Yaffa

Most of the folks I know were able to get and use the £10 train voucher codes without problems when the first batch were released at 11 a.m. today. For anyone who missed the first batch of codes, moneysavingexpert.com will be releasing the 2nd (final) batch of 15,000 codes at 3 p.m. today (Thurs). At exactly that time, go to: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-train-tickets#codes Refresh your browser if the form for obtaining the redspottedhanky.com code is not yet there. You'll be asked to give your email address and postcode. Then you'll be given a unique voucher code to enter at the redspottedhanky.com site. Yaffa

This week's Money Saving Expert mail (http://www.moneysavi...t.com/latesttip) features some good travel deals including £10 voucher off almost any train journey and hotels for £10 and £20. Availability for all includes the holiday season. 1) £10 The train voucher is with Redspottedhanky. The voucher codes will be released at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursday. Details of this and other (though not all) train deals/strategies at: http://www.moneysavi...p-train-tickets 2) hotel rooms for £10 - De Vere hotels - Book between noon Thursday and noon Friday): 3) hotel rooms for £20 - Ramada (including London). Need a voucher from The I Paper (20p) or The Independent. There may possibly be a printable voucher on the Independent website on Friday. Details of these and some other hotel deals at: http://www.moneysavi...als/hotel-sales No connection to any of the above - just passing on the info. Yaffa [edited for typos]

So sorry to hear about people's injuries... Like Happymum, I've heard about long in-depth courses in how to fall safely for professionals, for the elderly, for people enrolled in sports/fitness courses etc.... but it's not clear where the 'average,' basically healthy person should turn. If I trip on the stairs tonight, I'd be confused about what to do with my hands, even though I vaguely know that 'doing what comes naturally' might do more harm than good. Hence my interest in a one-time group class, from an expert, to learn and experiment with the recommended techniques for falling safely. There's no shortage of first aid courses and authoritative materials covering what to do when someone has already fallen, but it would be nice to avoid getting to that stage... Yaffa

A hurried note to say that individual bookings have started at the Paris Opera Ballet site: http://www.operadeparis.fr You can select the option to use English, pay using your UK credit card and print out your tickets at home. However,various aspects of the booking procedure have been cranky to say the least - the tickets in my card disappeared twice for no apparent reason (I was within the 7 minutes for making bookings -- the time is renewed each time you add a ticket to your cart). Yaffa

I'd be grateful to know how falling safely is now being addressed, both inside and outside the ballet training world. I recently watched a lady lose her balance and fall down half a flight of escalators. I was quite sure that she would be disabled for life! Instead, she somehow rapidly repositioned her limbs, rolled on her side at the bottom of the escalator and emerged completely unharmed. Another amazed onlooker asked if she was a stunt artist and she said, 'No, but I trained as a dancer in Russia, and the first thing they teach you is how to fall.' Sadly the lady rushed off, as I would have dearly liked to know more. Well I'm curious to know what ballet students are being taught about how to fall safely- and if these skills have also helped them in their everyday lives. Also, I know several people whose lives have recently been shattered by nasty first falls. The advice they were given about handling future falls seems wildly inconsistent and quite different from the protocols from some years ago, when I was heavily involved in caregiving. I've been discussing this with several middle-aged friends who, like myself, have never had a serious fall - and would like to stay that way. Some research articles question the usefulness of balance training alone. It certainly make sense that good nutrition, an agile mind, good bone ear, eye health, up to date glasses prescription and good shoes etc. are the most important factors in preventing a catrastrophich fall. But what to do in the split seconds after you've tripped? For those people who aren't in a structured dance/exercise programme and don't have money to throw around, does it make sense to attend a one-time class on how to fall safely - and if so, who's the best person to consult? Someone in the dance field? Gymnastics? Martial arts? Sports medicine? There are also all sorts of self-help manuals, videos and do-it-yourself game console activities available. Some of these seem very gimicky. Most of my friends would ideally like a group class (as part of a day out in London in December?) taken by someone who really knows his/her stuff, covering the basics, with simulations of falls, and general guidelines for follow-up. Grateful for any suggestions - and if anyone else is interested in finding a teacher together for such a class, please let me know. Thanks Yaffa

Tunes budget hotel will be opening a branch in Edinburgh, and will be offering a limited number of £5 rooms at noon this week: Wed 3 Oct - 475 January rooms. Thu 4 Oct - 300 February rooms. Fri 5 Oct - 225 March and April rooms Further details at: http://www.moneysavi...tel-sales#tune5 Maybe they'll be available for the Scottish Ballet's Nutcracker, which also has some interesting pre-show talks family insight days, ballet cafes for over 50s and services for people with visual impairments: http://www.scottishb...loser.html#cafe Yaffa

WL also has a Dance Partnership and Access - General Public Insight Day on Thursday, 22nd November: Not aimed at prospective pupils but open to all at no charge. http://www.royalball...dar.php?s=2&e=1 Yaffa

ROH uploaded a video of her teaching a class as part of their RB Live event in March: Yaffa

Great to see the last sentence in this piece: And yes, suddenly everyone in the audience was thinking, “I wish I was a ballet dancer.” Don't know anything about drinks but from a Google search, it's probably this: http://blackcowvodka.wordpress.com/about/ Yaffa

Despite all the upheaval this must have taken, it looks as though RBS made a very savvy marketing move to kick the ball rolling with such a spectactular event. Even apart from any promotion of ballet, the pics and video really show off WL's versatility and set the top-notch tone (and hopefully the top-notch price) for future hirings. Agree strongly with taxi4ballet and the other posters that RBS is going in the right direction (though I do cringe a bit to see cars, rather than dancers, on the WL grounds...). Interesting that there wasn't even a token ballet performance in the evening's entertainment (or was there?). But it's probably best not to 'force' such things.... Yaffa

From a quick glance at some articles about the launch, it looks as though the event took over the school. Most articles focused on the features of the car and the clothes of the stars who attended the gala - there were also a couple of comments about a parallel between the school and the car: http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/magazine/3700.asp?id=16329 ."...Land Rover chose the Royal Ballet School in London’s Richmond Park for its launch venue. The parallels were clear: athleticism and poise in a leaner, more efficient body." Yaffa

Aileen - Sorry if I wasn't clear - My message was just about the performances of the POB School (not the company). The December demonstrations always take place at the Palais Garnier. It's just a few metro stops away from the Eurostar terminal at the Gare du Nord. There's a thread about seating at the Palais Garnier at: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/1337-paris-opera-balletpalais-garnier/ The Demonstrations have become something of an institution and give an incredible insight into the system of training at the school. They're held on three separate days. This year they are on: 2nd December (Sun), 9th December (Sun) and 22nd December (Sat). The performances on each of these three days are identical and feature mostly lower students in the morning (10:30 a.m.) and higher level students in the afternoon (2:30 p.m.). You must book the morning and afternoon performances separately. All the students in the school take part. Starting with the youngest students and progressing to the graduate class, each grade 'performs' part of their classical ballet class under the direction of their teachers. You also get to see some work from their other classes (character, mime, pas de deux, musical theatre etc.). Last year, the girls' graduate class was quite small, and each of the girls did a classical variation, which really highlighted individual differences in technique and style etc. - but in general, the performances focus less on individual students and more on the work of the school itself and the different levels. (Progression to the next level in the school isn't automatic... It's apparently quite common for students to have to repeat a year.) I've been attending the demonstrations regularly for quite a few years now (except for two years ago, when I got stranded in the snow in Calais...). To answer your question about tickets -- Overseas folks can also by them online and by phone (see http://www.operadeparis.fr for details). The website - though a bit cranky at times - has an English version and you shoudn't have a problem paying by UK credit card. Since the Demonstrations are a school performance, prices are quite reasonable (10 to 28 euros for each of the morning and afternoon session.). But getting tickets at the right time can be tricky. As well as families of the students and other Paris ballet fans, there are always many groups of ballet students and others from all parts of France and other countries. Tickets are released in batches, but sell out very soon after they go online. Public booking doesn't start until early October - by which time flights and Eurostar etc. from England can be quite pricey. Until recently there was no legal way to resell unwanted tickets, with the box office not accepting any returns and many sales (legitimate and by ticket touts) taking place on the steps of the Palais Garnier. Two years ago, I figured it would be simpler to take out a group subscription to the Paris Opera. It's free and lets you book groups of tickets often several months before public booking opens. You have to buy a minimum of 8-10 tickets in the same price-band per performance. You put a reservation on a specific number of tickets, and they give you a period (around a month) to either pay for the reservation or cancel it. This means that, without putting up any money upfront, I have a guaranteed reservation if I want it - so I can already buy a Megabus round-trip ticket for London to Paris for £10 or something similar... and I have a month to come up with the money and another 9 friends who want tickets. Yaffa

I was just asked about how to get to France really cheaply for the December performances. The best option at the moment (and the one I'll probably be taking myself) is: megabus.com - £5 each way from London Victoria to Paris. It's a long journey - but if you catch the 23:05 p.m. bus after the Sunday 2nd December performance, you can sleep on the bus and arrive in London Victoria at 7:30 the following morning. Yaffa

Well, I don't know the first thing about cars or what a new model launch involves. But this does sound like a win-win arrangement, which could help RBS to do its own thing. Presumably, the organisers and carefully selected attendees aren't short of cash, the event is unlikely to be rowdy or messy and the timing (day-time, before term starts) means minimal impact on the life of the pupils and the park. Also Landrover's message about its new model seems to focus on some important values of the school: strength, agility, versatility, elegance, attention to detail, reliability, best of British, long tradition, but still relevant and carefully developed for the 21st century... Interesting to see if/how this connection comes through in materials about the launch. I just saw on Landrover's website that they sponsor rugby in schools... If they plan to sponsor ballet training and challenge its ivory-tower image - then great.... Yaffa

Overseas groups can now book tickets (minimum 8-10 per performance) for the December Paris Opera Ballet School demonstrations. (Online booking for individual tickets starts on 8th October.) I've made provisional group reservations for the morning and afternoon performances of all three dates. These must be paid for by 30th September or else the reservations will be cancelled. Ticketing only happens after payment- so the sooner the tickets are paid for, the better. Anyone who knows me is welcome to join the group, If you don't know me, I can give details of alternative group bookings - Just drop me a PM. NB: I'm not making anything myself on these bookings but can't afford to lose anything either. So everyone must pay for their own ticket in advance, though I'm happy to help with the logistics. I also have quite a lot of info about cheap flights, buses, ferries, rideshares, Eurostar and places to stay if anyone's interested. Last year folks travelling to Paris for the weekend preferred to do their own thing in France - but if anyone would like to meet up with some Paris ballet school families, let me know. Eurostar has just started a sale of £59 return from London to Paris, with good availability around the dates of the performances. The £59 fare will be advertised widely tomorrow, so best to book quickly (http://www.eurostar.com). Unfortunately, promotional Eurostar individual reservations can't be cancelled, changed or passed on to someone else. With Eurostar group reservations, you book a certain number of tickets (minimum 10) and then can give Eurostar the names of passengers in your group just the day before you travel. So if your plans change, you can pass the ticket on to someone else with no penalty. Normally group Eurostar rates are cheaper than individual ones and with better payment terms (which are now slightly different for companies and groups of friends). But for December, they are more expensive than the promotional rate for individual tickets. I won't be making a group Eurostar reservation but just spoke with their groups dept and can pass on some info to anyone who's considering this option. If you're travelling from England to France in December, bear in mind that in several recent years, transport was serously disrupted because of bad snow. So if you're planning to attend the morning performances, it's best to arrive at least the day before. Yaffa

Travelodge (http://www.travelodge.co.uk) has just started a sale of £12 rooms for Jan-March, 2013. (The sale officially starts at 6 a.m. UK time, and it's not yet mentioned on the Travelodge home page, But if you search for dates between Jan and March 2013, you should already see the discounted rooms.) But - unfortunately, Travelodge is having serious financial problems, and plans to sell off some of their hotels and seriously alter their arrangements with other hotels etc... Before booking and deciding which type of card to use, you might want to check out: http://www.moneysavi...ells-off-hotels NB: Another particularly good travel deal mentioned in today's monesavingexpert.com tip: This week's Sunday Telegraph (£2) will feature a code to receive a £10 discount on train tickets at www.redspottedhanky.com .There will apparently be only a limited number discounts - but they will be available not just to new redspottedhanky.com customers, but also to people who already registered and obtained a £10 signup discount in the past. http://www.moneysavi...ket-deals#rsh10 Yaffa (just passing on info - no ties to any of the above companies)

You don't actually need a Kindle to read Kindle e-books.. There are free Kindle apps for Windows and Mac computers, smartphones (including iphone and ipod Touch, Android, Windows 7 and Blackberry) and tablets (ipad and Android). There's also a Cloud Kindle reader to read books online via your browser. Details on the Amazon website: http://www.amazon.co...ocId=1000493771 Yaffa

All the items have now been taken. Yaffa

This has now gone - except for the leotard and character skirt. Yaffa

I found a large bag of discarded ballet items at a second-hand stall on my recent travels. A young dancer took the items which interested her and the following are left: Probably not worth posting them separately, but I'm happy to give the bag with all the remaining contents to anyone who can collect it at one of the Linbury RBS performances this week (no charge): 2 1/2 rolls of pink ballet thread. Looks rather pale (faded?), but still seems to be strong. 10 sets of pink satin ribbons (Looks as though they were sewn on shoes in the past). Different thicknesses and shades of pink Set of needles and thimble in zip-up case with picture of a dancer (with space for small scissors, missing) 12 ballet greeting cards, newish (some with slight smudges). Different sizes, no envelopes 8 fine brown hairnets and three thicker brown ones (look like new but can't be sure) pink leotard in good condition with short sleeves, no skirt/frill/belt. No label at all. Maybe for age 11-12? ; character skirt (hand-made?), looks around the same size 2 pink hairbands bag with hair accessories (hairclips, slides etc.) two sheets of dance stickers tambourine Yaffa

Maybe Nana Lily is referring to Scott Alan Prouty, head of music and musical expression at the POB school. I believe that even the youngest POB students take and greatly enjoy his classes in musical expression. And the song-and-dance part of the annual POB demonstrations in December (usually the finale of the younger students' performance) always goes down well with audiences too. Yaffa

More interesting activities organised by Pavlova 2012/LJCC fusion: Morning and afternoon sessions can be booked separately (Full day: £40; morning only: £20; afternoon only: £25). The morning has a Cecchetti-style class taught by Anita Young with RBS students and a talk on Pavolova by Clement Crisp. In the afternoon, there's an Interlude of ballet music played by Philip Gammon. Then Tamara Rojo and Gerald Dowler will discuss 'Pavlova and the modern ballerina.' http://www.ljcc.org....-ivy-house.html (Won't be able to make this myself, but if anyone's interested in a rideshare with a friend from Manchester, returning right after the afternoon event, please drop me an email/PM - The public transport options aren't ideal.) Yaffa

If there is a tall person sitting in front and shuffling round isn't possible - you might want to ask the tallest standing person if he/she would like to swap. Particularly after the interval, standing folks often welcome a chance to sit down. Yaffa

Sorry, forgot to say that in addition to the above, the WL Museum offers its own free tours with free Park and Ride service (from Sheen Gate) throughout the school year. Details on the RBS website: http://www.royal-ballet-school.org.uk/wlm_visitor_info.php?s=3 Last time I visited, they had several new collections on display. Yaffa

If anyone can't make this event - the LJCC Fusion and Pavlova 2012 are organising a WL museum tour (also with transport - from Ivy House) on 28th June. This one costs £25. From the LJCC website: http://www.ljcc.org.uk/events/2099-white-lodge-museum-tour.html: Our excursion will include a visit to the Ballet Museum, a tour of the School and a talk by Museum curator Anna Meadmore on Anna Pavlova and the Fred Step - the link between Pavlova and British ballet. Yaffa