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Lidia Crisafulli was at the rehearsal for J7s Dance Company and Ania Straczynska's contributions, part of The Place's Resolution 2017. J7s Dance Company: Shikishin Funi © Lidia Crisafulli. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr J7s Dance Company: Shikishin Funi © Lidia Crisafulli. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Ania Straczynska - Tag © Lidia Crisafulli. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more... Set from DanceTabs: J7s Dance Company - Shikishin Funi, Ania Straczynska - Tag Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

ah - the British 'service with a snarl' technique....

lol - guilty as charged!

I like my stuff with me though - half time refreshments, iPad, jumper and coat (as we go sit outside), etc. As I stand anyway, it doesn't bother anyone (at ROH - at the Coli I can tuck my bag elegantly betwen legs and coat subs as a knee warmer)

you could catch a train from Charing X to Waterloo East (use the nearest 1 or 2 carriages from the barrier) which may save a bit of time and certainly a lot of legwork. No cost in the transfer

really enjoyed this interview - 'super-interesting'

Foteini Christofilopoulou was at the rehearsal for Boy Blue Entertainment's 'Blak Whyte Gray' at the Barbican. Here are some photos: Blak: Gemma Kay Hoddy, Natasha Gooden,Theo ‘Godson’ Oloyade, Dan-I Harris-Walters, Nicole McDowall, Ricardo Da Silva © Foteini Christofilopoulou. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Blak: Theo ‘Godson’ Oloyade, Natasha Gooden, Dan-I Harris-Walters, Nicole McDowall, Idney De’Almeida, Ricardo Da Silva, Gemma Kay Hoddy, Dickson Mbi © Foteini Christofilopoulou. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more... Set from DanceTabs: Boy Blue Entertainment - Blak Whyte Gray (Act 3 gpdd) Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

So, you want free studio time and free photos. Good luck with that...

Appears to stab her heart with the sword

Thank you! :-)

I pop over to Waterloo instead, train to Wimbledon, tram home

I know mine did - for rock'n'roll gigs in venues large and small across London town (60-2000 capacity), Reading festivals etc - to ROH and smitten by Miyako Yoshida in Giselle. From 3-5 gigs a week, to now 3-4 ROH visits, and a transitional period of a couple of years of going to both (which was utterly knackering, but great fun)

so, pretty much what we all do then... ;-)

and who said romance was dead!!

I was at the rehearsal Tuesday evening - so here are some photos of the opening night cast: Fabian Reimar, Stina Quagebeur, Alina Cojocaru © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Laurretta Summerscales © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Isaac Hernandez, Alina Cojocaru © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more... Set from DanceTabs: ENB - Giselle Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

50 years from now - my clogs will truly have popped...

Leticia Stock, I think you mean...

4 Robins were having a right ding-dong yetserday morning, as i headed to the supermarket. The corner of my road must mark the corner of their 4 territories I guess. I used to get loads and loads of House Sparrows in my front hedge (I counted at least 24 one morning (and its a small hedge!)) - but don't seem to have seen more than a handful for months now. In keeping with their marked decline, sad to report

any songwriter that can squeeze Zizi Jeanmaire into a pop lyric, gets my thumbs up. Sad news - perhaps he's finally found where his lovely has gone...

all women - hoorah! all men - boo! :-)

wow - I love that piece of music

Yasmine Naghdi's Aurora Mara Galeazzi in Woolf Works Zenaida Yanowsky as Marguerite (sp?) Jewels (all of it) New Crystal Pite piece (if its anywhere near as astonishing as that one she did in Sadlers Wells, its going to be something!) ENB's Giselle, and later on, their mixed bill

oh so agree about dingy lighting - we want to see the DANCING and DANCERS - not so much trendy lighting effects. Can we please restrict those to enhancing, rather than hindering, our view of the action. Also, even when the lighting relatively bright, the 'sepia' effects turn lustrous, colourful costumes to a mucky beige (as if they were strangers to the laundry room). Bit more white light would be lovely thanks

I really enjoyed: Elizabeth (with Zenida Yanowsky and Carlos Acosta) Akane Takada in Pigeons - and her Giselle was breath-holdingly spell-binding. I'll confess to somewhat losing a little faith in her after such early promise, but delighted at her return to form The pre-Giselle shows in Clore (always a pleasure seeing the dancers up close) - ditto pre McGregor's triple in November, with the Edmonds/Binet double bill. Hint to Kevin - cast Yasmine Naghdi as Giselle next time round! Ballet Black's triple bill at Barbican ENB 'She Said' (especially the Frida Khalo piece 'Broken Wings') Calvin Richardson in Obsidian Tear Gary Avis' gala in Ipswich ENB/Akram Khan's new Giselle (well worth the trip to Southampton) BRB's Brandon Lawrence and Celine Gittens in Nutcracker (even though it was only a rehearsal). National Ballet of China's Peony Pavilion - stunningly beautiful and strange (in a good way) to western eyes/ears Yasmine Naghdi in everything she does, from major roles to 'friends'. I'd looked forward to her SPF solo variation since casting announced, and was not disappointed. Roll on her Aurora! Francesca Hayward's Florine/Bluebirds (from Sleeping Beauty) was probably the best i've ever clapped eyes on. And again, everything she does is a joy Isabella Gasparini's Clara (in Nutcracker) - unbridled joy. That smile could melt the Arctic before global warming gets the chance Sarah Lamb in Sleeping Beauty. Such grace and elegance Non-ballet highs were few and far between - but Wales doing well at the Euro footie, Harzand winning the Derby, evening racing on Epsom Downs in glorious sunshine, the medal haul at the Olympics, The Cheltenham Festival, 6Nations rugby (and Ireland beating the All Blacks) would be up there Things i didn't enjoy: middle part of Multiverse - and assault on the eyes and ears! Quite liked the last section though. Anastasia - unlike most, I didn't mind the first 2 acts, really disliked act 3 though, with aimless running around and camp hop-skipity soldiers. The Invitation - deeply unpleasant material, set in a gloomfest. With people pretending to be chickens for some unfathomable reason. The tedium of Strapless The rise in 'post-truth' So many favourite entertainers coming to an early death hmm - that was going to be brief when I started!

Yes, he does seem to be giving the youngsters a chance to shine (and shine they do!). The only minor niggle is the uneven exposure to the critics some of them get when they are given a chance to debut in a major role. That reflects on the coverage (and award nominations) they get. The ones that do get that extra exposure are certainly worthy of it, its just that others that are equally so, do not. Still, that does mean we keep some of our favourites for ourselves, for just a little longer... :-)