DavidW

Not about a DD or DS but rather about myself I started taking ballet about a year and a half ago - when I was 23! I'm still not sure why I decided to take a ballet class: I had just completed an Olympic Triathlon for charity that had taken a year or so of intense training. I wanted to try something completely different, not really sport related and 'out of my comfort zone'. For some reason, ballet sprung to mind! I had only really seen one ballet before ( a touring production of Swan Lake and old girlfriend had taken me to see on a date at Uni) and didn't know much about it. After a bit of internet research I plucked up the courage to go to my first class (I was studying in the US at the time) and promptly got addicted! I'm now taking 8+hrs of class/rehearsals a week and aiming to take my RAD Intermediate exam sometime soon A part of me really regrets not taking ballet when I was a kid, but I'm not sure I would have had much opportunity when I was younger even if I was interested. I grew up in the middle of nowhere in the far North East (just south of Scotland) and it's all a bit Billy Elliot around there - not many dance classes and I don't think anyone else in my family has ever seen a ballet! I'm so glad I found ballet though, even if a bit too late to do much with it. I'll just keep taking class, performing with a couple of local adult groups and watching as much of it as I can!

I definitely skew the average in my RAD Intermediate class - I'm 24! Most of the students are 14-18 I think, although some of the older ones are actually Advanced 1 students who take the Intermediate to add an extra ballet class to their schedule.

Aaron Copland wrote music for a ballet of Billy The Kid (my old ballet teacher danced Billy with Joffrey when he was a Principal there) and the music is pretty cool (and very American-y!). There's a recording of the ballet suite on spotify by the New York Philharmonic: http://open.spotify.com/album/1nrArpKSxjLUpOnUjopuaV Hope this helps!

Great thread! I wrote a blog post about this a while ago but I'm not sure about the policy of linking to blog posts on BalletCoForum so here's a few sections from the post instead: So where to start? Well first off, let me correct a few common misconceptions: going to see a Ballet is not only for the posh, doesn’t have to be expensive and isn’t all about fluffy pink ballerinas looking pretty! WHAT TO SEE? Just like any other art form, there will be styles of Ballet you enjoy, and others you don’t but half the fun is in finding out what your personal taste is. Mixed bills are a great way to experience Ballet for the first time – they usually consist of three short (around 30 minutes each) pieces split up by intervals. Although there is usually an over-arching theme to the evening (it might be works by a single choreographer or relating to a certain subject) you will usually end up seeing three very different and distinct pieces. The short time length and multiple intervals let you digest what you have seen and if something wasn’t to your liking you don’t have to sit through 3 hours of it! WHERE TO SIT? If you are a student or under 25 check whether there are any student offers running. A lot of the larger companies do student rush tickets: “day of” tickets sold to students at greatly reduced prices (between £10-20/$15-30). These are often for the best unsold seats in the house and as such it’s often luck whether you get a good seat or not. Personally I think there is nothing wrong with sitting in the “nose-bleed” seats at the top of a theatre! You may not be close enough to see the dancers facial expressions (though opera glasses/binoculars can help) but you gain a new perspective on the piece. For a lot of non-narrative pieces this can be a boon. I have seen Balanchine’s Stars & Stripes from the 4th Ring (top) and Orchestra (bottom) seats and probably preferred the 4th ring because it let me see the intricate formations the dancers were making (I’m ever the mathematician I guess). WHAT TO WEAR? The dress code for going to a Ballet definitely depends on where you are going, and where you will be sat. In general I would recommend “smart-casual” – with the lower in the theatre you go, the smarter you should be. Don’t feel this demands you wear black-tie whenever you are below the top tier, but if you’re sat in the Orchestra at a Met/Royal Opera House gala or suchlike you wouldn’t be out of place. (I sat in front of a man at a recent performance who was decked out in a three piece purple suit, including purple top hat!). 'WHAT IS THE 'BALLETIQUETTE'? The main rules of etiquette at the Ballet are the same as any other theatre. Be on time (or you might have to wait until the first interval to be seated), turn off your mobile (silent mode can still interfere with sound equipment), don’t take photos, save lengthy discussions with your neighbour for the interval, don’t eat in the auditorium, be quiet as soon as the orchestra starts playing (don’t keep talking until the curtain raises) and don’t leave as soon as the dancing finishes. If there is a live orchestra you should applaud when the conductor appears. When else should you applaud? That’s a tricky question and I got differing opinions when I asked people their thoughts. You should definitely clap any time a dancer bows but you can also clap at the end of a particularly impressive sequence of steps, or when a principal appears for the first time. If in doubt, you can always just follow what everyone else is doing! You’ll probably also hear shouts of “Bravo”, “Brava”, or “Bravi” during the applause. These are Italian words to show appreciation for a dancer’s performance. Technically Bravo is for male performers, Brava is for female performers and Bravi is for more than one performer. However, you’ll probably hear Bravo more than anything else, regardless of the dancers gender. I’ve got to admit that I’m still not brave enough to “Bravo” (no pun intended!), it’s completely optional. JUST GO FOR IT! At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what you see, what you wear or where you sit. Just go, enjoy the dancing and bask in the experience. It’s great! Oh, and if you’re still intimidated by the idea of going to see a full Ballet – watch some DVD’s first. There are some excellent recordings of the world’s best dancers dancing the great Ballets: Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg dancing Giselle with the Royal Ballet, Gillian Murphy and Angel Corella dancing Swan Lake with ABT, Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta dancing Manon with the Royal Ballet, and so many more. Watching the ballet beforehand can make it a little less intimidating to go see live.

Thanks everyone for your messages! I'm really excited - now just need to get properly in shape ready for the SI starting...

I know this thread has been dormant for a while, but I just wanted to let you all know that I received word yesterday that I got a place on the Ballet Cymru SI! I'm really excited and still a little shocked - as a 24 year old guy who only started ballet 18 months ago, I definitely didn't think I would get a place... I had to describe in some detail my experience and sent off a few photos but it seems I've made the grade. I've sent off my cheque and will be attending the Level 4 Inter/Adv course in July/August. Very excited/nervous!

I did wonder if they might have broadcast the Viscera/Infra/Fool's Paradise (Scarlett/MacGregor/Wheeldon) triple bill as a follow up to the Polyphonia/Sweet Violets/Carbon Life triple bill - hoping to retain some of the younger audience who came for the spectacle around the MacGregor work. I agree though, that it may have been a step too far at the moment. As a relative newcomer to ballet it seems like in the past (especially during Darcey Bussell's peak) there were ballet performances broadcast on the BBC. I know they have shown RB's Alice and BRB's Cinderella the last couple of Christmases, but I think it's a real shame they don't have, for example, a monthly ballet performance (be it on BBC2, BBC3 or BBC4). All three of the 'big' companies (RB, BRB, ENB) are doing really exciting pieces at the moment and I have heard great things coming out of Scottish Ballet, Ballet Cymru, Northern Ballet etc. It would be great to have a showcase for the amazing wealth of talent we have here in the UK, but I guess it is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Rowan, I'm personally not questioning ENB's marketing (I agree that they've been doing some excellent high-profile collaboration work etc) but just suggested a small offshoot company might be a good idea. I live in Bath and recently saw Rambert and The BalletBoyz at the Theatre Royal here (a nice small venue) and would love to see a high-quality small classical company visit. I also want to commend ENB for some excellent education work - I took part in a workshop on the Coliseum stage last summer and it was a great experience. One thing they could look into though is a "young person" (16-30) scheme. ENO have the "Access all Arias" scheme, ROH have a separate Friends membership (the "Insiders"). Although hunting through the website I discover that you can get a discounted Friends membership what ENO and ROH do is more encouraging for "young people" to join. With ENO/ROH you not only get a friends membership of some sort but you also get the chance to go to social events at certain performances where you can meet and chat to others around your age with a passion for opera or ballet. I think this is a big encouragement and surely leads to people joining as "proper" friends once they have established careers and greater disposable income. Just a thought!

I wonder if ENB would benefit from a small off-shoot company touring smaller venues performing mixed bills of 'compact' works in their rep such as Apollo (much like NYCB did recently - I believe it was called "Lines"?). It would not have to be a fixed separate company - dancers would move in and out depending if needed with the main company at the time. They could tour during London seasons when the full company is not necessarily needed at the Coliseum. It seems to have worked well for NYCB and would seem a nice way of keeping all their dancers busy, performing to the whole UK and (hopefully) earning a bit more money!

Just a short comment about Saturday night's Triple Bill. I think all three pieces benefited greatly from a second viewing. I loved Polyphonia almost in it's entirety (except for the, IMHO, cluttered opening movement) and preferred the Lamb/Stepanek partnership (my main issue with Benjamin/Kish was not their dancing but their jarring height difference). Another standout performance by Dawid Trzensimiech and Yasmine commanded the stage well during her solo. Sweet Violets blew me away - I don't know if it was the cast (all giving stellar performances) or the fact I already 'knew' the 'story' but it resonated even more than on first viewing. In particular, Bennet Gartside was superb as Sickert (particularly haunting when he sat rocking in the final scene like a man who had lost control), Leanne Cope gave a very deep and powerful performance as Annie, Alexander Campbell was suitably sinister as Jack and Marianela Nuñez was (obviously) fantastic. Once again I was struck by how perfectly Scarlett had choreographed with the music, not just on top of it - you would almost think the Rachmaninoff had been written especially for the ballet! When I first saw Carbon Life (opening night) I was a bit nonplussed. I didn't really 'get' it, although I enjoyed it. Saturday night I loved it! Sure, there are bits I would change (for example the pointless lowering and raising of the 'portcullis' during the Lamb/McRae PdD) but I thought it was just good fun. I'm not a huge fan of McGregor's choreography (and CL didn't change that) but I thought the scene with the 18 dances on stage in two flanks was genius. The sharp classical movements set to the uptempo beat of the music (Don't know the name but it had the line "Is anyone out there?") worked perfectly, like an army of synchronised dancers. Don't know why but I thought that section rocked! Oh, and McRae's solo in the penultimate song?! I may have swore under my breath because it was so good! Overall a great night with Sweet Violets (again) coming top for me. I can't see Carbon Life getting revived (I don't think it would have anywhere close to the same impact without Ronson et al) but hope Sweet Violets does in a couple of years - and I would be even happier if it got extended to full length when that happens!

It's possible to listen to the awards on iPlayer (as they were broadcast on BBC Radio 2). Ed kept the speech short and sweet thanking the rest of the cast, ROH2, Royal Ballet and Arthur Pita (if I recall correctly!).

Am slightly surprised just how cheap the triple bill tickets are - even less than the current Polyphonia/Sweet Violets/Carbon Life! EDIT: I'm referring to the Viscera/Infra/Fool's Paradise triple bill, not the MacMillan.

I'd certainly disagree with Mr Crisp! I'm in my mid-20's, am a fan of Mark Ronson (and Rufus Wainwright, which made me slightly disappointed to see his orchestrations go to waste) but also love watching the big classical ballets. Why can't I enjoy a good night out clubbing and see a ballet the next day? And, for what it's worth, I personally found Carbon Life to be the weakest piece in the Triple Bill - I found my heart was pounding more by the exquisite choreography of Polyphonia and intense drama of Sweet Violets, than the 'in your face' Carbon Life (which is not to say I didn't enjoy it). I'm looking forward to watching all three again tomorrow - I feel both of the new pieces will benefit from a second viewing.

I wish I could have seen Alina & Johan last night - I saw them on Saturday and their performance truly moved me. Every step they made added to the story and their Act III moved me to tears. The moment where Alina realises Johan is dead and tries to lift him for a final dance broke my heart. A stunning performance I will not forget for a long time.

I saw the BalletBoyz on tour here in Bath and thought there were fantastic. I was mildly dubious how a whole evening of male-only dancing would pan out, but they pulled it off with aplomb showing that dancing can be masculine and cool. I wrote a review for it on my blog but I don't know what the forum rules are for posting links to blogs - is it okay to do?

I try to check the e-mail links in my morning coffee break although I haven't been too good recently at keeping this up! I tend to click on 2 or 3 links and mainly read about NY companies - I lived in NYC for two years and like to keep up with ABT and NYCB. I tend to wait to read RB reviews until after seeing the pieces myself - I like to form my own opinions!

I wash my Capezio (Romeos & Cobras) in the machine, low heat, low spin without any problems. I tend to dry them on my feet because I find it molds to the shape of my foot better.

Yeah - I got all my information from last years program. As far as I can tell the first week is mixed dance (ballet,tap,street,contemporary) courses while the second concentrates on pretty much just ballet (with a little contemporary) with each week having two levels (plus an adult evening course in the second week). Definitely shoot them an email - I was seriously impressed how quickly they got back to me!

Just to let you know I sent of a couple of pics to them (one of tendu a la seconde and one in first arabesque) and the lovely lady thinks I should be just fine in Advanced 4! She needs to check with her colleague (who is currently in Australia), but all going well it looks like I'll be applying to Level 4 for the summer! And yeah, I've already started stepping up my training a little already - I'm currently in the studio pretty much every day, but am adding in some cardio, core and upper body strength stuff to prepare. Bring it on!

Thanks for the advice! I've been in touch and got a really fast response (on a Sunday too!) from a lovely lady. She thinks I should go for the Advanced Ballet Course 4 (I was originally thinking the Level 3 would be better for me) and have asked for a couple of photos. Fingers crossed it'll all go well and I'll be able to go! Looks a great program and would love to take part But one things for sure, I'll need to step up the training in prep for it! Will keep you all updated how it goes! David

Hi SPM! Thank you so much! I've just had a look at their website and the summer program looks perfect! I can't make week 1 but the Ballet Level 3 in week 2 sounds just about right for me I've heard amazing things about the company so it would be a fantastic opportunity to work with the dancers. It means a lot to know somebody has been before and enjoyed it enough to be an associate! And the fact that they can arrange accommodation (at not all that much cost by the looks of last year) means a lot is a big plus. Thanks for the info, and I'll certainly be thinking of applying - do you know when they usually start accepting applications? Is there auditions? David

Hi everyone! This is my first post in the (old and new) BalletCo Forums so apologies if its already been answered! Does anyone know of any summer intensives in the UK that allow applications for people over 18? I'm a 24 guy, started taking ballet about 18mths ago and currently studying towards my RAD Intermediate Vocational Level exam to give you an idea of my level. Not your normal Summer Intensive student I realise! The only one I've found so far is the RAD adult one, but unfortunately I'm giving a talk at a conference that weekend for my PhD. I just thought I'd check in case anyone on here knew of anything! I'm primarily interested in Ballet but have done a little of other dance styles in the past. I'm based in Bath but would be happy to travel anywhere really. Merci! David