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Thread: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

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    Ballet ? - HELLO!!



    Went to see Manon on Saturday at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. Its been on my to do list for a number of years and Scarface also mentioned he wanted to see one. So as a surprise... off we went to London for the night.

    Stayed in Great Eastern Hotel - one night, (got discount as is our client), went to ballet in afternoon and Pigalles Club for the evening....

    Not only is one night in london extremely expensive and have done enough money this weekend to have gone abroad for one week but we walked out after two 45min acts of the ballet. Could not suffer the third act. Read what was going to happen and went for a beer instead.

    What is wrong with us? Shouldn't ballet be one of those life experiences that one cherishes....?

    Never again i can tell you.

    Have you done a ballet, what about an opera.. thats on my to do list as well.... Thoughts guys?

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    Registered User Twirly's Avatar
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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    What exactly was wrong with the ballet? Last time I went was probably 10 years ago, which was to see the Nutcracker, and apart from getting vertigo as the seats were up in the Gods, it was wonderful. Don't know what Manon is like though.

    Personally, I wouldn't go and see an opera, as I don't like soprano voices.

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Sometimes it's the choice of ballet that makes/breaks the experience and it seems this was not the one for you. Something like The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty or La Fille Mal Gardee are much better options for a first time.

    I love the ballet. Even if I dislike a particular production I am able to appreciate the skill of the dancers, having attempted and failed miserably for 30 years to achieve it.

    I don't have anywhere near the same passion for opera. There's not enough movement on stage; they should be dancing to that fab music instead!

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post


    Went to see Manon on Saturday at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. Its been on my to do list for a number of years and Scarface also mentioned he wanted to see one. So as a surprise... off we went to London for the night.

    Stayed in Great Eastern Hotel - one night, (got discount as is our client), went to ballet in afternoon and Pigalles Club for the evening....

    Not only is one night in london extremely expensive and have done enough money this weekend to have gone abroad for one week but we walked out after two 45min acts of the ballet. Could not suffer the third act. Read what was going to happen and went for a beer instead.

    What is wrong with us? Shouldn't ballet be one of those life experiences that one cherishes....?

    Never again i can tell you.

    Have you done a ballet, what about an opera.. thats on my to do list as well.... Thoughts guys?
    I've never seen a ballet - it's been on the list of things to do for a while but I've never had the cash to burn before. However, going to change that in Feb because I've booked for Janette and I to see Swan Lake performed by the Russian State Ballet of Siberia in the Cambridge Corn Exchange. I'll let you know what it's like.

    I've been to a couple of operas. I've seen Carmen (great), Porgy and Bess (great), Madame Butterfly (didn't float my boat and would have left at the end of Act 1 of 3 - but went with a girlfriend and she loved it so I persevered and the end justified the means ). I used to play in the orchestra for a couple of theatres in Edinburgh when I was younger so have seen a few others and several musicals from the pit, but difficult to get the atmosphere of the performance when you're working.

    As a teenager I was a keen orchestral musician so have lost count of the number of orchestral performances I've been to. Not been for 20 years though and sitting here typing this has got me thinking that I need to go again since I loved it so much when I was younger.

    Agent 000
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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post
    Went to see Manon on Saturday at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.
    but we walked out after two 45min acts of the ballet. Could not suffer the third act. Read what was going to happen and went for a beer instead.

    What is wrong with us? Shouldn't ballet be one of those life experiences that one cherishes....?
    It's cos you two is uncultured spakkers, not like what I is, init?

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Classical Ballet doesn't really do it for me either, although I can appreciate how amazing the dancers are. I would recommend you go and see any of Mathew Bournes Ballet productions - they are contemporary takes on classic stories and are mind blowing from the dancing to the costumes. I saw Swan Lake last year at Saddlers Wells Theatre and it is very different to the classical version (the swans are all male!). His Car Man is meant to be fantastic too.

    His ballet is riveting and so fast paced. I would definitely say try again and go and see anything by him.

    Shame you didn't enjoy what you saw though.

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    What exactly was wrong with the ballet? Last time I went was probably 10 years ago, which was to see the Nutcracker, and apart from getting vertigo as the seats were up in the Gods, it was wonderful.
    Was that at Sadlers Wells? I had vertigo there and I wasn't even in the Gods. The seating is so steep.
    Quote Originally Posted by Agente Secreto View Post
    I've never seen a ballet - it's been on the list of things to do for a while but I've never had the cash to burn before. However, going to change that in Feb because I've booked for Janette and I to see Swan Lake performed by the Russian State Ballet of Siberia in the Cambridge Corn Exchange. I'll let you know what it's like.
    I saw Swan lake at Hackney Empire. The dancers were Russian and it was suberb. I would go again, even though the audience clapped every 5 minutes and the dancers stopped to bow. That was irritating.
    I've been to a couple of operas. I've seen Carmen (great), Porgy and Bess (great), Madame Butterfly (didn't float my boat and would have left at the end of Act 1 of 3 - but went with a girlfriend and she loved it so I persevered and the end justified the means ). I used to play in the orchestra for a couple of theatres in Edinburgh when I was younger so have seen a few others and several musicals from the pit, but difficult to get the atmosphere of the performance when you're working.
    There was an orchestra at a production of Carmen I saw at The Albert Hall. It was done in the round.

    I also saw Carmen with no orchestra at Hackney Empire. It was impossible to say which production I prefered as they wer both different. Jose was a real wimp in the Albert hall production, but was more macho at the Hackney Empire one.

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post
    ...

    What is wrong with us? Shouldn't ballet be one of those life experiences that one cherishes....?

    Never again i can tell you.

    Have you done a ballet, what about an opera.. thats on my to do list as well.... Thoughts guys?
    Not that wild about most ballet, but good opera can be fun. Would choose something with good tunes & some kind of storyline like Mozart (The Magic Flute) or Verdi (Rigoletto or Aida), Rossini (Barber of Seville) or my fave is Donizetti's Don Pasquale, which is a comic opera. Avoid at all costs going to see La Boheme. For some reason, it seems to be popular, but is rather heavy on the death theme & Mimi seems to spend the entire time desolate & abandoned or dying. (On seconds thoughts, if you're a goth, this could be the must-see for you).

    My favourite operatic experience was English National Opera's Khovanchina by Musorgsky about five years ago - for a pool scene with a near-naked Willard White paddling around with scantily-clad maidens until he is knifed to death - and the final few seconds of the opera when a bunch of Russian peasants are dying from starvation and cold - and we see them on their way to heaven. Those two seconds of visuals were the reason I returned to see the whole depressing thing again. Probably weird, but opera can be amazingly powerful, with its combination of production (costumes & sets), music and great voices - it seems to combine more aspects in one place than any other art form.

    ENO does its operas in English, which can help with understanding them. However, its programmes don't always do the logical thing & explain the storyline (unless they've changed recently) - so you might want to check on that via Wiki or similar before you go. Most operas are sung in the original language, but have surtitles.

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    I second what people are saying here. You just need to pick what you're going to see carefully.

    Ballet wise I've seen pretty much all the classics and they're best for a start point (Sleeping beauty, Coppelia, nutcracker) or the Matthew Bourne ones as they're good fun. Avoid going to the Coliseum in London unless you don't mind uncomfortable seats.

    Opera, I'm more picky because I prefer lighter opera - Mozart, Verdi, Puccini especially as there's more recognisable arias. I avoid Wagner, any of the historic ones, plus I didn't enjoy Madame Butterfly when I saw that this year.

    I think everyone should go to at least one ballet and opera. If you don't enjoy them, then find something else you do like, but you've had the experience.

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Gav View Post
    It's cos you two is uncultured spakkers, not like what I is, init?
    Quote Originally Posted by emmylou25 View Post
    I second what people are saying here.
    Thanks.

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post


    Went to see Manon on Saturday at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

    ...snip....

    What is wrong with us? Shouldn't ballet be one of those life experiences that one cherishes....?

    Never again i can tell you.

    .... Thoughts guys?
    Manon is a unusual choice as a first exposure to ballet.

    Personally I love kenneth mcmillians ballets but they are quite deep and lengthy and certainly not to everyones taste.

    Don't give up on it yet - try The Nutcracker or Sleeping Beauty, or as Little Miss suggests Matthew Bournes Swan Lake for a more contemporary take on it - well worth the effort

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    Last edited by Batgirl; 13th-October-2008 at 04:49 PM. Reason: too tired to type!

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Royal Opera House was fantastic to see around though. Just a couple of pics here.
    Attached Images Attached Images

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Gav View Post
    Thanks.
    Oh Gav..... where are my archive pics... lets see if we have any more embarassing ones to stick up.....

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Aleks View Post
    Sometimes it's the choice of ballet that makes/breaks the experience and it seems this was not the one for you. Something like The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty or La Fille Mal Gardee are much better options for a first time.
    Quote Originally Posted by emmylou25 View Post
    Ballet wise I've seen pretty much all the classics and they're best for a start point (Sleeping beauty, Coppelia, nutcracker)
    Quote Originally Posted by Batgirl View Post
    Don't give up on it yet - try The Nutcracker or Sleeping Beauty, or as Little Miss suggests Matthew Bournes Swan Lake for a more contemporary take on it - well worth the effort
    My mum took me to see the ballet a few times when I was little and I'd certainly agree with those recommending The Nutcracker and Coppelia as an introduction (I don't really remember Sleeping Beauty and haven't seen the others mentioned). Swan Lake is lovely too, but I think you can appreciate it better once you've seen another ballet and if you understand beforehand what the story is about.

    Like films, books or anything else ballet is very much down to personal taste, both as to whether you like it and which ones you prefer. Personally I prefer classical productions to the contemporary ones I've seen (perhaps because the stories and music are more familiar - shrug).

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    .......

    Personally, I wouldn't go and see an opera, as I don't like soprano voices.
    Oh Yikes - erm... I'm one of those "lower" ones.....

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    I also think Manon is a bit dry for a first trip to the ballet, and agree the Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Carmen, the latter is my absolute favourite opera and translates well into ballet, are good bets. Manon is coming to Manchester in November and I was debating whether to go or not, mmm!! may review this now. Swan lake and Coppelia are coming in Feb and I will be going to both of these.

    Trouble the Royal Opera House looks fantastic, there one day
    if you love the life you live then you'll get a lot more done

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post
    we walked out after two 45min acts of the ballet.
    Never again i can tell you.
    Never mind sis....we've got Barry Manilow to look forward to in a few months...we'll fit in just great there, with the ladies of a certain age, throwing their Bridget Jones belly warmers at Bazza.

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    Never mind sis....we've got Barry Manilow to look forward to in a few months...we'll fit in just great there, with the ladies of a certain age, throwing their Bridget Jones belly warmers at Bazza.
    Take me back to the ballet....

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    Re: Ballet ? - HELLO!!

    What is wrong with us? Shouldn't ballet be one of those life experiences that one cherishes....?
    Only if you like ballet I've been to some great ones (sadlers wells, edinburgh festival theatre etc..) and a couple of awful ones (the one in my local town hall was dire but was apparantly the "russian ballet")

    Have you done a ballet, what about an opera.. thats on my to do list as well.... Thoughts guys?
    I would suggest getting a DVD, if you like it then go see it live; the sense of occasion and grand acoustics add a lot to a performance. And don't give up just because you dont like one - the last time I was at the Royal Albert Hall it was Aida and it was very poor. I like Verdi but I didn't like the ropey performance on that occasion.

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