Sim Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Dear Members (and lurkers!), I can’t quite believe that we have once again reached that time of year where we look back as well as ahead and thank you all for your amazing contributions to the forum over the past year. December 23rd marked the 12th anniversary of BalletcoForum, established in response to the outcry over the closing down of the wonderful Ballet.co.uk website. Bruce Marriott approached a few of the ‘regulars’ from ballet.co and asked us if we would take things forward by overseeing a forum for ballet aficionados. We all agreed as we, like you, are passionate about ballet and dance, and wanted to share the love with those of the same mindset (and soulset!). Through these past 12 years, the moderation team has stayed virtually the same as the day it was established. Of the original group of moderators, one left for personal reasons and another, John Mallinson, sadly passed away. The rest of us have been here since Day One. However, I am sad to announce that one of our current moderators, Ian MacMillan, is retiring from the forum. Ian has been an invaluable member of the team, especially when it comes to the Links and to ensuring that the website is paid for every month, and that company secretarial duties are adhered to. He has done a lot of work behind the scenes that will continue to ensure the smooth running of this site. On behalf of all members and the moderation team, I wish Ian a long, stress-free, and happy retirement, and thank him from the bottom of my heart for all his contributions to making the forum such a success. However, because you can’t keep a good man down, Ian has said that he will still help out from time to time, especially with the Links. Thank you Ian! Speaking of moderators, I would like to extend a huge and heartfelt thank you to the whole moderating team for all their hard work and dedication 365 days a year, both on the forum and behind the scenes. All of us run this forum as volunteers, and we all have jobs and lives outside of it. As ever, this has been a rollercoaster of a year, but the constancy of our beautiful artform has brought many of us much pleasure and comfort. We rely on each and every one of our members to comment on performances, news, history, and information. We particularly welcome and thank those members from outside the UK who regularly report on performances and companies that most of us will never get a chance to see. May I once again commend the Doing Dance community, a beacon of useful information, help and support for parents and students by parents and students. I say it every year and I will say it yet again: the forum is nothing without the contributions from its members, and thanks to all of those who post, it has continued to thrive and be a very lively place throughout the year. As moderators, we often have to take tough decisions, ones that some people don’t like or agree with. It is ever thus with any kind of public forum. Whilst we encourage debate and differences of opinion and views, we discourage rudeness and personal attacks. Luckily the latter doesn’t happen often and we thank everyone for remembering our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), to which you all agree when you sign up. I would emphasise yet again that if we hide posts we don’t do it lightly and when we do, we have good reasons for doing so. I would also like to remind members that a lot goes on behind the scenes that we can’t get into, so again, if we seem to hide things for unfair or incomprehensible reasons, that is never the case. Having said all this, we are as ever very grateful to all of you for maintaining the momentum and liveliness of this forum, and we look forward to more in the coming year. On behalf of the moderation team, I wish all of you a very peaceful, happy, and healthy 2024, preferably filled with beautiful ballet and dance! Very best wishes, Sim Chair, BalletcoForum Committee 16 21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Thank you for your lovely message Sim. Those of us who are simply users of BCF send you and your fellow Mods. a million thanks for everything you do to enable us to have such a pleasant and informative place for sharing our love of dance. The Forum makes a unique contribution to the art form we love and value so much and we are so lucky that the team took up the challenge 12 years ago. Wishing everyone a joyful 2024. 17 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Ditto. You Mods do a fantastic job and the time you take out of your own lives to run this Forum is very much appreciated. Happy New Year! 6 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Thanks, Sim and all the Mods. I really appreciate all you do and finding this forum has been wonderful for me! Wishing everyone a peaceful and happy New Year. 5 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Thank you Sim, and thanks to all the Mods. You do a brilliant job in keeping this forum running smoothly and giving all its members the opportunity to share, listen and learn. Happy New Year to everyone. 7 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Many, many thanks to Sim and all the wonderful moderators, I cannot imagine going to the ballet and not being able to read all the discussions here! Happy New Year. 8 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Happy New Year to the Mods & all Forum members and looking forward to wonderful ballet performances in 2024 7 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Many thanks to all the Mods, and thanks Ian for all the links- I wonder how many in total over the years? Much appreciated. 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Wishing all the Mods a very happy and healthy 2024 and many thanks for all the hard work involved in keeping the Forum grounded in good will and such a great place to come to for sharing our views and experiences on all things ballet and dance. For many it’s often our first port of call after the morning cuppa!! Best wishes also to Ian Macmillan on his retirement from the Forum and for all his hard work to date. 10 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missfrankiecat Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 (edited) My first year on the forum and I have so enjoyed reading the contributions, lively reviews and knowledgeable insights from so many members. It gives me such a warm feeling to know there are so many who are passionate about ballet and who take time to share their enthusiasm, news, incredible photos and reviews for all of us. Happy New Year to the hard-working mods and all the members. Edited December 30, 2023 by Missfrankiecat 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 1 hour ago, Mary said: Many thanks to all the Mods, and thanks Ian for all the links- I wonder how many in total over the years? Much appreciated. Nearly 4400 - I wasn't a member of the Links team when it started - I got co-opted a couple of months later. Including me there were 4 members of the links team in 2012 with Bruce Marriott, to whom we owe so much, leaving Links not too long after I joined. We lost John Mallinson when he passed away and since then it has just been Ian and myself. So I would guess that Ian has probably contributed at least 1500 days of links. Now it's just me!! If anyone thinks they may like to get involved in Links please let me know! 7 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Jan - you may very well be correct plus, as I recall, I started Links in the last 18 months or so of ballet.co's existence. That was a somewhat more complex task, as it involved keeping the site's Reviews database up to date. All a long time ago .... 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmhopton Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 I know I say this most Christmas' but I still think back with dread to those terrible few weeks without any Balletforum. No reviews, opinions, information. The feeling of being cut off from the ballet community that I love. The sense of relief when I knew the Forum was back with us thanks to the generosity and hard work of the new moderators was indescribable. It was the best Christmas present ever and I can't thank you all enough. For me, it truly was a Christmas miracle and one that I never take for granted and for which I'm still really grateful. Let's hope 2024 is as great a ballet year as it promises to be; Mary Skeaping Giselle, Vadim and Fumi in Manon, all the amazing sounding Ashton and hopefully delights we don't even know about in the new ballet seasons still to be announced. Such balletic treats are magnified many times by the Forum ballet community whose knowledge, humour and wit adds so much to every performance, bringing new insights and ideas and bringing alive performances I can't hope to attend. Happy New Year everyone (especially all the mods!) 15 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 (edited) Many thanks to @Sim for that brilliant post-I feel like I need a heart reaction as I want to say more than "like"/"thanks", so ❤️ ! A heartfelt thank you 💛 to @Ian Macmillan for the Links as well as for all those duties performed diligently and quietly without many of us even knowing they need to be done. You will be greatly missed of course, but wishing you a very happy retirement. A heartfelt thank you to @Jan McNulty for the Links as well as putting up the many press releases and announcements from the various companies and groups, and for moderator duties on top of all that too. 💛 Many thanks to the Mods for having kept this forum going for so long and for still continuing! 💐 💐 💐 Wishing all members, Mods and readers a safe, peaceful and happy 2024 with lots of joyful dance (whether watching, doing or both), smooth travels, as well as wonderful dance discoveries and adventures. 💃 🕺 Edited December 30, 2023 by Emeralds 9 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 A very Happy New Year to you Sim and to all of the moderators! A big Thank you to the moderators for all your hard work in keeping this wonderful forum running. It is such an amazing source of information and help, it's great to see members sharing knowledge with each other - especially with those members whose DC are just beginning their ballet journey. Wishing a Happy New Year to all Ballet coers and happy ballet watching during 2024. 5 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Echoing everything that has already been said, thanks to the mods for their generosity, time and commitment and to everyone who posts for being enlightening, informative, amusing, sometimes controversial but always sincere. Hoping you all had as wonderful a Christmas as mine and that 2024 will bring a basket of wonderful things to everyone. 9 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swan Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Thank you all so much for your hard work and wishing @Ian Macmillan a very happy retirement. I know very few people that I can interact with about ballet therefore this forum is a lifeline for me and I am forever grateful. 🙏 I actually stumbled across the forum by chance when searching google! Wishing all moderators and members a wonderful New Year and I’m very much looking forward to ENB Giselle and RB Manon in January. 😃 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Thank you to all of the moderators - and for the setting up of this wonderful forum to connect all of us. I know it is a huge amount of work for you to take on, whether link gathering or ensuring you are ontop of all posts to ensure that this remains a safe space for everyone to share. I have really enjoyed being a part of it for the past few years, reading reviews from others, having people I can share my thoughts with and learning from everyone. Wishing everyone a happy new year and a happy retirement to @Ian Macmillan, who I assume will continue to contribute. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cescablue Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Thanks to everyone who works so hard to keep this forum up and running! As a lone ballet-fan in my household it's lovely for me to be able to chat and read about all things ballet on these forums, and I so appreciate the warm welcome I had at the end of last year, and all of the chats and generous advice from members and mods. Here's to a great ballet year in 2024! 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Thank you to the mods for their hard work and tactful approach, and to all the contributors whose pieces are the next best thing to real ballet at a time when my opportunities to see the latter are rarer than in the past. Much appreciated, and always good to read a variety of opinion. Happy new year! 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silke H Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Big thank you to the moderators for all you do on this forum. Your efforts are hugely appreciated. 💗 Happy New Year to the moderators and fellow members. 🎆 🎇 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHazell2 Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Hi there I second what everybody has said above. Hope that you all have a Happy New Year. Hope that 2024 brings you everything that you desire. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCL Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Although I post infrequently, I read the forum frequently and I’m very grateful for the moderators’ hard work and commitment. Many thanks to the mods, the Links team and to all who keep the lively debate going! Happy New Year to all. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Happy New Year to all and huge thanks to the Mods! This forum is such a wonderful platform for an exchange on the art form we all love so much and I‘ve benefitted greatly from all contributors. I wish I found the time to write more but am currently quite simply often too busy. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Happy new year and huge thanks to all the mods who volunteer their time to keep the forum going. It seems a while since we were asked to contribute financially towards the upkeep idmf the website and I hope therefore there are enough funds to keep us going, if not please do let us know!! 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabine0308 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 I wish everyone here a Happy and Healthy New Year! Thank you so much to the Moderators for another year of intense work for this forum!! 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Just in case everyone hasn’t spotted this, the BCF Chair, Sim, has today added Links to all the other things she does for the Forum. Thank you so much, Sim (and Janet, of course). That daily resource is invaluable. (Unfortunately, I am not in a position to volunteer help of this kind; but I do hope that someone will come forward soon. We can’t risk overloading any of the volunteers who, as Mods., enable us to have this wonderful online source of information and outlet for sharing and debate.) 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Great work, @Sim and @Jan McNulty! 🍾🍾 🥂 💐 💐 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 Thank you so much @capybara and @Emeralds ❤️ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 On 01/01/2024 at 17:07, Don Q Fan said: Happy new year and huge thanks to all the mods who volunteer their time to keep the forum going. It seems a while since we were asked to contribute financially towards the upkeep idmf the website and I hope therefore there are enough funds to keep us going, if not please do let us know!! Thanks so much, @Don Q Fan Thanks to everyone’s generosity last time around, we will be ok for a good while before we have to do another fund raiser. 😃 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 That's great news @Sim thank you! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Happy new year, and thanks so much, to all who contribute and manage this wonderful resource of BalletcoForum. In 2024 it seems not as easy as it used to be to find thoughtful open forum discussion/community on the internet. The open non-commercial spirit of the internet, that used to exist a few years ago, seems to have deteriorated. There is something here which is special and not provided by TikTok, Instagram, or even Facebook. The interaction I have here feels more meaningful than on many social media channels, and I've met several members of the forum in person which I don't think I can say of other social media. Thanks again and long may it continue! 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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