“Ballet under the Stars” - Covent Garden Dance Company at Hatch House - July 2022

[FionaM]

This event is back … 22, 23, 24 July 2022 … with the usual all-inclusive dinner and performances format with prices starting at £165

 

”Stunning 450 DINNER THEATRE created in 17th Century walled garden (covered for the event)”

 

Dancers this year: 

- special guest stars from National Ballet of Ukraine, Julia Moskalenko & Stanislavsky Olshanskyi

- Fumi Kaneko & Vadim Muntagirov, RB

- Xander Parish & Anastasia Demidova, Internationally acclaimed

- Luna Peigne & Guillaume Diop, Paris Opera Ballet

- Ksenia Ovsyanick & Denis Vieira, Berlin & Northern Ballet

- Fernanda Oliviera & Fabian Reimar, ENB

 

https://coventgardendance.co.uk/
 

 

[Sim]

Starting at £165?!  Ah well that eliminates me from the audience.  😥

[FionaM]

On 02/05/2022 at 10:56, Sim said:

Starting at £165?!  Ah well that eliminates me from the audience.  😥

Price does include a welcome drink, 3 course ‘gourmet’ meal with wines, in addition to the dancing …  ‘12 world class performances’ they say.   Doesn’t sound overpriced when you factor that all in.  
 

But yes I’m with you … I’d rather go twice to ROH for full length evening of dancing … in good seats for the same money. 

[Lizbie1]

I suppose you have to look at the price in the context of country house opera, which often costs a similar amount but without the food and drink.

 

Having said that, I wouldn't pay it either.

[Emeralds]

It’s the outdoor aspect I don’t like. The acoustics and outdoor noises (eg passing ambulances, police cars, birds, crockery/cutlery etc), possibility of heavy rain, etc....too many distractions/interruptions. Yet the people in the videos seem to enjoy it- that’s great but I couldn’t do it. 

 

Glyndebourne can be pricey but they do have tickets that start at £50 (it used to be £35 and for some years was cheaper than opera at the Royal Opera House!) and at least it’s a purpose built theatre with great acoustics, fantastic orchestra and... indoors!

 

That said, I nearly did consider paying £200 for one of the last seats for an all but sold out and acclaimed production of Handel’s Agrippina at the Royal Opera House once...until a standing ticket for about £20 appeared on the website. It’s even longer than Swan Lake and I hadn’t done standing room in years. 200 quid and no ballet for 2 months or endure the standing so that I could continue attending ballets next month? No contest - I went for the standing room. Three and a half hours but you eventually get used to it. (Not recommended for people with back trouble, circulation problems, etc though!) 

 

The opera and performances (Joyce Di Donato, Iestyn Davies, Lucy Crowe et al, and a very animated Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment) were well worth it. 😁

 

Anyone else looking at the line up and hoping ENB (whether Rojo or successor) will offer Xander and his wife contracts at ENB? And maybe guest stints for Moskalenko and Olshanskyi....? 

Edited May 4, 2022 by Emeralds

[Peanut68]

Ok, so I looked at the web page (a girl can but dream of attending what looks like a really special evenjng!) but no where could k find where Hatcb House actually is!! Anyone know? Thanks 

[bangorballetboy]

3 minutes ago, Peanut68 said:

Ok, so I looked at the web page (a girl can but dream of attending what looks like a really special evenjng!) but no where could k find where Hatcb House actually is!! Anyone know? Thanks 

 

It's on Cranbourne Chase - west of Salisbury (otherwise known as the middle of nowhere).

[Peanut68]

Oooh…. So actually not a million miles away from me!!! Wonder if they need staff??? Thinking usher might get to see the ballet???!!

Except I now realise that its when I’m away….😢

Edited May 6, 2022 by Peanut68

[Guest oncnp]

Enter (by 10 July) to win 2 tickets for Sunday, 24th July 2022.    https://www.bramleyproducts.co.uk/pages/hatch-house-ballet

Edited July 4, 2022 by oncnp

[Mandy Kent]

We had a wonderful time at Hatch House , such fabulous dancers . Expensive but worth every penny. 

[capybara]

9 hours ago, Mandy Kent said:

We had a wonderful time at Hatch House , such fabulous dancers . Expensive but worth every penny. 

But with ROH tickets now topping £150, the Hatch House prices begin to feel like a bargain.

It was the accessibility which thwarted me. 
Please say more about the dancing, Mandy!  Is it intermingled with the dinner?

[LinMM]

I remember a previous well known tv Garden presenter who ran courses in her idyllic farmhouse setting in deepest middle of nowhere Sussex ( definitely only accessible by car) which were always prohibitively expensive ….and the reason was they were always tagged on to a three course meal which seemed to take up the bulk of the cost. If only there had been a choice to just do the course on its own OR do the course with the meal if you wanted!!!  But there wasn’t that choice. Obviously the profit was in the meal!! A shame as it is a truly idyllic setting which fortunately is open to the public for a wander from time to time. 
The above ballet would be a lovely event to attend I’m sure and I suppose if regarded as a one off treat combined with a few days away not too bad really. But looks like a car is essential. 

 

[Pas de Quatre]

Athelhampton House hosts ballet performances in September. It is a gorgeous setting and you bring your own picnics, drinks etc. This will be the third year and I am really looking forward to it!

[capybara]

2 hours ago, Pas de Quatre said:

Athelhampton House hosts ballet performances in September. It is a gorgeous setting and you bring your own picnics, drinks etc. This will be the third year and I am really looking forward to it!

 

But, unfortunately, also inaccessible without a car.

[Pas de Quatre]

I'm afraid you are right capybara.

[Mandy Kent]

I will try to write up a review when I have time. The dancing was mainly a series of pdd, some classical some modern… divided into 3 sections in between which was slotted one course of the 3 course meal. Wonderful dancers : RB’s Vadim Muntagirov and Fumi Kaneko, ENB’s Fernanda Oliveira and Fabian Reimair  ,Ksenia Ovsyanick dancing with Timothy Dutson ( Berlin Staatsballett) ,ex Mariinsky/RB’s Xander Parish with Anastasia Demisova, POB’s Hortense Pajtler and Nathan Bisson and National Ballet of Ukraine’s Julia Moskalenko and Stanislav Olshanskyi.  They all received a standing ovation last night !