Kate B

This is an interesting thread! I like Paquita's point about different needs for different choreographers. For example, I have quite a limited experience of different ballets (I have seen the classics mainly and expect all of the above,) but when I saw Manon last week I was totally all over the place in terms of what I was trying to look at. I started trying to watch the feet, but it wasn't the right thing to do, I tried watching the big picture, but I missed details, and I wasn't quite close enough to decide whether the emotions were good because I felt a bit too far away! The only scenes I liked were the ones in Manon's bedroom because then there were only two people on stage and it was easier to see what was happening and there was no 'clutter' to distract the dancers from their work! I must sound like a philistine! It must be important to get the experience so you know where to look.

Or, Odette moves to London, gets a job in the City, makes a big pile of money and lives happily ever after in a riverside apartment, seeing whatever sexy men she likes and going to the ballet whenever she wants. Sorry, Swan Lake is one of my favourite ballets, but I do think she could have been a bit tougher and stood up for herself sometimes.

Oh, yes, I meant to say how important being able to see peoples' faces was.

Of the great opera houses and ballet theatres of the world, where can you be and feel closest to the action on the stage? My experience is limited, and I wondered where those in the know would watch their favourite ballets, and in what seats... (I would start things off by saying that I have never enjoyed a performance more than at La Bayadere done by the Kirov in the centre of the stalls at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh. But I'm looking to create that experience elsewhere, so...) Where would you sit if money was no object?

What is the 'other' in lives/dies/other ?

Not sure whether this question will be allowed, since it's not strictly about ballet, (feel free to delete) but here goes... I'm interested in different national dances, and I was wondering what the stories were behind them. It will be International Dance Day soon, and I just wondered what meanings different dances from different countries had. I'm from Scotland, and I know preactically nothing about the origins of the country dancing I learned at school! I am going to find out though... Can anyone please help with stories from their region?

He did design some of the major bridges in Britain too, Mel. I think he's the best known engineer we have here - but I could be wrong. Actually, come to think of it, Thomas Telford was more important! Or was he? This is why it's so stupid!

I NEVER thought I would agree with Anne Robinson! And I'd NEVER want Margaret Thatcher in any top ten, but she was certainly a more important influence on modern life than Princess Di!:confused: It's a pretty stupid survey, really, but getting the biographies on TV of all these people will be interesting.

Ballet - cheaper than football... Or should that be 'better value than football'?;)

Hi everyone, thanks for answering my question! It's fascinating all the different ways you can be involved. piccolo - you said I'm sure there are even more ways to be involved but this is all my schedule allows for now! - I'm surprised you have time for anything else!;)

Hi Anoushka, glad you got home OK last night! I too thought the Millepied was the best thing, both the dancers had what I can only really call 'sparkiness'! 'In the night' was also lovely. I'd say I thought the Polyphonia thing was a bit too gymnastic at points but I thoroughly enjoyed the entire show, and it was over far too quickly for me. I will have to go again soon!

Thanks for posting this Jane! Me, Lolly and Anouska are going tonight so we'll let you know what we thought about it!

Hi beckster, I'd forgotten about being an accompanist! A friend of mine played piano at his local dance school when he was a student. They advertised for a pianist in the university careers office, the only prerequisite being that he could play the piano and was good at sightreading! He said the teacher gave him a few books of the RAD music, and when the exercise was a free one she's just say, this is 4-4 time or whatever it was. I think the class music books are divided up so the music fits with the exercises. Of course after a while of doing it you'd get better at judging what music would be good etc. i'd like to hear from a pianist with lots of experience too though! My friend did it for a year and then his course finished. I think he quite enjoyed it.

Can I count the first one I ever went to by myself ? I was 21 and for my birthday my boyfriend of the time said he would take me to see the ballet, or I could get the best seats in the house if I went all by myself! I knew he'd rather be at home in front of the TV watching the football! So I said I'd go on my own. There I was, sitting between two old ladies in the Edinburgh Festival Theatre watching the Kirov do La Bayadere and it was one of the best nights I've ever had in my life! The old ladies gave me sweets and we had an excellent view of the stage. I was transfixed, it was also the first time I'd seen a classical ballet done by a company that wasn't Scottish Ballet. Me and the old ladies went especially crazy for the Gold Idol, who was very sexy indeed!;) Since then I do like to go to the ballet by myself sometimes. I went to the Royal Opera House by myself for the first time two Christmases ago to see Swan Lake with Darcey Bussell and that was also very exciting indeed. There is something great about 'discovering' ballets and companies and venues all by yourself. It's just as well I am happy doing this as I find it impossible to convince my non-ballet friends to spend their evenings in the theatre. Although I am about to do another 'first' tomorrow - well, two really! I am meeting Lolly and Anoushka (from BA, for the 1st time) and going to see NYCB (never seen them before) at Sadler's Wells (never been there before!) Sorry that was 3! Very cool anyway.

Hello, this is a question of curiousity really... There are many ways of 'doing' ballet: dance classes, performing, going to watch performances... I just wondered what other ways there were of getting involved in the ballet world, and whether other ballet-alerters were involved in these alternative ways. Thanks!

I disagree! I do love tutus, but costumes have to be right for the choreography. e.g. Juliet in Romeo & Juliet (beautiful, droopy, sad...) ;)

OK - I'll give this a try - I posted earlier because I thought it was interesteing, I don't think I'm really qualified for a good answer! For me, the 'classics' are definitely timeless. Both La Bayadere and La Sylphide have made me cry because I am a hopeless romantic at heart and I don't think the kind of feelings ballets like that inspire have changed since they were devised, or even before!;) I am also a student of cultural history and I am very interested in what sort of things appeal to people depending on the political situation etc. I guess this might lead me to ask, are ballets political? Do they have a satirical message? Often they have very moral messages, and some good 'advice' on love...! If they were political in a very abstract sense, we could always adapt their messages to what was happening in our world, even if they were written over 100 years ago. Let me have a think about this...

ronny - you're great, you always ask brilliant questions which lead to very interesting threads!

Of course, we could also talk about what our fantasy ballets could be - to certain pieces of music or to famous stories. The thing is, I don't care if it's already been done (even if it's been badly done) - the idea is that it would be a fantasy so in my head it would be perfect and brilliant. I'd never suggest I could choreograph anything, however!;)

I guess because fewer men do ballet, and there are perhaps less corps roles for them (in the traditional ballets anyway), it's faster for them to get to more senior positions. I might not be right - any expert opinions out there?

Fantastic - looks fascinating. I've seen Deborah Bull present other TV programmes and she is very good. Must put it in my diary!

Very true, vrsfanatic. I wonder if there's anyone on Balletalert who's pioneering ballet by starting new companies in their regions in the same way because no professional/amateur ones already?

Thanks, guys! I will soon be a postgrad student so I will be able to look for these journals in the library. I must say, the development of ballet in the UK is fascinating - so many people were so determined there should be British ballet they danced for nothing. Peggy van Praagh - there's someone to admire along with the great names like de Valois and Rambert.

Can anyone recommend a good book on the Camargo Society? I came across a snippet about it recently, including a mention that John Maynard Keynes was one of its 'brains' and ever since I've wanted to know more! Thanks:)

I saw the NBL a few years ago in Edinburgh doing The Sleeping Beauty. It too was a very traditional interpretation (kinda 'dusty' even!) but they (mostly again, the women) performed with energy and spirit which I think is important in the classics. You don't after all want to get the feeling the dancers are just 'going through the motions', you want to think that they are doing each performance as if it was their first, and as if it was the first time the audience were seeing the choreography and hearing the music. I know what you mean though about the dancers' physiques. They all seemed very tall to me, and the men were indeed quite skinny. An unusual company! But fun to watch.