Ondine

Well yes, intertwined.

Gina Storm-Jenson's early training was in Norway. She's currently a soloist and has danced Lilac Fairy and Myrtha among other important roles at the RB so perhaps she's trying to widen her experience. Gina is half Norwegian, half German, was born in London, and was accepted into the Norwegian Ballet School in Oslo at the age of eight https://balletassociation.co.uk/pages/reports-2022-gina-storm-jensen Recently Gina was surprised to win a Norwegian opera and ballet prize jointly with Lucas Lima (a former RBS student who is now a Principal in Oslo)

That's what I thought, though presumably the Sarasota Ballet will want to keep its Patrons sweet so this visit is a PR exercise I think.

Those who work in theatres are going to be in a very precarious position. No income from audiences. then possibly no pay and redundancies.

Here you go, all official, ROH link!

It's shocking news, no doubt the list of theatres affected will grow. Alongside all the problems you list, I wonder if some of these will ever re-open?

I didn't post the Anna Rose O'Sullivan when I saw it originally as I wasn't sure if it was against forum rules or not but it's a delightful compilation especially the early footage of her dancing in her socks and a tutu. She was clearly destined for ballet stardom from an early age! Not trying to hijack the thread, let's hope Cesar Coralles is back to full fitness and dancing again very soon.

Everyone appeared to appreciate the previous two of this series from Kathryn Morgan, Marianela Nunez 'Black Swan' and Natalia Osipova 'Jumping Secrets', here is the latest. I don't know if it should go here or in 'Doing Dance' as it's a crossover but I'm sure if it's the wrong place it can be moved.

Oh my! This is via @Susan Lucas FB page which I'll be shamelessly plundering. https://www.facebook.com/SusanLucasBalletCoach 1929 advert, Anna Pavlova 'My hands too must dance' says charming Anna Pavlowa (sic) 'The new Cutex polish gives them sparkle and vivacity' 💅 https://www.facebook.com/TheBalletStudioDC/photos/a.10152662237578448/10161829590748448/ Celebrity endorsements are not new!

Correction gah! 'The Cecchetti method'. I'm in good company. Ashton coudn't spell it either. 😌

I like watching the Julie Cronshaw films for the actual dancing, it makes you appreciate just how 'whole body', co-ordinated, and when required, fast Cecchetti work is. (And the sanity of a simple barre...) Also of course the music. I came across this recently, despite being a rabid searcher of YouTube I've never seen it before though it's been there ten years. It's not professional standard, but I think it gives some small sense of the sheer pleasure that can be gained from studying 'The Cechhetti Method' and the lovely work. And big shout out to Cecchetti teacher Emily Wallace in Sunderland, and her adult class 'older' students who recently passed with merits and distinctions their Cecchetti class exam, Standard 3. Anne who gained a distinction is 75. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=637850111482263&set=a.527691002498175 Which brings us back to the beginning of this thread. Seriously, Cecchetti is for all who want to learn.

It's lovely work, let us know how you get on! However there is so much to it I can't imagine learning it from 'the manual'. It's useful but there's no substitute for learning from an expert, and no short cuts really. It does take years. Yes that is a delightful enchainment, one of the joys of learning Cecchetti is the music, a great deal of it from ballets and great composers, you only have to hear it to remember the exercises / enchainments, no matter how many years have passed. Giselle has many such 'bits' of music. Turn and half and half a turn, ballote ballote etc, and even an old 'early grade' exercise for pose coupe and changements. It makes for very shuffly feet in a theatre. I try to keep my arms down though. (Dancing in your seat hasn't yet made it into the thread about bad theatre behaviour has it?) There's a slightly disjointed thread here too, now we seem to be widening this to 'all things Cecchetti'. It's disjointed as it was branched off from a different discussion, me being evangelical (with added typos) and Julie Cronshaw links. Hopefully though it will encourage others to try 'the method', online or in person! I know Susan Lucas has studied / taught the Ashton / Cecchetti link. https://www.facebook.com/SusanLucasBalletCoach/photos/a.133079081903544/240015824543202/?type=3

There's a little history here about the Museum of London's theatrical collections. 'Controversial'! Who knew? https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/controversial-history-museum-londons-theatrical-collections Yes, Dandre gave the Museum of London that swan costume. Thanks for that info. I'm looking forward to the Museum moving to its new home at Smithfield Western Market buildings. A tutu or three... the mystery of Anna Pavlova's Dying Swan costume https://carolinehamiltonhistorian.com/2020/05/05/thedyingswan/ Also this, though there's a very rich seam of other reading in the rest of this history to mine, one part is about Pavlova, the woman, Dandre, and her company: Having read that she and Victor Dandré were not married, yet passed themselves off as such, I once asked Muriel about Pavlova’s love life: was she faithful to Dandré? Emphatically not, according to Muriel! Dandré, an older man, though kind and reliable, loved and loving, must have cut a staid figure when compared with some of the virile males who partnered Pavlova throughout her career. Nonetheless, their bond was strong, and outlasted any flings Pavlova may have had. https://naldamurilova.wordpress.com/6-the-pavlova-tournee-1926-1927/

Goodness, days of the week and three absolute Cecchetti experts. ('Patterns' though. US terminology is weird.) I'm probably only fit for Sundays these days, alas. However, anyone else...

That's simply magnificent. I am going to replicate that for my birthday, a Google shows me I can still buy those ballerina figures. 🙂 Classy.

Conserving Anna Pavlova's Dying Swan tutu. Fascinating. Museum of London. Conservation en pointe: The treatment and mounting of Anna Pavlova’s Dying Swan costume https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/conservation-en-pointe-anna-pavlovas-dying-swan-costume

Many people now teach Cecchetti, and it is international, though it certainly isn't as widespread as it really should be. If anyone wants to find a teacher contact via the ISTD for a list. It's a method not simply a syllabus or set of exercises, though of course those exist too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecchetti_method https://www.cecchettisocietytrust.org/ https://www.istd.org/dance/dance-genres/cecchetti-classical-ballet/history-of-cecchetti/ https://www.istd.org/dance/dance-genres/cecchetti-classical-ballet/ https://cicb.org/the-cecchetti-centre-london-england/ https://cicb.org/ https://www.cecchettiinstitute.org/

I'm very aware of the history of the suffrage movement and the arguments that it did no good at all. I'm less than convinced. Many think there's a climate emergency and polite protest isn't the way to ensure this is taken seriously by those with the power to change things. None of which has much to do with ballet, but I do admire those who are prepared to actually get off their bottoms and try to do something. Carry on harrumphing, I'm merely the messenger. 😏

The suffragettes, their cause and their tactics weren't popular with many in their time. https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/rather-broken-windows-broken-promises/ They were eventually commemorated on postage stamps. https://www.postalmuseum.org/blog/suffrage/ The UK has a long history of protest, polite letters tend to be ignored.

Monica Mason is thankfully still with us and danced in Les Noces. Let's hope the talk of 'rehearsals' means something is brewing. All very late in the day but better late etc.

All sounds wonderful. How sad that the Royal Ballet isn't actually going to perform any of her work. (Edited to say... if the company and school are 'rehearsing' are we looking forward an announcement of a revival of Les Noces at some point in the near future?)

I've sung its praises on here in various threads about history but it really should be shouted from the rooftops. It's proper classical ballet trainng with a long, long pedigree. I think historically there weren't as many Cecchetti teachers around and other orgs are possibly better at being businesses and promotion, but... for those who know it's Stork and butter (she says wickedly). Not actually sure if that ad still runs but I'm sure people know what I mean. Anyone who can reach your classes who is at all serious about their ballet, vocational or simply as a non sporty way of getting exercise / a hobby, should IMO rush to sign up. Grade work and the 'class exams' are both suitable for adults as well as what used to be called 'majors' and everything you learn has a logical build up which feeds into the next level and onwards. It's intellectually fulfilling too. Lovely, lovely 'method' and way of dancing. It stays with you for life. Teaching Philosophy At every age ballet can be fun, creative and confidence-building. I have been dancing all my life, and I found that ballet helped me to express myself as well as give me so many skills, most especially self-discipline and resilience which has lasted a lifetime. It also builds a strong and agile body with wonderful posture! I firmly believe this can be available for all. You don’t have to do ballet as a career for it to be exhilarating and satisfying. As a form of exercise, it can be demanding, but why not? Life inevitably throws us challenges but ballet throws us beautiful ones! https://classicalballetcoach.co.uk/?page_id=314 I'm sounding like an advert but I've 'done' both Cecchetti and AN Other (yes 'majors') and I know which, to me, was the butter. 😌

That Amazon Kindle link also shows new and secondhand paperback (from 1p) & hardback copies. Also an MP3 CD. Some of those are the younger reader's edition. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maos-Last-Dancer-Young-Readers/dp/0141320869/ref=monarch_sidesheet When I was very young I was given for Christmas 'Dancing Star' a novel which tells the story of Anna Pavlova by Gladys Malvern. I loved it. I still have it and I see it's still in print, after all those decades. I was certainly much younger than the recommended reading age here! Many second hand copies around too. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dancing-Star-Gladys-Malvern/dp/1504030257

I think the RB keeps galas for very special occasions. I think in general that's a wise policy. There are pros but also cons regarding these 'bits from' galas.

I paid my sixteen quid at the time. Possibly a few 'demands' to the ROH would make it available again on the paid for online ROH service? It was a lovely gala. The tension between love and suffering illuminated Edward Watson’s searing performance in a snippet from Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works, alongside an outstanding Calvin Richardson as his lost lover; it blew the roof off in Kenneth MacMillan’s pas de deux from Carousel, with Mayara Magri and Matthew Ball excelling both in pyrotechnics and subtle drama. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/oct/18/the-royal-ballet-back-on-stage-review-an-exuberant-return