Sim Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Hello dear forum members and lurkers. Today is the 8th birthday of the forum! I can’t believe that so many years have gone by since Bruce put our motley little crew together and asked us if we would like to take the forum forward as an offshoot from ballet.co.uk. We agreed, not knowing if anyone would be interested in a forum, nor how things would pan out. Well, people were interested, and I am very proud of what we, you and us, have achieved over these years. We have 5000+ members, many more lurkers, and are read worldwide. We are all the beneficiaries of the often lively exchange of views, and of the knowledge of others. I say it every year, but every year I am astonished at how much I learn just from reading and absorbing other people’s knowledge of ballet and dance. Thank you all for taking the time to share that knowledge, and your views and opinions. We continue to be impressed by, and proud of, the strong community that has been established on the Doing Dance area of the forum. The pain of parents and students trying to navigate their way through dance training is lessened by being able to share their experiences with others going through the same thing. The support and advice I see given on Doing Dance are second to none. Thanks to all of you who help each other so much. At this time of year, our thoughts naturally turn to those we have loved and lost, and I would like to take a minute to remember John Mallinson. This time last year, none of us could have imagined that we wouldn’t have another Christmas with him. His sudden loss is still deeply felt by his family and friends, and he left a void that in so many different ways is very hard to fill. Having said this, I would like to extend a huge thank you to Dave Morgan who has very kindly stepped into John’s administrator role and is doing a great job, especially since he has had to figure out most of it as he’s gone along. I also want to thank Ian McMillan for giving us so much help with unravelling all of the various things that were in John’s name. It has been a long and painstaking process, but we are pretty much there. We are thinking of John a lot, and his presence is always felt as we run the forum from day to day. We are also sending our love and best wishes to his family at this difficult time of year. I would like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all the moderators (Alison, Anna, Dave, Ian, Janet and Lee) for their unstinting help and dedication in running this forum. We are sometimes the recipients of nastiness and abuse, but luckily that is the extreme minority, and we continue because we can see how interesting, useful and fun the forum is to so many people. We don’t always get everything right, and you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but we certainly do our best, 365 days a year. I am so pleased that we have all stuck together and worked together for 8 years, and I hope we will continue to do so. Special thanks are due to Jan and Ian, who do the links so diligently day after day. John used to be the third person doing this, and it was already an onerous job, but to now be doing it just between two of them is a big ask and they both continue, without any fuss, to provide this invaluable service. The links are a wonderful asset to the forum and I look forward to opening them up every day. I do hope that you all take advantage of Jan and Ian’s hard work; it’s well worth it. It now just remains for me to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, happy winter season and, as we move into a new decade, a happy, peaceful, prosperous, fun and ballet-filled New Year. Thank you all again for your contributions to the forum…here’s to the next 8 years! With warm wishes to you all, Simonetta (Sim) Chair BalletcoForum Committee 37 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 What a lovely message, Sim. Thank YOU, Alison, Anna, Dave, Ian, Janet and Lee for everything you do for the FORUM. Warm Christmas Greetings and best wishes to you and BCF for 2020. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Happy Birthday to the forum! And so many congratulations and thanks to Sim and all the moderators who do such a terrific job in running it. A very happy Christmas to all members of the forum. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Thank you all and a very Happy Christmas to all! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_New Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Thank you Sim and all the moderators - this is a wonderful forum that brings me great pleasure and enhances my ballet watching. Your work is very much appreciated! Merry Christmas, everyone, and very best wishes for 2020. Jacky 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Echoing all the above! Richard 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janite Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 thank you for all you guys do, I have learnt so much from being on the forum. I really appreciate all your work. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Thank you to our marvellous moderators who look after the forum so well and manage to keep tempers on a pretty even keel! It's lovely to be able to exchange views and opinions and have friendly disagreements with other people and, speaking as an older ballet goer, to find there are others out there who also have similar memories. And,well balanced by those lucky ones just getting interested and who have different views. Happy Christmas to all and a good ballet going 2020. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Hello Sim A very big thank you to you and all the other moderators for all the work, time and effort you all give to running this wonderful Forum. It's a font of knowledge and also lovely to see how members support each other as their children go on their ballet journey. Here's to the next 8 years! Wishing you, all the moderators and Forum members a happy Christmas and a happy ballet year in 2020.😊 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Many thanks Sim and very best wishes to you and all the moderators who keep this forum going, I remember how sad I was when we thought we would lose it, and the relief when we didn't! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToThePointe Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Thank you to all of the moderators for keeping Ballet Co alive! Your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed and we are all very thankful. I’ve been watching ballet for as long as I can remember, but at 28 years old, I love being able to enter a world like the forum where I can learn and read more from different generations, many of whom talk so often about the great dancers from before my time. Happy birthday forum!! Xxx 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Thank you for that lovely message Sim and I too am very grateful to the job the moderators do every day and in their own time ....real dedication ....and it's a lovely Forum to be able to be part of. Wishing all the moderators and posters on the Forum a very happy Christmas and lots of ballet going and good health for 2020. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Many thanks and love to the mods for all their dedication and hard work plus the determination of those who worked to resurrect this forum. I for one was heartbroken at the idea of no more Ballet Co. My sympathies to the family and friends of John Mallinson and a Merry Christmas to all Ballet Coers! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Thanks you to all the moderators. I've only been posting on here for a bit over a year, and lurking for the previous year, but in that time everyone has been very helpful & never told me to stop my frequent & probably daft questions! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 2 hours ago, Dawnstar said: Thanks you to all the moderators. I've only been posting on here for a bit over a year, and lurking for the previous year, but in that time everyone has been very helpful & never told me to stop my frequent & probably daft questions! I was always taught there is no such thing as a daft question - its always dafter NOT to ask a question, when there is something (anything) you don't know 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 I absolutely echo all of the thanks previously expressed to Sim for such a touching and heartfelt message and to the moderators for their dedication and hard work in making this forum so interesting and informative. A happy Christmas to one and all. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 I took a moment to imagine life without the forum this morning... 'shudder'! Thanks very much to all the moderators who ensure this bleak prospect does not happen. A very Merry Christmas moderators, and all my fellow forum contributors. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Thank you all, moderators and posters, for nurturing this forum which adds enormously to my enjoyment of ballet. All good wishes for Christmas and 2020. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCL Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Happy Christmas to all readers and contributors. Thank you to all of the moderators for everything that they do and to Jan and Ian for the links. The forum has kept me informed and entertained all year, and I am grateful. Caroline 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessie Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Thank you all for your hard work. I so enjoy reading the posts, and I am sure there is a lot going on behind the scenes to keep the forum running smoothly. Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for 2020! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJW Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 A very Happy Christmas to everyone here. I have been a member for just over a year and it is so nice to read everyone's comments, and the joy (most of the time!) that ballet brings to us all. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 Merry Christmas to all forum members and to performers, orchestras and all who support the great art form of ballet 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopelessMummy Posted December 28, 2019 Share Posted December 28, 2019 Thank you. Without this forum, I'd be so lost. You've pulled together a community who has some valuable info and advice that I have benefitted so much from. Thank you and hope you're having a lovely break xx 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now