Yaffa

It's perhaps a similar situation with entry to the RB corps in the first place: most dancers are essentially selected not on the basis of their performance at a single audition, but on their work with the company during their last year or two at RBS. Yaffa

For the Paris Opera Ballet, acceptance and promotions are via competition in front of a jury, supposedly making the process more transparent. Yaffa

But how much mobility do corps dancers really have? Most of the switching between companies which I've seen tends to be at higher ranks. If an RBS graduate gets offers from RB, BRB and ENB, can he/she justifiably take the RB offer, thinking that he'll be able to switch to one of the two other companies if he isn't out of the corps in 2 years? Yaffa [edited for typo]

Are there places where it's common for dancers to switch companies after 2-3 or so years in the corps i.e. when rising through the ranks is unlikely? That doesn't seem to happen with the 'top' UK companies... Yaffa

I was recently asked about 'typical' length of time a dancer in a national ballet company might spend in the corps. I replied that this depends on many factors (budgets, company size, injuries, casting, director preferences etc.) - but I'm wondering if there are any trends/recent changes? Also, there are many dancers who have risen from the corps very quickly (or who weren't there at all), but what about principals who spent many years in the corps before making a rapid rise through the ranks? Thanks Yaffa

Less 'touristy' than the ballet bookshops, but there's also the RAD library: https://www.rad.org.uk/more/library/visit-the-library/ Note the admission fees (and the possibility of first time free entry via Inspire): https://www.rad.org.uk/more/library/visit-the-library/visit-fees Yaffa

Like Janet, I'm constantly frustrated at the ridiculous train prices between London and the North, particularly since so many of the trains are virtually empty. Often, splitting the journey can help considerably. but I sometimes arrive at RBS morning events after a detour via a European city, solely for cost reasons! http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-train-tickets can be a good starting place for tricky train journeys, with pros and cons and many special offers of different networks, alternative routes etc. But not everything of relevance to ballet travel is spelled out. For example, ballet uncertainties (audition outcomes, cast changes etc.) can make it risky to buy most cheap advance tickets, which also usually have high penalties for changing and can't technically be transferred or sold. But Megabus/Megatrain (http://www.megabus.com) offer a limited number of tickets for Virgin, Southwest, East Midlands etc. trains and routes at a fraction of the regular cost - and they are also fully changeable for just a £1 fee! You do need to read the Megatrain terms of service carefully, and it only offers a 6 week booking window and a small number of routes and times (You can see a slightly out of date map of its train routes at: http://images.moneysavingexpert.com/images/megamap.gif?_ga=1.106902723.11961899.1409079758 ). But its Birmingham to London route, for example, can be great for auditions and for partial journeys between London and the North. Another Megatrain route for ballet folks in Manchester: the 11 p.m. Virgin train from London to Stockport, Macclesfield and Manchester Piccadilly, currently offered on many Mondays to Thursdays for £1 and £5. Unfortunately this route is just one way and does mean arriving at around 2 a.m. - but could be useful for people who want to return affordably from an evening performance in London. NB: The Megatrain/Megabus site combines bus and train searches, with ultra-cheap buses not just in England but also to Europe - I've travelled for £1/£5 for the Paris Opera Ballet School Demonstrations Yaffa (with no ties to any of the above resources - just passing on some of the info I've been collating) [edited to correct typos]

I saw at https://tackk.com/w5zq3n that Skydancer established a world record (subject to Guiness approval) with 1,265 grands battements in 30 minutes - congratulations! Hope there's a success with the course funding... Are there any 'aesthetic' considerations for what counts as a grand battement for such records? I hadn't really thought of grands battements as an 'endurance' test, but am curious about strategies to maximise the number, Yaffa

It was also in August (1996) that Bruce Marriott created the original Balletco - surely one of ballet's major supporting 'institutions.' Hard to imagine what the British ballet scene would have been like without this pioneering work. Bruce wrote an interesting piece about the origins of balletco on its second anniversary at: http://www.ballet.co.uk/aug98/balletco_is_2.htm With profound thanks to Bruce and those who are continuing to support this very special community and resource, Yaffa

Their next competition for 100 £1 London rooms will be on 17th September at noon (You need to preregister then you'll be sent a link.) Yaffa

The Post Office Travel Money's first 'Cost of Culture' report since 2009 stresses the low cost of 'culture' for visitors to Eastern Europe, compared with London, supposedly the most expensive city in their list. However, they quote £91 to see a ballet (RB Manon) and say about their calculations: "For music, opera and ballet performances, prices relate to category 2 seats for performances taking place between 1 and 9 October 2014." A pity they don't take into account the wide spread of prices. They conclude: Although prices have plunged over 20 per cent since 2009, London was even pricier than Paris. Despite the benefit of free entry to galleries and museums like Tate Modern and the British Museum, high-priced opera, ballet and heritage attractions have again made London the most expensive option (£256). For example, a ticket to see the Royal Ballet (£91) costs 50 per cent more than one to see the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow (£60), home of dance. See: http://media.postoffice.co.uk/News-Releases/Culture-Vultures-Should-Head-East-For-The-Lowest-Priced-High-Brow-Break-10f.aspx Yaffa

White Lodge will again be included in this year's Open House London. See: http://events.londonopenhouse.org/building/3214 Visitors will be able to tour the buildings and the museum, but won't be able to watch a class. Entry is free on both days from 10-1pm (according to the WL website - the Open City website says it is open until 12:30). NB The WL Museum also has free entry (and a Park and Ride service from Sheen Gate) on other dates. See: http://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/the-school/museum/visitor-information/ I haven't checked whether there are other ballet-related buildings in this year's Open city event. Yaffa

There's now a note on the Telegraph site saying that today (Wednesday) is the last day to watch the videos. Yaffa

They have a Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/bbcyoungdancer Yaffa

Qbic Hotels (Amsterdam and now in London - near Aldgate East tube station) have a monthly competition where they give away 100 rooms at £1 each for one-night stays the following month (maximum one £1 night per person). Website of the London hotel (which has features of design/quirky and 'budget' but not generally that cheap): http://london.qbichotels.com/ and of the £1 offer: http://london.qbichotels.com/en/1gbp-terms-and-faq.html There are other discounts on the hotel site and when you register for updates. Yaffa (with no connection to the above - just passing on the info)

Wow, that last bunch went quickly too... Yaffa

Maybe typical career paths of hip-hop and South Asian dance are different, and they will scour the country and find people who have started these dance types after school age with the potential to gravitate to the top? But I think it is misleading to imply that the same is true for ballet. Yaffa [edited for clarity]

I have some more free used tickets if anyone's interested. Mostly RBS end of year performances and a couple of Portuguese and American tickets given to me on my travels by people who were going to throw them away. No charge. Can post from overseas or bring them to England in a few weeks. Yaffa

Thanks Alison - I probably misread the date on an old announcement for Class Concert... Yaffa

Mixed feelings about this new competition and the abrupt end of YBDY. (I find it hard to believe that the two aren't in some way connected.) If the BBC Young Dancer can avoid sensationalism and has serious input from the ballet world, it could lead to much needed exposure and appreciation of what ballet training really involves. (It was always frustrating that YBDY supposedly celebrated the 'British' dancer, but hardly had room in its tiny venues for the typical British dancer's extended families, friends, former teachers - let alone the wider public.) But not sure about bundling ballet and other dance forms in a competitive environment. How and why were the different forms of dance chosen? Interesting that the final will include a piece created for the category winners of the different dance types. But is it really possible to have a 'play off' between a hip hop and ballet dancer... and how will it be perceived if a ballet dancer wins or doesn't win the final? The age limit (16-20 and never danced professionally) also seems a bit strange in the ballet world, where you'd expect the most talented over-18s to have been snapped up by companies. YBDY's lower age gave a challenge to younger students and let folks start to follow the success of some very talented year 10s and 11s. The prize money of £3,000 seems low for television competitions, but I suppose it has to be the same as in the BBC Young Musician competition. The latter is held every two years - Will this also be the case for BBC Young Dancer? I do hope that the vocational schools will participate in the new venture, and also that the March category finals (Where? When?) won't clash with the date of the the new RBS-hosted 'Showcase of British Dance Training' at Linbury (looks very exciting though a pity the venue is again so small). It would be a pity if the top ballet students had to choose between them. Interesting times ahead... Yaffa [edited to correct typo]

There are more details and a brochure and application form at http://www.bbc.co.uk/youngdancer Yaffa

Does anyone know if there will be another (live?) Bolshoi screening of Class Concert sometime next year? I'm catching up on several threads and vaguely recall reading about it around a month ago, but the only events I see listed online at http://www.pathelive.com/fr/saisons/bolshoi-2014-2015 are: 7th Dec. 2014: La Bayadere (recorded) 21st Dec. 2014: Nutcracker (live) 25th Jan. 2015: Swan Lake (live) 8th Mar. 2015: Romeo and Juliet (recorded) 19th Apr.2015:Ivan the Terrible (live). Also, am I correct that the Sweet Sundays promotion (up to two £10 cinema tickets for codes from 4 sweet bags per ticket - see http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cineworld#deal32323 ) would not be valid for any of the above? The terms at: https://www.sweetsundays.co.uk/how-to.aspx say: 11. CAN I UPGRADE TO A 3D FILM? The voucher is not valid for "premium" content films including any 3D films, IMAX, (or other large format screenings), alternative content or live satellite broadcasts. For D-Box and/or premium seating, event cinema, educational films, premieres, previews or other special screenings, except at Showcase cinemas the claimant must pay the difference between the standard admission price and the admission price for that "premium" film/seat. Yaffa [edited to correct typo]

Good to see that it will remain online for 7 days... Yaffa

I recall hearing about a ballet teacher who was supposedly 'rubbish' because not one of her 10 year old pupils knew how to do pointe work. Yaffa [edited for typo]

How about calling the school and asking them to confirm? It is possible (I didn't have time to check) that the posting was already advertised elsewhere.. If they have preselected, then there's really no point to rush to get an application in today. On the other hand, if the post is a new one, perhaps they are willing to extend the deadline. Yaffa [edited for clarity]