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And, in case members of this forum aren’t aware, dancers can’t take holidays when it suits them. 
 

The company is either dancing, rehearsing or recuperating (if injured) throughout the year.  
 

All holiday plans, visits to families abroad, are pre-planned for the summer break.

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14 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:


Yes indeed - but I wish another ballet company had been invited instead of the Bill Bailey/Brian Cox duo, for the cancelled Bolshoi dates.

 

Do you know of any ballet companies that may be available for those dates?  I think one of the issues in replacing the Bolshoi is that most of the other companies that would be available will already be booked elsewhere.  The main five British companies all seem to have their holidays around the same time.  

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11 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

Do you know of any ballet companies that may be available for those dates?  I think one of the issues in replacing the Bolshoi is that most of the other companies that would be available will already be booked elsewhere.  The main five British companies all seem to have their holidays around the same time.  


And would any ballet companies be able to meet the cost of hiring the ROH?

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Plus having something different, such as Bill Bailey or Brian Cox, might get people in who may never have visited the ROH before.  Who knows, they may then be encouraged to return to see a ballet or an opera? You never know.  

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4 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:


do you not think the dancers deserve a holiday?

I’m surprised only one person asked! - “when do the dancers get a holiday?”

 

This is is obviously just a one-off as the opera house would have had the Bolshoi if war hadn’t been waged on Ukraine (and National Ballet of Canada in 2020 if the pandemic hadn’t happened). Not the whole Royal Ballet (including coaches and pianists), but just those who are not on holiday or have other prebooked commitments. Many dancers themselves work in summer performing as guests or on freelance stints. Some do non-dance work, eg modelling or acting, as well. This wouldn’t be part of their normal contract but an extra chance to use the stage and facilities for any extra projects or creations, just like a touring company in another city, and the pay would be extra on top of their usual pay, from the proceeds of that summer stint.

 

The unfortunate reality for many dancers not in the highest ranks is that they can’t afford to pay for and enjoy annual long holidays that many of us take for granted - many will be looking for work elsewhere to pay the bills as well as keeping in peak physical fitness to be available to take on roles at short notice, as it is such a short career. 

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In UK and Europe, dancers in permanent contracts have year round employment with paid holidays the same as any other job. Short term contracts will be for a specified, defined time and unlikely to include paid holiday.

 

On other continents, e.g. America and Asia employment laws are very different, so unfortunately dancers have second jobs to make ends meet.

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On 24/05/2022 at 13:54, Odyssey said:

There are some short extracts from her Act 2 Swan Lake on YouTube if you search .


I've watched some of her Act 2 Swan Lake extracts and find them utterly superb. Now I'm even more confused as to why she wasn't cast in this run... (couldn't she have done one show, as Claire Calvert did?)
I'm also really disappointed that Laura Morera didn't get cast. I've yet to see her Odette/Odile, which I'm sure must be stunning.

Are there any clips anywhere of Melissa doing Odile/Act 3?

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