Julie 2 Milner

Went to see the above in Tunbridge Wells yesterday. The tickets were not cheap, £30 each. I don't really know where to begin and would be interested to hear others views. It wasn't good. All round. Costuming disappointing, dancing leaden and well, just poor. The Sugar Plum Fairy looked so bored I feel she understood what she was involved in. But nothing is worse than a dancer that does not give their all. There were some nice dancers. One young man stood out ( think he did The Russian Dance) and about 3 young ladies but otherwise such a disappointment. I've seen various Nutcrackers and I know I'm very privileged that most of my ballet viewing is now in Munich but I felt for those who were there. Don't get me wrong many did seem to enjoy it though when the orchestra gets the loudest clap/cheer I guess others felt as I did. Tunbridge Wells is a hard stage to have a large cast, esp with scenery but as an example a few years back I saw Moscow Ballet on the same stage and that was fine. I wasn't expecting the standard to be comparable to Munich etc but I as expecting it to be good. Also saw Swansea Ballet Russe, not in Tunbridge Wells but in fact in an even smaller location and that was lovely. The one thing that I think they managed well for a touring company was the tree. It grew well. No gasps from the audience but it was ok. I'm aware I must sound a real Scrooge and I'm normally so positive about those who bring ballet to the provinces but tbh just felt so disappointed. In fact so much I've booked for myself and my daughter to see ENB, which we saw a couple of years back. I can't get out to Munich to see their Neumeier version:-( Apologies if this makes me seem like a grump. I should stress my knowledge of ballet is certainly not huge or technically sound. .

The lobster is a real clue. think what a lobster is and that may help. But it is a horrid clue!!!

Hope she had a wonderful day.x

I am seeing The Russian State Ballet next Sunday in Tunbridge Wells. Have seen Moscow City before and was very impressed. A good Nutcracker always cheers.

Finished!

Sounds very interesting and exciting. Oh and thanks for the clues I'm nearly there!

On 86 and cannot get anymore. Lobster in the road is driving me nuts as are the 2 with plasters on! Still cannot see what the small thing is on the window sill.

Ooh you are doing well. I too cannot remember some. Have got the trees under the bridge but I just cannot work out what that thing is on the sill. Regattah as soon as you work out what is in the beer mug you'll get it. I won't say here in case others do not want to know. I'm on 76 I think.

41 for me. But had a shock yesterday. Was reading this thread and didn't realise the first posts are to do with the first game until I read my own post from then!!!. Thought how is everyone doing so well. Also went to bed and suddenly got the fish in the rd one! Fortunately remembered it this morning. It is all very tenuous though I feel. But fun.

Is this the Espinosa Project? If so has been going for about a year I think. Certainly he was doing things in the area a while back. Here is a small link http://www.espinosacentre.com/ http://www.espinosacentre.com/espinosa-dance-project/

Tickets for all Munich's performances seem to be selling super quickly. I was hoping to get out but everything seems to have sold, or certainly except for the cheapest seats. Now pinning my hopes on La Bayadere at the end of November.

Just wanted to say only said my son dances there as thought afds would not know. Didn't mean to sound abrupt. :-)

My son dances with the company. I have only ever sat row 12 and further back and the view is great and the rake very good. Many Bavarians are tall and I have never had issues. Whilst usually I would agree with Angela about sales I'm a bit stunned this year as already performances are selling very fast. Already I'm pushing Romeo and Juliet to next year and plan tomorrow to get him to get tickets for me to Midsummers. Already some performances are sold out for R and J and Midsummers top tickets gone. Not sure why as never before been in this situation. ( This is his 4th year). Maybe they are just very popular esp Romeo and Juliet. The theatre is lovely. People do dress well but is certainly not as narrow as let's say Vienna ( my son was an apprentice there). Every performance, even very classical has those who do not dress up. Munich is a lovely place and a lovely place for a ballet break.

Just seen this. Hope all is ok and he recovers quickly.

When we did it for Martin for Elmhurst a few years back was very expensive. I guess it varies from area to area. edited as font went strange!!

I love The Alvin Ailey Company. I really think they are my all time favourite. What a wonderful opportunity. Martin would have loved this when he was training.

If he broke the rules he broke the rules but surely a warning first. I think it is interesting though to consider what a "normal" school would do in the same circumstance. I suspect a similar response. I too find the comment that the problem is it was homosexual porn extraordinary and to be honest awful. Homophobic. I hope that wasn't what prompted the school. Re companies yes this was about school but I find it interesting the restrictions companies place on their dancers too. Vienna a case in point as I believe the photo shoot was tastefully and professionally done. One problem there may have been use of company premise. So I would have hoped the school would have give a warning but maybe they did. I guess we cannot know the whole story from just one report. Finally I don't find the opening post to contain anything problematic but yes we should remember this does have a wide ranging audience.

Recently in Vienna a principal was fired for nude photographs. However she was reinstated after a fight.

Definitely. Exams can plain go wrong or an examiner can be especially tough. We had one very tough situation. Elmhurst repeatedly cocked up exam entrances and Martin had to end up going down to Bristol. We live in Kent so I had to drive from Kent to Birmingham then down to Bristol. Fortunately stayed with my brother. But the venue was completely new. Floor dreadful. So slippery even the examiner commented!!! Martin just did badly. He was furious with Elmhurst and their appalling attitude (as was I), furious that due to their incompetence we'd had this rigmarole. Staying on the floor in someones house hadn't helped. My sister-in law wouldn't let him have a salt bath. So he wasn't in the right frame of mind. It was his worst result, only time he didn't get a distinction. But as he said despite everything it was down to him in the end. Also the higher level vocational results do matter for comps and potential Solo Seal. Anyway this was his Adv 1. Back on track for Ad2 and though he could have done Solo Seal again due to the mess Elmhurst was in at the time never happened for Martin's year. Re examiners I'd say there are those known to be tough so the whole class does worse than hoped but the marking criteria is quite strict so it is unusual for there to be issues with one person. Though I'm sure does happen. In the professional world these exams are actually pretty irrelevant but to those taking them at the time they are very important. But as with any exam children need to accept they can have a bad day or simply just not be at a particular level. Traditionally those moving to vocational levels can be in for a big shock if they have always had distinctions before! And we have had advantageous exams. One exam up at RAD in Battersea Martin came out beaming and obviously very happy. When we were alone he said it was the "funniest" exam ever. 4 boys and he was the only one who actually knew what he was doing. He said the others didn't know the exercises and weren't prepared. At one point the examiner seemed to despair, nicely. When he thanked her at the end she fervently said "no thank You!!!" He did very very well!!

Martin high jumped for the school and local athletics club. Also started pole vault. But the high jump caused great and serious problems. his hip area started hurting. Physio said problem was ballet and high jump use diametrically different muscles. His periformis was in a state and it took years to sort. Affected his flexibility etc. At one point he could barely lift his leg. He had to tell the school he couldn't jump for them . They were very cross as he was very good. But he had decided he wanted to dance professionally so he had to make the choice. He did one pole vault comp for Kent but that had to go too.

I could barely watch. But wonderful.

This takes me back! One time at school Martin was doing cross country. Well he cheated and cut the course short. Big trouble. (Rightly) But detention was during dance time. For whatever reason I rang the school and spoke to teacher. He was the one teacher who had a problem with Martin dancing. I listened to a long lecture re activity, fitness etc. So my first thing was to list Martin's dancing.... there was silence then "oh ok ". My suggestion was lunchtime detention. Couple of years later younger son doing cross country. He took too long. Walked I think .(Again he did a lot of sport). apparently teacher was very cross with the boys and handed out detentions except to Max. He looked at Max and said "I'm not messing with your Mum again". Then re teachers evening... we sat down with Max . Teacher started on about how awful Max was etc. We were stunned as he wasn't. Eventually, when I could get a word in I asked "which Max are you talking about"..... wrong Max. To give him his due teacher apologised profusely but then said he'd already seen other Max's mum who had seemed delighted and stunned with the report he gave her.

Often English is used except in France I suspect. The huge variety of nationalities means English is often the only unifying option. Re language. Remember asking for Kartoffeln in Vienna.... a long slow look.... you mean Erdapfel! But had a very interesting thing. For years I've said "Danke sehr". Kids told me I was wrong. First visit to the Opera House in Munich and everyone was "Danke sehr". Felt I'd come home. I spent 2 months in Munich as an 18 year old, so I must have picked it up there. I Wiederschon in Austria and Tschuss in Munich. But here is the cracker in my day orange juice was Apfelsinne now just Orangensaft! Mind you it is all ciao now. Apologies for all spellings.

Martin's first professional job was an apprentice with Vienna State Ballet. He spoke no German and had always done French. (Has A level) So he spent a month in Berlin before starting Vienna. But when I first visited my German was so much better. But we've always been keen on the children pursuing languages so he put in a lot of effort. This is actually quite hard when the lingua franca is English within the company. Very quickly he picked it up. In Munich I think there are only 1or 2 Germans in the company and all classes are in English. Again he has made a concerted effort to speak as much as possible outside company. He also takes time to study and work on it. So now he is really very fluent. He is capable of most interaction in German. Deals with companies like electricity etc, all in German. Also he is now far better than I am. lol The key is be prepared to work and never just say everyone else speaks English so that is ok. My daughter also spent a year acting in Germany. She did have GCSE but she too had to speak a lot as she was in and out of school. We were both watching The Bavarian State Ballet last week and something went wrong mid performance. Someone came out to explain what was happening. Obviously spoke fast. I got very little but she got much more. Sorry long answer. You get back what you put in. My daughter has also just spent 9months in Barcelona made no effort and learnt little. She is a bit disappointed in herself but "everyone spoke English". Anyone looking to train in a foreign country do not worry about the language. You will learn. Look at those who have gone to Russia. In Vienna Martin was helped in that as an apprentice they spent time with the school. There it was just German.

Where abouts in Germany are you? My son now dances professionally in Munich. Isn't it funny. Recently more UK people have been looking to Europe for training as it is so much cheaper and of a comparable standard. As everyone has said apply for all. Good luck.x