RBS Students at the Linbury - Next Generation Festival

[Dawnstar]

22 minutes ago, cackles said:

I have a dog phobia, and I was told that the dog was allowed into the auditorium as it was a "comfort dog". Fortunately it was nowhere near my seat or I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on the performance on stage.

 

I'm pretty nervous around dogs too, due to having OCD, so I too was pleased it wasn't too near me as I would have likewise not been able to concentrate on the performance if it was near enough that there was a risk of it touching me. It's all very well a dog being comforting to its owner but that doesn't take into consideration other audience members who are made uncomfortable by it!

[FionaM]

I wonder how the ROH copes when there is a situation of opposites regarding a comfort dog?  I would find a dog distracting if it was near me.  
 

I hope they’ve got extra seats where they can move me or the dog reliant person.  

[Scheherezade]

This does make me wonder whether someone who needs a comfort dog should think twice before venturing into enclosed public places outside their own home. 

Edited June 22, 2023 by Scheherezade

[Ondine]

Probably not the thread to discuss this, it's very off topic of the thread, I can see both sides and emotional and other support animals (not only dogs) do help many to get out of their own home, which is the point. Some of it is enshrined in law of course, eg Guide Dogs.

 

Theatres do need policies to address the needs of all, and I can see it's not easy.

 

https://www.esaorguk.com/

 

 

https://www.nhs.uk/services/service-directory/support-dogs/N10500963

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by Ondine

[Emeralds]

I’ve sat very near guide dogs at both Sadler’s Wells and Royal Albert Hall, and they were lovely and impressively well behaved, not a squeak or single noise or movement from them throughout the overture or the dancing. No breathing noises (you know how with some breeds you can hear them breathing) and no smells (all credit to their owners/owners’ family). All in all, very considerate and delightful audience members to watch a ballet alongside. (Far better than the munching, slurping, chatting, photo-taking, humming, or downright abusive human audience members that we sometimes have the misfortune to be seated near!)  I say this as someone who cannot be described as being an animal or pet lover at all, so definitely not biased toward dogs or other pets. I presume if anyone has an allergy or difficulty/phobia about dogs, the front of house staff can help find another seat so as the condition isn’t affected/triggered. 

Edited June 22, 2023 by Emeralds

[Henry]

I am sorry that you felt inconvenienced about your bag.  After the interruptions at Glyndebourne, it isn't surprising that staff are being more cautious. Certainly there was some strange behaviour last night.  

 

I observed one woman, who seated a table, was trying to save the next table and 4 seats for "friends".  She did let one person sit down but then pulled the rermaining chairs over to the first table.  In fact, as soon as the doors were opened to the auditorium, she left to go in.  So like Godot, these friends who were so important at the start, never arrived.  She didn't even bother to put back the chairs when she left.  

 

Pity the poor people with their coffee & cake, who had to try and eat standing up!  It isn't obvious why her absent "friends" should have priority over the ticket holders who were already there. To the casual observer, it didn't make any sense.  
 

[Henry]

Rob S is right about bag checks and body language.  The assessment is not just about bag contents but body language, context, the attitude of the person etc.  All right the check did not go right to the bottom of the bag - but if they see a sandwich, a print out of the cast sheet, gym kit etc.  how likely is it that the person is also intending to disrupt the performance?  Is the person nervous or behaving strangely?  Just as custom officers will assess which passengers to stop at the airport by a range of factors. 
 

[Emeralds]

24 minutes ago, Henry said:

I am sorry that you felt inconvenienced about your bag.  After the interruptions at Glyndebourne, it isn't surprising that staff are being more cautious. Certainly there was some strange behaviour last night.  

 

I observed one woman, who seated a table, was trying to save the next table and 4 seats for "friends".  She did let one person sit down but then pulled the rermaining chairs over to the first table.  In fact, as soon as the doors were opened to the auditorium, she left to go in.  So like Godot, these friends who were so important at the start, never arrived.  She didn't even bother to put back the chairs when she left.  

 

Pity the poor people with their coffee & cake, who had to try and eat standing up!  It isn't obvious why her absent "friends" should have priority over the ticket holders who were already there. To the casual observer, it didn't make any sense.  
 

Henry, I once came across this chap who, when I asked if we could take one of the two vacant chairs he had at his table at Sadler’s Wells, replied snootily, “no, I have guests coming”. So we took one from another table whose occupants didn’t mind. I could still see him while my friend and I were having our ice creams and drinks, and not a single “guest” of his turned up during the interval! Perhaps he wanted to hang on to the chairs, like the woman you encountered, to prove “I’m not a Johnny-no-mates, I do have friends, they’re just not here yet.” I was thinking, you might be very smug holding two chairs hostage while there are vey elderly patrons who can’t even sit down because you’ve hogged the chairs, but at least the rest of us still have friends.....😂

[LinMM]

Well I wouldn’t mind if they had stopped everybody with a backpack ..even a small one like mine…going into the auditorium but obviously some staff got the “supposed message”  that backpacks were not allowed and some didn’t!

If they were truly serious and worried about any potential disruption it wouldn’t have been so haphazard as to who got their bag in and who didn’t! 
To be honest I doubt any of the door staff in the Linbury Theatre have had any substantial training in subtle body language given off by attendees… and if they have had it’s obviously not very reliable lol!! 

Edited June 22, 2023 by LinMM

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

I’ve sat very near guide dogs at both Sadler’s Wells and Royal Albert Hall, and they were lovely and impressively well behaved, not a squeak or single noise or movement from them throughout the overture or the dancing. No breathing noises (you know how with some breeds you can hear them breathing) and no smells (all credit to their owners/owners’ family). All in all, very considerate and delightful audience members to watch a ballet alongside. (Far better than the munching, slurping, chatting, photo-taking, humming, or downright abusive human audience members that we sometimes have the misfortune to be seated near!)  I say this as someone who cannot be described as being an animal or pet lover at all, so definitely not biased toward dogs or other pets. I presume if anyone has an allergy or difficulty/phobia about dogs, the front of house staff can help find another seat so as the condition isn’t affected/triggered. 

 

I have no issue with guide dogs at theatres because I know they have been extremely well trained so I do not have to worry about them jumping up/pawing/licking etc. I remain deeply impressed by the guide dog I once saw sitting through a performance of Tippett's King Priam without making a noise, when that music made me want to howl! However comfort/emotional support dogs will not have necessarily been trained in the same way & therefore may not be as well behaved.

[capybara]

I think the owners of the support dogs will have medical confirmation of their need.

[Rob S]

I might try to get a certificate for my support rucksack 🤔

[Emeralds]

I feel a bit bad contributing to the rabbit hole that we’ve inadvertently fallen into - should it be spawned off into a new thread called Dogs at The Ballet and Bags at the Ballet? -  so sorry I haven’t seen the RBS show to contribute information and feedback. But members raised an interesting question regarding dogs and bags. 

 

Re: other dogs that aren’t guide dogs, there are now therapy dogs and medical assistance dogs as well as the guide dogs we’re familiar with seeing around. The guide dogs for the blind and partially sighted and owners with other disability we’re used to seeing out and about are trained and looked after by very reputable organisations who adhere to strict standards, so it’s unsurprising that they behave impeccably.

 

There are also therapy dogs who are employed in schools, mental health settings and other organisations who have children and adults with social and psychological needs eg extreme shyness, stress, mental trauma, etc and they have been trained for these needs as well, and also medical assistance dogs that can alert an owner who might be prone to collapsing from an advanced medical condition such as severe diabetes and prevent it from happening.

 

I understand from a good friend who works as a trainer for one organisation training such dogs  that these dogs have a different kind of training - the guide dogs follow very strict standards (the dog who can’t pass them doesn’t “graduate” but usually can retrain to be a different kind of assistance dog) - and while not as strict as the guide dogs’ ones, they also have to pass certain standards, eg a dog who barks or pounces at visual or sound stimuli that can get any dog excited won’t pass, as they have to be reassuringly calm rather than contributing to their clients’ problems. They do have paperwork like a “school report” or certificate to show they’ve achieved all the standards.

 

I would be very reassured that a certified therapy or assistance dog wouldn’t act in an unexpected manner in a theatre. I know certain venues and businesses will only allow admission to an owner with a dog if the owner had a badge, certificate or the recognised harness that show that the dog is a trained guide, assistance or therapy dog, not simply a pet brought along and claimed to be a therapy or comfort dog as an excuse. Would be nice if there was somewhere on their website that the theatres could show patrons that this is their policy, rather than allowing any sundry pet to be brought in on the pretext of having such a role.

 

I should also add that 99% of the time, the success of a dog (guide or therapy or otherwise) visiting any place of business, whether it be a theatre or dog-friendly cafe, with no unfortunate incidents, is largely due to how diligent and conscientious (ie well trained! ) the owners are as well, eg taking care of the dog’s toilet needs and other essential tasks before entering.

 

Speaking of bags, I just received an email from Royal Festival Hall saying that  only  bags under 40cm x 25cm x 25cm can be let in, and while my handbag has never been queried or told to be checked in by any usher or security guard, I did rush to measure it immediately! Haven’t carried a backpack for some years now. I think backpacks can be a problem in some museums where I’ve seen some tourists and other visitors walk in carrying large backpacks and when they turn around in crowds without warning, their backpack can cause quite a serious assault on a bystander - or artwork on display! Small sized ones, should be ok though. I wonder if the first usher just made a mistake.

Edited June 22, 2023 by Emeralds

[LinMM]

A good idea Rob S! 
My partner says my backpack just  wasn’t smart enough for the ROH and he wouldn’t have let me in either so no sympathy there 😂 

[Ondine]

I don't wish to prolong this as it's gone way off the original topic, but as I stated in a post above,  there is a legal requirement for access for certain categories of assistance dog accompanying humans.

 

Guide dogs has a guide.

 

https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/how-you-can-help/campaigning/our-current-campaigns/open-doors/

 

Open Doors

Help us Open Doors

 

Let's Open Doors

A report into the impact of access refusals on guide dog owners in 2022

Read the report  (pdf 3.61 MB)

Join our campaign to Open Doors for guide dogs. It’s the law.

Guide dog owners continue to face access refusals from businesses and services including cafés, shops, and taxis because they are accompanied by their guide dog – despite this almost always being illegal. Three-quarters of guide dog owners say they have experienced an access refusal in the past.

Access refusals can have a negative impact on people’s confidence and their lives. That's why we’re working to open doors for guide dogs. We’re educating businesses on the law and campaigning for government to strengthen it. Get involved and help us open doors by signing our petition.  

The first step is knowing that access refusals are happening. If you’re a guide dog owner, please download our new app which helps you report access refusals or get support.

 

BTW, I've sponsored guide dog puppies in training for many years and those which don't make it past initial training tend to either be adopted by the trainer or put up for other adoption.

 

I haven't mentioned support cats but yes those exist too.

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by Ondine

[Scheherezade]

It is very sad that so little tolerance is shown towards those who need guide dogs and I would think that the response of these dogs to almost any situation can be predicted with a high degree of certainty but can the same ever be said of a cat?

There is no way that my jealous, entitled and irredeemably single-minded cat (ie your average, typical cat) would pass any support tests. On the other hand, she does have a very impressive arabesque …

[Ondine]

I do know of one cat (now retired and replaced with another) who has a record of going as support cat with owner to places including the theatre and behaving impeccably throughout, sleeping on the job seems to be accepted.

 

[Ondine]

Anyhow, back to the topic of this thread and via today's LINKS thanks to @Ian Macmillan

 

https://www.seeingdance.com/royal-ballet-school-230622/

 

Next Generation Festival: The Royal Ballet School

June 22, 2023 by David Mead

 

A review,  with photos. 

 

But overall, a fine start to The Royal Ballet School’s performance season, which now continues at Opera Holland Park and The Royal Opera House’s main stage.

 

 

 

 

[LinMM]

I was rather disappointed with this review which I found rather lukewarm and David Mead has named the female dancer in the Piece “Forgetting” incorrectly….it should say Francesca Lloyd but he has named the costume designer as the dancer!! 

After all these are still students …not all even graduating this year…and of course I don’t expect everybody to be as enthusiastic as myself (no doubt still living unfulfilled dance career dreams through those achieving theirs!) but I felt it could have been a little more supportive or encouraging of these very young dancers efforts. 

[JMFCballet]

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

I was rather disappointed with this review which I found rather lukewarm and David Mead has named the female dancer in the Piece “Forgetting” incorrectly….it should say Francesca Lloyd but he has named the costume designer as the dancer!! 

After all these are still students …not all even graduating this year…and of course I don’t expect everybody to be as enthusiastic as myself (no doubt still living unfulfilled dance career dreams through those achieving theirs!) but I felt it could have been a little more supportive or encouraging of these very young dancers efforts. 

The choreographer of Forgetting can't have much experience and I thought it was an excellent piece - we shouldn't expect them to produce a completely polished piece at this stage, I hope it doesn't discourage him as he has lots of potential. She was obviously searching for him at the end rather than 'longing.'

 

I do agree though with the review of Tanze, excellently performed. 

[LinMM]

I didn’t recognise his description of Liya Fan in Two Pigeons either …whose performance I thought was nicely understated …. ( not immediately forgiving of her wayward lover) …..I wondered if he had muddled her with the girl who danced the role on the Wednesday in fact who does have a very expressive face. 
Yes his Tanze review was a bit more enthusiastic and he obviously enjoyed “Within the Golden Hour” 
He virtually only mentioned Caspar Lench’s performance in passing!! 

 

[LinMM]

I’ve just re read his review and perhaps it is a bit more positive than I at first thought…I see the correction has been made for “Forgetting” and Francesca’s name is now there! 

[art_enthusiast]

I saw this on Wednesday last week, loved the performances - in particular Fast Blue, the second piece. Great music and choreography.

 

However I've now realised that I probably have a not needed ticket for the Holland Park performance on 6th July next week - as I think the programme is mostly the same? (For the Upper school performance anyway, which is the one I booked for)

Does anyone know if Opera Holland Park gives credit refunds like the ROH does? Otherwise I'll try to resale

[LinMM]

Anyone looking for main stage performance on July 16th some tickets have just come on for first time in about 4-5 days. Some in Amphi too! 

[li tai po]

I have just read through this thread and I am disappointed by the misrepresentation of Kenneth MacMillan's ballet, The Four Seasons, by the Royal Ballet School, by contributors above and by the critic, David Mead.

 

The official Kenneth MacMillan website gives an accurate thumbnail sketch of the ballet, which MacMillan conceived as a showcase for the Royal Ballet's strength in depth from corps to soloists and principals.  The ROH performance database records that the opening night in 1975 took 55 minutes, whilst the second production in 1980, designed by Deborah Williams aka Deborah MacMillan, lasted 44 minutes.

 

https://www.kennethmacmillan.com/the-four-seasons

 

The ballet was set in front of an Alpine Hotel, populated by some rather dubious ladies (this was barely a year after the premiere of Manon!), who tilted their heads very suggestively at the watching men (a movement changed to a brief nod at the Linbury).  The body of the ballet comprises a series of classical ensembles and solos, a pas de trois for Spring, a langorous pas de deux for Summer (Monica Mason and David Wall), a pas de quatre for Autumn and three gypsies (I suppose they could not be pirates in the middle of the Alps) for Winter.  There was one new lift which wowed the audience every night.  You can get a flavour of the choreography from a clip of the summer pas de deux on you tube with Viviana Durante and Irek Mukhamedov.

 

Excited by the publicity that the RBS was performing "The Four Seasons" and reiterated as such in the programme, I made a special effort to get to the Linbury that evening, as I did not want to miss a revival of a significant ballet, remembered fondly, maybe through rose-tinted spectacles.

 

Imagine my acute disappointment, when I saw the young ladies of the RBS glide through the opening prologue and present a couple more corps numbers with not a soloist in sight.  Talk about Trades Description Act!  It was as if we saw the fairy dances from The Dream without a soloist in sight, and it was presented as a performance of Ashton's The Dream.

 

The misrepresentation is compounded by your correspondent above, who described it as MacMillan's Macgregor moment (???!!!), presumably because it was "busy" with lots of dancers crowded on to a stage too small for the choreography.  The original ballet was closer to a MacmIllan Petipa or Balanchine moment.  David Mead describes it as "a somewhat unexciting series of small group dances".  This describes what he saw, but it does not describe MacMillan's ballet.

 

If the RBS repeats this performance at the ROH, maybe the choreography will be able to breathe on a larger stage, but I hope the RBS respects MacMillan by describing it more accurately as "Corps de ballet dances from The Four Seasons".

 

Maybe one day the Royal Ballet will restore MacMillan's reputation with a new production of the complete ballet, which was significant in MacMillan's output.

Edited July 5, 2023 by li tai po
spelling

[bridiem]

That's interesting, @li tai po. The RBS describes the process of staging The Four Seasons here: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2023/05/19/behind-macmillans-the-four-seasons-with-choreologist-giacomo-bevilacqua/ 

 

I assume that this re-staging (which sounds more like a radical dismemberment to me) has been approved by Lady MacMillan, but I too would have been very disappointed if I'd gone to these performances expecting to see The Four Seasons that I remember (and would love to see again).

[LinMM]

Well I am the guilty party who commented that was this Macmillan’s McGregor moment….partly in jest of course as the two have little in common where choreography is concerned!!  
However I commented on how I felt on the evening about the Piece. 
I knew that I had seen this before albeit a long time ago ( for me over 45 years ago!) so was also looking forward to seeing it as I usually like Macmillan so it would be like seeing a “new” ballet. 
However the “Seasons” just didn’t come across to me!  I didn’t say it was awful it just didn’t wow me …and so I was a bit disappointed too as for example Macmillan’s Concerto is one of my favourite all time shorter ballets.  
And I did find it a bit busy but perhaps hadn’t allowed for the limitations of the small Linbury Stage!!  I did enjoy seeing so many young dancers performing in it though ….but if it has been radically changed in some way you can’t really blame me for not thinking this was one of Macmillan’s gems! 
Now I’ve managed to get a ticket for the main stage performance on the 16th I do hope they perform it again just to see if the larger stage suits it better but no doubt if it isn’t really the original ballet being performed it might still turn out to be disappointing…just because it is a Macmillan ballet which don’t usually disappoint!