LinMM

I'm sure you'll get in Michelle but if not or there is a Tuesday gap till summer term starts you can always have a go at Chelsea Ballet Masterclass held at the Place once a month. The June one is on 25th June and will be taught by the teacher taking the Summer School Richard Ramsey. This month it starts a bit late at 8.30(usually its at 8pm) so will have to make a mad dash at the end to get the train back to Brighton! But it is a nice class.

Have discovered in Nantes for ONE day only....Swan Lake next march 26 th 2014. I have seen this company and Irina a few years back in Brighton...thought the name rang a bell...They did Nutcracker and Swan Lake. I liked her very much and would love to see her do Bayadere the Nikiya role. However where a company only visits for a couple of days they just always do Swan Lake it can be very irritating!! Why won't they risk anything else....most people in brighton anyway, who go to Swan Lake, will have heard of Bayadere and Romeo and Juliet!! Here in Brighton ballet is very much neglected.....I suppose it's thought we can all just pop up to London if need be. We do get Rambert once a year for about 5 days in March otherwise the dance here is more on Fringe edge with the occasional visiting companies like St. Petersburg.

I hardly follow tennis much these days.....perhaps the second week of wimbledon....but often seem to be in France visiting my friends when the French Open is on. Last year I was there for the final! My friends who both follow tennis seem to like both the finalists Nadal and Czech player(sorry name gone) and were telling me all about Nadal's superstitious habits.....which I hadn't noticed before but then couldn't stop noticing! Ive always liked Federer but after a while one does want to see some new blood!! This year I was there during the first week and there were a couple of French players I had never heard of who are looking good but I was told they may not do well at Wimbledon because its on grass and they are better hard court(more like slippery red stuff to me) players.

I don't suppose you know if this company is touring other places in France.....particularly Nantes....where a close friend of mine lives. She has only recently started going to the ballet and it would be great to see this company if they were going there.

Well said Pups-Mum

Oh dear BBC news flash Federer has lost his match today!!

Yes it's very subtly got worse I think....in that younger and younger children are now involved and when you hear of 10 year olds going on "dates" something is wrong!! But in the end every parent has to be a bit vigilant because every time one gives in to certain clothes demands etc one is contributing to this whole thing. Not easy I know.

Also 2dancersmum you are right about this.....a few of years ago East Sussex signed up to this and at first we thought great every so often will get an extra long weekend when Easter doesn't fall within the hols but unfortunately when this happens tend to add a couple of days onto the end of summer term. This year schools finish on the 19th as Easter did fall within the two week break but some years we've carried on till 25th or 26th

Just learned how to do a smiley couldn't resist one in the last post.....but actually nutrition and general dance health for older people could be a winner

I wouldn't mind some dancer health info....especially nutrition....myself unfortunately summer schools for oldies probably assume you know all this!!

I must admit am not a fan of the street dance type routines for under 16 year olds but in the same way don't really like children under 16 singing adult type songs and never watch Britain's Got Talent and X-Factor and The Voice shows (UK tv) any more as cannot stand the hyped up audience reactions all the time and kids singing inappropriate songs etc. I don't care how talented an 11 year old may be they should just wait a few years before being tempted by these shows.....will any resulting fame do them any good either? Sound a bit like an old grouch but it is how I feel.

Sorry when I typed that this is what happened! I think I should go to the test sight now to sort this out

":" ")"

Whoops. Gone again obviously have to go to more reply options to add my smileys.....sorry no more now or I'll be getting a warning for going way off topic ????????????

Looks like its now allowing me to use my own emoticon keyboard at least

Hi have just pressed something which said "enable emoticons" by going into more reply options....still need to see where they actually are though can't find any nice little faces! Trying from my own keyboard again ????

Thanks Janet....except dont seem to have a smiley in the top bar....it could be because I'm on an IPad ? Maybe you have to be on a main computer for this?

Sorry you feel like this ChocChip ......there are so many topic threads going all at once and sometimes very fast.....look at the Alina and Johan story today....that I'm sure the Moderators with the best will in the world miss the odd thing. I hope you will put your location back again! I enjoy seeing where people are situated. I may decide.....if I can work out how...to put my location on...though its mentioned in various threads etc. I would send you a smiley face but can't make them appear on this forum yet!! X

Yes I agree Alison I would be going to see that company and a different version of Coppelia not just Polunin.......who I have never seen dance.....but others seem to rate him highly!! In practical terms the eve would be better for me anyway so no probs with other dancers.....except a little bit of me wants to go and see what all the fuss is about so if he does do what he says maybe I'll be tempted by the matinee after all! There's an interview with Polunin in the Sunday Times( main paper) and unfortunately to me he doesn't seem to have much understanding of the real world out there but then he is very young and some take longer to mature or...just always remain mavericks slightly outside main stream thinking. It does seem sad that he thinks he was really only happy when a young child before school age.

Five classes a week I hasten to add not by the day!!

Yes I wanted to clarify its not a strict syllabus class as its for adults but this teacher does do syllabus classes for children etc. and although she is no spring chicken she can still jump fantastically!! And has those lovely feet usually seen in trained dancers. Ive only watched the class and would now like to have a go. It's a bit late doesn't start till 8pm.....just about the latest would want to do a class but its quite dancey. If you are fit I see no reason why you shouldn't do as many as you feel okay with sometimes you injure yourself more doing less as the muscles aren't used to the stresses of ballet but Ive been building up gradually and when I hit 5 a week will probably be happy with this.

Thanks Bluebird it looks like a turn up on the day and see what I can get at this point I have been very lucky with returns in recent years. However if Polunin manages to stay on track does dance the matinee I wouldn't rate my chances so much then!! I'm sure it will then be a sell out.

Hope you get better very soon lartiste.

Very satisfying to see such strength allied with such beauty and grace of movement. Thanks Mayerling79

As it happens am in London that weekend so might try and go but not at £85 a time!! I could make the sat eve or sun mat. But I wouldn't be tempted to rely on Polunin just at the moment....he must have injury probs doesn't want to publicly admit to or perhaps he has some degree of mental health issue.......that he can't get the better of at the moment.....I say this because I am loathe to believe any dancer just acting on mercenary principles alone.