AnneMarriott

To add to the discussion about who got the survey, I got the email a couple of days ago and deleted it unread, then retrieved it when  I saw others' comments about it.  I was a friend for years until the business about the PR person being so dismissive about the "regulars".  I didn't renew membership after that and I pointed it out in a comments box.

5 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I've now done the survey.  (snip)

 

Unfortunately the price questions did not cover the side stalls circle, the only area I'm both just about able to afford to sit in & prepared to sit in, so with the sole exception of an £80 stalls ticket for an Ashton Mixed Bill there wasn't a single other ticket option they offered that I would have been prepared to buy. I fear this may pressage reality... (The ballet pricing was so depressing I declined repeating the exercise for opera pricing.)

 

Aside from the pricing, I found the question about ranking which artforms you're most likely to attend rather difficult. I go to opera, ballet, musicals & plays. Which I'm most likely to attend depends on which operas/ballets/musicals/plays they are!

Exactly my experience!  What a very strange set of scenarios to choose from.  I always go for side stalls circle (not standing any more these days, sadly) and there were no options so I finished up with the Ashton mixed bill at £80 as my sole choice - although in reality I'd have to think quite hard about it.  As I don't like being too far from the action I never choose the amphi and wouldn't be tempted by any programme at any price.

22 hours ago, Emeralds said:

.../

 

I see they have that dreaded “pause” between Acts 1 & 2 as well. I wonder if the Mayflower ushers and the stage manager negotiate the lights and telling the audience the music and Act 2 have started better than ENB and the Coliseum did for their Swan Lake? 

 

 

 

No they didn't, certainly not on the opening night when many members of the audience got up, pushed past seated members thinking it was an interval only to be sent back to their seats by front of house staff.  This went on for the entirely of the pause.  An announcement before curtain-up would surely have prevented this.

I have very little experience of pop or rock concerts - three in total in my long life so far - but from what I have seen on television the audience is part of the experience, waving arms, holding mobile phones aloft, singing along etc. whereas ballet, like music concerts or straight theatre (I don't include musicals) is expected to be enjoyed without audience participation except for applause at appropriate moments.  Who cares if the view of the stage is blocked by audience behaviour when there are giant screens all around and the performers are actively encouraging the crowd to get involved?  Forgive me if I'm stating the blindingly obvious, but that isn't the case at the ballet - even discreet use of mobile phones to film the action is distracting to say the least.   

11 hours ago, Fairy said:

My program was stolen from under my seat by the person sitting behind me during a ballet performance this year, I put it down for 5 seconds and it was gone! This was at the ROH.

That's really nasty!

8 hours ago, oncnp said:

What is wrong with people??????

 

Royal Opera House bans for life heckler who booed child star on his debut (telegraph.co.uk)

I think some people just need to be noticed!  Perhaps in this case the perpetrator was noticed in a different way from his expectations.  What a shame for the young singer, though.

Russell Maliphant, a choreographer who has his own small company, is a favourite of mine.  His choreography is inspired by capoeira and is very fluent and (to me) memerising.  He collaborates closely with lighting designers and composers to create short works that are a marvel of integrated artistry (again to me).  Worth seeking him out especially now it would seem that the Arts' Council no longer offers funding.

1 hour ago, bridiem said:

 

Yes, I received mine earlier this week. It has Ivan Putrov on the cover.

Me too.

10 minutes ago, taxi4ballet said:

I've been chased by a very aggressive hornet, I had to run about 100 yards before it decided I was far enough away from where it didn't want me to be. 

I don't think Jane wants to know that!

2 hours ago, Jane said:

Now you’ve got me thinking I need to look for a nest close to or in house. I’ve naively liked to think they always nest in the woods but maybe this year they’ve moved a bit closer as attracted to house lights in evening. 
I can’t relax and sleep knowing there is one or more hornet indoors plus have a cat and puppy that might encounter them. 
 

I believe they are supposed to be unaggressive and certainly found them so.  At the time we had a cat and two dogs who came to no harm at all.  Good luck with yours.

6 hours ago, Jane said:

Adding hornets to Room 101 - every summer we have a few that make it into house but over last few weeks it’s been at least one per evening/night. Was hoping after the weather broke yesterday we’d get a night off but wasn’t to be. 

We had a literal hornets' nest in a bird box a couple of years ago.  It was rather intimidating at first but they were very considerate and other than the occasional close inspection of sunbathing humans or dogs kept themselves to themselves.  I wish wasps would copy.

On 04/08/2022 at 06:50, AnneMarriott said:

Update:  I returned the filter using the Royal Mail tracking label supplied.  Now, a week later I discover that the seller has "opened a case which is on hold until August 14th".  Not only that but "the tracking information supplied shows that it's on its way and should be with you soon".  Words fail me ...

Further update:  To my surprise I have been given a full refund, including return postage.   My one-star review has not appeared on the website, though. 

On 21/07/2022 at 05:54, AnneMarriott said:

5 star reviews on online shopping websites.  I recently purchased a "genuine" filter for my Dyson vacuum cleaner.  It turned out to be fake and didn't fit so I asked to return it.  First I got an offer of a very small refund but could keep the filter.  I refused.  Then I was offered a full refund, including postage, if I posted a 5-star review - oh, and I could keep the item.  I refused - despite the inconvenience of going to the post office and paying return postage.

 

So not only are "genuine" articles fake, but the 5 star reviews others have left are decidedly suspect too.

Update:  I returned the filter using the Royal Mail tracking label supplied.  Now, a week later I discover that the seller has "opened a case which is on hold until August 14th".  Not only that but "the tracking information supplied shows that it's on its way and should be with you soon".  Words fail me ...

5 star reviews on online shopping websites.  I recently purchased a "genuine" filter for my Dyson vacuum cleaner.  It turned out to be fake and didn't fit so I asked to return it.  First I got an offer of a very small refund but could keep the filter.  I refused.  Then I was offered a full refund, including postage, if I posted a 5-star review - oh, and I could keep the item.  I refused - despite the inconvenience of going to the post office and paying return postage.

So not only are "genuine" articles fake, but the 5 star reviews others have left are decidedly suspect too.

9 hours ago, taxi4ballet said:

Erm... let's just say that people we've lived amicably next door to for decades suddenly decided to take official action against us, despite us agreeing to do what they wanted, and the fact that we drew their attention to it in the first place.

Crumbs - there's no accounting for folks!

4 hours ago, taxi4ballet said:

Apologies to everyone else already in Room 101, but I'm afraid you are now going to have to put up with my neighbours. 

 

Sorry about that. 😂

Dare we ask why?

On 16/06/2022 at 00:02, alison said:

Superb: stunning, chilling and an absolute must-see.  Do not miss (although, that said, I did wonder if the shrieking and sudden loud noises and so on might be distressing to some people).  Fully deserves all its plaudits (see the 2019 thread I linked to above).  I'd say it was by far the best thing I'd seen at Sadler's Wells in a long time, except that I did see ENB's Forsythe evening there only a couple of months ago ...

Agree absolutely that this is a must-see.  Incidentally I sat in the stalls side gallery (highly recommended) and had no difficulty in seeing who was who and what was what.  I thought the set design and lighting were atmospheric and added to, rather than detracted from, the overall impression.  

17 hours ago, Angela Essex said:

Yes agree about What a Wonderful World soooo pitchy 😂 

Pitchy?  A wild understatement.  It had me squirming.

I recorded Britain's Got Talent on Saturday and have just watched it.  No ballet to be seen.  Have I misunderstood?

4 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

seemed to me that it was more important to have an emotive backstory (to do the 'journey' angle) than to be a great dancer. 

My thoughts exactly!

I found it difficult to distinguish what some of the completing disciplines actually are, apart from tap dancing, Bharatanatyam and classical ballet - and even in the latter case the contestant that was put through performed her own choreography with a distinctly "contemporary" flavour.  The other styles all merged into one for me and I couldn't imagine wanting to spend an evening watching a whole programme of any of them.  Since I only actually liked one of the successful dancers in this first round I don't think I'll be following the rest of the programmes.

How did it go?  

11 hours ago, oncnp said:

 

As I understand it, poodles were originally water retrievers. The "vest" was to keep the vital organs warm, the two "powderpuffs"  protected the kidneys and the "ball" to protect the tip of the the tail. The rest was shaved to cut down weight and drag in the water. 

 

The "topknot"? Something to grab on to???

That sounds more plausible but did duck hunters really take their poodles out looking like that?

9 hours ago, Anna C said:

... I think the commentator said the larger poodles originally had the strange haircuts in order to combine propulsion through water with protecting their joints, ...

 

 

I've always thought that explanation was questionable.  If it's to protect joints, why leave a topknot on the head and a thick vest around the top half of the body?  And what use are two powderpuff-shaped scallops of wool over the hips and a ball on the end of the tail in protecting the lower half?

4 hours ago, Naomi M said:

Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris has offered residency for Kiev City Ballet. They can rehearse at the Theatre du Chatelet. 

https://www.bfmtv.com/international/en-direct-guerre-en-ukraine-un-million-de-refugies-ont-fui-le-pays-en-une-semaine_LN-202203030008.html

 

The Kiev City Ballet, which was on tour in France, will be hosted in residence at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the mayor of the city Anne Hidalgo announced on Thursday.

 "Currently in Paris, the Kiev City Ballet has expressed its wish to stay in France for the moment in order to continue working, rehearsing and bringing their art to life," tweeted Ms. Hidalgo.

 "At my request, the Théâtre du Châtelet will welcome them in residence, as long as the ballet wishes", added the mayor, who is also a candidate for the presidential election.
 This Ukrainian company was on tour in France with performances of "The Nutcracker" by Tchaikovsky.  Another company from the Ukrainian capital, the Grand Ballet de Kiev, which gave a performance near Arcachon on Wednesday evening, was to leave for a ten-date tour in Poland organized in support

A generous gesture.  Other countries please take note.