zxDaveM

re the intervals. The 30mins required in this instance, as they have to relay the floor (with a 'carpet') and fix up the scenery for Hermanas, then take all that away and relay the floor again for Requiem. And for the sake of the dancers feet, they do have to get that right.

oh - and Requiem is just sublime, well worth enduring Las Hermanas for! ;-)

A further few photos from this:

Kai-Wen Chuang (supported by Luke Burrough) in Freedom, by Jasmin Vardimon

© Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

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Set on Flickr - Jasmin Vardimon's 'Freedom' at Sadler's Wells

Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

Please add Clare Hamilton to the list, as she would love to come along too!

RakU choreographed I think by Helgi Tomasson for San Francisco Ballet.

Yuri Possokhov was the choreographer, I believe

I've just spent most of my 'new camera' fund, on central heating repairs - and its still not working properly :-(

I noticed the Ric, er, rick - but not the 16 years one. Think some journalists write their pieces on the back of a soggy beer mat, 3 mins before deadline...

That is all very well, Dave, but they persecute me

as you're allergic to their sting, I wouldn't call that a phobia - I'd call that self protection! I know its easier said than done, but avoid flapping at them, and they tend to go away - sadly they respond to 'aggression' against them in kind!

Flies just eat sh**!!! (though i suppose nature does need to remove that from the scene, or we'd all drown in it... urrrgh!)

Fiz - I've never understood the purpose of wasps!

wasps are the gardners friend, as they feed their young many of the pesky insects that devour or despoil flowers and veg. Once the 'nesting' time is over though, workers are sent out to fend for just themselves before they pop their clogs in the autumn. This is when they get attracted to sweet things like lemonade and jam, and become a nuisance at picnics

Cool - a 12th night of Christmas lunch! I'm in, hope lots of others are too

well, I do hope she's not claiming the air fare out there on expenses!

I certainly enjoyed this triple bill enormously.

Infra is easily my fave McGregor piece (out of several I like); the music is so emotionally engaging, could feel myself welling up whilst it was being played. The pdds in it are mesmerising, and the 'big walk' never fails to move me. Seeing the 'other cast' in the rehearsal freshened it up for me, so will look forward to seeing them in performance, as the 'main cast' were magnificent. Familiarity certainly hasn't bred contempt in this quarter, just a deeper appreciation and enjoyment of it.

Liam Scarlett's 'Viscera' flew by, and not just because it was only 20mins long. I really liked the fast bits that sandwiched a middle slow pdd, the choreographic response to the bright music (sparklingly played by Rob Clarke on the piano) was near perfection. The middle section did sag a little for me - here the music started out more akin to listening to a piano tuner, though once the melody kicked in it did improve. Intrigueing movement, but I still was wishing it along so the fast bit would come back.

The evening closes with Wheeldon's 'Fool's Paradise', which has interlinking pdds, and pas de trois segments, between 5 men and 4 women (and a cascade of falling petals in the background). As with most of Wheeldon's pieces for me, repeated viewing improves the experience, and so it was here.

Look forward to seeing them all again, and with changed casts.

must be difficult to talk when you're petrified...

Some photos from the general rehearsal on Saturday. Fantastic dancing/choreography - horrible lighting (to photograph in)

Royal Ballet - Viscera (Fumi Kaneko)

© Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

Royal Ballet - Infra (Dawid Trzensimiech)

© Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

Royal Ballet - Fool's Paradise (Brian Maloney, Nehemiah Kish, Yasmine Nagdhi)

© Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

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Set on Flickr - Royal Ballet's early November triple bill

Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

By kind Permission of the Royal Opera House

It ran pretty much to time. I suppose it takes a while to set up and dismantle the Julian Opie installation for Infra

Actually, that's just hung from the ceiling like the wings or scenery - in the rehearsal we watched them set that up before the first piece started, so they just have to drop it into place and switch it on. And then reverse that ready for the next piece. I can't imagine it takes 30mins for either process - UNLESS it goes kaput!

Interesting that he is choreographing Guys & Dolls, too. I love that show, so will go along to see it when it opens

Will the devil be dragging you under, by the sharp lapels of your checkered coat?

Delighted also I'll see Naghdi's debut, alongside Benjamin and Nunez, in Wheeldon's "Fool's Paradise".

Me too!!

'second' cast for Infra looks quite exciting. Lots of new opportunities there!

no, you didn't imagine the slight hiccups - I'm forever amazed they don't make more, more often!

the yellowing - might be overcompensating for the blue tint for the 'midnight moonlit (?) lake scene'. Only a guess mind. I was going to say that perhaps the screen it was projected on wasn't that clean - back in the days when you could smoke in the cinema I don't think the screens were ever white - more like a mucky brown!! Can't imagine its that these days though.

I think i must have been almost the only regular here, who was actually THERE! :-)

The yellowing, was probably an over-compensation for the lighting, would be my best guess. Many productions from many companies, have marvelous costumes, with beautiful colours - then the lighting turns them all sepia shades of brown.

@Ann - Zen has for me always been one of the most emotionally satisfying of the RB's Swan Queens. Although they seemed to be dancing a bit cautiously last night, Zenaida always seemed atuned to the music, and resists the modern trend of 'playing' with the score (slowing down, then speeding back up to get back to the score - or vice versa). She also emotes very well - so her performances always seem to grasp you somehow.

@Patsomerset - what did you get for the extra £1.10??

I posted the programme on this site because I thought that people here would be really interested to know about the content and the performers.

I was - thanks for sharing. I'll confess when I heard about it that I thought ALL the tickets were £200, so didn't look much further! I realise it wasn't aimed at the likes of me though - I can just about stretch to £25 at a push - beyond that, I'll admire with nose pressed the window glass....

oh - and they seem to b able to co-operate (at least, at dancer level) for charity galas and the like. Perhaps 'an evening with... ' type shows, with a selection of a few of the top names from 3-4 companies, might prove attractive. Maybe?

it would be great if they could avoid all doing Swan Lake or Cinderella or whatever at the same time (excepion being all doing Nutcracker at Christmas, which is a bit of a given really). Or one of the touring companies perhaps fitting in a run of shows in Sadler's Wells, when say the RB aren't doing anything, rather than when they have a full week on.

sounds groovy - lovely cast. Sadly, beyond he contents of my wallet (even for the 'cheap seats'), or I'd have been here!

I can't quite imagine him as Lensky, somehow. Oh well, we shall see.

He'll be Onegin surely (Valeri Hristov as Lensky)

thanks all - for the kind words about the photos :-)