Mashinka

"New work New Music" turned out to be a wasted evening for me. Performed in the newly revamped Linbury Theatre, I found that I had a ticket that although not designated a restricted view, allowed so small a view of the stage that I might as well have stayed home. To make matters worse the music was excruciating and I left half way through. Apparently the complaints about the new Linbury concern not just the dreadful sightlines but also severely restricted leg room. Another example of 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' as there was nothing wrong with the performing space this one has replaced. Unbelievably it has been built in a horseshoe shape, a configuration abandoned years ago as patrons no longer go to the theatre to ogle those sitting opposite rather than looking at the stage. Heads should roll over this. Meanwhile on the main stage, a new work from Liam Scarlett specifically created for the students of the Royal Ballet School. The Cunning Little Vixen uses Janacek's music in an arrangement by Peter Breiner. and more or less follows the story of the opera, but excluding the human elements, also when the vixen is shot she doesn't die but recovers. Scarlett has created a work using a large cast thereby offering stage opportunities to as large a number of students as possible, all of whom acquitted themselves well. It's a pleasant enough ballet and it would be nice to think it has some sort of future as an educational tool to get younger children interested in the art form. I doubt however it will merit a place in the RB's permanent rep as dancers imitating animals tends to be a pet hate of many ballet goers, Indeed when the frog came on I thought Tales of Beatrix Potter, when the butterflies appeared I was thinking Piege de Lumiere, the chickens Fille, and so on. Nice as a one off but perhaps not for the grown ups. In a double bill with vixen was Ashton's evergreen Two Pigeons, it's second recent outing after a long period of neglect at Covent Garden. It is a dancer-proof piece and even survived the OTT attempts at comedy by Yasmine Naghdi who was also over extending in places which certainly isn't Ashton. Her partner, the always likeable Alexander Campbell, looked a natural as the young man and Fumi Kaneko made his decision to run off with the gipsies perfectly understandable. An enjoyable evening on the whole, but it seems strange to criticize wonderful Ms Naghdi, though let's face it there are very few dancers that can do everything.

Not quite a swastika but near enough to make me uncomfortable.

He's not well.

Leanne Benjamin suffered a muscle tear that led to her retirement, it was particularly troublesome, had she not I suspect she might still be dancing.

These performances are at the end of May, unlikely the theatre will cancel as perhaps not enough time to find other bookings. As many theatre workers are paid by the hour I'd prefer the performances went ahead and that Polunin sees a theatre of empty seats. I am not sure if Polunin's pronouncements could be described as 'hate speech' or simply freedom of speech, the former being a crime in the UK, his suggestions to his followers that they slap fat people is far more serious. I suppose in theory he could be refused a visa, but by the time the inefficient Home Office gets to hear of this he will probably have come and gone.

Seats for Polunin's London performances at the Palladium are selling badly, but in Munich, his western European base, it seems that he still has the backing of director Zelensky.

I imagine the higher prices for certain operas factor in the fees for top singers, but although the RO employs a chorus on year round salaries, surely the wage bill for the ballet must be higher as the rankings are more hierarchical.

Possibly, but the timing suggests otherwise. As for Lohengrin both the performances I saw were a full house, on the other hand a couple of the Mayerlings I went to were very poorly attended. In general the opera attracts a younger and more moneyed audience which is one of the reasons why opera prices are higher. Russian ballet in London doesn't have much of a core audience now, the real enthusiasts that can remember the glories of the Soviet era are either dying off or drifting away as a less attractive aesthetic takes hold and lets face it the Royal Ballet arguably has better female principals than the Bolshoi. The annual Russian Icons Gala has gone from being affordable to out of most people's price range, but that hardly matters as the organizers know that they can sell out to wealthy Russians that go primarily to parade their extravagant fashion sense. That though is a one off and with the Russians on their summer hols I fear this years high prices will deter London's ballet audience and all but the wealthiest summer tourists. The two main Russian companies do attract travelling fans but I doubt they will come in the numbers necessary to make much impact on the final takings.

On the other hand the pound is currently weak against the dollar, so you may finish up spending less than you anticipated. The ROH has recently raised its prices to the dismay of the regulars, possibly to bring the ROH into line with the commercial theatre, but most likely to pay for the recent renovations to the house. I'm not sure if the audience will suck it up, most likely they'll cut back on ballet and opera going. Bright Stream is the work I'm most looking forward to, it's always been popular in London.

The Friends of Covent Garden get priority booking usually, I'm not sure what is on sale when booking opens for the general public. Standing in the Stalls Circle is very good if you can get the central places. I've only stood in the amphi once and the view was non existent.

The prices have been announced for the Bolshoi and they are eye wateringly expensive. I imagine a number of ballet fans won't be going at all. Perhaps the idea behind the price rises is that London's well heeled Russian community will shell out, but I would imagine in high summer they won't be in London anyway. All the more reason to announce casting in advance. My usual strategy when I don't know the cast is to buy tickets for most performances and then sell off those that don't interest me, but perhaps that won't be a good idea if no one is prepared to buy at those prices.

Kowroski fans may be interested to hear she will be appearing in London in a gala at the Coliseum on 7th April. The other US dancer on the bill is Marcelo Gomes. We rarely get to see American dancers in London, particularly from NYCB, my ticket is already booked.

I imagine the Dryad scene is mainly Petipa, as for the rest I think Laurent has a point.

Seems that his long time supporter. Igor Zelensky has issued a press release that appears to support Polunin and confirms his upcoming performances in Munich will go ahead. How the dancers will feel about this I don't know, I imagine German audiences are too good mannered to boo him but although he has taken down the highly offensive posts there is still no sign of an apology.

Very much a snapshot of the London blitz, perhaps too English for export? It goes down extremely well on Bourne's home turf.

What's with the furniture? Has an amateurish look to me.

Not discordant at all, that is a very valid point of view. The first thing to bear in mind is that we don't know the names of the other applicants for the job, it could be that Acosta was head and shoulders above the others in terms of his suitability. Carlos Acosta first set foot on the ROH stage at the tender age of eighteen, dancing a jazz number at a charity gala and shortly after he went to English National Ballet before eventually joining the RB, so he has been dancing in Britain for well over twenty years. He has danced Ashton and MacMillan, still the bedrock of the two RB companies, he has also worked with the contemporary choreographers here. In addition he now has family ties to the UK. So in terms of his career he is hardly an outsider. I take your point about the ballet In Cuba, but over the years there have been a number of high profile Cuban dancers, surely at least one might have directorial abilities.

Might that be because although a fine dancer, he didn't enjoy an international career nor have a second career as a writer of note? I've finally got around to reading Acosta's novel, Pigs Foot, and it certainly deserved all the plaudits. Having a high profile personality in charge will do the company no harm at all.

Delighted with this news, when it comes to classicism he keeps the faith.

I understand the UK gutter press has picked up on his antics, I'll be interested to see how the more responsible areas of the media here treat the story.

It will be interesting to see if his London project gets dropped too. I understand that he has made tweets encouraging his followers "to slap" fat people. In a strict reading of the law that can be construed as Incitement to Violence, it is sufficient reason to revoke his visa.

He seems to be buying into the rather worrying form of nationalism that has taken root in Russia and seems to be fostered by both the present government and the church, it is virulently homophobic and misogynistic. The tattoo of Putin is another clue that he supports that ideology. I hear he has something planned at the London Palladium this year, I fear if these views get into the mainstream media he may well struggle to attract an audience.

Achieving an international following is a hard ask, the aesthetics currently in vogue in Moscow cut less ice outside of Russia. I'm seriously thinking of missing this year's London Bolshoi season if it's to be led by those two indifferent 'talents' as neither covered herself in glory on the last London outing. The Royal Ballet has far superior dancers at present, so unless some young unfamiliar dancer is pulled out of the hat to delight us I'm predicting a falling out of love with the company.

Best Cesar Corrales in Le Jeune Homme et la Mort with ENB Francesca Hayward in MacMillan's Laidrette with RB and Ballet Black Revival of ENB's Lest We Forget programme Worst RB's new Swan Lake The lack of any acknowledgement of the 80th anniversary of Rudolf Nureyev's birth which was also the 25th anniversary of his death. Absolutely shameful in light of everything he did for RB. Outside of London Shechter's The Art of not Looking Back at POB was one of the worst ballets I've ever seen, let alone this year. Not exactly just ballet, but Covent Garden's new look has appalled everyone and now it seems it must be paid for in increased ticket prices. Heads should role over this, but of course they won't.

It really is a detestable attitude.