Simon G

I've come up with a novel idea for the problem of supply and demand to combat the mad dash for the toilets in intermission. A special circle of seats in theatre comprised of commodes. Plush, velvet covered, fitting perfectly with the surrounding seats, yet which can spring into action once the cover is lifted. It'll be called the Stools Circle.

The only time people would think of you after you're gone is when they're voiding their bowels and bladder. A legacy for poster-ior-ity.

I just want everyone to know that I successfully resisted the urge to comment on this, I didn't know such agony existed, but I managed to restrain myself. Thank you. I hadn't noticed it me-self till you pointed it out, you know. May be a form of Brahmin Tourette's... You don't know the half of it, my brain went into meltdown, so full did it become with innuendo, smutty toilet humour and scatalogical barbs. I pray to God this doesn't mean I'm growing up.

Helene, They should operate a rota system for toilet use during Gotterdammerung and call it "The Ring Cycle." (A lil bit o toilet humour for a friday evening.)

I just want everyone to know that I successfully resisted the urge to comment on this, I didn't know such agony existed, but I managed to restrain myself.

Patrick, that's not X Factor, that's Britains Got Talent, the show that discovered Susan Boyle, it's another Cowell brainchild show. The same family as America's Got Talent, Australia's Got Talent, Kabul's Got Talent etc And before you get all smug that you don't have Amanda Holden in the US, I suppose now's a good time to tell you that she's just signed an 18 month contract to Host CBS's Good Morning Show. So, ha.

Patrick, Paseillo is one that I'm really sad isn't shown in its entirety as it goes to a very very very dark, visceral place, which isn't included in this snippet - and that's what I love about it that the gentility of the opening is built upon to these incredible passages much later on. I'm just hoping that De Frutos will one day post the whole piece on his channel.

Largely agree, except about Jedward (who were anyway Louis Walsh's protégés), but fell in love with the dancing dog on Saturday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk4UjFxZ2Eo I feel the accomplishments of the dog bring the discussion somewhat back on topic. Mashinka, That's blashphemy, I live for Jedward. However, make no mistake Cowell wanted Jedward there from the outset, thanks to them revenue for advertising in X FActor topped £380,000 a minute in advert breaks. But yes, you're quite right Javier de Frutos...

Patrick, I think you must be one of the few people on the face of the planet who doesn't know who Simon Cowell is, I'm impressed. Cowell has massive power in the US, due to American Idol and several other "high quality" enterprises. He's also bringing X Factor to the US in a billion dollar deal with Fox. Simon Cowell is, I believe, an apostate of hell, charged by Lucifer with the mission to destroy all that is good, holy and life affirming in the creative soul of the world. But he did bring us Jedward.

Alymer, Sweetness, exactly! I have to admit that's a problem I've always had with Cojocaru and taking her as a "great" ballerina as she's publicised to be. I saw her very first Giselle, and she is a great Giselle, the one where she was made principal afterwards. But you're right, she falls back on sweetness far too often - in roles where this is perfect she can be perfect, but very often there's little sense of grandeur when the role calls for it. She can be brilliant, but she's certainly not the whole package for me. And yes there was some odd casting with Ansanelli throughout her time at the Royal.

Fig newtons, no. Garibaldis, yes. If you can also gently unscrew the bottle one half turn before entering the theatre, so that the cap is running loosely along the threads, and during the show requires no more than a gentle half twist, then that can be permissable.

Mel, Yes. But could you kindly wait until the intermission.

Oh no, the Los Picadores clip is missing its soundtrack! It's to Les Noces, so imagine that brutal music in your skull while you're watching. Also it's one of those unfortunate cases of a professional video taken in a huge theatre, so the quality isn't great. I'm going to link you directly to the Paseillo clip: http://www.youtube.com/user/javierdefrutos.../21/IrA27X_ozZk Because I love, love, love, love it - it's one of those things I think about when the ogre of Simon Cowell pops into my head, and his one man war on the cultural soul of the World. As long as there are people like De Frutos creating works like this, it can't be all bad. And this, Blue Roses, is De Frutos' take on The Glass Menagerie: http://www.youtube.com/user/javierdefrutos.../25/t8oGJNuX_-o

I'm so glad you both like it. Yes, Napalitos is the Mexican day of the dead piece. It's one of his pretty special pieces. another personal favourite of mine is Paseillo, one of the few pieces where a choreographer tackles Mozart and doesn't come away a pulverised mess. By the way Napalitos, Paseillo, Los Picadores, Blue Roses and Cattle Call were all done and performed by here Phoenix Dance Company. Phoenix like I said was the company De Frutos turned into a world-class company from a parochial embarrassment in the space of two years. The dancers he attracted to move to Leeds and join him were all from top modern dance companies in London and abroad, but they were willing to take a punt on an entirely new venture because it was De Frutos. When De Frutos was sacked, the dancers all left and I do mean all. It's a crying shame that Leeds council just committed artistic hari kiri by sacking him, destroying a company that they could take a real international civic pride in. Another brilliant thing about De Frutos with Phoenix was he didn't merely use the company for his own work, he actively honoured contemporary dance's heritage. Bringing in works by Limon, Humphreys, Jane Dudley and resurrecting several pieces from London Contemporary Dance Theatre's heyday. Most notably Forest. A real one off and a crime against dance and art that he was given the boot.

Yeah, but Patrick, what's the point if I don't have an audience?

Hey everyone, Do you remember a wee while back there was a very very very long thread about Javier De Frutos and how far a choreographer can go? Well De Frutos now has his own channel on Youtube, containing many clips of his work and rehearsal videos of his Oliver Award winning work on Cabaret and a South Bank Show about his early work: http://www.youtube.com/user/javierdefrutosdance The problem was that so few here knew about his work at all, and nothing about him apart from the BBC "banned" work. Check it out. Especially Milagros his work to Rite of Spring for Royal New Zealand ballet.

Bart, Never stay at home, keep going out until the very end and never curtail your love of anything because people think you're behaving improperly. I mean however inconveniant this dude going into insulin shock may be, part of me says good for him, the other part thinks maybe he should sit in a more amenable spot for prompt medical attention. But if he dies in the theatre watching something he loves, I reckon it's how he wants to go - so let him. I myself want to be eaten alive by wild beasts. I've been banned from all London, provincial and regional zoos and several ones in western Europe. But I'm holding out hope for my visit to Asia and the Americas.

I don't agree. When Bolle is in a good shape his basic technique is clean. His acting is basic and clean too: you can see every "step" the face is supposed to make. Very basic and very clean. He also shares with his preferred partner Bussell the unique ability to change dramatic moments in comical ones: their Manon was unmissable. In Italy he has a huge fan club and a number of sponsors, but I've never meet (nor in London nor in Milan) a regular ballet.goer nor a professional in ballet world who admits to like him, but this is a different point. According to his press office he had an huge success in New York and they adore him. Could it be something like the huge success of La Scala Sleeping beauty in London, a triumph, according to Italian news? I don't know, but I'm happy that ABT is keeping him busy and probably away from the Royal Ballet, even if he remains Etoile of La Scala Ballet. Anna, We're seriously going to have to agree to disagree on Bolle, ditto Bussell, especially on their dramatic abilities. I can see why Bolle has a career, he's tall, matinee Idol good looks, strong like a weightlifter so a tall ballerina will be ably supported - but boy oh boy, watching him dance is for me, the equivalent of having teeth pulled. His plasticity is non existant, and it shouldn't be given how flexible he is - there's no enchainement or cantilena, merely a collection of poses and when he jumps he has that tall-guy problem of flailing legs and heavy landings. Bussell is another one whose reputation vastly dwarfed her actual talent and technique. And I don't think that was entirely her fault, from the get go she was touted as the British Sylvie Guillem - and for too long we had a mess of legs and extensions, her use of turnout until very late in her career was poor and the basic armoury of technique that one expects in a ballerina of that level of experience and position was just never there. I know Bolle is very popular in Italy, being a homeboy, but at ABT & RB all he is is a dope, albeit a handsome one for tall girls. His Solor in Bayadere was particularly painful as it ruthlessly exposed his very basic technique, actually his Arminta was a real teeth-grinder too, he made what has to be a burly shepherd effete and simpering - just wrong.

How do you think Cojocaru will hold up in Theme? The ballerina part is wickedly difficult, though not as fast or fleet as Ballo, more and more I think her injuries are holding her back in non lyrical classical roles. I think she's opted out of MacGregor works altogether, which can only be a good thing, he's a real backbreaker for ballerinas.

Am I missing something here, Simon? Do you mean the 2nd movement of Symphony in C? Neither Ballo nor T&V have more than one movement; neither is associated with Farrell. Sorry yes, you're right, I got symphony & T&V mixed up.

RB has never cast Yanowsky in 2nd Movement? She's the first dancer I thought of. I would think she'd own the role. The problem with Yanowsky is that they don't have anyone to partner her. They occasionally bring Bolle in when they want her in a tutu, and seeing that Bolle is indeed listed as a guest artist perhaps that's what's happening. Bolle is a funny one isn't he, a worldwide classical principal with guesting in the major classical companies continually and yet he finds three pirouettes a challenge. But then at the RB he has our homegrown principals Watson and Pennefather who are pretty much in the same boat, technique-wise. As to voting with one's feet, the problem is that more often than not I vote not to go at all. The RB is so expensive that paying £60 for a 25 minute ballet is a bit ridiculous. But the ROH operates at 90% capacity so I doubt Mason is worried about what I think.

This is why Mason is such a canny operator when it comes to programming triple bills - I'd love to see Scenes de Ballet, La Valse, Rhapsody - the pieces they're on with, not so much. But she knows that the Ashton lovers will risk the other pieces, maybe... though the Royal's treament of Ashton isn't exactly wonderful in the execution. Though it is great that Mason has programmed so much of it. T&V, Ballo - you'll get a very Royal reading on Balanchine, especially if they give Cuthbertson the Suzanne Farrell second movement. This is bizarre, the way Mason programmes her in Romantic or lyrical ballerina roles, she has all the lyricism and mystique of an Arnold Schwarzenegger film. The Ballo one is a tricky one, I'd really love to see what they do with it, for curiosity if nothing else. They deffo will give Nunez the Ashley part - I can't think of anyone else who could dance it properly at the Royal. (Maybe Rojo or Lamb could give it a good go? If they gave it to Cojocaru I reckon her body would finally give up altogether and break down) but the thought of paying to sit through DGV or another bloody MacGregor makes my teeth ache. I know I go on about having to see something to be able to properly criticise it and I've seen Random Dance Co. several times, the pieces he did for Rambert & Chroma, Limenal & Infra - so I think I've done my time.

I was in the cinema once and there was a woman attending who had tourettes. It was difficult, not least because she was in agonies herself to minimise her tics. I know there's a world of difference between a tourettes sufferer and a moron with a mobile - but how do you all feel about people with disabilities such as tourettes, the symptoms of which can often be audibly intrusive in public performances? To clarify, I absolutely believe in the right of anyone, no matter what their physical, neurological or learning disabilities may be, to attend public performance and be an active part of the audience. The saddest thing about the woman at the cinema was the care she'd taken to minimise the effects of her Tourettes for the other audience members, she'd brought a wash cloth with her to bite, and she also was wearing a kind of modified purdah veil over her mouth, which I assumed was because one of her tics was spitting. Her Tourettes was something she lived with and existed with and had come up with several devices to lessen the effect of her tics on others - the care she'd given in thought to the audience members was considerable and as such the very least anyone could do was accord her the same respect. People with learning disabilities such as Downs, autism etc can be very demonstrative audience members responding vociferously and enthusiastically when something delights them or indeed provokes any strong emotion within them - and I think that's great. We in the West are incredibly "proper" as a matter of course when watching public performance - in Carolyn Brown's biography "Chance and Circumstance" she wrote about the Cunningham company's first performances in India in 1964 accustomed to Western audiences and their polite clapping at the end of a performance, she was completely taken aback by the vociferous responses, oohs & aaahs, laughing, clapping, cheering etc of the Indian audience at any section which provoked a strong response in them. Moreover she loved that.

It is rather like those zombie movies where the thing keeps coming at you until you shoot it in the head, isn't it? But as long as posters find it interesting they're free to post and carry on a discussion. The Tweeters will keep on tweeting no matter what we say here and good for them. ...and lest we forget, www.twitter.com/planetjedward

I'm sure she's a very lovely person, but I really do feel that describing her as "great" is stretching it. I don't argue that she has a sure, solid technique, excellent turnout - qualities which in themselves are unusual for British British trained dancers of the past few years - but I see her as a talented first soloist, elevated perhaps prematurely or just politically to principal rank as there hasn't been a British female principal since Darcey Bussell. If you go to Youtube, there's two versions of the waltz of the flowers from the RB production of Nutcracker one danced by Cuthbertson, the other by Zenaida Yanowsky. cuthbertson is firm, sure, charming, solid and assured, all lovely qualities in a dancer, but when you see Yanowsky, she just knocks it out of the ballpark. In terms of plasticity, amplitude of movement, technique - Yanowsky is a principal doing a first soloist role; Cuthbertson very much a first soloist. Cuthbertson is part of that triad along with Watson & Pennefather, Brits at principal level to counter the criticisms that the RB has no British principals, well now they do. Of the three Cuthbertson is by far the best equipped to tackle the classical rep, no arguments there, but for me, she is a first soloist. When you see her against the foreign principals the disparity and difference is obvious. She's a lovely dancer, I'd never take that away from her, but "great"? not for me.