bill, you will be always be able to surprise me: I don't know how I cannot hate you even if I would love to be able to do that so often

I loved the recent biographic movie, maybe you can find it on Sky or similar

Cows are allowed opinions in every country, Especially, opinions of Indian cows are extremely respected.

No, Sim, not all the performing people (I'm not using the word "artists") are with them. According to many comments these people has a very low level of performance and also productivity, but they have low wages and are protesting for this, as to destroy what of great was happening to the ballet company can change their status, paid by the state. They don't ask for more, they want less for everybody, including the audience: they, as you said, live in the past and don't want a future, maybe they think they don't deserve it. Just imagine that a dancer on that side said "there are not dancers better than other" (it's in the newspapers). Angela Gheorghiu is supporting them, she said she has never sang on the stage of Opera Bucharest and this is sad, I would wonder why, since she was not banned from the country and gave a charity concert at Bucharest Ateneu after that disaster in the disco, with lots of deaths. I suspect (and Romanian friends too) that Opera Nationala Bucuresti was not able to pay her fee. Probably now her "Tibi" will find the money. I'd like also to know why BillBoyd, from his comfortable chair in the UK, decided that Kobborg and Cojocaru (fighting for their company and their dancers, btw I've just been told that one of the not welcome foreigners will have his last show o Sunday, I suppose for his decision, anyway I hope he has already found another position) should shut up, but he likes that Gheorghiu posts on facebook talking of something she has never been part of. The media are supporting the ballet company but without results for the moment, some Romanian dancers supports but (as Cojocaru wrote) not in public because they have fairs of the harsh attacks the ones who made public their position have already had inside the House. The former minister of culture supports, the British ambassador supports. I'm sorry for neutral ballet typists if this disturbs them.

"Parlate della mafia. Parlatene alla radio, in televisione, sui giornali. Però parlatene" (Paolo Borsellino) On Romanian newspapers and TVs there is a great coverage for this issue, there are so many links I've not read them all yet! Generally they are supporting Kobborg position, but it has become more a problem of "public and common laundry" and the future they want to have as a country, Of course cows can go on chomping grass happily to make good chocolate, they don't need to read Romanian news.

The new management announces the first cancellation...an "INTERNATIONAL gala": what a scandal. So I'm having my money back in few days... http://www.operanb.ro/stiri/anunt-privind-anularea-galei-internationale-a-dansului-din-data-de-28-aprilie

Paul Brummell says he is concerned...and Luke Jennings (on twitter) supports. http://www.news.ro/cultura-media/paul-brummell-ambasadorul-marii-britanii-la-bucuresti-pe-twitter-sunt-preocupat-de-recentele-evolutii-de-la-opera-nationala-bucuresti-1922401313002016042315428399

I would stick on Roberto Bolle, I think he is perfect for the case.

Maybe BillBoyd can help with the traslation, since he liked Gheorghiu statement on Facebook. Actually he is the one who made me aware of it, so I think I have to thank him...

Translate this, I cannot now Stimate domnule Prim-Ministru, Imi permit un ultim mesaj. O sa va atașez o poza cu un email scris de Printesa Marina Sturdza dnului Alexandreascu. Acest lucru o sa răspundă la acuzațiile nedrepte aduse noua in legatura cu Gala de la New York. Din păcate am realizat ca aceata țara a noastră nu este pregătită pentru ce Johan si eu le-am oferit acești 2 ani si voiam sa continuam. Am știut ca o sa fie greu dar am sperat ca inspirând curaj , creativitate,pasiune si onestie atât in inimile onor micuți balerini cat si celor tinere talente ale tari (celor care au ales sa se întoarcă in țara de când este Johan la conducere) , o sa fie un început , o noua generație de artiști Români . Atât oamani Români cat si străini Lucrând împreuna spre a crea arta ,sub acoperișul teatrului, si in același timp a dărui mai departe tari . Așa cum aceta este rostul artei si culturii. Am sperat sa fie o ruptura din cercul de răutate si distrugere ,in care este țara noastră. Macar cat de mică schimbarea ,sa fie simțită in generațile viitoare, măcar o raza sa le îndrepte privirea si dorința de a dărui si a iubi , așa cum si ei la rândul lor au simțit. Dar se pare ca am greșit , putini sunt pregătiți sa vadă si sa accepte ca exista oameni ca Johan - fără interes propriu ci din potriva. Probabil aici si este una din durerile mai mare pe care le simnt momentan. Când balerini trimit mesaje de ii rup lui inima , dar sunt cu frica sa își arate prezenta când trebuie sa il susțină. Înțeleg si nu înțeleg acest lucru. Durerea mea este ca deși au simțit ceva minunat ( dupa cum spun ei) , ceva ce ar trebui ,dupa părerea mea, sa le fie un standard in viața ( pe care il merita).. Au făcut o alegere-frica. Toți avem dreptul la o alegere in viața, pentru mine frica si întimidare nu este o direcție înainte, este o destinație -întunericul. Primesc mesaje ca unii isi cer scuze ca am fost jignita.. Nu m-am simțit așa , simnt numai mila si Tristețe.. Imi pare rău ca încercand sa protejez ce sa realizat cu atât de multă munca, si a asigura un viitor acestei arte in România protejând o mâna de Oameni cărora li-i se datorează aceste realizări nemaipomenite la noi in țara , sa ajuns la un alt scandal...va asigur nu aceatsa a fost intenția !! Ținând cont de situația tari știu ca aceatsa de la ONB este numai o mică problema si voiam sa va mulțumesc din Suflet de timpul acordat. Nu numai ca un conducator al tari mele dar ca si om cu respec pentru un alt om. Am văzut un zâmbet in ochii si inima dumneavoastră si aleg sa plec cu aceatsa amintire din multe lucruri urate care sau întâmplat in numai câteva zile. Aceasta bunătate arătata mie, imi da încă o raza mica de speranța pentru viitorul tari mele, un viitor pe care il doresc tutor oamenilor, regardless de ce naționalitate sunt... Măcar pentru viitoarele generați aceatsa speranța sa existe.. Sper sa am acea onoare de ne revedea intr-o zi cu Johan ,la un pahar de suc așa cum ati propus. Cu sinceritate , Alina

I don't know what/if was done/discussed before that post, do you? I totally agree that some things could and should have been dealt better (both parts). But something on which both parts agree, with very slightly difference, it is the xenophobic approach from the fist day. Yesterday the xenophobic threats of part of low level (in any sense you can read it) Opera employees were in the news, filmed. It's always easy to say "you should shut up" from a country where everybody everyday can open the mouth and give plenty of air to it.

I'm sorry for your misinformation but I wonder what would have been undestood and perceived in London and everywhere if I would have not been here to prove how wrong your information are. So, since many information are public and in addition I can have an instant chat (everybody has facebook and smartphones, also in Romania: it's an hard time for old style liars, isn't it?) with several persons of ONB or close to it (and I'm not just talking of Kobborg and Cojocaru), please be careful before spreading again falsities, in good faith or not, because I will be here to disprove them and I'm afraid you will go on not appreciating the way I will continue treating you. What happened it's called strike, it happens in democracy (in my country it happens too much and is abused indeed). They weren't fighting just for their boss but for their rights and their working place: isn't this clear yet? Alina was not supposed to be in Bucharest until the end of the week because she was supposed to rehearse in Stuttgart with Vogel (there was a change of plan because of Alina unplanned show in Munich and they rehearsed also in that town). Alina shared on twitter on the 9th a message of Vogel explaing the event. https://twitter.com/DancingAlina/status/718917126615076866 After that the situation seemed to improve and Alina was willing to try to dance on Sunday, but it was obviously too late to have Vogel in Bucharest and him rehearsing with the rest of the cast, so she was trying to do that with Kobborg (not really feasible, but they were going to make an attempt in the studio as see how it was working)

i think that audience as you are, not the ones clapping also with the light on on Sunday, but people ready to spread EVIDENT falsity, fully deserve the nothing the are going to be served. Good luck.

Is it anybody making fun of you? ot it is just you making fun of yourself? Karl Burnett left to Santiago del Chile where he is now mounting Mayerling and even didn't attend the premiere, here is good luck to ONB for the premiere on facebook (public https://www.facebook.com/karl.burnett.71 ) <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkarl.burnett.71%2Fposts%2F10153437942306437&width=500"width="500" height="200" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true"></iframe> Brusce Samson wasn't in Bucharest this week and the only ballet master was James Wlikie (rushed back after the event). After both the performances the dancers were saying to have not rehearsed for most of the week. Ionete and Bishop and the cast had a last minute planned eherasal led by James Wilkie on the day of the performance, just after class. With two friends I was invited to see class, so this is not a reported info: I saw them with my eyes entering the main studio. This are the FACTS, are you in good faith or trying to distribute absolutely false information for personal interest????

yes, she was imposing her point and on Saturday Kobborg was likely to be the AD. All the company was on strike and they rehearsed very little during the week. Cojocaru and Kobborg have worked a lot together for ONB, and she helped a lot also for Manon. You seem to see only an off stage relationship, but I think this has very little relevance here: I see much more, in this case a technical and artistic joint venture. Alina worked a lot for the company, just think to the gym (if you know that a very basic little one now exist in the building), she has been coaching some ballets and did many other things, to think she is just Kobborg fiancee and a guest is to focus on the 5% of her relationship with the company. Angela Gheorghui is promoting his dear friend Soare, Alina Cojocaru is trying to save not her fiancee but her own work and all the efforts of the last two years. And she and Johan are trying also to protect all the dancers that trusted them and are now at risk to lose all what they worked for and even their working place, I appreciate you trust I believe this, but I don't understand what you believe on and on which basis, because from what you write you seem be very far from knowing really anything of what has happened inside the Opera Theatre (the good, the bad, the mixed things) in last few years, this said without any intention to offend,

...a very uncommon way to be on strike all the week, to dance Die Kameliendame in Munich on the 6th of April, rehearsing at the same time with Vogel (check Vogle twitter account). She wrote exactly as you reported "I will be performing ONLY under the management that made this ballet happen for our audience to enjoy, with KOBBORG as our leader" not "I'm not dancing in any case". I will now report a stage door conversation (public anyway: everybody there was listening) saying that she on Saturday night (and both Alina and Johan were relaxed and confident, as were all the dancers) was still hoping to perform on Sunday, she said to have had to withdraw because when she came back to Bucharest had not time to rehearse, being busy with meetings and all the fuss generated by this event, but also that she was so willing to dance that show that she and Johan were going to try to go to the studio to see if it was possible to dance Manon together (of course they need less rehearsal time, having danced it together many times). So we have been close to have a Cojocaru-Kobborg Manon, but the story took unexpectedly another direction and I think they didn't even go to the Opera House on Sunday. (still on Sunday night some members of ballet staff were saying that they were trying to find a good date at the end of the season to finally have the Cojocaru Vogel Manon). I don't think Alina Cojocaru will never be happy to be "protected" at the expenses of somebody else. And I'm sure she cannot be easily manipulated or instigated: maybe she has been in Romania not enough in the past and people doesn't really know what a rock solid person she is, in many ways, mainly good. She has been very little in her country in the past and you are losing her again: what a pity. I still hope, anyway. btw: maybe you saw that cast previously, but you missed a superb perfomance (act £ especially), on Sunday! (I edited twice for typos and grammar, now I give up: you all will understand in any case :-) )

Mola! Alina Cojocaru has just announced on twitter that she will be joying the demonstration in support of Kobborg and ONB future planned tonight at the Opera https://twitter.com/dancingalina/status/719851459936940032 You can ask her why she couldn't dance Manon...it could be interesting, because on Saturday night, when everybody was still smiling and she was still oping to dance the day after, even if not with the poor and innocent Vogel, is quite different from the one it has been published in ONB web-site. A summary of the events and information about this afternoon demonstration also in this Romanian magazine. http://adevarul.ro/cultura/arte/johan-kobborg-demisioneaza-astazi-nu-continua-sa-mi-compromit-munca-etica-morala-1_570ca24f5ab6550cb8e5b982/index.html

I cannot edit this anymore, of course "Unfortunately I doesn't remember the name of that person" has to be read "Unfortunately HE doesn't remember the name of that person".

Alison, I don't think only one side of the story is visible: the Minister and the various Interim Directors spoke to the media and their version is much more public than Kobborg one. Maybe you mean that he writes in English and the other speak in newspapers in Romanian, but the assumption that the other side of the story is not available it's not true, For example the incident about the request to speak only Romanian has been largely discussed: Soare admits it happened but claims that he was not the one who made it and that he tried to calm down the other person. Unfortunately I doesn't remember the name of that person. I think it could be vaguely accepted that he says "I don't want that name in the news paper", but the sentence "I don't remember" speaks loud (at least to me, leaving in a country where "I don't remember" means a lot) of the level of the person. The point is that the incident happened in presence of many people and all of them remember the name (I didn't asked and don't know this name) and agree that it was not Soare to ask to speak Romanian, the only difference is that they say he didn't try to stop the other at all (this at least in public, in private only the two, and maybe God if invited,know).

Romanian laughs about this (mainly n English): https://despreopera.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/e-mails/ I love the James Bond one, and also the comment of the reader at the end "poate scoti si niste telegrame intre JK si JK cum il invita directorul baletului JK pe coregraful JK sa puna in scena balete la ONB …din bani publici …" google translate "can be removed and some telegrams between JK & JK as ballet director invites JK JK choreographer to stage ballets ONB ... public money ..." FACTS so loved in Romania are showed above with the name of the choreographers in this year program, and about money, oh Dear, I wish Italy had 1/10 of the public money that Romanian government is investing in ballet, at least in some poeple head and dreams...

again? He guested in September 2015 Robert Enache, Romanian Principal dancer of ONB, is just back in Bucharest after having guested in Tulsa Ballet Classical Symphony (both in Oklahoma and during the Italian tour): clearly an international repertoire offered to a Romanian talented guy the opportunity to step in in the middle of the US for a injured colleague and enjoy a new artistic experience.

Cojocaru activity for the Hospice of hope speaks of her love for her Country, but I dont think is really relevant here. :-) I think what is on Gaynor Myndens website could be (as a start) "Alina Cojocaru, international ballet star and Principal Dancer at England’s Royal Ballet* personifies the generous spirit of ballet. When asked by Gaynor Minden to endorse our pointe shoes she agreed on one condition: instead of accepting a fee, she asked that we supply pointe shoes to the dancers of the Opera Nationala din Bucuresti, the national ballet company in her native Romania. In making her request, Cojocaru explained that she had just returned from Bucarest where life for the dancers, she said “is very hard.” Severe political and economic problems make buying pointe shoes and other necessities extremely difficult and sometimes impossible. The plight of her friends and colleagues moved Cojocaru to offer what would have been her entire compensation so that the Romanian dancers could get the shoes they needed." https://dancer.com/gm-artists/artists/alina-cojocaru/ I would also ask to Mola if he/she has any idea about how a company that cannot afford shoes (I was talking with a dancer on Sunday about something else private and not relavant here and diring the conversation he said "we are given very few shoes, so I'm saving the good ones for the shows"), can afford the list of works of this year program. I asked Kobborg some time ago and I had the answer I had already given to myself: so which is your answer, Mola? Just to make it clear, a FACT, that you love so much, is that a friend of mine in 2005 (I still have his budget, sent to me for double check) paid an Ashton pdd for a single show 250 pounds. 250 pounds for just a pdd 11 years ago, to make it simple in Romanian terms: 250 pounds are 1400 lei (1 thousand 4 hundreds). And the Royal Ballet was charging 150 pounds ( 840 lei) for each costume. ONB is dancing Ashton the Dream with Royal Ballet costumes (not the wigs, ok) and sets. Have you any idea not of the aritistic value, but of the bare real market cost of the works (all masterpieces) that Kobborg managed to offer to Romanian audience and that now will be probably retired by the rights owner (Yuri Possokhov has already announced he is retiring the right to perform Classical Symphony)? But maybe you agree with those who want to see Kobborg leaving because it has to be protected the "renomate choreographic Romanian tradition" and that's the point where the discussion ends.