Journalist Rupert Christiansen proposes cutting the Arts Council Grant for ENB and ENO

[alison]

5 hours ago, Pas de Quatre said:

If we are talking about classical music, has anyone ever suggested there is too much Beethoven or Mozart?

 

Well, me, certainly, in Mozart's bicentenary year

[Scheherezade]

2 hours ago, TSR101 said:

There is also a legitimate question about what ENB brings to the regions that they don't get from Eastern European touring companies. Yes the quality isn't as high as the ENB but what is the point of ENB using taxpayer money to tour the Swan Lake - in case people are hiding from the news, this country has a huge national debt. There does need to be a greater purpose than well the ENB can tour a slightly better quality of dancing. What is it? 

 

Isn't this rather suggesting that the provinces don't deserve the chance to see the best?

[bridiem]

8 hours ago, TSR101 said:

I think it's worth engaging with the key points here though on whether ENB is actually succeeding in what ENB is suppose to be. 

 

If ENB can't tour successfully - and not being able to sell a ballet great like Manon (even if their production is truly awful) in a major city like Manchester is not being able to tour successfully - then you have to question whether they do actually meet their purpose. If they can only sell a good proportion of tickets in a venue in London, then we should ask whether we (as a country) want another London based internationally touring classical ballet company in the UK (personally the critic's proposition to cutting it down to a small contemporary company to tour tiny regional theatres has no appeal to me). At the moment, they are not either, they aren't a great London/International company either as their repertoire is just not varied enough (even though Rojo made good improvements). With the loss of their best dancers, they don't have the dancing talent to compete against the better European companies even those outside the big four. 

 

There is also a legitimate question about what ENB brings to the regions that they don't get from Eastern European touring companies. Yes the quality isn't as high as the ENB but what is the point of ENB using taxpayer money to tour the Swan Lake - in case people are hiding from the news, this country has a huge national debt. There does need to be a greater purpose than well the ENB can tour a slightly better quality of dancing. What is it? 

 

I agree that ENB's ever-reducing tour schedule makes me question whether they are fulfilling their purpose. But I don't think the answer to that is to have a smaller company performing the sort of works of which the Arts Council approves (which are even more niche than most classical ballet). I think what Angela Essex says above is more pertinent: there needs to be more ballet on (mainstream) TV, more dance/ballet in schools, etc. Companies can't really create audiences from infertile soil. However I also think that mainstream culture now is so crude and so self-based that it renders ballet very counter-cultural. That's not a reason for dropping ballet; the hope is that in due course mainstream culture will move because I think it's very self-destructive. 

 

Besides which, where does Mr Christiansen think that these 'flexible' corps de ballet dancers will come from? With no full-scale ENB there will be even fewer jobs for dancers trained here - if he/the Arts Council would be happy for this country to produce even fewer trained ballet dancers each year, they should acknowledge that. I think that would be the death of British ballet.

[Jan McNulty]

6 hours ago, Scheherezade said:

 

Isn't this rather suggesting that the provinces don't deserve the chance to see the best?

 

Exactly Scheherezade!

 

When I started my ballet watching in 1984 I thought London was the place to go as well as LFB/ENB and SWRB in Liverpool.  I then discovered the provinces... LFB/SWRB/NB brought, and still bring us, fabulous quality work with wonderful dancers.

[Jan McNulty]

3 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

I agree that ENB's ever-reducing tour schedule makes me question whether they are fulfilling their purpose. But I don't think the answer to that is to have a smaller company performing the sort of works of which the Arts Council approves (which are even more niche than most classical ballet). I think what Angela Essex says above is more pertinent: there needs to be more ballet on (mainstream) TV, more dance/ballet in schools, etc. Companies can't really create audiences from infertile soil. However I also think that mainstream culture now is so crude and so self-based that it renders ballet very counter-cultural. That's not a reason for dropping ballet; the hope is that in due course mainstream culture will move because I think it's very self-destructive. 

 

Besides which, where does Mr Christiansen think that these 'flexible' corps de ballet dancers will come from? With no full-scale ENB there will be even fewer jobs for dancers trained here - if he/the Arts Council would be happy for this country to produce even fewer trained ballet dancers each year, they should acknowledge that. I think that would be the death of British ballet.

 

I've liked your post Bridie even though your final paragraph has sent shivers down my spine.

[bridiem]

1 minute ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

I've liked your post Bridie even though your final paragraph has sent shivers down my spine.

 

Mine too!!

[Lizbie1]

I find the suggestion that ENB should tour small venues with less mainstream repertoire interesting, considering that's exactly what BRB did with its midscale tours... before funding for them was taken away a few years ago.

[bridiem]

42 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

I find the suggestion that ENB should tour small venues with less mainstream repertoire interesting, considering that's exactly what BRB did with its midscale tours... before funding for them was taken away a few years ago.

 

So do I, but BRB drew from the strength of its main company and repertoire in order to mount the tours. 

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

I find the suggestion that ENB should tour small venues with less mainstream repertoire interesting, considering that's exactly what BRB did with its midscale tours... before funding for them was taken away a few years ago.

Of course ENB pioneered this approach in the 1990s.  I can remember seeing them at, amongst other places, Malvern and Crewe!

 

IIRC they took this initiative before RB sent some dancers to small venues such as Blackpool.

[RHowarth]

51 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

Of course ENB pioneered this approach in the 1990s.  I can remember seeing them at, amongst other places, Malvern and Crewe!

 

IIRC they took this initiative before RB sent some dancers to small venues such as Blackpool.

Was it called Tour de Force?

[Angela Essex]

2 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

I agree that ENB's ever-reducing tour schedule makes me question whether they are fulfilling their purpose. But I don't think the answer to that is to have a smaller company performing the sort of works of which the Arts Council approves (which are even more niche than most classical ballet). I think what Angela Essex says above is more pertinent: there needs to be more ballet on (mainstream) TV, more dance/ballet in schools, etc. Companies can't really create audiences from infertile soil. However I also think that mainstream culture now is so crude and so self-based that it renders ballet very counter-cultural. That's not a reason for dropping ballet; the hope is that in due course mainstream culture will move because I think it's very self-destructive. 

 

Besides which, where does Mr Christiansen think that these 'flexible' corps de ballet dancers will come from? With no full-scale ENB there will be even fewer jobs for dancers trained here - if he/the Arts Council would be happy for this country to produce even fewer trained ballet dancers each year, they should acknowledge that. I think that would be the death of British ballet.

Yes Bridiem - audiences cannot be grown from infertile soul. In Russia I’ve heard that they put opening night performances of the Bolshoi on National TV and people put up big screens in towns and villages for people to watch and people are crowding round screens to watch. Ballet is respected for the physically demanding, athletic art form it is, not seen as something for primary school aged girls to do as a hobby. Here in the UK we have coverage of many other physical pursuits eg football, cricket, gymnastics but how much coverage does dance get? Practically zero apart from Strictly and ballet even less. It’s very sad. I grew up poor and from my first visit to roh as a very working class child I could appreciate the beauty and strength in ballet. To think that audiences in the provinces aren’t interested in watching ballet is just patronising - it’s just a product of societal norms and conditioning why more people aren’t interested in ballet.  Culturally the UK has a long way to go compared with other countries. 

[bangorballetboy]

15 hours ago, alison said:

 

The first run of Frankenstein was a sell-out, though.  It was only the later one that proved difficult to shift.

That’s because we’d seen it!

[Fonty]

My main concern is that articles such as this will find their way back to the Arts Council, who will use it as an excuse to start cutting down the amount of money spent on ballet in general, and that the ENB could possibly be an easier target than either the RB or the BRB. There appears to be a constant thought that ballet (and opera) are of interest only to those who are wealthy.  Every so often there are various comments made in the press along the lines of "Why should tax payers' money go to support something that only appeals to the upper classes".  For some reason, ballet seems to be perceived less favourably by those authors than opera, even though personally I would have said that ballet was much more accessible to children and young people than opera.  I freely admit I may be a bit biased, because I know very little about opera. 

 

On the topic of what appeals to the provinces, what sort of publicity do these tours receive? My main source  in London used to be the posters on the underground.  However, the majority of the ones I can remember were for the ROH, and even then I used to think some of those were a bit obscure.  There was one of a figure with swirling drapery, which was very artistic but as I recall didn't actually give any dates or details of the programmes.  ENB's posters tend to be much more informative, with pictures of ballerinas in pointe shoes or the appropriate costume for the performance being advertised. 

 

I am surprised that Le Corsaire wasn't more popular outside London.  I thought it was terrific, lots of fantastic dancing, lovely costumes, lively music...what is not to like?  Having said that, without actually checking, wasn't the press slightly less than enthusiastic?  I am sure I can remember a theme along the lines of how uncomfortable it was to watch pirates and slave girls.  Or it could just be that people like to see something with familiar music, so the Tchaikovsky ballets are always going to be extremely popular for that reason. 

[Lizbie1]

My point about the BRB Midscale tours is that funding could no longer be found for them, which makes me question RC's assertion that ACE might look kindly on a very similar plan from ENB. (I'd be happy if they did, but they'd have some explaining to do to BRB.)

[jmhopton]

8 hours ago, RHowarth said:

Was it called Tour de Force?

Yes it was and they did some great mixed programmes and triple bills. I've still got my bookmark from Preston. I remember seeing London City Ballet at the Grand Theatre Blackpool do a terrific mixed bill  also. Far better than anything the RB did with their terrible Dance Bites. Such a shame that these days mixed/triple bills often means modern ballet when Companies have a range of traditional one act ballets in their repertoire that are in danger of falling out of their repertoire because of lack of use and lack of experienced practitioners to teach them. When was the last time a UK company staged Les Sylphides to name just one quite well known short ballet? Who decides people don't want to watch these sort of ballets? Focus groups? ADS? Surely with the right sort of promotion it might be worth trying a more traditional mixed bill in small venues like Blackpool or Cheltenham which have a ballet going public.

[Emeralds]

4 hours ago, Fonty said:

My main concern is that articles such as this will find their way back to the Arts Council, who will use it as an excuse to start cutting down the amount of money spent on ballet in general, and that the ENB could possibly be an easier target than either the RB or the BRB. There appears to be a constant thought that ballet (and opera) are of interest only to those who are wealthy.  Every so often there are various comments made in the press along the lines of "Why should tax payers' money go to support something that only appeals to the upper classes".  For some reason, ballet seems to be perceived less favourably by those authors than opera, even though personally I would have said that ballet was much more accessible to children and young people than opera.  I freely admit I may be a bit biased, because I know very little about opera. 

 

On the topic of what appeals to the provinces, what sort of publicity do these tours receive? My main source  in London used to be the posters on the underground.  However, the majority of the ones I can remember were for the ROH, and even then I used to think some of those were a bit obscure.  There was one of a figure with swirling drapery, which was very artistic but as I recall didn't actually give any dates or details of the programmes.  ENB's posters tend to be much more informative, with pictures of ballerinas in pointe shoes or the appropriate costume for the performance being advertised. 

 

I am surprised that Le Corsaire wasn't more popular outside London.  I thought it was terrific, lots of fantastic dancing, lovely costumes, lively music...what is not to like?  Having said that, without actually checking, wasn't the press slightly less than enthusiastic?  I am sure I can remember a theme along the lines of how uncomfortable it was to watch pirates and slave girls.  Or it could just be that people like to see something with familiar music, so the Tchaikovsky ballets are always going to be extremely popular for that reason. 

The press love to perpetuate these fallacies that ballet only appeals to “upper classes” - what is “upper classes” supposed to mean? Income bracket? Social class ratings I to V based on educational attainment and type of profession? (There are also lots of self employed entrepreneurs from social class V whose income and wealth outstrip many in social class I). Or having inherited wealth and titles, and going regularly to balls featured in Tatler magazine?  

 

I’ve taken friends or organised groups to go to ballets and only one person out of the 60 or so who have come along would be considered wealthy. They have all enjoyed it, and “I knew it would be good, but I never knew ballet could be as wonderful as that! ” is a common reaction. Oddly enough, wealthy and titled people I’ve  met don’t seem remotely interested in attending ballets unless it’s an event that’s going to be covered in Tatler or part of “The Season”....or where they can meet people for business networking. The press need to stop their biases and inaccurate reporting. 

 

You’re right, Fonty, that there are not as many operas that appeal to or are age appropriate for children compared to ballets. Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Jewels, La Fille mal Gardee, Coppelia, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland etc are child-friendly, whereas for opera, maybe Hansel and Gretel, and some productions of Cendrillon/La Cenerentola. 

[Emeralds]

45 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

Yes it was and they did some great mixed programmes and triple bills. I've still got my bookmark from Preston. I remember seeing London City Ballet at the Grand Theatre Blackpool do a terrific mixed bill  also. Far better than anything the RB did with their terrible Dance Bites. Such a shame that these days mixed/triple bills often means modern ballet when Companies have a range of traditional one act ballets in their repertoire that are in danger of falling out of their repertoire because of lack of use and lack of experienced practitioners to teach them. When was the last time a UK company staged Les Sylphides to name just one quite well known short ballet? Who decides people don't want to watch these sort of ballets? Focus groups? ADS? Surely with the right sort of promotion it might be worth trying a more traditional mixed bill in small venues like Blackpool or Cheltenham which have a ballet going public.

I too have been desperately awaiting a performance of Les Sylphides! Or Chopiniana. I don’t mind the name, as long as we get the ballet. If we don’t count the Mariinsky version that Xander Parish danced in 2011 on one of their summer tours to ROH and a double bill by a small visiting company from Kazakhstan at the Coliseum in 2019, the last was the Royal Ballet in 2009 as far as London goes (I don’t know if BRB/NB/Scottish Ballet performed it subsequently as I couldn’t get listings for performances up north over 6 years ago).

 

It was the opening ballet on a Royal Ballet triple bill, followed by Sensorium (by Alistair Marriott) and Firebird. It’s a mystery as to why nobody has revived it recently. If it’s programmed sensibly, it will sell well- also another child-friendly ballet. 

Edited September 24, 2022 by Emeralds

[Tango Dancer]

57 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

 

 

You’re right, Fonty, that there are not as many operas that appeal to or are age appropriate for children compared to ballets. Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Jewels, La Fille mal Gardee, Coppelia, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland etc are child-friendly, whereas for opera, maybe Hansel and Gretel, and some productions of Cendrillon/La Cenerentola. 

 

As a child my parents took me to see Magic Flute and I absolutely loved it.  I think I was about 11 or 12 at the time and it led to my abiding love for Mozart.  Apparently I wouldn't stop singing the bird catcher song badly for about a week.  Also a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan.  The satire went over my head but the songs were great.  I also was taken to see Amahl and the Night Visitors but didn't much care for the story and found the protagonist irritatingly virtuous.  I still don't care for Menotti.  

 

I was a fairly weird child who liked classical music and grew up with parents who sang so am probably not typical.  I would agree there's not as much for children in opera as ballet as ballet is a lot more visually appealing from a child's perspective.  

Edited September 24, 2022 by Tango Dancer

[maryrosesatonapin]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

I too have been desperately awaiting a performance of Les Sylphides! Or Chopiniana. I don’t mind the name, as long as we get the ballet. If we don’t count the Mariinsky version that Xander Parish danced in 2011 on one of their summer tours to ROH and a double bill by a small visiting company from Kazakhstan at the Coliseum in 2019, the last was the Royal Ballet in 2009 as far as London goes (I don’t know if BRB/NB/Scottish Ballet performed it subsequently as I couldn’t get listings for performances up north over 6 years ago).

 

 

There was a decent performance of Les Sylphides at Cadogan Hall in the autumn of 2019 by the London School of Classical Ballet.  I really enjoyed that evening - sometimes these small events are worth seeking out.

[Guest]

As LFB2 in the late 80s,  LFB/ENB toured smaller UK venues performing mixed programmes, including ballets such as Roland Petit's Carmen. I think they might have had two tours going on at the same time - splitting the company in half. 

[Ian Macmillan]

More recently, say around 20 years ago, I can certainly recall a small ENB group performing in Cambridge - as part of a  split tour, I think.

[Pas de Quatre]

I will have to dig through old programmes to get full details, but certainly I first saw Tamara Rojo live with ENB in one of these split tours, early 1990s at Poole Lighthouse. She was dancing Three Preludes, can't remember the rest of the programme off hand.

 

We also got the awful RB dance bites too.  It was positively insulting it was so bad. If companies want to see if there is an audience for their work, then don't send half baked new works choreographed by company members who want to have a go!

[Sabine0308]

On 23/09/2022 at 17:07, capybara said:

 

The problem is that this sort of foray can gain traction.

Exactly. I hope many people raise their voices and protest against this article in emails or as replies below the article (I can't see if this is possible). Because if you don't then you let him win🙈.

[San Perregrino]

On 23/09/2022 at 20:49, Sim said:

Once we had all seen how bad it was…!

I disagree. It is too simplistic, perhaps a comment worthy of RC even, to label Frankenstein as ‘bad’. It may not have been to your personal liking, but there was much to enjoy in Frankenstein. 

[Sim]

1 hour ago, PeterS said:

I disagree. It is too simplistic, perhaps a comment worthy of RC even, to label Frankenstein as ‘bad’. It may not have been to your personal liking, but there was much to enjoy in Frankenstein. 

That’s your opinion.  This is mine.  And I don’t appreciate my comments or opinions being labelled “simplistic” or “worthy of RC”.   It’s just a different view from yours. Many, many other people thought it was bad. And I didn’t find anything to enjoy in it, except the set.  

[bangorballetboy]

I’m sure I saw Les Sylphides at the Peacock Theatre last week!

 

😇

[Bluebird]

16 hours ago, Emeralds said:

I too have been desperately awaiting a performance of Les Sylphides! Or Chopiniana. I don’t mind the name, as long as we get the ballet. If we don’t count the Mariinsky version that Xander Parish danced in 2011 on one of their summer tours to ROH and a double bill by a small visiting company from Kazakhstan at the Coliseum in 2019, the last was the Royal Ballet in 2009 as far as London goes (I don’t know if BRB/NB/Scottish Ballet performed it subsequently as I couldn’t get listings for performances up north over 6 years ago).

 

It was the opening ballet on a Royal Ballet triple bill, followed by Sensorium (by Alistair Marriott) and Firebird. It’s a mystery as to why nobody has revived it recently. If it’s programmed sensibly, it will sell well- also another child-friendly ballet. 

 

Re Les Sylphides, English National Ballet also danced it in 2009 (as part of the Ballets Russes Centenary celebrations) and, in my opinion, their performances were vastly superior to those of the Royal.  When I asked a member of the ENB staff about this, she told me that Maina Gielgud had been responsible for the coaching.  She also told me that Maina Gielgud had been coached in the work by a dancer from the Ballets Russes.  If my memory is correct, that dancer was Tamara Karsavina.

 

There are a couple of extracts on YouTube, filmed when they performed it in Barcelona that season.

 

 

[Emeralds]

17 hours ago, Tango Dancer said:

 

As a child my parents took me to see Magic Flute and I absolutely loved it.  I think I was about 11 or 12 at the time and it led to my abiding love for Mozart.  Apparently I wouldn't stop singing the bird catcher song badly for about a week.  Also a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan.  The satire went over my head but the songs were great.  I also was taken to see Amahl and the Night Visitors but didn't much care for the story and found the protagonist irritatingly virtuous.  I still don't care for Menotti.  

 

I was a fairly weird child who liked classical music and grew up with parents who sang so am probably not typical.  I would agree there's not as much for children in opera as ballet as ballet is a lot more visually appealing from a child's perspective.  

I was going to mention Magic Flute, but the Royal Opera production- the most frequently performed production in the U.K. nowadays - has quite a scary Queen of the Night when she sings her showpiece aria, and Monostatos is more creepy in this version than many others, so I thought I’d better not recommend it here in case people brought along their under 8s who then got traumatised!  The first one I saw in Vienna was definitely more child friendly though.  

 

2 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

I’m sure I saw Les Sylphides at the Peacock Theatre last week!

 

😇

The Trocks version 👍

 

1 hour ago, Bluebird said:

 

Re Les Sylphides, English National Ballet also danced it in 2009 (as part of the Ballets Russes Centenary celebrations) and, in my opinion, their performances were vastly superior to those of the Royal.  When I asked a member of the ENB staff about this, she told me that Maina Gielgud had been responsible for the coaching.  She also told me that Maina Gielgud had been coached in the work by a dancer from the Ballets Russes.  If my memory is correct, that dancer was Tamara Karsavina.

 

There are a couple of extracts on YouTube, filmed when they performed it in Barcelona that season.

 

 

You’re right, Bluebird- both companies performed it in summer within a month of each other. Very odd- it’s like waiting for a bus....nothing for ages, then two come at the same time. Hence jmhopton is still correct- over 12 years since a British professional company revived it. I notice we’re also getting two Cinderellas in London in 2023 from RB & ENB, after none for a few seasons (ENB in June 2019) and none before that apart from those presented on tour by Australian Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet & Dutch National Ballet. 

[Fonty]

On the topic of what would sell outside London, do you think Les Sylphides would be popular?  I know that those of us who live in London are fortunate enough to see a lot of full length ballets, so I certainly love a mixed bill.  Provided, of course, that the majority of the works are classical ballet.  I am happy to sit through one piece that could be considered modern or "experimental", provided I get some tried and trusted classical stuff as well. 

Earlier on in this thread, various people said that mixed bills in major cities other than London don't seem to sell that many tickets.  I just wonder why that is. What exactly did these programmes consist of?  When I was a child, the RB touring company often brought mixed bills to my home town, and I am sure they wouldn't have done so had ticket sales been poor.  My recollection is that my parents had to make sure they got tickets as soon as they went on sale, or they were sold out. 

Edited to add I cannot remember exactly what was on those mixed bills.  I was sure Les Sylphides was one of the items, but when I checked the ROH database it came up with a blank. 

 

Edited September 25, 2022 by Fonty

[AnnabelCharles]

I'm with PeterS here, Sim.

 

'Once we had all seen how bad it was' does seem to be quite a bald statement, and assumes everyone felt the same way. Of course you're entitled to your opinion - but so is Peter.  

 

I think it's politic to avoid expressing opinions as though they are facts ... or in some way superior to others' opinions.

 

For the record, I quite enjoyed Frankenstein - more the second time - and it certainly went down better with the younger generation in my family than traditional ballets, which have been described as 'reinforcing archaic and patriarchal stereotypes, with too many frilly white dresses'. 

 

 

[Tango Dancer]

4 minutes ago, Fonty said:

On the topic of what would sell outside London, do you think Les Sylphides would be popular?  I know that those of us who live in London are fortunate enough to see a lot of full length ballets, so I certainly love a mixed bill.  Provided, of course, that the majority of the works are classical ballet.  I am happy to sit through one piece that could be considered modern or "experimental", provided I get some tried and trusted classical stuff as well. 

Earlier on in this thread, various people said that mixed bills in major cities other than London don't seem to sell that many tickets.  I just wonder why that is. What exactly did these programmes consist of?  When I was a child, the RB touring company often brought mixed bills to my home town, and I am sure they wouldn't have done so had ticket sales been poor.  My recollection is that my parents had to make sure they got tickets as soon as they went on sale, or they were sold out. 

 

I think Sylphides would be very popular.  It's enjoyable and rather lovely. Fairytale ballets probably are the most popular I'd say, Sleeping Beauty etc.  I'd also favour running something with a bit of fun and excitement like Don Quixote or Paquita.  Some of the Ashton ballets probably also e.g. La Fille mal Garde or Ondine may also go down well as they're very lovely.  

 

I am not sure why mixed programmes don't sell, maybe unfamiliarity with the pieces.  Personally if I can only choose one ballet from a season I'd pick a longer one because I really enjoy seeing the piece as a whole and the narrative.  Also usually in a mixed programme there's at least one piece I'm not bothered about.  I mean I go to them (and I loved the Forsythe evening that the ENB ran this year) but if I had a choice between a mixed programme and a long ballet, I'd pick the long ballet every time.  

 

 

[Fonty]

14 minutes ago, AnnabelCharles said:

I

or the record, I quite enjoyed Frankenstein - more the second time - and it certainly went down better with the younger generation in my family than traditional ballets, which have been described as 'reinforcing archaic and patriarchal stereotypes, with too many frilly white dresses'. 

 

 

 

Did your family give traditional ballets that description about archaic and patriarchal stereotypes, @AnnabelCharles?  Seems a trifle harsh, given that so many traditional ballets are based on fairy stories.  I do remember one earnest journalist, writing in one of the national newspapers, saying she never told her daughters stories such as the Sleeping Beauty, because the Prince kissing the Princess without her permission was totally unacceptable by today's standards. 

 

All I can say is that I have taken many, many people to the ballet over the years, and they all say the same thing.  What matters most is that the ballet tells a decent story.  They don't mind whether it is one of the traditional Tchaikovsky ballets, or the more modern dramatic ballets such as R & J (always hugely popular incidentally.)  On the other hand, none of them really like what my partner calls "too much wafting around with no point to it."

Edited September 25, 2022 by Fonty

[Tango Dancer]

18 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

I was going to mention Magic Flute, but the Royal Opera production- the most frequently performed production in the U.K. nowadays - has quite a scary Queen of the Night when she sings her showpiece aria, and Monostatos is more creepy in this version than many others, so I thought I’d better not recommend it here in case people brought along their under 8s who then got traumatised!  The first one I saw in Vienna was definitely more child friendly though.  

 

 

 

I've not seen the RB version.  As a child my parents took me to the Opera North version of Magic Flute.  I don't remember a huge amount about the detail, except that Tamino had a really bad cold so he walked the role through while someone else (who they'd borrowed from ENO at extremely short notice) sang from the orchestra pit.  I thought that was so cool as a child that the voice was coming from somewhere else than the stage.  I think that's what led to my deep love for Mozart's operas.  There's just something about the way all his music fits together that connects for me.