Ballet Nights - Sept 29th/30th - London

[Peanut68]

I’d hoped to go but couldn’t make it happen… would be interested to read reviews & know what people think of this type of format & presentation…. It all sounded pretty impressive! 

[simonbfisher]

We went on opening night 29/09, always happy to support new enterprises in dance. Good points - friendly staff and enthusiastic audience; enticingly eclectic line-up. Bad points - until we protested and were moved in the interval we simply couldn’t see the dancers below their shoulders (no rake to speak of) which at £65 for the seventh row of eight was really ridiculous; dangerously low lighting for audience to enter by, made worse by blinding spotlights onto our faces; angle poise lamp in lighting box pointed at rows G and H instead of down at the desk; doubtlessly interesting speeches by the organiser delivered too fast and too informally for us to follow; I gather Melissa Hamilton did a dying swan - we couldn’t see her, and I gather Steven McRae was a wizard tap dancer - we couldn’t see him either. But on the other hand the invisible pianist was fab. We won’t be going back. 

[Jan McNulty]

There's a review in today's Links:

 

 

[Ondine]

...which affords the public an unusually close look at the performers, some problematic sightlines permitting.  Mmmm.

[capybara]

I very much wanted to support this new venture but couldn’t make the journey. Very sorry to hear that crucial aspects of it didn’t work, especially after all the organisational effort which Jamiel invested in the venture.

[LinMM]

I’ve been to the Lanterns Theatre a couple of times now to support amateur productions albeit the last time must be getting towards 8 years ago and to be honest don’t remember the sight line problems but was always sitting near the front where you really almost feel on the stage ….which is large for the type of venue ….so great for amateurs ( try dancing on the stage at the Chelsea Community Centre!) 

I just seem to remember a large open crescent type shape for the audience but can’t remember the rake issues. 
Of course tickets wouldn’t have been anywhere near the price as for this venture ….but what a shame for it to be spoilt by poor sight lines for some of the audience …..£65 is a lot to pay if you can’t see the dancers!  Is there any way this can changed? Can some sort of rake be created towards the back? 
 

[Jamiel Devernay-Laurence]

16 hours ago, simonbfisher said:

We went on opening night 29/09, always happy to support new enterprises in dance. Good points - friendly staff and enthusiastic audience; enticingly eclectic line-up. Bad points - until we protested and were moved in the interval we simply couldn’t see the dancers below their shoulders (no rake to speak of) which at £65 for the seventh row of eight was really ridiculous; dangerously low lighting for audience to enter by, made worse by blinding spotlights onto our faces; angle poise lamp in lighting box pointed at rows G and H instead of down at the desk; doubtlessly interesting speeches by the organiser delivered too fast and too informally for us to follow; I gather Melissa Hamilton did a dying swan - we couldn’t see her, and I gather Steven McRae was a wizard tap dancer - we couldn’t see him either. But on the other hand the invisible pianist was fab. We won’t be going back. 

 

Hi Simon,

 

I was very sorry indeed to read that you didn't have the best time over at my house this weekend, and I would like to extend my sincerest apology on behalf of myself and the team at Ballet Nights.

 

Hearing of your viewing issues, I instructed my management to ensure you were re- seated with a clearer view or Stageside, which I had hoped would go some of the way towards improving you night, and I do hope was actioned by James and Andrew my co-hosts that evening.

 

Hearing your feedback that night from my team - we then took the further action of removing an entire row for the following night to ensure this would not happen again, and we received a much better feedback loop as a result - and have made the change stick as a result for both the view and comfort.

 

As a new startup in a new weight class, much was learned from our opening night and great strides taken into the following evening - something that I have seen reflected in our review stream as a result. There is still much to learn, and like any jazz or comedy club we hope to provide audiences with uniquely experiences that have never happened before, and will never happen again - such as Ryoichi's first show at 40 years.

The dedicated dance audience mean the absolute world to me and my team, as well as those new to dance, and the thought that you or anyone would not want to the Ballet club is something that for me is simply unthinkable.

 

I would like to personally extend the offer of 2 tickets to the UK premiere of David Dawson's Metamorphosis 1 and our other star acts of our second programme - 27th & 28th October 2023 - and please take this chance once more to experience our evening of dance celebration once again, with your feedback heard (and my mic repaired!)

 

Jamiel

Your Compere

 

https://thespyinthestalls.com/2023/10/ballet-nights/

 

https://www.seeingdance.com/ballet-nights-1-231001/

 

https://www.londontheatre1.com/reviews/ballet-nights-at-lanterns-studio-theatre-review/

 

[simonbfisher]

Hello Jamiel, 

 

Thank you very much for this considered response. I do appreciate it. 

 

Yes, your colleagues did find us four seats "in the wings" for the second half - the problem then was that the spots were shining straight in our faces so the experience of the dance was again limited, though in a different way from the dreaded Row G.  Even the birthday boy was visible only when he blocked the light - which was not an inbuilt feature of the choreography, for some strange reason 😅

 

Please do not take to heart my remarks about YOUR remarks - I think you just need to slow down a bit and e-n-u-n-c-i-a-t-e; some of your audience is elderly and *ahem* hearing-challenged. You came over warm and enthusiastic, which is more than half the battle, I guess.!

 

Thank you for your very generous offer to see the second programme - my partner and I will be in Japan at that time (Kabuki and Sumo; catholic tastes) otherwise we should gladly have taken you up on it.

 

I think, for what it is worth, that what you are aiming to do is fantastic, and I wish you all the success possible. Don't be put off by grumpy audience members - we will always be there in one form or another. Onwards and upwards, Jamiel.

Edited October 1, 2023 by simonbfisher
spelling

[Jamiel Devernay-Laurence]

1 hour ago, simonbfisher said:

Hello Jamiel, 

 

Thank you very much for this considered response. I do appreciate it. 

 

Yes, your colleagues did find us four seats "in the wings" for the second half - the problem then was that the spots were shining straight in our faces so the experience of the dance was again limited, though in a different way from the dreaded Row G.  Even the birthday boy was visible only when he blocked the light - which was not an inbuilt feature of the choreography, for some strange reason 😅

 

Please do not take to heart my remarks about YOUR remarks - I think you just need to slow down a bit and e-n-u-n-c-i-a-t-e; some of your audience is elderly and *ahem* hearing-challenged. You came over warm and enthusiastic, which is more than half the battle, I guess.!

 

Thank you for your very generous offer to see the second programme - my partner and I will be in Japan at that time (Kabuki and Sumo; catholic tastes) otherwise we should gladly have taken you up on it.

 

I think, for what it is worth, that what you are aiming to do is fantastic, and I wish you all the success possible. Don't be put off by grumpy audience members - we will always be there in one form or another. Onwards and upwards, Jamiel.

Thank you Simon,

 

Let me know when you can make it next and you can grab those seats on the house

 

Jamiel

[simonbfisher]

Many thanks, Jamiel - Friday 24 Nov?? I am feeling really guilty now.....

 

[Jamiel Devernay-Laurence]

22 minutes ago, simonbfisher said:

Many thanks, Jamiel - Friday 24 Nov?? I am feeling really guilty now.....

 

Don't be!

We had our teething problems with the launch of the club, but without feedback we cant ever improve.

I am a strong advocate of critique, trained by Kerry Nicholls in how to use it to the advantage of everyone, and want to make this exclusively intimate experience something you can return to again and again!!

November is one BIG ENB Party, and I think the Don Q is going to give our season the Autumn finale we all deserve before Christmas !!

 

You were at our new launch, and like it or not, you are now a part of the BALLET NIGHTS Story

 

Jamiel

[FionaM]

I really enjoyed the show on Saturday 30/9 and for different reasons than I expected …
 

I booked ages ago to attend on my own as my usual crowd couldn’t join me (some were at DQ opening night at ROH) … and I was delighted to meet up with 3 different groups of friends and acquaintances on the night.  I am so pleased the word is spreading! 

I had a great seat for £65.   Row A at the left hand corner with my feet only one metre from the dance floor.  No one blocking my view and the dancers came quite close occasionally. The stage floor and surrounding area is very big, so it wasn’t often (like you might expect in a traditional ballet studio).  
 

I will echo @simonbfisher comment about the lighting, even in this seat I experienced side lights (from in front of the bar on right hand side) shining into my eyes.  So the 10-12 people to my left must have had it too.  That’s an easy fix.  
 

I experienced warm welcomes from all the team directing to seats including Jamiel.  Thank you 🙏 
 

I’m a big advocate for the compère role.  No need to keep the introductions too short in my opinion … many people don’t read notes or programmes or watch the podcasts beforehand, so more info about each piece and the individual dancers is good.  Don’t assume any knowledge!  Those that do know can just nod and applaud.  The compère stuff is not for them.  
 

Having been to the first Ballet Nights two years ago I was aware of the format and was attracted by the range of different offerings from tutu ballet to contemporary and much inbetween.  
 

This show had a really good range (there wasn’t a dud piece for me) and whilst seeing Melissa Hamilton up close was a big draw, my unexpected highlights were Jordan James Bridge’s dancing of his own choreography … beautiful arms and body movements, and the Isadora pdd by Yorke Dance Project.  It’s been a very long time since I saw that ballet in its original run and it evoked all sorts of memories.  Quite a ground-breaking production with film clips etc and Isadora’s own extraordinary dancing qualities as performed by Merle Park. 
 

It was also sheer joy to share Constance DL’s delight in the challenging Gamzatti solo and to admire her formidable control … those pirouettes in attitude were superb.  And of course Steven McRae’s Czardas is a tour de force which whipped the audience into a frenzy before the interval.  His glittery trousers are fab!

 

Seeing the dance, the expressions and the physicality of all the dancers up close is a real and rare treat.  (Those amphitheatre seats in ROH require binoculars and still don’t get you this close.) 

 

On a final note … displaying the running order and performers on a big board in the bar is a stroke of genius  👏👏👏
 

Many congratulations I’ll be booking again.  

[Jamiel Devernay-Laurence]

Hello All,

 

Over the past week I have been taking feedback on what we got right, where we can improve, and - working with my Ballet Nights team and the team at Lanterns Studio Theatre - come up with several solutions.

 

Key to this will be the raising of the back 2 rows of the seating rostrum, the removal of an entire row and a repositioning of our technical/lighting rig to improve the quality of the viewing experience here at our unique launch venue.

 

Transforming our community centre was never going to be an easy task, and I look forward to sharing all of our improvements at our next shows this October (and osme shots of the rostrum being extended!).

 

Jamiel

 

 

 

[Sim]

Thanks for listening to your audience’s comments and suggestions, Jamiel.  Many don’t, even if they pretend to. Bravo to you, and my personal best wishes for the continued success of Ballet Nights.  ❤️