nottsballetlover

Don G fan - Cineworld Edinburgh has booking available for the live screening but no idea where it is in relation to the centre.

Details here: http://www.cineworld.co.uk/cinemas/21/information

Just booked mine for Nottingham! 

I'm over the moon to discover the upcoming RB live screenings will be shown at a cinema complex in Nottingham city centre (Cineworld -also showing at others of that same cine group around the UK). Previously they'd only been shown at the out of town (on industrial estate!) multiplex that's very difficult to get to if like me you don't drive.....  

£16 a ticket, great value, booking all of them!!

How sad that the company could not find one more Juliet from within their own ranks

Totally agree with that. 

Lartiste = so happy you got a ticket for the R&J you wanted. Determination pays off! Myself, I'm over the moon to have a ticket for 7 Dec Osipova/Acosta. I don't live in London but Macmillan R&J is a ballet I will spend serious money on, it's just my favourite ever ballet. I'm also seeing Watson/Hamilton and Nunez/Soares. Luckily I've been able to combine RB with matinees at Sadlers, to make my overnight stays very worthwhile.....! Thank you scheduling......I doubt ROH and Sadlers planned it, but it has worked a dream for me to add matinee Stuggart and Bourne Swan Lake the day after an evening RB Romeo and Juliet.  

Not quite a book about Marie Rambert but I have a wonderful book balled 'Ballet Rambert :50 years and on' published 1976 - contains interview with her and photos of her by Snowdon. Lovely book. You can maybe get it second hand online.

Interesting topic! I get goosebumps every time the lights go down, Being 'at the ballet' is such a buzz.  In addition to that, my biggest goose bump moment is in R&J  when Romeo walks into the tomb and you know things are not going to pan out well.,,,,And at that point I usually lose it and start crying!!

I wish Michael Sugrue could be hired by the RB or ENB to do the same for their dancers...

There is a film, described as currently in production about Thiago and Marianela: http://www.roh.org.uk/news/thiago-soares-and-marianela-nunez-to-star-in-upcoming-film

There was a brilliant loss of wig for Antonio Savichev's Magedaveya.

 

Ha! He recovered it well though! (literally and artistically!). Such a wonderful performance by him in fact. I really loved the power of the male temple dancers (not sure what they are called - the ones in long black wigs).

Can I just add; blacked up performers of any kind are a total no in my view and have no place in any performance. The young dancers today were wonderfully well rehearsed and danced brilliantly - their dancing was a joy to watch. Their make up was not...

I'm just back home in Nottingham from London after seeing today's matinee of La Bayadere. For me, there was some superb dancing that made the trip worthwhile. I loved both Obraztsova and Tikhomorivoa as Nikiya and Gamzatti respectively. They both convinced me they absolutely wanted Solor, the scenes involving Solor and Nikiya were very touching and beautifully danced. I thought the orchestra was amazing. For me sitting stalls front row, not the best placed to judge the Shades entering - but they looked good to me......

I could write more but I'm totally dehydrated! Brain has stopped! In summary though, that was a really enjoyable performance for me and well done to all the dancers. So glad I splashed out on a ticket, so much to appreciate seeing this great company.

Just back from Saturday matinee La Bayadere. I was in the stalls. Wow - it was hot....! I took a bottle of water in to auditorium and drank it through performance which technically is not allowed at ROH but I'm sure the ROH staff were briefed to be OK with that - better than having people fainting!

More Liam Scarlett news just posted on ROH website:

http://www.roh.org.uk/news/thiago-soares-and-marianela-nunez-to-star-in-upcoming-film

Looks a very interesting film from the trailer, as they are such favourite dancers of mine - can't wait for it to be released!

Ah - just discovered this thread, having been posting for a while on ballet! I have a beautiful jet black cat called Pushkin. He was a rescue cat from RSPCA some 7 years ago, now aged about 10. He was stuck at RSPCA for months, as he was so shy and nervous. They'd called him 'Tink'. I wanted something more literary so renamed him Pushkin when I adopted him. He's still very shy with strangers but fine with me.

I named my cat Pushkin because it sounded good, I love the ballet Onegin and love the real life Pushkin as a writer and poet. But when I named my cat I forgot Pushkin died in a duel!  But my Pushkin could not be more timid - no duels for him, no love interests (he's neutered!), no strong emotions whatsoever except for food.....!!!

But he does seem to like classical music. He sat down in front of the TV last year for one of the Proms and appeared to watch it!

Gosh - very interesting topic, bringing up lots of issues. I live in Nottingham and have to plan very carefully the ballets I book in London plus travel and hotel costs, against budget!!  I've already instigated an almost military planning system for my 'autumn ballet in London' - this has involved getting RB performances to tie in with matinees at Sadlers, to tie in with advance cheap hotel bookings......then I still have to jump on the cheapest advance train fares (using an 'advance fare alert' by email system) the minute they become available 10 to 12 weeks ahead of the travel date for my particular rail company.....So for me it is very much the company, not the 'star'.

In any case, I regard all ballet dancers as 'stars' in their own right (in my eyes!). Every performance is unique and every dancer is special in their own way. I try to see different dancers and ballets - the more variety the better. I cannot invest too much emotionally in seeing particular dancers as, like others, I have to factor in travel and sometimes accommodation. I book for ballets which fit in with my travel possibilities and budget. Sometimes, I have booked a a particular cast and it has changed at the last minute - but I have yet to be disappointed in any replacement cast at RB. And I think the ROH do themselves no favours by advertising casts so far in advance - most ballet companies do not. I mean heavens, I've just had my Friends magazine and the ballet casts are already in place up to February 2014. How can they possibly know that far ahead????

My one exception recently to the 'star' thing (to my somewhat embarrassment) was what I will call my 'Sergei' thing last week . I did not get to see him dance before he left the RB and I was probably sucked in by the media hype as much as many others. That was the one and only time I booked for 'the star' not the company. Yes, he was dreamy, memorable and amazing, so yes, I'm pleased I booked to see him and so happy I did see him dance so beautifully. And to be fair, the rest of the company were good too. I'm not doing that again though - the tension and anxiety I experienced ahead of curtain up was too much, I would have been emotionally (and financially) wrecked if he hadn't turned up......

 I just don't think that the timing was right in a crowded year for overseas companies and with the Bolshoi arriving the same month. I think that with a relatively small cast and simple set the production would have worked equally well at Sadler's Wells. 

Agreed Aileen. Such a lot of empty seats at the Colisseum yesterday matinee and the production would have worked perfectly at Sadlers. I'm not surprised about the empty seats - the ticket prices were really high but I guess this is to do with there being no subsidies for overseas companies?? It was my first time at the Coli - I won't rush back. It's an impressive theatre and expansive stage but lacks the intimacy of Sadlers or for me, the historical 'feel' of the ROH (combined with the exhibitions they always have at ROH, which I always enjoy). I've paid the same price for 2 ballets at Sadlers in the autumn (Stuggart and Bourne Swan Lake) as for the one show yesterday at The Coli . I will be doing the maths more thoughtfully in future.......I'm not made of money!! 

As I said, I enjoyed it yesterday and feel very lucky to have seen Sergei dance so well and he appeared happy on stage in the role. Value for money? Just about, all things considered, but stretching it.......I needed the 90 mins in the National Portrait Gallery ahead of my train home to tip that balance to 'yes, it was worth it' as a day out!

Nottsballetlover, did Sergei seem very emotional at curtain call? And what was his intereaction with his Swanhilda like?

Aileen - I would describe the curtain calls on Saturday matinee as a bit flat and somewhat abrupt......I was sitting front row centre stalls so could see Sergei very close up. I sneaked a couple of curtain call photos and looking at them today, would not describe him as appearing 'emotional'.

His partnering of Mikirtecheva was technically assured, they seemed to be interacting as well as the somewhat ludicrous plot allows!

I thought it was delightfully bonkers and I loved the little gaggle of pink-tutu'ed ballerinas nearly as much as Polunin's star-turn. I saw him for the first time today, and now understand what all the fuss is about.

Saw the Saturday matinee yesterday and agree with Coated's view above. I'm glad I got to see Polunin dance and I'm pretty sure his Swanhilda was Erika Mikirticheva (not Shapran as previously advertised) - great performances from them both. Dr Coppelius was I believe danced by Kirillov, judging from the photos on the company's website - he was excellent in the role.

Sergei is clearly exceptionally gifted as a dancer - his jumps come out of nowhere and he does have fabulous stage charisma. So I was very happy to be able to see him dance in anything.....

So yes, words like 'pleasant' spring to mind for this performance and I love the music score, wonderfully played yesterday by the ENB orchestra. However, I tend to prefer ballets that involve me emotionally and this was not one of those. I feel my only strong emotion was utter relief at Sergei appearing as scheduled (having travelled from Nottingham on a very hot day!!) - there was an almost audible collective sigh of relief yesterday in the audience at curtain up and there he was......

Some great tweets coming through that opening night of Coppelia this evening was an amazing performance by Sergei Polunin, hopefully someone will post soon on the Performances Seen section. I'm travelling to London for Saturday matinee, starting to get very excited about this one.......

There seem to be plenty of tickets still available btw.

Oops - I'm joining this late on my choice of DVDs.But I have finally got there, with much soul searching and in fact digging a few of my collection out and watching them! Nice topic!

1. Manon - going to go with the classic 1982 recording with Penney/Dowell/Wall. It was the first ballet VHS I bought.
2. Mayerling - Mukhamedov/ Durante. I love this recording. 
3. Giselle - Cojacaru and Kobborg for me. 
4. Romeo and Juliet. Tough one this but I'll go for Eagling/Ferri 1984. Brilliant recording this one. 
5. Les Ballets Trokadero  - Volumes 1 & 2 2009. They sell the 2 volume set together on that well-known website so I can have both volumes right? My choices 1 to 4 are very passionate and serious, so I'm sure you will allow me the double Trocks......

Thanks for that Janet - I'm much relieved the horse does not tour!!

Oh gosh, please I hope they are not taking the horse to Ireland. That would be very unnecessary. I'm a vegetarian animal lover as well as ballet lover. I was OK with the horse at the Hippodrome because it appeared to to me to be having a good day out and comfortable on-stage.  If I felt an animal was being used superfluously, I would be critical. I would not want it to be used unnecessarily. Now I'm racked with guilt - now I think the horse is unnecessary in this production and think it should stay in its paddock. 

Friday night's performance sounds incredible and emotional - thanks for posting your experiences of that.

I'm just back home from today's matinee of Giselle (Saturday): Nao Sakuma dancing the title role with Jamie Bond as Albrecht. I've seen many versions and casts of Giselle but this is the first time I've seen the BRB version - this was up there on my 'best' list, utterly loved it. I loved the production, the lighting, the sets, the costumes, the staging. Sakuma was superb as Giselle - movingly and convincingly acted as well as technically well danced - she had me in tears at the end of both acts, brava. She just radiated the emotion of Giselle. Bond was also fabulous, he conveyed such a range of emotion and the look of horror on his face when Giselle breaks down at the end of Act 1 was very moving. Mathias Dingman was also a wonderfully danced and acted Hilarion. 

I was utterly chilled by Samara Downs dancing Myrtha. Sitting in the front row stalls, you can see every expression. She was glacial and with every fingertip she expressed vengeance. She was magnificent.

The corps were superb in both acts. And Momoko Hirata and Tzu-Chao Chou were sensational in the harvest pdd.

So, I've come home buzzing with elation from this wonderful performance, in terms of the ballet. It was sensational and so moving. Well done BRB.

I need to add one more thing about today's performance and I hope I'm not breaking any forum guidelines!   . This production uses a beautiful real live white horse who Bathilde rides in on stage when the court arrives in Act 1, which artistically adds to the spectacle and very much fits in with the staging. Oops, what can I say about today? The horse made a bit of a lets say 'slam dung' entrance! It was a very theatrically delivered pile on the stage and most in time to the music as well! Lots of laughter in the audience, the dancers on stage did well to stay in character.....You know what they say: don't work with animals. On the other hand, I wouldn't say don't work with children: they had some great young students from Elmhurst today on stage who were absolutely great.

Leicester Curve just £29 for front row stall seats - hurrah, mine booked! Nottingham next March is yet to go on sale. 

Hmm, interesting today with Friends booking opening. Got a decent stalls seat for Osipova/Acosta R and J but within minutes the whole orchestra stalls showed as sold out. Gosh. Is this the 'Osipova effect'?? I also wanted the Acosta/Nunez Don Q but there was so little choice of seats available I went for a different cast on a matinee - hey, I'm sure they will be fabulous.....

It's very sad news today for both of them to leaving the RB but I wish Johan and Alina every success and happiness in the future.

I feel really privileged to have seen them dance together several times in the last few years. I saw them in R&J last year at ROH and the year before in Giselle: both performances were superb and will stay with me forever in terms of the sheer emotional connection I felt when watching them on stage. 

Great - downloaded! Many thanks for the tip Cathy. It was on my wishlist....!