Angela Essex Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 (edited) On the subject of mobile phones - Someone’s phone started ringing in the central area of the stalls circle right in the middle of the dance of the sugar plum fairy in the matinee of Nutcracker on New Year’s eve. Officially a new low for audience behaviour at the ROH 😂 On the bright side at least it didn’t go off in the Arabian - that might have made me say a few colourful words. I felt sorry for Yuhui Choe though as I wondered if she could have heard it seeing as the auditorium was so quiet at the time. Edited January 3, 2023 by Angela Essex 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Liu Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 10 minutes ago, Angela Essex said: I felt sorry for Yuhui Choe though as I wondered if she could have heard it seeing as the auditorium was so quiet at the time. A kid was crying through the whole sugar plum fairy variation in the 29th Matinee performance when Yuhui Choe was dancing She might have heard it as well as it was so loud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Essex Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 5 minutes ago, Amanda Liu said: A kid was crying through the whole sugar plum fairy variation in the 29th Matinee performance when Yuhui Choe was dancing She might have heard it as well as it was so loud Yes there was a crying child (looked about 5 years old) in the central stalls circle too in the matinee. To be fair it’s a long time for a kid of that age to sit still if they’re not interested in watching dance so I felt sorry for the little girl being brought along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 41 minutes ago, Amanda Liu said: A kid was crying through the whole sugar plum fairy variation in the 29th Matinee performance when Yuhui Choe was dancing She might have heard it as well as it was so loud I hope the child was taken outside? As a mum, I would never let my child crying disturb a performance. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Liu Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 26 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said: I hope the child was taken outside? As a mum, I would never let my child crying disturb a performance. No he/she was not and was crying during the entire variation. Could be a tricky situation especially if their seats are in the middle… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 38 minutes ago, Amanda Liu said: No he/she was not and was crying during the entire variation. Could be a tricky situation especially if their seats are in the middle… That is true - then again, I used to book tickets on the aisle so we could make a hasty retreat, if necessary. I would feel terrible for the rest of the audience and would be very embarrassed. I have taken my youngest, from five onwards, to the ballet. She always behaved but if she hadn't have I would have taken her outside. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 Rather depressing that this new thread is already on page 3 ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 1 hour ago, alison said: Rather depressing that this new thread is already on page 3 ... Depressing but not surprising. One of my nieces, now 18 but then 7, was brought by her mother and aunt to the special treat of Sleeping Beauty and during the scene where the prince is being bamboozled around the forest by the lilac fairy and other fairies, she said in a very loud voice from the middle of the stalls (and the only aisles in that theatre are on the side), "THIS IS BORING". Mother and aunt sank to the floor, mother clapping a hand over niece's mouth, muffling "But it IS." Later that day I was having coffee with one of the fairies and she said "OMG so funny this afternoon some kid said how boring the forest scene is, we were laughing on stage and in the wings." 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 1. Nutcracker is intended, marketed and celebrated as a great way in to ballet for young children. 2. Young children sometimes act up, even with vigilant parents. 3. There aren't enough row ends to accommodate everyone who might need or prefer one. When I book for Nutcracker matinées I assume that crying children or similar disturbances are likely - caveat emptor. Once I'm in that frame of mind it bothers me less when it happens (and not at all if the interruption is minor). 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 (edited) 22 hours ago, Sophoife said: Depressing but not surprising. One of my nieces, now 18 but then 7, was brought by her mother and aunt to the special treat of Sleeping Beauty and during the scene where the prince is being bamboozled around the forest by the lilac fairy and other fairies, she said in a very loud voice from the middle of the stalls (and the only aisles in that theatre are on the side), "THIS IS BORING". Mother and aunt sank to the floor, mother clapping a hand over niece's mouth, muffling "But it IS." Later that day I was having coffee with one of the fairies and she said "OMG so funny this afternoon some kid said how boring the forest scene is, we were laughing on stage and in the wings." That is a great story and so funny, Sophoife! You've reminded me of one in our family, too. Kid in question was five at the time and had seen Nutcracker on tv and enjoyed it so we thought, he’s probably ready for the real thing in person, so tickets duly clicked and bought, we headed off to the Royal Opera House for a matinee (SPF= Alina Cojocaru, Prince= Johan Kobborg, Clara= Emma Maguire, Hans-Peter= Alexander Campbell). Yes, I picked the casting/date because of Alina & Johan. So, kid is well behaved throughout first act, particularly impressed by the battle scene. All going well at the interval, then Act 2, all the Kingdom of the Sweets dances so far, Waltz of the Flowers ends, and I thought, time to settle down for my fave part - the grand pas de deux. As they start the adagio, during the promenades, a small voice whispers very, very quietly, but clearly, in my ear, “I think I’ve watched all I need to see. Can we go now?” Edited January 5, 2023 by Emeralds 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 (edited) (We didn’t leave, of course. Not when it’s Alina & Johan). When the music got louder, I whispered back “But this is my favourite part”. During the applause for the adagio, I explained that it was nearly the end anyway, and kid sat still and quietly all the way to the end. Since then, kid has become the number 1 Nutcracker fan in the house and is the one who gets us all to attend Nutcracker every year! (And is no longer bored by the grand pas de deux.) 😂 Edited January 5, 2023 by Emeralds 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 On 28/12/2022 at 13:42, FionaE said: For balance, it would be interesting to get views from the younger generation. I’m under 30 which I think counts as the “younger generation” (although not so young to be “gen x” so I didn’t get a mobile until secondary school, unlike some now who have them from very young ages). Yes I use social media and I enjoy seeing dancers’ clips and photos on Instagram and YouTube etc. without wishing to repeat an earlier post I find it completely unacceptable, rude, distracting and confusing when someone films or photographs a live performance. I agree it’s more “self promotion” (look at me doing x) and the sad truth is many of these distractions are poor quality video/photos anyway that wouldn’t serve any purpose other than appearing for 24 hours on an Instagram story, not worth seeing in the first place (especially weighing up the comparative distraction), never to be seen again. Other friends I have in the same age bracket would agree. so no, it’s not an age thing - it’s a respect thing and how you’re brought up. It’s been a variety of ages who partake in distracting behaviour in theatre, anything from phones to humming to eating to talking. Age has nothing to do with it and that’s why it’s important for society/the audience/ushers to enforce what is and what isn’t acceptable behaviour! I wish dancers would not share such stories on their personal Instagram and it almost makes it seem acceptable. (Stories of curtain calls of course fine!) 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silke H Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 1 hour ago, JNC said: I’m under 30 which I think counts as the “younger generation” (although not so young to be “gen x” so I didn’t get a mobile until secondary school, unlike some now who have them from very young ages). Gen X is 1965-1980 (I proudly fall into that category) You might be referring to Millennials or Gen Z 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 51 minutes ago, Silke H said: Gen X is 1965-1980 (I proudly fall into that category) You might be referring to Millennials or Gen Z 😉 yes silkie you’re correct I think I meant Gen Z! Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 1 hour ago, Silke H said: Gen X is 1965-1980 (I proudly fall into that category) You might be referring to Millennials or Gen Z 😉 So many generations in such a short period of time!! I can't keep track. (Maybe that's because I'm pre-Gen X...). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 50 minutes ago, bridiem said: So many generations in such a short period of time!! I can't keep track. (Maybe that's because I'm pre-Gen X...). We are way pre, Bridie! We are Boomers!! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 And some of us were born during the war and, if I'm right, are beyond categorisation. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 4 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said: And some of us were born during the war and, if I'm right, are beyond categorisation. "The Greatest Generation" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 3 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said: And some of us were born during the war and, if I'm right, are beyond categorisation. pre-boomer pensioner I'm a pre-pensioner boomer!! lol There'll soon be more classifications of generations than there are genres of music... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllAboutTheJourney Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 I don't think this is a generational issue at all and would agree with @JNC. I'm slightly older (millennial, though at the upper end of it) and things like filming in the theatre (or acting in a disruptive way generally) are not age-specific in my experience. Children can be disruptive, yes, as can filming or taking photos or generally just talking and rustling. Usually I'm fairly tolerant but filming tips me over the edge and I would likely say something if it was happening around me. I use Instagram a lot and enjoy keeping up with the dancers and seeing backstage insights etc, but I don't think there is an argument at all that it would be nice to see more (terrible) clips from the audience. At the Theatre Royal in Glasgow last week I was actually shocked by how many people just arrived late. There were perhaps 30 around me who were ushered in during the first scene change and it was hugely distracting. I understand that things happen en route but this was more than I've ever seen before. Two people (not together) in the row in front of me started filming in the second act and were quickly stopped by an usher. Irritating but dealt with at least. More annoying was the group of women (in an older age bracket, not younger I have to say) who had perhaps enjoyed some pre-theatre and interval drinks - by the time the second act came they were fairly loud in their discussions about how good the dancers were (I guess at least it was positive but it might have better to save it for the train home!) 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 36 minutes ago, oncnp said: "The Greatest Generation" Absolutely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 I'm sure someone's moved the goalposts on the dates for Babyboomers - they never used to go on that far when I was younger ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lusodancer Posted January 29, 2023 Share Posted January 29, 2023 On the Subject of the Nutcracker On 04/01/2023 at 15:12, Lizbie1 said: 1. Nutcracker is intended, marketed and celebrated as a great way in to ballet for young children. 2. Young children sometimes act up, even with vigilant parents. 3. There aren't enough row ends to accommodate everyone who might need or prefer one. When I book for Nutcracker matinées I assume that crying children or similar disturbances are likely - caveat emptor. Once I'm in that frame of mind it bothers me less when it happens (and not at all if the interruption is minor). My eldest daughter now 34, was taken to experience the Nutcracker at about 4.5-5 years old, having just started ballet herself. It was the Mayflower of Southampton, with its stalls, cirlce and the 'Gods' of the balcony. I duly booked the last row of the balcony with another mother and her daughter, ready for a discreet exit if necessary. Well my daughter was entranced, but recognized all the music having been entertained for years by the video of the original Disney Fantasia . So for the entire show she amused all the people round us, by her pirouettes between the rows of seats and her exclaims to each melody, 'This is from Fantasia!' 'And this is in Fantasia too!' No -one minded a bit because they were jusr so amazed that someone so tiny had been exposed to all that Tchaikovsky and knew their way round an arabesque, sautés and pirouettes in 5th. 42nd Street didn't have the same effect though Grandad insisted we went. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmarose Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 When I was at the ROH on the 16th Jan for Sleeping Beauty a girl behind me started to film Marianela in Act 1, I noticed right away because of the light when she prepared to film. It's distracting to the audience and it's just not allowed. I gave her a dirty look and then in the interval I started talking loudly to my guest about how filming wasn't allowed at all. I've seen Marianela share those clips filmed from the ROH on her Insta stories and I think it's encouraging the behaviour, so if there was a ban from the ROH on sharing them, it's maybe been lifted. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Liu Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 3 hours ago, emmarose said: I've seen Marianela share those clips filmed from the ROH on her Insta stories and I think it's encouraging the behaviour, so if there was a ban from the ROH on sharing them, it's maybe been lifted. Yes she’s shared the rose adagio part filmed by someone in the audience during the performance on the 20th. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmarose Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 41 minutes ago, Amanda Liu said: Yes she’s shared the rose adagio part filmed by someone in the audience during the performance on the 20th. Yes, and there was one from the night I went that she shared too (although not the girl who did it behind me, it was a different angle). Mayara also shared some from her debut too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJW Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 Several phones went off during today's general of The Barber of Seville (my first opera!). Friends and their guests not setting a very good example! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 I had a couple sitting near me at the Sleeping Beauty general rehearsal who I'd have been quite surprised to learn were Friends (or had even been to a performance at ROH before) - for example, they were talking about their ticket prices in a way that suggested that they didn't know the rehearsal tickets aren't priced the same as "normal" tickets. I'd be curious to know whether others have had similar suspicions (perhaps too loaded a word!) at rehearsals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 I don’t really understand why Professional dancers would want to share some video taken on a phone by an audience member of their performance🤔 They have so many opportunities to have proper photographs and other studio filming which must surely be far more useful. The audience ones can’t be of the best quality so not sure what the attraction is other than… dare I say it…vanity! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanJL Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 3 hours ago, LinMM said: I don’t really understand why Professional dancers would want to share some video taken on a phone by an audience member of their performance🤔 They have so many opportunities to have proper photographs and other studio filming which must surely be far more useful. The audience ones can’t be of the best quality so not sure what the attraction is other than… dare I say it…vanity! Presumably for most dancers the pinnacle of what they work towards is their performances on stage, so it seems understandable to me that they would value a visual reminder of that, no matter how amateur. Obviously professionally filmed would be better, but they only come around occasionally (streamed or cinema relayed performances, which obviously don't catch every cast). I enjoy seeing them shared myself too - the chance to see a clip of a favourite dancer in a performance I might not have been able to catch. None of this is any excuse for audience members filming of course. Just to point out the motivation for sharing afterwards. A shame it doesn't seem possible to share such clips from less intrusive / official filming instead (eg the camera used to allow latecomers to watch). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candleque Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 2 hours ago, LinMM said: I don’t really understand why Professional dancers would want to share some video taken on a phone by an audience member of their performance🤔 Cannot speak of course to any individual dancer's motivation. But on the social platforms — say Instagram — there are certain behavioural norms understood by frequent users. When tagged in a Story, for example, one gives the original poster acknowledgement or thanks by reposting. Instagrammers here will have observed how often the dancers repost each other. It is a common thing. If you are a just a fan and Marianela Núñez reposts you, that is a happy dance moment because you then know Nela saw your post and liked it enough to share it. Please note, I am NOT saying audience members should film anything besides the curtain call. Just that a dancer might repost a video on Instagram (or wherever) as a way to say thank you to that loyal fan. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 I've heard dancers say that when they're being (officially) filmed they're very aware of that and it affects their performance - maybe making sure they don't 'overdo' facial expressions that will be seen in very close up on film, maybe being slightly cautious because they don't want any mistake seen by a large audience and preserved for ever - etc. So I don't think that trying to make performances available on film all the time is at all helpful. I'm a great supporter of live screenings, but of ONE performance of each production in a run. Otherwise, a live performance is a live performance and should remain uniquely so. The ROH (and other theatres) should NOT be allowing pirate recordings to be re-broadcast by their dancers. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 On 30/01/2023 at 17:40, MJW said: Several phones went off during today's general of The Barber of Seville (my first opera!). Friends and their guests not setting a very good example! A phone went off in the orchestra during the Tannhaeuser rehearsal! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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