Kate B

Thanks, I will look into that too. You might be interested at reading my response to Forsythe's 'Three Atmospheric Studies', which I posted on the Winger this weekend. (www.thewinger.com)

Hi Paul et al. Thanks for your take on it. It was familiar. I've been noticing that my experience of going to see dance has been changing - from being awestruck, to being technically critical (as I got better at my own dancing), to thinking hard about what it's saying as Art. The Art thing is the hardest, because I don't think many of us are educated to think in such a critical way, so we have to educate ourselves. I will check out the book you mention. Sounds right up my street.

Hi whitelight, glad you found my post interesting. I hope you get another chance to see this. It was quite unique.

Last night I went to see Merce Cunningham's 'Ocean' at the newly revamped Roundhouse in Camden. It was the opening night of the Dance Umbrella contemporary dance festival in London. Ocean is performed on a round stage. Arriving at the Roundhouse felt like going to the circus. The audience sat all the way around the stage, and the 150-piece conductorless orchestra sat behind the audience all around the amphitheatre. It was very odd. The music was by John Cage and David Tudor. Tudor had made loops of electronic music with sounds from the ocean to complement Cage's score. Foghorns and whale music featured heavily. There were digital clocks around the stage, and the dance lasted exactly 90 minutes. I was amazed by the dancing. Fourteen dancers performed throughout, sometimes solo, sometimes in small groups and sometimes all together. Cunningham expects so much strength from his dancers. Often they would stay still in an arabeque on bent legs, or perform endless ronde de jambes en l'air. I could not imagine being able to remain so controlled throughout these difficult phrases. There were moments of pure beauty, which was enhanced by the foghorns and the oceanic lighting, which to me suggested a journey to the bottom of the sea. However, it was a very long piece, especially as there was no interval, and I would estimate that about 15% of the audience walked out before it was over. John Cage is not for everyone (not for me either) and I could hear the orchestra giggling! I am glad I saw this, because it is quite a unique production, and it was very interesting to see Cunningham technique in such detail. However, I do not think I would go and see it again! Half the time I thought it was strangely wonderful that they were actually doing it, and the rest of the time I thought it was pretentious modernist rubbish! I've found the other thread in this forum on what's to get about Cunningham and I really appreciated the idea that the choreography and the music don't have to coincide - they just happen. Did anyone else go and see this, or have they seen it somewhere else? What did they think?

I'm a cat person, for sure. I've had 2 cats in my lifetime - a tough ole boy black cat who died recently aged nearly 20, and my current rescue cat who's a tiny tabby. She's 10 years old but she looks like a kitten and she always has a cold. This is a small sample size, but I'm willing to bet that most of us prefer cats to dogs... There are lots of nice cats in ballets (I can't think of any apart from Puss in Boots, but go with me please!) but I can't think of any graceful dogs.

Actually, I've just done a bit of searching and there's quite a nice gallery here of Thursday's performance.

I saw her on Thursday in Don Quixote. I loved her. A lot of what's been said on this thread is very true. I was sitting way back up in the amphitheatre, but she drew me in and I couldn't take my eyes off her when she was on stage. She just seemed to be having such a good time. So light, so young, so confident I forgot she was a ballet dancer - she was Kitri. It was the first time I'd seen Don Q and now I don't know how I can see it again and for it to be as enjoyable. Technically she was brilliant, particularly on jumps. I longed for her to do more jumps! So light and flexible. She did some astonishing turns too, and it looked like she could turn forever. When the performance was over I wanted her to do it all over again. It's quite a while since I felt that way after a ballet - perhaps the last time was when I saw Darcey Bussell in Pavane with Jonathon Cope about eighteen months ago, but Bussell was brilliant for different reasons - a dancer at the height of her powers, while Osipova has it all yet ahead of her.

I have blogged it on thewinger.com - and about Monday's mixed programme, which I hated.

Did anyone see Don Quixote last night? Natalia Osipova was phenomenal, as was Denis Matvienko. Ballet stars of the future I hope. I wanted to see them do it all over again.

I like the red thing.

I went to see it on Saturday and I thought the production was wonderful. I thought the costumes were just right - over the top enough to be fairytale but not too far into camp territory. It was unsentimental, particularly with the excellent casting of Carabosse and the Lilac Fairy. My friend and i were in raptures over Act 2 and I thought the divertissements were just right. I even warmed to Marianela Nunez. If you have the chance to see it, you must go!

I'm going on the 3rd of June. I will tell you what I think. I'm really looking forward to it.

Yes.... And Alina's foot size, length-wise, is also quite large for such a small dancer. I should have been clearer.... it's not just the width being large that can greatly excel a dancer with technique. It's a shame. Her shoes/feet can be quite distracting, and she is such a gorgeous dancer.

Those photos are FAB. Lots of lovely memories of the Kirov last summer. I can't wait for the Bolshoi to come to London now.

That's so rude! No audience should behave like that, even if the performer is not very good, which I imagine was not the case in the situation described above.

I loathe 'random clapping.' My particular peeve is when the principals make their first appearance on stage. When people applaud their entrance it makes me think of sit coms. This has started happening at the Royal Opera House and I hate it. Hating this also makes me feel like a terrible snob.

I know - I have never seen her smile. The person who recommended her in happier roles was a guy I was sitting next to in Giselle. He said she was kind of restricted by these roles, and that she was great in roles such as Lise. I can't imagine her being jolly! I'm glad she will be my Aurora. She is a very gifted dancer and I am looking forward to seeing her doing something different.

After two hours of phoning and getting the busy signal I managed to get some great tickets to see Sleeping Beauty on the 3rd of June. I wasn't sure who to choose as Aurora and (as I can only really afford to go once) I chose Marianela Nunez. Someone once recommended I see her in a happier role (I have only ever seen her Odette/Odile, Queen of the Wilis and Gamzatti). Do you think I've made a wise choice?

I was there on January 25th, and indeed the BBC were filming. I don't know when it will be shown though. Sometimes they save these things up for bank holidays. The performance was wonderful and I'd love to be able to see it again. I also felt sorry for some of the people in the stalls. They arrived to find huge cameras stood right in front of them. I was sitting in the stalls circle and watched the people complaining to the Opera House managment for some time. You'd think they wouldn't have tried to sell tickets for these seats at the full price if they knew the view would be restricted. I think the night was a sell-out, too.

That would be fun. Some time I'll manage to get to a BA-get together.

I know, I once worked for that ad agency. An interesting account to work on, and lots of free tickets. Sadly I wasn't in that team... I am more referring to the in-house marketing departments rather than the agencies they employ, where there is still a lot of 'insiderism'.

Yes, marketing jobs in dance are very poorly paid... and yet, impossible to get apparently unless you have dance credentials other than simply 'liking' it.

I think it depends on the company, obviously, but over all, you could be right. Perhaps it is time the marketing departments of dance companies stopped employing insiders who know a lot about dance but not much about audiences, and started taking on people with wider professional experience.

Thanks for posting this article, bart. I was at Sadlers Wells to see Forsythe on the Saturday night, and it is good to see an article so positive about his work. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking evening. I particularly enjoyed the first piece, which was called The Room As It Was and had no music, bar the dancers' breathing. The final piece, One Flat Thing, was the one with the tables, and it is something everyone should see once, in my opinion! (Most of the time I was worried someone was going to bash their heads.) Actually I'd have liked to see that one twice, as I am sure the second time around I would have had a chance to really see what was happening. I think Forsythe's dancers are really special. There is something about them which enables them to communicate something other contemporary dance doesn't seem to. It's hard to describe without sounding really pretentious.

Well, I guess there's hope for me to see her again. Solor, I like your point particularly. She is, as you say, a classy dame.