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I love La Sylphide, and like other posters, am very surprised its not completely sold out (especially with the delicious aperitif of Ballo della Regina). Perhaps the lack of marketing for it (I didn't see any posters or anything - when compared to Pagodas anyway, which seems to be everywhere I look), perhaps the ticket pricing pitched a little high? Whatever, I'm certainly very glad to be seeing it myself. Johna Kobborg has spread the joy around when he did the casting, providing us with an interesting mix of debuts and experience, often at the same performance. Can't say any of the dancers have let him down, that's for sure. Looking forward, we still have Sarah Lamb as The Sylph (who I really like last time), and of course, I will FINALLY get to see Johan himself dancing James, which I hve been anticipating since the castings were first announced, many months ago.

You can't go wrong with that combo! :-)

Thanks Aileen - Ballo was a joy to photograph, and is a joy to watch. La Sylphide one of my faves, its a glorious ballet - i'm sure whichever cast you see, you'll have a marvelous evening

Royal Ballet's double bill for May 2012 - Ballo della regina/La Sylphide - starts this evening. Here are a couple of pics to whet the appetite. :-) Royal Ballet - La Sylphide (Steven McRae as James, with Alina Cojocaru as The Sylph © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Royal Ballet - Ballo della regina (Marianela Nunez and Nehemiah Kish © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more... Set on Flickr of The Royal Ballet's double bill Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

Starts off at Sadler's Wells this week. Includes a version of L'Apres-midi d'un faune, and a new work by Mark Baldwin, What wild Ecstasy. Here are a couple of views: Rambert Dance Company - L'Apres-midi d'un faune (Pieter Symonds as Lead Nymph, Dane Hurst as the Faune) © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Rambert Dance Company - What Wild Ecstasy (Otis-Cameron Carr, Antonette Dayrit) © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Rambert Dance Company - What Wild Ecstasy (Eryck Brahmania, Julia Gillespie) © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more... Dave Morgan gallery of Rambert's Spring Season Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr EDIT: Dancer correction - now corrected middle picture to show Otis-Cameron Carr dancing with Antonette Dayrit. Profuse apologies to him.

so, let me get this right - the most talented Brit this year - is a dog. Heaven help us

reading George RR Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series. Mesmerising stuff. Takes some reading though, they must be a good foot and a half thick all told, for all 7 volumes (some parts have been split into 2, so 7 volumes make up the 5 books)

Pontypridd won our Premiership (or rather they topped the table, but have to survive a 'playoff' to claim the title proper).

Of course they are (opinions), and I can't say I like them much either (the costumes) - my point is that to say you're not going to see something because of one element of the production is just a bit lame, is all. Especially when everyone jumps on the bandwagon trying to out-do each other in slagging something off.

Sorry, but I think its daft to say "don't like the costume, therefore I'm not going to see the ballet". I too agree with you its an unattractive costume, but something like that wouldn't stop me going to see something. A seemingly general delight in glorying in negativity, always depresses me wherever it comes from, but I am sorry you felt I was 'attacking you'.

getting put off seeing a ballet by the costumes in a couple of photos is staggeringly shallow. They actually allow a great deal of freedom of movement, and while you'd never say they were 'pretty & pink', they are effective within the piece. If you didn't go and see it cos of the costumes, its your loss

Ballet Preljocaj perform Snow White at Sadler's Wells this week (mid-May, 2012), and here are a few glimpses from the recent photo call: Ballet Preljocaj - Snow White (Snow White and her Prince, Virginie Caussin & Sergio Diaz) © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Ballet Preljocaj - Snow White (Snow White and her Prince, Virginie Caussin & Sergio Diaz) © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr The Court dance to pay homage to the King and the Princess © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more... Set on Flickr of Ballet Preljocaj Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

There was a House photographer in for the Yuhui/Brian performance this evening - though I don't know when/where any photos may emerge. They may just be for internal use - or may appear in a programme or on the website the next time the production is in rep.

use the rest of the Interweb - its FAR cheaper!!

I have 7x21 binoculars, with field of 7.5 degrees, small Olympus ones. They are about the size of the palm of my hand. From the back of the stalls circle, they typically cover a couple doing a pdd perfectly, and you can really see the emoting, better than in a seat over the orchestra pit (one of my other haunts). I'd say bins essential for the Amphi though, unless you just want to enjoy the patterns. As for spectacle wearers - I prop my specs up on top of the bins (peeling back the eye cups of the viewing lens on the bins). A little prep work helps - focus the right eye using the screw on the eyepiece, then use the general focus for the left, which is the one on the twiddly bit between each section. Then tweak a bit more, til its right. As they move back and forth from stage fromnt to stage rear, you may need to make the odd adjustment. I'd also never get the sort that have 2 hinges, as I find them impossible to get right - the one, central hinge far easier to cope with. If you go a lot, definitely worth splashing out £30-50 on a pair, i reckon. Oh - and elbows in, definitely, when viewing - it means those behind you don't get irritated, and also aids in steadiness. I found I got used to using them pretty quickly, such that now I hardly notice the imperfections and can concentrate on the details of the dancers, that the view afforded by them brings. Oh - and I find opera glasses completely useless on the whole; not enough magification, and almost impossible to focus

Photography! plus SF (books, telly, movies), watching the racing and the rugby. Seeing live bands (in the small venues, up close and personal). And through it all, music (which I don't think I could ever live without)

Cathy come home! Hope Ms Marston ends up back in the UK, so we can see more of her work (hopefully). Bern's loss will be our gain...

only ONE Leanne Cope Clara???? Stewards enquiry!

finally got round to watching stuff I had sky+'d; POB doing 'Bolero' (which was super). and 'Firebird' (which wasn't - mainly because the costumes were AWFUL). Anyhoo, towards the end of the 'Bolero', some philistine running Sky Arts 2 popped up one of those extraordinarily annoying messages saying what was on next, just as the piece was getting to the frenetic climax. And then to compound annoyance, they did that infuriating split-into-3 and talk all over the end credits thing, that the BBC loves to do as well. I almost spat out my sausage sarnie in annoyance! I can't be the only one who finds this habit of 'junior TV producers' irritating beyond endurance - am I?

me too - you beat me to it!! :-)

Yes, it looks pretty good. Think it will be better when its finished though! Seems a lot of info missing (from dancer profiles, to casting in mixed bills). Also the lumping of everything together in one long list of current and future, and ballet/opera/ROH2 productions, seems a bit clunky to me.

I love their Swan Lake! As for Carlos' DQ - I'm guessing its more the staging, than choreographing he'd be doing. My speculation there, I hasten to add.

Steven McRae will be brilliant in the role

This lunchtime, was at the Royal Academy of Dance in Battersea, where the outgoing president, Dame Antoinette Sibley, was about to be celebrated with a commemorative bronze (by Frances Segelman) and a slap-up lunch, with many of her contemporaries of the dance world. SO many Dames and Sirs and Lords and Ladies! A couple of photos: Dame Antoinette Sibley and her bronze (by Frances Segelman) © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Dame Antoinette Sibley, and the luncheon room © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more... Set on Flickr of Antoinette Sibley's celebratory lunch Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

The Cuban company 'Ballet Revolucion' start a run at the Peacock Theatre (off Kingsway, in central London) this week. Fusing ballet, salsa, hip-hop etc, producing an energetic, and joyously fun montage, all to a live band. Here are a couple of tasters: Ballet Revolucion © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Ballet Revolucion © Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more... Set on Flickr of Ballet Revolucion Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr