Royal Ballet dancers at Athelhampton House on 5th & 6th September

[Lizbie1]

I’ve resisted saying this for a while, but can’t any longer: it is interesting seeing London based people wrestling with the problems we provincials face routinely!

[Sim]

Even if this event were happening right next door to me here in London I still wouldn’t go because of the prices.  

[zxDaveM]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

Even if this event were happening right next door to me here in London I still wouldn’t go because of the prices.  

 

You could always remortgage Sim! 😉

 

[Rob S]

1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

 

You could always remortgage Sim! 😉

 

The ROH could turn that in to a fund raising initiative...’Your House to Our House Fund’ 

[Peony]

I didn’t think the prices were too bad for the cheaper tickets, half price for children so much cheaper than ROH for me!

[balletyas]

I’m going - with my family- more than 3 hrs drive but managed to merge it with a little trip to Cornwall but still hideously expensive.  But then so is going to the ROH... anything to support them and see them in action - crossing fingers for Ed but happy no matter what... 

[FionaM]

On 23/08/2020 at 06:45, Jan McNulty said:

I took Rob to mean that a minimum ticket price (for non-students) would put these tickets out of many people’s price range and he was suggesting another price level named in the same spirit as those already listed!

thank you!  That passed me by (Obviously duh 🙄)

[FionaM]

I’m going with a friend ... it’s about 1.5-2 hours drive for each of us from different directions.   Saturday night.   
 

Fingers crossed for better weather 🤞 as it often is in early September 

[jmhopton]

At the moment the weather for Dorchester is saying a mixture of light cloud and sun with a temperature of about 18 or 19 degrees so fingers crossed it's accurate. 

[Pas de Quatre]

DH just checked the weather forecast and agrees with you jmh. As we live on the South coast we have a variety of websites we consult, usually for boating - but it can all change between now and then!

[Pulcinella]

There is a video on the ROH Facebook page of Anna Rose O'Sullivan rehearsing The Dying Swan for these performances.

 

[Tony Newcombe]

4 hours ago, Pulcinella said:

There is a video on the ROH Facebook page of Anna Rose O'Sullivan rehearsing The Dying Swan for these performances.

 

Probably explains why the name of Hetty Snell is listed

[Richard LH]

The quoted performance  time  varied initially from just 1 hr (including a 15 minute interval ! )  to 1 hr 30, but  now the website https://www.athelhampton.com/ballet is indicating  two hours (5:30 to 7:30) with a 20 minute interval. Rather better value, especially for those already within striking distance ! 

Over two hours, presumably  the same programme is being performed both evenings ?  

The £200 seats for the Saturday are already sold out - good news for the fund raising.  

[Richard LH]

16 hours ago, Tony Newcombe said:

Probably explains why the name of Hetty Snell is listed

Also pianists Kate Shipway and Rob Clark.

[Pas de Quatre]

Brilliant, an extra 25 minutes!  I have booked for the Sunday, but can only afford the cheapest tickets.   I am so looking forward to it - my first live event after lockdown!

[Jan McNulty]

28 minutes ago, Pas de Quatre said:

Brilliant, an extra 25 minutes!  I have booked for the Sunday, but can only afford the cheapest tickets.   I am so looking forward to it - my first live event after lockdown!

 

This live-ballet-starved fan can't wait to hear all about this event!

[Richard LH]

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

This live-ballet-starved fan can't wait to hear all about this event!

 

Me too....can't go, but I would buy any recording !

Edited August 28, 2020 by Richard LH

[JohnS]

I do think Meaghan Grace Hinkis is putting together an impressive programme, bringing together many dancers and musicians. Delighted such a programme is being put on and would be great if there were a subscription relay. Looking forward to reading posts from those able to attend.

[Richard LH]

4 hours ago, Richard LH said:

 

Me too....can't go, but I would buy any recording !

Unfortunately it seems that won't be possible;  Meaghan has explained on IG  that  because the RB has such a treasured repertory they aren’t allowed to record many ballets as they are protected by trusts.  However there will be a photographer there, and she will document behind the scenes footage. 

[zxDaveM]

4 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Unfortunately it seems that won't be possible;  Meaghan has explained on IG  that  because the RB has such a treasured repertory they aren’t allowed to record many ballets as they are protected by trusts. 

 

this is why the RB fails their audience so much

 

[Sim]

I wonder why they aren’t live-streaming it?  I am sure many people would have paid to watch this, and thus more much-needed funds would have been raised for the arts.  

[Guest oncnp]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

I wonder why they aren’t live-streaming it?  I am sure many people would have paid to watch this, and thus more much-needed funds would have been raised for the arts.  

 

Rights again? If the "copyright" (not sure of the correct term for a work of art)  holder won't allow recording also unlikely they'll allow broadcast. 

Edited August 28, 2020 by oncnp

[MJW]

29 minutes ago, oncnp said:

 

Rights again? If the "copyright" (not sure of the correct term for a work of art)  holder won't allow recording also unlikely they'll allow broadcast. 

 

I thought this was quite informative re Ashton's works - 

 

http://www.frederickashton.org.uk/owners.html

 

[Guest oncnp]

6 minutes ago, MJW said:

 

I thought this was quite informative re Ashton's works - 

 

http://www.frederickashton.org.uk/owners.html

 

 

Thank you! Very interesting the Foundation only owns 3 of them. 

[Lizbie1]

15 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Unfortunately it seems that won't be possible;  Meaghan has explained on IG  that  because the RB has such a treasured repertory they aren’t allowed to record many ballets as they are protected by trusts.  However there will be a photographer there, and she will document behind the scenes footage. 

 

Not blaming or criticising MGH for this, but I sometimes think this is just the RB default position. ("Computer says no.")

 

Isn't Anna Rose O'Sullivan doing the Dying Swan? Surely that at least is out of copyright? Maybe we'll see some footage of that.

[Pulcinella]

I suspect one reason this isn't being filmed is that MGH is organising this and not the ROH or RB. I imagine she doesn't' have the time or knowledge to arrange filming.

[Guest oncnp]

6 minutes ago, Pulcinella said:

I suspect one reason this isn't being filmed is that MGH is organising this and not the ROH or RB. I imagine she doesn't' have the time or knowledge to arrange filming.

 

and the expense. With a limited number of even very expensive tickets being sold I'm not sure how much the cost of filming and/or broadcast would eat into the "profits" they want to donate. It's a great idea but not sure economically viable. 

 

[capybara]

Going off at a tangent, I know, but I have never understood why, when a company gives a choreographer a commission, or a Director gives him/herself one, the rights are not automatically in the ownership of the said company rather than the individual who was, presumably, paid handsomely for the creation.

[Jan McNulty]

8 minutes ago, capybara said:

Going off at a tangent, I know, but I have never understood why, when a company gives a choreographer a commission, or a Director gives him/herself one, the rights are not automatically in the ownership of the said company rather than the individual who was, presumably, paid handsomely for the creation.

 

That's something I've always wondered too.  

 

Someone once said to me that it depends on how the contract for the commission is written (which would make sense) and the contract may include things like the expected number of performances the work is licensed for.  Then there may be the complication of other companies wanting to take in the work ... would the "owning" company be responsible for mounting it or the choreographer.  Then again, if the company owns the work would they be able to make changes to it?  Would the choreographer want his name taken off it (as you sometimes see with films if there is a dispute).  It's a minefield.

 

 

[capybara]

44 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 It's a minefield.

No doubt of that - even without the music and other rights added in.
But, at times like these, when companies and dancers need to select ‘do-able’ pieces and bring in all the revenue they can, the arrangement comes into sharp focus as a possible impediment. If I were so fortunate as to own any ballets, I would certainly be wanting to afford maximum freedom with regard to things like filming and live streaming right now, neither of which can mar the artistic integrity of the piece in question.

[Jan McNulty]

10 minutes ago, capybara said:

 If I were so fortunate as to own any ballets, I would certainly be wanting to afford maximum freedom with regard to things like filming and live streaming right now, neither of which can mar the artistic integrity of the piece in question.

 

Absolutely Capybara!  Me too!

 

I think with Pennsylvania Ballet's streamings a couple of the productions must be owned by the company or Angel Corella and these still seem to be available to view if you have the password.  The others were only available for the stated time.  But even that is better than nothing.

 

BRB have just released a clip of Carl Davies talking about his score for Cyrano with a couple of excerpts that look as though they may be from a performance filmed for archive.  I know these films were not done for public consumption but if they are of a reasonable standard (the Stuttgart streamings spring to mind) why could they not be streamed in full, even if behind a paywall?  I would very nearly kill to see Cyrano again.  (Having said that I would very nearly kill to see it back in the rep - I could think of a couple of Cyranos I would like to see from within the current roster...).

[bangorballetboy]

2 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Not blaming or criticising MGH for this, but I sometimes think this is just the RB default position. ("Computer says no.")

 

Isn't Anna Rose O'Sullivan doing the Dying Swan? Surely that at least is out of copyright? Maybe we'll see some footage of that.

I’m afraid you’re mistaken on the RB point (both in this case and generally).  MGH had to approach the rights holders of each (existing) ballet to be able to perform the extracts (and rights hadn’t actually been granted for everything when the programme was first announced!).

 

As you say, The Dying Swan is no longer subject to copyright and we have already had some video of AROS rehearsing.

 

 

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

Someone once said to me that it depends on how the contract for the commission is written (which would make sense) and the contract may include things like the expected number of performances the work is licensed for.  Then there may be the complication of other companies wanting to take in the work ... would the "owning" company be responsible for mounting it or the choreographer.  Then again, if the company owns the work would they be able to make changes to it?  Would the choreographer want his name taken off it (as you sometimes see with films if there is a dispute).  It's a minefield.

 

It is a minefield. There are parallels with writers/copyright, except that I suppose ballets are so much more collaborative than books/novels. (I know books have to be edited/published/promoted, but a ballet is actually created on and with other people.) A mediocre work can look much better if brilliantly danced and with ample resources of various kinds; but then again, poor collaborators can mar what would otherwise have been a successful work. So I suppose it's a question of the extent to which a choreographer would be willing to sign away their rights/future income in respect of the work in return for an initial payment.

 

I also wonder if dancers necessarily want to be filmed when dancing in potentially less than ideal circumstances (and at the moment, after a very long break from performing).

Edited August 29, 2020 by bridiem