Royal Ballet - Swan Lake 2024

[Lindsay]

5 hours ago, Josette said:

I was in Row B8 and somehow missed all this.  

It was somebody sitting in the row in front of the entrance staircase on the right - so would have been behind you and on the other side of the stalls

[LinMM]

Lovely post StellaBella. 
Perhaps you can indulge your re found passion further by joining a Silver Swans ballet class! 
Im tall but love Francesca as well ever since seeing her as Clara in Nutcracker.  I always noticed her because of the way she used her upper body. She is lovely in Rhapsody too.  I’m not sure who my casts are for the Ashton now but remember being happy once it was finally announced as had to book blind. 

Edited May 13 by LinMM

[StellaBella]

Thank you LinMM, that's very kind.

Sadly, the Silver Swans class near me is on a working day.  But I do attempt some barre work in the kitchen and enjoy as many dance related classes as I can. Use it or lose, as they say!

I will see Francesca in Rhapsody, very much looking forward to that and my first chance to experience such a diversity of amazing ballet talent in one evening.  

[art_enthusiast]

18 minutes ago, StellaBella said:

I will see Francesca in Rhapsody, very much looking forward to that and my first chance to experience such a diversity of amazing ballet talent in one evening.  

 

 I saw her and Sambé perform it in 2022 and it was absolutely brilliant. You will certainly enjoy watching both of them!

[Missfrankiecat]

Looking at @Rob S 's photos on Instagram of so many red runs, I was reflecting how lucky we have been to have so many exceptional casts for this production.  I only saw Vadim and Marianela in this run (unbelievably wonderful both times) but all reports here and from friends suggest universally excellent and some exceptional performances from other casts, save perhaps for some minor niggles with Corrales and Magri's opening performance (and he was coming back after injury time out).  I was sorry to have to return a ticket for Vadim/Fumi and not to have been able to catch Sarah Lamb but so looking forward to the next run in June to see a couple of pairings.  

[Geoff]

On 13/05/2024 at 08:22, Jamesrhblack said:

At the very beginning of the evening, I had asked the Usher whether she had any thoughts on the view from my seat (I’ve tried posting a picture but the file is too big) and she said it was sold as “restricted view.” I countered that it was sold at full price with no warning on the ticket (showing her my emailed ticket as proof) but she maintained that her information was correct and referred me to The Front Desk. They were rather more helpful, agreed that there was an issue, congratulated me on taking a photograph and suggested I send it to Customer Services, together with my observations.

Might I suggest that if what the usher said was factually incorrect (ie the ticket was not sold as “restricted view”) you probably should complain about the usher and not only about the seat. As has been discussed in the Forum before there are some ushers who are no longer acting as professionally as they should.

 

I was blatantly lied to by one usher who just invented some incorrect ROH  “rules” so as not to seem uninformed about what I asked her. Another time I was what can best be described as cheeked by a young man who thought it was worth amusing his usher buddies at the expense of paying customers (and who did not help with what had been asked of him). Then others here have pointed out how rudely those selling programmes spoke to them. And there is the issue of the blatant party atmosphere (around the main entrance?) which seems to be all about the ushers having a jolly time with each other while ignoring the audience they are there to help. 
 

So a quick note explaining who you spoke to and what they said will help their line managers know where a problem might be arising. 

[Rob S]

1 hour ago, Geoff said:

Might I suggest that if what the usher said was factually incorrect (ie the ticket was not sold as “restricted view”) you probably should complain about the usher and not only about the seat. As has been discussed in the Forum before there are some ushers who are no longer acting as professionally as they should.

 

I was blatantly lied to by one usher who just invented some incorrect ROH  “rules” so as not to seem uninformed about what I asked her.

 

 

What was the question? It could be this week's Tuesday Teaser

[supergolden]

I was going to say I found some of the audience a real challenge on Saturday evening. Inexplicably rude people at the conservatory bar (not unexpected) and way too many phones out during the show. Lots of little kids struggling to concentrate during a very long ballet late into the evening (don't blame them). There was a bit of a weird vibe overall, at least where I was sitting 

 

also if anyone can share seating secrets I am all ears. I usually opt for slightly restricted view seats as they are cheaper and only once had to leave (during R&J) as I could only see a third of the stage 

Edited May 14 by supergolden

[Geoff]

9 hours ago, Rob S said:

What was the question?

The minimum age for admittance to ballets (you might remember last year’s discussion here about noisy and very young children which eventually led ROH to change their standard wording). 

[oncnp]

Except, you guessed it, no link......yet

 

 

 

Edit: Never mind...post has been taken down 

Edited May 15 by oncnp

[oncnp]

1 hour ago, oncnp said:

Except, you guessed it, no link......yet

 

 

 

Edit: Never mind...post has been taken down 

 

Back with the link The Royal Opera House: Enter the Royal Opera House's Swan Lake Draw (enthuse.com)

We are giving two lucky winners the chance to experience Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House on Wednesday 12 June or Friday 28 June at 7:30pm. 

• Both Osipova/Clarke

 

Draw tickets are £10 each and all proceeds will support the Royal Opera House. The maximum number of tickets you can purchase for this draw is 400. The competition is open until 10pm on Wednesday 29 May 2024.

 

Edited May 15 by oncnp

[Sim]

10 minutes ago, oncnp said:

 

Back with the link The Royal Opera House: Enter the Royal Opera House's Swan Lake Draw (enthuse.com)

We are giving two lucky winners the chance to experience Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House on Wednesday 12 June or Friday 28 June at 7:30pm. 

 

Draw tickets are £10 each and all proceeds will support the Royal Opera House. The maximum number of tickets you can purchase for this draw is 400. The competition is open until 10pm on Wednesday 29 May 2024.

 

Maximum number is 400??!!  So that would cost £4,000.... 

 

[zxDaveM]

hmmm - stretching 'lucky' a bit there aren't they?

[Rob S]

Damn I was thinking of buying 500!🤦‍♂️

[Sim]

1 hour ago, Rob S said:

Damn I was thinking of buying 500!🤦‍♂️

I'll go halves with you.... 😄

[Fonty]

18 hours ago, Geoff said:

 

I was blatantly lied to by one usher who just invented some incorrect ROH  “rules” so as not to seem uninformed about what I asked her. Another time I was what can best be described as cheeked by a young man who thought it was worth amusing his usher buddies at the expense of paying customers (and who did not help with what had been asked of him). Then others here have pointed out how rudely those selling programmes spoke to them. And there is the issue of the blatant party atmosphere (around the main entrance?) which seems to be all about the ushers having a jolly time with each other while ignoring the audience they are there to help. 
 

 

 

When I went to Swan Lake last week, the only usher I saw was sitting on a seat in the Orchestra Stalls during the performance.  As I was sitting in an unfamiliar part of the auditorium, I couldn't find one to direct me to the right staircase, and in the end I took the lift which I never normally do.  When I found the correct place, there was nobody checking tickets.  I find this surprising, as some of the restaurants are now open to anyone in the evenings, with or without a ticket.   Good thing there was nobody in my seat!

 

[art_enthusiast]

1 hour ago, oncnp said:

 

Back with the link The Royal Opera House: Enter the Royal Opera House's Swan Lake Draw (enthuse.com)

We are giving two lucky winners the chance to experience Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House on Wednesday 12 June or Friday 28 June at 7:30pm. 

• Both Osipova/Clarke

 

Draw tickets are £10 each and all proceeds will support the Royal Opera House. The maximum number of tickets you can purchase for this draw is 400. The competition is open until 10pm on Wednesday 29 May 2024.

 

To my knowledge these dates are already sold out? At least they were to begin with

[Rob S]

26 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

To my knowledge these dates are already sold out? At least they were to begin with

 

I'm sure the seats for the winners are already allocated

[Sim]

9 minutes ago, Rob S said:

 

I'm sure the seats for the winners are already allocated

Yes, they would have been allocated a long time ago.

[San Perregrino]

1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

hmmm - stretching 'lucky' a bit there aren't they?

It’s a sold out production so to get to see it for a tenner would make a person lucky 

[zxDaveM]

40 minutes ago, San Perregrino said:

It’s a sold out production so to get to see it for a tenner would make a person lucky 

Not if you bought 400 tickets..

[alison]

I have finally found a suitable thread into which to move a major digression about ROH seating and sightlines: it's here

https://www.balletcoforum.com/topic/2715-seating-in-the-roh/page/3/

[RobR]

Those who were following the posts about ‘standing ovations’ might be interested to read two letters published in today’s Times.
 

The correspondents write that, ‘Sadly, this behaviour is creeping in here, and ruining theatregoing for the well behaved.’ and that, ‘… audience members who rise to their feet en bloc  make it difficult for others to remain seated.’

[Josette]

1 hour ago, RobR said:

Those who were following the posts about ‘standing ovations’ might be interested to read two letters published in today’s Times.
 

The correspondents write that, ‘Sadly, this behaviour is creeping in here, and ruining theatregoing for the well behaved.’ and that, ‘… audience members who rise to their feet en bloc  make it difficult for others to remain seated.’

Standing ovations are not uncommon in other countries for performances on the high level you have with The Royal Ballet. The choice of words in the first quote is  interesting for its attempt to control  behavior through rhetoric.  Standing or not standing is a form of free speech.  

[bridiem]

4 minutes ago, Josette said:

Standing ovations are not uncommon in other countries for performances on the high level you have with The Royal Ballet. The choice of words in the first quote is  interesting for its attempt to control  behavior through rhetoric.  Standing or not standing is a form of free speech.  

 

Well yes, but if one person's freedom deprives another person of their right to see the calls, we have a problem.

[Scheherezade]

9 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

Well yes, but if one person's freedom deprives another person of their right to see the calls, we have a problem.

 

It's the age old conundrum, isn't it, and takes me back to the decades-old, and somewhat more imperative, censorship debates: in that instance, curtailment of freedom vs protection of the vulnerable and suggestible.

[RobR]

It might conceivably be thought to be selfish and entitled - as in ‘my wish to stand and applaud is more important than your wish to see the stage and curtain call’

[Scheherezade]

Yet others would argue that I am expressing my appreciation of what I have just seen on stage. There really is no answer that will satisfy everyone.

[art_enthusiast]

1 hour ago, Scheherezade said:

Yet others would argue that I am expressing my appreciation of what I have just seen on stage. There really is no answer that will satisfy everyone.

Yep, it really depends. I’ve only committed this ‘sin’ of standing once as an ROH newbie. I was so impressed by the Marriage of Figaro that I felt like I had to stand briefly, just to show it. I think if you stand then sit down a short while later, maybe that’s a compromise… who knows

[FionaM]

If you think the curtain calls are worth seeing and others stand, why wouldn’t you also?  
 

To me, a standing ovation is a mark of respect to the performers for the particular show AND also for their years of training and hard work to produce it.  The skill level these days at most shows I attend anywhere deserves this appreciation.  
 

Some may view a particular performance as exceptional for them (for whatever reason … a favourite artist, it’s a one-off special event for them to attend such a show, the show touched them, maybe they stand every time, whatever …). Each person’s reaction is personal and valid.  
 

Others might view the same performance as non-exceptional.  Of course it’s fine to not stand.  You can continue to applaud while seated. 
 

Those who wish to impose ‘do not stand’ etiquette rules on others are old-fashioned in my view. 

Edited May 20 by FionaM

[Candleque]

Agree performers at this high level deserve all the appreciation.

As standing ovations for excellence are the norm in many other countries, as well as for other London theatre events, it is weird to expect people new to the ROH to somehow know this unwritten (and elitist in my opinion) rule that 'one doesn't stand in the House' — why not? Is there a history to it? 
 

44 minutes ago, FionaM said:

If you think the curtain calls are worth seeing and others stand, why wouldn’t you also?  

Agree. As a short person, my view is often blocked while seated anyway. Not to mention all the folks rushing for their trains or whatever. For curtain calls, my view is whatever makes the dancers happiest gets my vote 👏

[Missfrankiecat]

56 minutes ago, FionaM said:

If you think the curtain calls are worth seeing and others stand, why wouldn’t you also?  
 

To me, a standing ovation is a mark of respect to the performers for the particular show AND also for their years of training and hard work to produce it.  The skill level these days at most shows I attend anywhere deserves this appreciation.  
 

Some may view a particular performance as exceptional for them (for whatever reason … a favourite artist, it’s a one-off special event for them to attend such a show, the show touched them, maybe they stand every time, whatever …). Each person’s reaction is personal and valid.  
 

Others might view the same performance as non-exceptional.  Of course it’s fine to not stand.  You can continue to applaud while seated. 
 

Those who wish to impose ‘do not stand’ etiquette rules on others are old-fashioned in my view. 

I couldn't agree more.  In my limited experience as a performer (not dancer!) years ago and from those artists I have spoken to over the years, the enthusiasm of a genuine standing ovation is very appreciated.  As a relatively short person, it is sometimes a little frustrating to be blocked by a tall person standing to applaud (or going for their train) but by the end of the performance it's every man woman and child for themselves in my view.

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, Candleque said:

As standing ovations for excellence are the norm in many other countries, as well as for other London theatre events, it is weird to expect people new to the ROH to somehow know this unwritten (and elitist in my opinion) rule that 'one doesn't stand in the House' — why not? Is there a history to it? 

 

But they haven't been the norm in London venues, in my experience, until very recently (apart from a few shows where the ending cannily ensures that a standing ovation will happen). Have performances suddenly got so much better very recently that a standing ovation should now be the norm? Isn't it elitist to expect everyone to know that, and to go along with it? That's what feels weird to me. (And I speak as someone who would instinctively like to stand quite often! But I am also aware of the people behind me...). Performers can feel the warmth of a response whether or not people stand up. I personally think that standing ovations should be reserved for really special occasions - retirements or such like - because if they become the norm they're somewhat devalued.